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    The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués
    The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués
    The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués
    Ebook115 pages3 hours

    The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués

    By Sue Dwan

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    About this ebook

    The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués offers practical advice on the preparation for the walk; shares the many challenges and joys pilgrims face along the journey; offers wry observations on fellow pilgrims, village life, and themselves.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSue Dwan
    Release dateAug 10, 2017
    ISBN9781370467143
    The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués
    Author

    Sue Dwan

    Sue Dwan lives in New Zealand and has her own business. She is a professional certified coach (PCC), a management/business coach, writer (travel, educational and management) and ‘doer of interesting projects’, at clients' request. She has a particular interest in encouraging individuals to get their affairs in order before it is too late to do so and in 2014 wrote three PDF guidebooks on the topic: Clarify Your Intentions, Clear The Way and Wrap Up Your Business. When she isn't working with clients or tied to her desk, she's travelling or planning her next trip.

    Read more from Sue Dwan

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      Book preview

      The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués - Sue Dwan

      The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino Portugués

      By Sue Dwan

      Copyright 2017 Sue Dwan

      Smashwords Edition

      Cover Image by Catherine Dwan

      Copyright 2017 Catherine Dwan

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Please note: New Zealand spelling, which is different from American spelling for some words, has been used throughout this text.

      Table of Contents

      Introduction – Similar and yet different

      Chapter 1 – The beginning of the end

      Chapter 2 – Precious encounters

      Chapter 3 – Cultural norms

      Chapter 4 – Go with the flow

      Chapter 5 – Mindful gratitude

      Chapter 6 – Post-walk reflections

      References

      About the author

      End Note

      Introduction – Similar and yet different

      Why walk another Camino trail?

      In my previous book, The Kiwi Sisters’ Camino de Santiago, I told of my sister Catherine and I walking the Camino Francés (‘the French Way’) in 2009 – an 800-kilometre walk across northern Spain to the city of Santiago de Compostela. Ever since, when we discuss that adventure, we experience an immediate soaring of our spirits, a split-second recall of a specific situation or a particular place, and spontaneous laughter.

      We enjoyed the whole, huge experience of it, and despite its challenges, it was also mentally relaxing and hugely restorative. There was plenty of time to think and reflect – or not to think at all and simply go with the day and see what happened. It required us to be in each present moment, and to fully experience the highest highs, and the lowest lows. We learnt more about ourselves and our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual resilience. It also allowed us to explore and enjoy Spanish culture, customs, food and way of life.

      The feelings, emotions and spiritual uplift of that Camino experience stayed with us. We wanted to do another – partly to explore parts of a country we had always wanted to visit, partly to have another purposeful experience to feed our inner selves and support our personal growth and development, and to again be part of an ancient tradition.

      It’s difficult to explain the pulling power of a pilgrimage (a journey to a particular place or for specific reasons) and of being a pilgrim, but in these books I’ve tried to do that. Traditionally, pilgrimages involved a long journey to a sacred site that had a moral or spiritual importance. Pilgrims had specific goals in mind, like curing an illness or fulfilling a vow. Their focus was on a spiritual leader. Sometimes rich people paid poor people to walk the pilgrimage for them. Pilgrims walked or travelled by horse and were totally reliant on themselves and the kindness of strangers for food, shelter and protection.

      Meanwhile, Portugal had been on our wish list since 1977. I was 21, Catherine was 27. Then we had toured around Europe for three months with a cousin and a friend, and planned to cross into Portugal from Spain. We’d heard about the beauty of the country, about the local tiles and the artworks. We knew about Fátima, the Marion shrine; Porto and its port wines; and how inexpensive Portugal was to travel in. This was a particularly important factor at the time, as we were on a tiny budget, had an old car and one small two-person tent to house us all.

      However, Portugal was also in the midst of consolidating democratic change, joining the European Economic Community, and grappling with huge economic and social issues. We were advised to stay away, so despite our interest in the country, we did.

      In 2012, 35 years after being so close (and with our recent experience of doing the Camino Francés), the Camino Portugués became the perfect vehicle for us to explore the part of Portugal from Lisbon, the capital, right up to Valença on the border of Spain. And then to rediscover Spain from the town of Tui through to Santiago de Compostela. This is where most pilgrims end their walk and attend a special daily mass held at the cathedral.

