Walk With Me - Porto to Santiago de Compostela

Day 0 - Monday August 11: The stage is set Tomorrow I begin my solo self-guided Portuguese Central cammino from Porto to Santiago. Today was about soaking in Porto's charms and quirks. Armed with my brand-new walking sticks (because clearly I mean business) I wandered the city's hilly cobbled streets and narrow lanes. I stepped inside the Igrega da Santissima Trindade, marvelling at its quiet grandeur, and proudly got my Credencial stamped - the first of many to come. Lunch was a dreamy plate of Arroz de Marisco - rice in a seafood broth brimming with prawns, fish and shellfish - and a glass of white wine. The kind of meal that makes you want to linger a little longer. Then, like a true bookworm on a mission, I set out for Livraria Lello, one of the world's most beautiful bookshops and supposedly an inspiration for Harry Potter. The queue was enough to make even the most devoted reader reconsider their life choices, so I cleverly booked a timed entry for the evening. Yes - I now have an appointment with a bookshop. Post-shower and feeling slightly more human, I decided to test the legend of the Majestic Cafe. On the way, I stumbled across the bustling Mercdo do Bolhao - a feast for the senses - but managed to resist browsing (shopping is a no-go with a limited-weight suitcase and a backpack in my near future). At the Majestic, I finally claimed a seat and ordered their famous Rabanada toast ... paired, naturally, with not one but two Porto Sour cocktails. Day 1 - Tuesday August 12: Porto to Arcos We drove about 20km out of Porto to start walking from Rua de Sete. The route to Arcos greeted me with a series of steep inclines - up and down, up and down - my backpack turning each step into a slow, deliberate, painful climb. My seemingly pathetic training did not prepare me for this. Midway through, I used my little Portuguese to ask a man if I could use his toilet. (Every hamlet I walked through was lived in but deserted.) He motioned me to wait, went inside. Minutes later, I decided not to impose and followed the next waymarker. A female voice called out, I turned and she asked if I needed water. She invited me in and pointed out her parents. Mum had a small knife wrapped in her hand covered with a kitchen towel. Daughter appeared to brush it away. When I came out of the toilet, she kindly offered me water and fruit. More than two hours later, I was being shown my room in this beautiful guesthouse in Arcos. My legs, back, everything was hurting but I had done my first day. Amazing. The guest house offered massages. I did not say no. I am hoping that tomorrow will see me find and feel the cammino's rhythm: the clack of my sticks, the nods, smiles and "Buen/Bom cammino" from strangers, the little moments where you wonder why you're doing this, and the even smaller moments that answer that question without words. Reflection: Every step is a conversation between where I've been and where I'm going.