The boardwalk was the best introduction to the Camino. It was easy on the feet, the coastal views were spectacular, and you could not get lost. The Camino Coastal was also a bird sanctuary and an archeology site. Prehistoric Celtics were known to have settled on the coast. Unfortunately, we were on the clock. We could not linger to explore. The boardwalk was also busy with lots of cyclists and weekend walkers. The locals obviously enjoy the boardwalk. Remarkably, we passed a portable, modular library run by the municipality. Indeed, a very literate society. Luckily, the library had quite a few patrons reading books and newspapers late in the morning. We have just experienced our first misdirection. The boardwalk ended at a river channel. No Camino yellow arrow direction signs were visible. Not knowing how to proceed, we back-tracked to the library and asked the young man in-charge. Seeing our pilgrim gear – backpack, trekking poles, and the scallop shell, he quickly pointed to the dirt road behind the library. Lesson No. 1: ask when in doubt. That person is more than willing to help you out.

Vila do Conde, a fishing town, was an important hub during Portugal’s Age of Discovery (and also ushered in colonialism and the slave trade). After about 8 km, we turned inland into villages with cobbled streets (our first encounter), over a bridge, and finally, into the town’s historic center. Outside the town, remnants of a Roman aqueduct could be seen not far away. We set down our backpacks at the hotel, went around the town to check out the historic sites: a bobbin lace shop (now a museum), a “discovery ship” replica, and wandered about the narrow 1st c. A.D. streets. Some, with shrines dedicated to a saint. We admired Portugal’s ability to blend the old with the new, which was truly remarkable. Our 17th-century-old hotel was an excellent example of contemporary amenities in a 400-year-old building. We witnessed these old and new architectonics throughout our Portuguese portion of the Camino.