OMG

Don’t know what’s going on in the universe at the moment! Katy was stuck in the airport for 8 hours with cancelled flights, then ended up finding a haunted attic room at 2am. She messaged me that they provided a toothbrush-so at least she has clean teeth….no luggage because the airline can’t find it, but she has clean teeth. I’m sure you all needed to know that and we are all very happy for her.

They had a night of weird things happening. so very tired, they they took the fast train from Lisbon to Porto and have to stay there until the luggage turns up. They are walking around Porto in comfy travel clothes and have headed off to the Cathedral to get their first stamp….whether or not they will ever get to actually walk the Camino is still a mystery. I wonder why this has to happen. She is missing out on the beautiful coastline and hilarious banter going on within our fabulous little tribe of ‘wild’women.

Chelsea (my new daughter in law) is trying to teach me how to go live on Periscope. I did it this arvo and had 220 people watching me….go figure!

We had a great day today. My non blistered feet (yay) carried me all the way without incident and I’m loving the coastal route. Warm but beautiful breeze to cool everything down. The scenery is stunning.

Tonight, after yet another hiccup with organization, we had dinner downstairs and I seem to have accidentally drunk more than my fill… oops.

I got the drunken dials and rang the handsome taxi driver, making an absolute fool of myself, disturbing his peaceful night of watching the soccer. Why didn’t anyone stop me?!

I went back to my poky little dark and dingy room, picked up the phone and was messaging everyone I knew. I’m hanging my head in shame today. 😳 this is where I apologise to you all… if you haven’t De-friended me!😱 i layed on the bed to rest my spinning head and contemplated the squashed mosquitos on the roof and walls … even they were spinning. Needless to say, I began today feeling somewhat dodgy.

Today was really hard work. It started with a beautiful walk by the sea but we found the path a bit confusing and ended up walking part of the Litoral and part of the Coastal. It didn’t matter as they both end in the same town.

I have had another weird experience and I don’t know how to write about it…somehow Moira and I ended up walking together and the others forged on ahead and we lost them. The reason for this soon became apparent.

Moira knew my husband Steve very well. (Steve died in 2004). We walked up a big hill and entered the most beautiful forest. This is my ‘thing’, (I love forests) and I was doing it tough with aching feet, and was silently asking him to send me some shade as it was really hot. We entered the forest and my mind was blown by the beauty of it with the gnarled trees and little stream below etc. I actually thought to myself that he must have heard me and directed me there as I really needed it.

Moira and I stopped and she pointed to a dilapidated old house on the river’s edge, saying “look at that bizzo”. I turned to her saying I hadn’t heard that word in years and that it was Steve’s favourite word! She never uses it and wondered why it popped into her head… Steve was definitely with us today!!! We had goosebumps on our arms.

After this, we went over a Roman Bridge and clambered over more cobblestone roads, and rested on a blackberry covered stone fence- expiring in the heat.

Then it happened…a sighting of the red plastic chairs that signal a cafe, and we almost raced up the hill dreaming of cold Coca Cola and a place to air the trotters. Boy, did they need airing!

Anyway, we made it back to the hotel. We are showered and about to have a much deserved beer. Katy’s luggage has been found and she is on her way to meet us! Tonight will be a merry night indeed!