Preparation for the camino to Santiago de Compostela from Porto (Portugal)

Via http://www.flightconnections.com/ I saw that a flight from Amsterdam Airport to Porto in Portugal was the best option for me for the Camino Portugués and via http://www.skyscanner.com/  I have found the cheapest flight ticket. I bought finally a Flex ticket for Transavia Airlines. With such Flex ticket I have the right to change my flight ticket until two hours before departure. The extra costs for that ticket are €7,50 per flight. Because of walking sticks, scissors etc with me I put my luggage in the plane as hold luggage for an extra fee. In my case I can take 15 kg of hold luggage with me (in max. 5 parcels) plus max. 10 kg of hand luggage, so I am able to buy a lot of presents for the way back home. I take two parcels with me: 1) the backpack and 2) the walking sticks. The rules regarding walking sticks are always different, so better to make two parcels. At least you cannot carry them them as hand luggage.

Via http://www.tripadvisor.com/ I have found my hostel in Porto. I have booked for two nights. After breakfast I will take the metro to metro station São Bento from where it is a short walk to the cathedral where I‘ll collect my first stamp in my pilgrims pass and where I‘ll start my camino. Then I’ll walk into southern direction to the river Douro and then along the river Douro in western direction to the coast and along the coast in northern direction to  Matosinhos from where I’ll take the metro back home to my hostel. That first walk is about 12 km from the cathedral. The other day I’ll take the metro back to metro station Mercado in Matosinhos from where I’ll continue. This time with bakpack, since the first day my backpack will stay in the hostel.

Last week I have bought my first backpack ever, an Osprey, Exos 48 model. That will be a big challenge as well, walking with a backpack!
Soon I am flying "home" to Porto. It feels for me like that. Portugal is in my heart.

Terreiro da Sé, cathedral in Porto

staircase of the cathedral in Porto

Last July we have been on a family holidays in Portugal where we have started in the lovely city of Porto. Via the following link you are able to see our pictures about Porto:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152619122129282.1073741842.761289281&type=1&l=d85328e93a
In Porto we have spent then 2,5 days (= three nights). Porto is a very nice World Heritage City. In Porto however I got a big lower backpain (many hills up and down, many streets with staircases …). I am still facing problems now with my left back and my left leg. The physiotherapist was working four times on me, so hopefully I will manage my camino. But I didn’t do any training before for the camino because of that, only last week a 17 km walk with a friend. Not very clever of me to start a camino like that, but I didn’t have any choice. I bought the flight ticket already last December and delaying the camino is no option for me. September is also a nice month to start with the Camino Portugués, all grapes in the fields … , not too hot anymore, hopefully big rain stays away, the crowds of pilgrims are gone  …