Beyond the way is Andrew Suzuki, a pilgrim from New Zealand. He has walked and documented his time on the Camino Frances in a mini-series and I would encourage you to watch it on www.beyondtheway.net.

In the last few days, Season 2 of Beyond the Way has been uploaded on YouTube and it begins to document his time on the Camino Portuguese in 2018. He flew into Lisbon and spent a few days there before making his way to Porto. Episode One starts off by highlighting the previous season before Andrew goes in search of his first pilgrim to talk to. Enjoy!

• Lisbon – Hostel do Castelo Lisboa  – map / booking
• Alverca do Ribatejo – Hospedaria Alfa 10 – map / gronze / web / fb
• Azambuja – Albergue Abrigo do Peregrino da Azambuja – map / gronze / fb
• Santarém – N1 Hostel Apartments and Suites – map / gronze / facebook / video of Santarém
• Golegã – Albergue Solo Duro – Casa da Tia Guida – map / gronze
• Tomar – Hostel 2300 Thomar – map / gronze / facebook / booking
• Alvaiázere – Albergue Pinheiro’s – map / gronze / facebook
• Rabacal – Albergue O Bonito – map / gronze / facebook
• Coimbra – Serenata Hostel – map / facebook / booking / video
• Sernadelo – Albergue-Residencial Hilário – map / gronze / facebook
• Agueda – Albergue de peregrinos Santo António – map / gronze / facebook / video
• Porto – Hotel Poveira – map / booking

Standouts for me were the albergues in Tomar, Alvaiázere and Rabacal. Most were small, offered meals or had a restaurant nearby. They catered to the pilgrim, very much like any of the albergues on the Camino Frances.

The accommodation in Lisbon and Porto were booked before I made the trip. I stayed in every other place on a whim. And this was a joy for me!

The plan on returning from Porto was to write a daily account until my final stage in Agueda. Well, as the inactivity on this blog can show, that clearly didn’t happen. I had one post written and my mind went on strike! It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the Camino. It was quite the opposite. I made the mistake of not writing a journal at the end of each day. But I can squeeze all of this in one post for your reading pleasure.

So I guess I will start with some of the reasons why I chose the Portugués Camino from Lisbon in the first place?

1. It is quiet…but, a little too quiet

If you have walked some of the more popular Caminos, I’m looking at you Camino Frances and Camino Portugues from Porto, you will notice quite a few pilgrims, especially in the summer months. In September, it is epically busy with queues outside the Pilgrims Office in Santiago and many private albergues booked up in advance. From Lisbon, there is none of this as you will be lucky to meet other pilgrims walking. That said, you will meet plenty of pilgrims in the albergues or hostels in the evenings. Some of you may be quite happy to walk alone for hours on end but for other pilgrims, the social side is a big part of the Camino. I was delighted to walk with Carsten, my German buddy, until I made my way home.

2. The History behind the towns add to the Camino

It really tells you something about the Camino when you have been walking for hours and then stumble upon a town that calls itself the Gothic capital. I mean, you don’t see that on the French Way? However, there are enough examples of Gothic buildings in the town to warrant that name. And then there is Golegã that considers itself to be the capital of the horse. Everywhere we went and every person we talked to talked with dedication about the horse, especially the National Horse Fair held every November. Tomar has a Knights Templar Castle sitting on a hill and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Just south of Coimbra is Condeixa-a-Nova, we witnessed a superb sunrise here one morning. Leaving the town, I learned that there used to be a Roman settlement not far from this place in Conimbriga. We walked along a dried-up river on this day. That’s quite a difference.

And we can’t forget Porto. I didn’t stay long here as I needed to fly out the next day. But I did take a walk to the old town to get a stamp. The city was heaving with pilgrims and tourists. Something I had not been familiar with over the last two weeks.

3. The People

I can’t talk enough of the people we met along the Camino in Portugal. I had limited time in Lisbon but it is a tourist town. There is no pilgrim feel to the place and I was eager to get moving as soon as I arrived. The cathedral in Lisbon started the engine and the arrow pointed me in the right direction. Generally speaking, people in Portugal were very friendly and once they knew you were a pilgrim, they were kind of taken back that I had walked so far. Most young people had a good understanding of English and I made sure I knew enough phrases in Portuguese before I left. Bom Dia, esta bem?, obrigado / obrigada. Some words translate well from Spanish but others do not.

Walking into a packed pasteleria (bakery) in Mala was a highlight. The shop was full of locals drinking coffee and we had walked miles from Coimbra. All of the sugar was in front of us. We were tired. But the locals were helpful and kind. Another example was walking from Tomar to Alvaiázere. It was particularly hot and we were low on water. It was myself, my German friend and Kyo from Japan. A lady popped her head out of her house and asked “agua?” Without negotiation, we said, yes and she opened her gate. After 5 minutes of awkward conversation with her husband, she brought out tea and chocolate biscuits! I couldn’t say Obrigado enough!

