Grace Under Rain.

(Monday, October 7, Povoa de Varzim Portugal) - Day 2 - an early start from Labruge, just steps from the Camino path. We desperately wanted coffee but would need to walk about an hour before finding an open cafe along the path. Walking thru the village of Vila Cha, we found coffee, croissant for me and French toast for Greta and Eva. 

Walking along the Atlantic Coastline is beautiful even in the rain. However, in a downpour not  quite so pleasant. As I may have mentioned, Eva walks at a marathon pace with the goal of getting to the finish line as fast as possible. I can’t and don’t even attempt to keep up. And when she and Greta get so far ahead that I can’t see them in the rain and wind, I get more than a little testy. My first lesson to learn on the Camino — grace under fire (or in this case “grace under rain”).  They tell me I haven’t yet learned this. But seriously folks, I thought this was a team sport. I am slowly accepting the notion that we each have our own Camino to walk. Theirs is fast, mine is slow and solo. And that’s okay. I would get out the AirPods but I need to focus on the path under my feet and staying upright. No falling!  I just got finished getting my million dollar smile after a fall during training. 

Yesterday we walked thru fishing villages and the small city of villa do Conde, past a lovely ancient church on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic (what it must have been like to worship there), took a detour due to washed out boardwalk (which added at least a mile to our day) and finally a lunch break just short of our hotel where I swear the meat must have been horse meat. Never again. Blech! But the French fries were divine.

And lastly, at about mile 7 of our ten-mile day, I developed a severe muscle strain in my upper thigh. I had to stop every quarter mile the last two. I thought I would never make it to the hotel. Looks like I will be “benched” for day three. Greta and Eva, walk as fast as you please. Buom Caminha.