Boardwalk in Matisinhos (Portugal)
A tale of two feet
Over 14 days I walked 212 miles (342 kms) and took 468,930 (often painful) steps.
My fundraising adventure walking the Portuguese coastal route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela was an experience and a privilege....and my feet may never recover!
I left Porto and walked along sandy beaches and boardwalks through beach resorts, fishing villages and deserted natural conservation areas. For the first few days I literally walked in the sea. It was glorious, and the sun shone down.
A fantastic system of boardwalks, often elevated above conservation areas of wild grasses and marshland, has been developed along the coastline. Many hundreds of people are walking this route at any one time, I could often see people in the distance and behind me. There was a sense of community when we arrived at the various cafes and rest stops along the way.
A big topic of discussion was 'the feet'. Even the most seasoned of walkers had issues. I have never done a walk as long or as continuous - I have done the Corfu Trail over a week, Lebanon over two weeks (but with transfers between walking trails) and the Fife Coastal Path over 10 weekends - so the odd blackened toe nail is something I am familiar with but not all of them at once! And blisters on blisters, to boot!
A dinghy from Caminha deposited me in Spain. No passport or border control, just a jetty. The landscape immediately changed, however, with a climb up and a walk through woodlands to A Guarda, a rather lovely, if slightly shabby, seaside town with a fantastic harbour where I saw a wonderful sunset.
Walking in Spain was mainly through fields and trees, with the sea often far below and fantastic views out across the landscape.
I spent a day in the beautiful city of Vigo - resting my feet and generally recovering from the 20km walk there which began at 6am. The walk out from Vigo the next day was truly stunning, high up in the hills looking out across the estuary and the magnificent Rande bridge.
I succumbed and bought trekking sandals - not worn with socks I hasten to add - and these proved to be foot savers, enabling me to walk the next 45kms (over two days) to Pontevedra. Back into my walking shoes and on to Caldas de Reis, by rivers, through woodlands and small towns.
Along the way I spoke with many people, Annie, a hospice nurse from Devon and several other lovely young women from all over the world. I met John who turned out to be from Edinburgh and had a lovely lunch with a man from Transylvania who also sang the praises of trekking sandals. I talked with three Aussie ex-nurses celebrating their 60th birthdays and two women from Florida in their late 70s.
Walking has always been a way for me to reflect on my life and what is going on around me. It has helped me through dark times and given me space to really enjoy being in nature and gain new perspectives.
Arriving in Santiago, my first feeling was of relief. Later sitting with a friend who lives there (feet in a tub of warm water - bliss) I described feelings shifting and moving and a sense something more would emerge once I was back home in my 'usual life'.
Along the way I received lovely messages of encouragement, people made donations to Bright Light, including from three people I met on the walk - this helped me keep going, especially when my feet threatened to let me down. They held up though, as did my 63 year old body for which I acquired a new appreciation.
Thanks to everyone who donated a total of £1,315 which will enable us to support families who couldn't otherwise afford to access counselling and all the support it provides.
Claire.
