Living in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco, enjoying my own “Camino” every where I go!
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- Curated (Cushy) Camino
Thursday, June 4, 2026
This is a much different pilgrimage than I have ever been on. I joined the group at a friend’s invitation. Particularly appealing to me was the fact that many of the logistics would be handled – lots of little pieces that have tended to often overwhelm me in the past.
Ultreia Y Suseia provides a “guided pilgrimage” and this particular one is called the “Path of Kindness”. Their website says, “We gathered Spain and Portugal, the inland and the ocean, the music and the silence, traditions with history and legends with pilgrims who wish to slow down and reconnect with nature! We’ll get to know several UNESCO Heritage Sites like the amazing city of Salamanca, Guimarães, the Douro Valley Wine Region, the Sanctuary of Good Jesus in the city known as the Archbishops City Braga, and, of course, Santiago de Compostela!
We’ll be walking on the steps of St Theresa of Avila, crossing the border to Portugal on the Way of Saint Francis of Assisi, enjoying the peace and quiet of the Camino Torres and, already on the Portuguese Coastal Camino, we’ll cross again the border to Spain on foot, entering the Portuguese Central arriving in Santiago!”
There are pros and cons, of course. And those that know me are aware that I can be a bit contentious in group situations. Ou team of pilgrims is made up of Great people and I am enjoying them all so much! I’d like a little more free time and less bus riding. I’m figuring it out as I go – though with sunny skies, spectacular vistas, an awesome leader and wonderful people, combining nature, history and walking – I mean, Come On!!
We nourished our bodies with our by now typical buffet breakfast and set off in our comfy bus. There was no need for air conditioning yet as we were greeted with overcast skies. We travelled through last year’s fire ravaged areas to John the Baptist, 12th century church for mass and our start in Sernancelhe. This town is known for their chestnut tree groves, and the production and distribution of the nut.
After mass led by our in house priest, Father Bernardine, we donned our gear and headed out on a steep decent for a couple miles, through meadows of wildflowers and eventually some young grapevines.
Our first checkpoint was at in Vila da Ponte, on the banks of the Távora River, which originates near the town of Trancoso, in northern Portugal, and descends about 46 kilometers to flow into the Douro River, of which it is a tributary.
Our brief break was hardly preparation for the mile plus, steep incline on cobble stone to the Nossa Sinhora das Neccidades church! It felt like a master accomplishment when we arrived and took in the astounding panoramic views of the river below. The church was closed so we enjoyed the grounds before continuing our journey.
And then of course it was back down! We walked through some of the fire damaged trees and at one point even smelled char. Seeing abundant wildflowers gave perspective to the newness that can come. Vitor snagged a branch from a cherry tree and My Oh My they were sweet and tasty!!
It was truly a lovely walk to Rua, and after 8.5 miles it felt great to get off of our feet and feast on a picnic of Portuguese nibbles arranged by Vitor – breads, cheeses, quince jam, sardines, orange cake and vino.
Five our group got off track and they ended up walking a couple of miles extra and joining our picnic much later. Gratefully we were all accounted for when we loaded our bus.
We had a beautiful drive with gorgeous and lush scenery winding down through the Douro River Valley to another lovely lodging site, Original Douro Hotel. We passed a procession For Corpus Christi, today’s holiday celebration here. Celebrated exactly 60 days after Easter (always on a Thursday), the Catholic feast honors the Holy Eucharist. The day is typically marked by solemn religious processions and vibrant street decorations.
In fact, one of our group was out for a walk after we checked in and ended up being swooped into a procession on an adjacent street! Luckily another pilgrim in our group caught it on film so we could all enjoy the serendipitous moment!! (He’s in the turquoise shirt!)
We had a brief respite and then it was off to dinner of salad, bread, roasted pork, potatoes and rice at Maleiro II on the river. We also tried both a red and white 10 year port that this region is famous for – and as if that wasn’t sweet enough, we had a birthday to celebrate with a lucious cake!
I think we’re all tired!!! (9.1 miles)