The owners of the albergues and hostels work tirelessly day in and out for pilgrims. I will talk about the places I stayed elsewhere but I just want to talk about a highlight. That would be in Alvaiázere – Albergue Pinheiro. It is run by Carlos. Here there is no bed race, there are just 14 beds, actual beds. His sellos are by far the most decorative I have received in all the Caminos I have walked. He gives 3, not 1. Another piece of information is John Brierley stays there when he walks from Lisbon.

And finally, where else does the mayor meet and shake each and every pilgrim’s hand that enters his town? On reaching Golega, I was greeted by Mayor Manual Duarte who welcomed me and told me how special the horse is to Golega. Well, I’m just a pilgrim!

4. The Terrain

Before arriving in Lisbon, I wanted to know if this Camino would cause me any kind of difficulty but I didn’t do any kind of research until a week before leaving. This is probably the wrong thing to do, for many reasons. If you are to walk from Lisbon, this is a big undertaking and not something to take lightly. I guess the best way to describe it is walking the meseta for 2 weeks during the hottest part of Summer. Now, it is not all flat like the meseta on the Camino Frances. The first 3 days to Santarem start off flat. And it gets hilly from Santarem onward. That said, for anyone who has walked over the Pyrenees, you shouldn’t find walking from Lisbon an issue.

The Camino sticks to the River Tejo for the first week or so, so this is good company. Another companion is the rail line which connects Lisbon and Golega. The design of the train station is something else. I spent a few moments checking it out in Vila Franca de Xira. It is possible to walk a few kilometres from Lisbon, and catch a train back so you can see more of the city. Then the next day, it is possible to catch a train to where you stopped walking. Oh, and I need to mention that there is a good deal of road walking.

5. Peregrinos

Like with all Caminos, it was so easy to meet other pilgrims. Day 1, we met no one. Day 2, we met an American couple and an Italian couple. And this is what I love about the world being small. The Italian couple lived and worked in Dublin. At the end of the day in Azambuja, we met pilgrims from Russia, Ivar, and Alexander, They had zero English but we managed to communicate. There was Alex from Hungary – the youngest of the lot of us and always writing in his journal. A wise thing to do! We met a pilgrim from New Zealand who had both her hips replaced and was walking to Santiago. An amazing achievement. Then there was Noel from Spain who offered me great tips on how to practice my Spanish. He was unable to understand English.

As the days went on, more pilgrims we met. Another pilgrim from Hungary, another Irish man at Coimbra, a New Zealand pilgrim who liked to sleep outdoors in his tent. There were Canadians, South African and French. All walking in the direction of Santiago. We also met some pilgrims walking to Lisbon and Fatima but these were few and far between.

Walking from Lisbon was a joy but it was not the Camino Frances. If you do have any plans on walking this, keep the following in mind:

1. Length of Stages

I walked from Lisbon to Agueda in 10 days – 345 km. According to Brierley’s guidebook, the stages can be long and it wasn’t until Day 8 until the stages shortened a bit. We walked each day at an easy-going pace and had most of the day free to go about pilgrimy things. Now you could argue that I didn’t have to walk those large distances and you may well be right. However, there is intermediate accommodation that you could stay at if you feel you can’t walk that far. If I was to walk from Lisbon again, I would reconsider the distances as some days were too long.

2. The Heat.

I quickly learned how hot it can be in Lisbon when I arrived. I had a t-shirt and walked from the hostel beside the Castelo to the Cathedral. I was covered in sweat. It was close to 30c. That first day I had 2 showers. But on the Camino, you have to adapt. On the first day, we started walking at 7.30 am. On the second day, we decided to leave earlier as it was much too warm for walking. By doing this we would have a good amount of walking done before the sun comes up and then we can relax going forward. It’s funny though, I didn’t feel these long days and I was at the albergue before I knew it. Maybe it was the company? Maybe it was the thought of meeting up with other peregrinos? Maybe it was easy walking? Who knows?

3. Lack of Services

There are many days where there are huge distances between towns. I can think of one instance on the Camino Frances – after Carrion de los Condes, 17 km and here there is somewhere to buy drinks. On the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon, it is not unusual to have distances from towns of 10 km. In this case, you will need to carry as much water as you can, especially when it is warm.

4. Signage leaving Lisbon

There is an arrow on the Cathedral in Lisbon, another beside it and after that, you are on your own. You need to really search for pale yellow painted arrows on walls, on lamp posts or on signs. If you walk in the morning, as we did, you will have great difficulty. We found our first real arrow about 2 km out. I suppose GPS helps. Once you leave the outskirts, signage is much better.

Overall

I’m glad I have had this two weeks to reflect. Overall this Camino has been good to me but I need to rethink a few things. Is the Camino all about walking 30 km every day? If so, it will have an effect on your health.

If you are prepared for the heat and you can handle long distances, then I give this Camino the thumbs up. Let me know how you get on, I’d love to hear from you!

Bom Caminho!

• Distance: 34.2 km
• Hostel: Hospedaria Alfa 10

I don’t know if it was the excitement or that French guy’s snoring, but I had little sleep before I left Lisbon. I had been looking forward to this day for some time now and it didn’t disappoint. Leaving Lisbon behind wasn’t a major cause of concern for me, I knew I would be back here again sometime.

