So….I am in Santiago de Compostella. Originally I was going to walk from Lisbon…but thought better of it and started just outside Porto. This is the popular starting point for the Camino Portuguese. It began with a long day of 36km but I was suprised at how well I went and the next few stages were a casual jaunt of 20 or so km, so it was evenly balanced.

The Portuguese camino is actually quite easy. There are few climbs and only one that really challenges the body. The rest of the camino is relatively flat and quite nice. It is, however, a completely different feel from the Camino Frances across Spain. It is short. So you don’t quite get the time to bond with people in the same manner as in Spain…or France for that matter.

Porto to Santiago is about 250km and is easily completed in 10-12 days. Someone told me it is a beginners camino…but if I had done this one first I would never have done another one…..or I would not have been so eager to do another one let’s say.

I cannot quite explain why its different…it just is. As one friend who I met in Spain last year – and recently completed the portuguese camino about a week ago – said “it’s unique”. And that is a good way of describing it.
Having said that….I met some wonderful people along the way and Portugal and Galicia are certainly spectacular. Again, like any camino, it is a truly remarkable way to see a country and this was no exception. The portuguese people are unbelievably friendly. Not that the spanish are not, but maybe they have not been as jaded by so many people walking through their lives. Much like spain, albergues are available to stay in and the Menu del Dia…or pilgrims menu… is always on offer. This consists of soup or salad…a main of beef, chicken or pork with chips, and a bottle of wine for about €9. Needless to say, I never want to see this menu again…except for the wine of course.

So…in all it was lovely to do….but maybe a bit short…or not as organised…or not as picturesque….or not as…..I don’t know.

But it is not without it’s excitement. In a short period of time you can still watch relationships begin and end. I watched a yound german girl Frankie fall in love with Isaac from Australia…a dude who made the world sound unbelievable to Frankie….and she wanted to follow him everywhere. A Brazilian boy who would rather sleep until 10am than walk was suddenly up and out at 5am because of the two german girls who thought this was a good idea!

Me…I now have a tumultuous relationship with thunderstorms. The last few days walking was not blessed by sunshine, but torential rain and storms. I was walking by myself when the thunder started. It was not a problem…nor was the lightening….until it seemed to be very close to me. I thought…it’s only flash lightening, not forked so what’s the problem? I will just stop and wait out the storm…I have all my wet weather gear on…i have a banana and croissant in my bag…I’m set.

But like all plans made in a rush….I suddenly thought waiting underneath a tree wasn’t the safest idea so I walked towards open space as much as I could, only to realise I was under the main and very big electric power lines that run across countries and continents. As panic was beginning to set in, and the lightening was very fast and close I realised I was completely alone with no one ahead or behind me that I could see, and I had no idea where i was in relation to civilisation. So it was then that lightening struck a tree right beside me and I had a nervous breakdown. Shaking, wailing crying, screaming for help I began to run. Sounds like a normal reaction I hear you say…but picture that I have a 10kg backpack on….full wet weather gear…boots that were soaking wet and I was shaking and could feel my heart beat uncontrollably…and I tell you I was a sight for sore eyes!!! As I ran I came across half a tree that had fallen on the track (along with rain was galeforce winds) and my life was suddenly over. I saw headlights in the distance that I ran towards…it was a ranger coming to see the damage of the tree that had fallen. I waved him down and he was obviously looking at me like was a lunatic…which I was. I could hardly speak…and he spoke no english…so I suppose it was ok…but I tried  to tell him lightening struck near me. He seemed to think I was just scared of storms – which I’m not…Queensland has some legendary storms – but he could see I was losing my shit..so he drove about 500m up the track to the next village. There,  I saw some other walkers, and was able to explain what happened. I got a cup of tea to stop my shaking and shock….but the consensus was I had probably gotten a risidual shock from the lightening – that in conjunction with adrenaline sent me into minor shock. I managed to keep walking with some very kind people keeping an eye on me…but I was unable to control my reaction of fear when I saw lightening again during the day…not that it can strike twice. …but you never know! 

Someone was looking after me anyway…and I am fine now…but it might be a while before another camino…in a storm anyway!!