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I made it to Porto!

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 Hi all, After an uneventful flight, I am here!  We landed in a dense fog and rain around 9:30AM.   I had arranged a transfer from the airport to my hotel and the gentleman was prompt and friendly.  He filled me in on how to be safe on the Camino (join others while walking if suspicious people arrive, know the "911" number to call (112?  I already forgot it. Nope, I remembered correctly!).  I arrived at Porto Bolsa Hotel with 5 hours to spare before check in so I wandered around the city, walked across a bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, enjoyed the open air markets, and had my first meal at a brunch spot (it was fine!).  I hit a wall around 1pm and asked for early checkin which I was lucky enough to receive.  My room is spartan but has everything I need.  After a 2 hour nap and a shower, I am back in action and the sun has come out.  Now people are everywhere, enjoying a beautiful early fall evening while sipping beverages in outdoor ca...
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Testing this blog

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Hi all, It seems a bit hard to get into this blog for some, so let's experiment.  I'm writing this post to see if it triggers an email to all of you with a link to the blog.  If not, there is another way in I think.  If you type: bzccamino.blogspot.com in you top search bar, my blog should pop up.  You may have to prove you have a google account.   Please let me know if anyone is able to access this thing!  If not, I'll switch to another blog app which doesn't require google to access, etc.  I may also allow this blog to be open to the public for the two weeks I'm gone so that you don't have to jump through so many hoops. Regarding my recent LBP and scary MRI report, I got a green light from an othopedic surgeon who assured me that everyone my age probably has a spine that looks like mine (not exactly a compliment).  He tried to soften the blow by saying something like, "It is in line with your birth year" instead of coming right out and sayi...
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Trying to figure this blog thing out.... Ok, now I have my hawk, Donna's spirit animal (bird), to guide me on my journey.  That wasn't too hard.... Photo credit:  My father-in-law, Lo-Yi Chan, taken last weekend at our ReWUnion at Woodloch Pines Resort. A week from today I'll be arriving in Porto, Portugal.  I'm excited but also unsettled about many things going on right now, both in my personal life, in our country, and in the world at large.  This is a challenging, somewhat dark, certainly anxiety-provoking time.  My hope is to remain in the present moment as much as possible during my pilgrimage but I'm not sure how likely that is.  I'll certainly try.   I doubt I'll be very popular as an American, but being an older woman on my own may be of some benefit in this department.  I'm not at all apprehensive about this trip and I'm not sure why!  There are plenty of reasons I should be nervous; I'll have to find my way for 160 miles in a f...
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