      Camino Portugués

      We knew very little about the Camino Portugués. We had met some pilgrims on the Camino Francés who had walked parts of it and said it wasn’t as well known or popular as the French Way.

      The 615 km Camino Portugués route started at Lisbon and travelled through Santarém, Tomar, Coimbra, Porto and Valença; then into Spain via Tui, Pontevedra, and finally to Santiago de Compostela. There was little supporting infrastructure for pilgrims, and the accommodation from Lisbon to Porto (the second-largest city in Portugal) was limited. However, once beyond that, more options were available, including frequent albergues (pilgrim hostels).

      Our lessons from our Camino Francés

      Throughout the days and weeks of the 2009 Camino Francés, our personal Camino lessons slowly emerged, from our own and others’ experiences. They included:

      1. Get over yourself (how we each see, experience and interpret the world around us is only right for us, no one else; make no assumptions and have no expectations of anyone).

      2. Self-care (it is our personal responsibility, no one else’s).

      3. Let go (of any expectations of ourselves or others; stop resisting things we have no control over).

      4. Be in the present (if our focus is on the past or the future, we miss the present moment).

      5. Receive gracefully (we must all learn to do this; gratitude also needs to be extended to all that is good and great in our personal world).

      6. Ask for help (it’s not a personal weakness, it’s a sign of strength – it also enables others to give to us).

      We knew the lessons would apply equally well in Portugal, and we were open to what other life lessons we needed to learn.

      Packing list

      On the Camino Francés we learnt a great deal about what to take and leave behind, what to do and avoid. Despite knowing we needed to carry only up to 10% of our body weight, when we left New Zealand for that trip, our packs were 5–8 kg too heavy. We vowed not to make the same mistake, and this time we each took:

      Clothing

      • 2 pairs of knickers (superfine merino and/or lycra)

      • 2 bras

      • 1 shirt with UV protection (day wear)

      • 1 shirt/top (evening)

      • 1 pair of trousers (evening)

      • 1 pair of trousers with UV protection (day wear)

      • Superfine merino Icebreaker jacket

      • Merinomink possum fibre cardigan/jacket

      • 1 pair sports compression knee-high stockings (to wear each day)

      • 1 pair travel compression knee-high stockings (to wear at the end of each day and overnight)

      Other

      • Sun hat (wide brim)

      • Sun gloves (to protect the back of hands from the sun)

      • Lightweight shoes (for evening)

      • Trekking/walking shoes (plus spare laces)

      • Jandals/sandals (for in the shower)

      • Pack ‘cells’ – lightweight bags to store clothing and toiletries

      • Clothesline and safety pins (pins are more reliable than pegs in wind)

      • Toilet paper

      • Magnetic hook (for holding clothes in shower cubicle)

      Wet/cold weather

      • Waterproof jacket

      • Over trousers

      • Pack cover (in case the pack wasn’t entirely waterproof)

      • Thermal or merino camisole undergarment

      • Superfine merino leggings

      • Gloves, hat and scarf

      Sleeping

      • Sleeping bag (small and lightweight, approximately 460 g)

      • Silk sleeping bag liner

      • Pillowcase

      • Nightwear (old, large, long T-shirt)

      Toiletries and health care

      • Toe protectors

      • Sunscreen lotion

      • Gauze, bandage and tape for blisters

      • Pain relief tablets

      • Gastro pack (in case of food-borne illness)

      • Earplugs

      • Mineral replacement tablets

      Personal

      • Facecloth (a lightweight cleaning cloth)

      • Lipstick, and lip protection and repair cream

      • Hand sanitiser

      • Water bottle/container

      • Travel towel (MSR Packtowl Ultralite)

      • Sunglasses, glasses and glasses prescription

      • Medications

      • Soap

      Other

      • Camera, spare batteries, memory stick and power cord/adaptor

      • Cell phone, charger and power cords

      • Walking poles (2)

      • Plastic plate, mug, small container, small sharp knife

      • A plastic spork (a combined spoon, fork and knife)

      • Tube of clothes-washing liquid

      • Headlamp

      • Spanish phrase book

      • Money belt

      • Bank card/debit card and cash

      • Itinerary (copies provided to family members)

      • List of next of kin, and names and addresses of family and friends

      • Passport (plus photocopied first page and

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