Carsten and myself left the hostel early enough, we were the first out. It was still dark and people were on their way to work. We needed to find the Cathedral again to locate the first arrow. I had read that there were very few arrows to guide you from the city but I had a back-up gps “just in case”. We had breakfast before the Cathedral before taking a sharp right. We spotted a few Portuguese locals drinking alcohol while we were having our coffee. Maybe on their way home from work?

You really need to keep your eyes on the walls as signage is poor until you come to the coast. But I had an extra step in my walk and I was giddy with excitement. To the coast..

Arriving at the coast, we walk the Passeio do Tejo, a long stretch of boardwalk that goes way into the distance. There are pictures of people walking, pilgrims and families all lined the Passeio. The sun was starting to rise but we took our time. Further on, the former EXPO park at the Parque das Nações is still a hive of activity with many hotels and restaurants. Giant cable cars hang above our heads that usually bring tourists. This is a lovely part of the walk with many people out for their morning walks or runs enjoying the sunshine. We are the only pilgrims however.

A bit further on from the Parque das Nações is the Vasco da Gama Bridge which takes traffic over the River Tejo, which at 17.2 km is the longest bridge in Europe. I didn’t hang around too long however.

Not long after this, the Camino crosses the N10 motorway after Sacavem, and follows a dusty dry path for many kms so it is wise to be prepared. I had just enough water on me for this section until I reached Alpriate. From here on in, I made the decision to carry extra water.

We arrived at Alpriate early. It is a small village with a small snack bar and an albergue. It opens at 2pm. I was in no position to wait but having walked nearly 22 km, we stopped for a snack. I noticed one of the locals grill some meat on a home made barbeque. The smell filled the town. Shortly later we left.

Arriving at the Praia dos Pescadores was the highlight of the day but it was brutally hot. The Riverside Lounge gave us cold drinks before we took a walk along the boardwalk of the nature reserve. An hour or so before we reached the town of Alverca do Ribatejo. On arriving at the town, the Camino brings you over the train line. Any and all accommodation were on the outskirts of the town. We chose Alfa. It is not a place for pilgrims but as the hours went by, we saw a few more pilgrims come in. There were the French couple, and the Italian couple who we didn’t see again. Later on, there was a super menu for offer not to far from the hostal.

The forecast is for more sun. I look forward to it.

After a month of to-ing and fro-ing with the podiatrist, I wasn’t sure this Camino was going to happen. However, after getting the go-ahead from the podiatrist the week prior, my mind was put at ease. I still had over 300 km to walk.

The morning of the flight was an early one. I woke at 5 am, had a quick breakfast and was driven to Dublin airport. I didn’t need to check my bags in as I wanted them on the flight. All that was to be done was the dreaded security check! Why do I always panic when going through security? It’s not like I have anything to hide?

Anyway, the flight was perfect (for Ryanair!) and I arrived in Lisbon at 10.30 am. The sky was bright and it was quite warm. Lisbon Airport was bustling and my first instinct was to look for the metro station. The city centre is only 2 trips on a metro from the airport. The station was super easy to find – directly to the right once you leave from arrivals. What is great is that there is a large information desk if you are unsure. After a quick 10 minute trip to Alameda followed by a 20 minute trip to Martim Moniz, I arrived at my destination – the hostel.

I struggle to find the hostel initially, as the address is not correct. I find it eventually with a little help from my buddy Carsten who had arrived earlier in the morning. Time to settle in, have a shower and see some of the city.

Lisbon is heaving with tourists as we walk through the Alfama district to Sé Cathedral to receive our first sello in Portugal. While walking, numerous 28 Trams speed through the streets with little regard for those in their way. Tourists clamour to take photos as they pass. Tuk-tuk vans whizz by reminding me to stay on the footpath. The Camino calls me louder.

We arrive at Sé Cathedral and I’m blown away by the size of the building. Steps lead into the entrance of the cathedral and then darkness. Carsten has been here earlier in the day and received his sello so he is telling me where to go. Generally, there is a counter on the right-hand side of the entrance and it is manned for those looking for stamps or credentials. However as today was a Sunday, things were different. There was no one behind the counter and a small group was beginning to form outside the sacristy. In broken English, the sacristan was willing to provide sellos and credentials however he made it clear that this was not the norm.

On leaving the cathedral, I immediately could see the first arrow. It was placed on the bottom right-hand side at the entrance. Another can be seen to the right of that on some corrugated iron.

In the small group of pilgrims, we noticed some faces that we would meet in the coming days. There was the duo from Russia, the young man from Hungary and the elderly man from France. We would all know them by names after Lisbon.

For the remainder of the day, we decided to walk to the coast and the Praça do Comércio. It is situated along the Tagus river and with temperatures high in the 30s, the sea breeze was welcome. We took a walk to see the Santa Justa Lift but saw the queue and thought again! This was designed in 1901 by the French architect Raoul Mésnier du Ponsard, an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel.

Food was always on my mind and there are many restaurants lining the many streets of Lisbon. Don’t forget to try the Pastel de nata.

It wasn’t long before we walked up the steep slope to the hostel beside the Castelo. Sleep came naturally but it would be an early start on our first day.