Matosinhos to Villa do Conde - 24 km ,Sept 18,2018

Ola - we did mention that we were leaving at 8:00 am - well not everyone got the message, however the luggage was out in time for the pickup and we made to the tart bakery just as fresh tarts were out of the oven...definitely not a disappointment - which pilgrims have tarts for breakfast - well we all did and one of those very small cups of coffee, even the McDonalds in Matosinhos' largest coffee was our small...but very good all the same. We took the metro from Porto to Matosinhos and started our trek from there today. What a great day for a walk along the beach. Most of the 24 km we travelled today were on a very well kept boardwalk close to the shoreline. The silky sand stretched for miles - the strong waves coming in though made one think twice about attempting a swim in the ocean (although I do not believe that anyone brought their swimming attire). The day started off with a brilliant sunshine and a great view of the ocean, although not a distant one, as the fog was not that far from shore. Along the boardwalk were stretches of rather tall stalks of some kind of cane/vegetatigon - it was a kind of wind breaker for the locals. The rocks, view, and scenery added to the enjoyment of the day - walking the boardwalk, much easier than walking in the sand! We had lunch in a popular restaurant in the south part of Angeiras. We shared some very delicious olives (loads of garlic) and some of the local dishes (vegetable soup - potato base) and fish soup. However the highlight for some was the garlic shrimp and for others (me included), was freshly grilled sardines - much better than the canned version back home. All the food was good (except maybe the blood sausage), but what I noted was that there are no salt or pepper shakers on the table, the only condiments were olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Our lunch break stretch out quite a bit and meant that we arrived at Vila do Conde rather later than anticipated at 4:30 pm. By then the fog rolled in quite a bit, though it was hard to tell as the misty spray from the ocean coated the lens of our glasses/sun glasses and by the time we got in, you could hardly see through the coating on the lens. For those of us that travelled this stretch before, we occasionally had that déjà vu feeling and were able to get the group to the hotel without even getting directions. We dined at a great restaurant that offered a pilgrim menu for an amazing 5 euros (2course + tea/coffee (small cup of course)) and it offered beer or sangria at a discounted price. It was tasty meal and filled the gap. All-in-all, it was a relaxing day along the beach, visiting and getting to know each other, while finding our rhythm. Our new pilgrims were surprised at house fast the day went! We met up with some Canadians (one from Edmonton and 2 from Ontario) who are doing exactly the same coastal pilgrim we are doing. We will surely meet up with them frequently throughout our journey. One thing to remember - as you hand wash your garments, they do take a long time to dry - even when you hang them from your balcony - best have extras to wear the next day! Oh yes - hanging out the clothes is acceptable in this part of the world - everyone does it - including the pilgrims. Eu Adorno (I love it here). Till tomorrow - a longer trek - maybe we will all meet at 8:))