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Portugal travels - May 20 to June 5, 2026

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I am excited for my travel to Portugal. After walking last year’s Camino Portuguese, that started on the Atlantic coast in Baiona, Spain, just north of the Portuguese border, I am primed for a Portuguese experience. I travelled in Portugal with my family in 2001. The people I met were welcoming and interesting. I vowed to return. It only took 25 years! My adventure starts and ends in Lisbon. I will visit Nazare, on the coast to witness its famous, enormous Atlantic surfing waves and grilled octopus. I look forward to catching up with a friend from San Francisco who is living in Portugal. In Coimbra I will visit the famous university library and campus grounds. In the Douro Valley, scenic vineyards will delight and vino sampling will test my palate. Instead of drinking Port, in Porto, I plan to learn more about the city history, economics, and culture.  The map below highlights the main cities where I will stay.  
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Camino Portuguese, segment from Baiona to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and travels around Madrid - June 18 to July 3, 2025

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My 2025 Camino de Santiago Adventure Planning... Walking the Camino de Santiago for a vacation/expedition first occurred to me about 18 months ago.  Walking long distances symbolizes a  life journey , with trials, growth, and transformation along the way. A long trek fits well my stage in life.   As you may know, t he  Camino de Santiago (Camino walk) , also known as  Way of St. James , is a  UNESCO World Heritage Site   and a   European  historic pilgrimage route leading to the  Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela  in  northwestern Spain. According to legend  the remains of  Saint James, one of Christ's Apostles,  are buried in Santiago  (named after Saint James) . Apparently,  Saint James preached the Gospel on the  Iberian Peninsula  (modern-day Spain and Portugal) , so his remains were brought to this location for burial .   Starting in the Middle Ages, w alking to...
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