After six days of rest and of watching Portugues Netflix, it was time to resume my Camino. I got up early, walked across town to reach the Porto cathedral, took some photos of the rising sun, and set out. There were several other pilgrims at the cathedral that morning, starting their Caminos. Starting the Camino in Porto is by far more popular than starting in Lisbon.
Pilgrims have two options from the cathedral: walk north through town to follow the traditional central route, or walk down to the river and travel northeast along the shore to follow the coastal route. I chose the coastal route as a way to avoid the heat I faced on my previous days. I chose wisely.
Jimmy
Jimmy, from London, was starting his second Camino. He walked the English Camino last year. After Russia invaded Ukraine, his export job dried up leaving him time to try something new. This year he was using a two week holiday to recapture the fun he had experienced last year.
I walked a reasonable 30.4 km this day. The trail followed paved pedestrian walkways along the Porto coast and continued on boardwalks and gravel paths north of the city. I was prepared for the sun this time with long pants, and rewarded with a slight breeze along the coast.
I arrived at the Albergue Sao Tiago de Labruge, an old four classroom schoolhouse in Labruge, 20 minutes before it opened and there were already 10 pilgrims in line. Public albergues like this one did not take reservations. I got settled in and headed out in search of lunch. When I returned around 4 pm, the albergue was at capacity. This one had 52 beds. By nightfall, there were another 10 pilgrims sleeping on mats on the floor. Jimmy secured a spot on the floor. From here on, I planned on arriving at albergues before they opened, or booking ahead at private accommodations.