At Last... We're Heading to Portugal!
/The countdown clock is running out. In fact, by the time you read this, we may already be on our way.
Countdown Until Departure
April 15, 2026 · 5:20 PM PST
We spent yesterday doing last-minute things… making sure bills were paid, fertilizing plants, spraying for bugs, downloading every piece of information, photos, etc., we thought we’d need onto our iPads. We finalized our luggage transport itinerary at last, downloaded our luggage tags, and awaited last-minute deliveries from Amazon. We packed our backpacks and daypacks (and Marcie repacked them both about five times). We laid out our travel clothes. We still found time for a 7-mile walk, writing a blog, doing a couple of last loads of laundry, and miscellaneous ‘stuff’ before collapsing into bed around 9 pm for a mindless hour of TV before falling into a rather restless sleep. We were tired, but too excited to sleep soundly.
We’re not traveling light, but not bad for 5 weeks on the road. We think we’re all packed, but I think I’ll check again!
No surprise, we were up early this morning. We walked, showered, had our smiles polished (i.e., went to the dentist for a scheduled check-up and cleaning), and checked our packing lists once again. There were several last-minute items like eyeglasses, Yahtzee dice and score sheets, iPads, iPhone, and all-important snacks to round up and pack judiciously so they’d be easily accessible on the plane. I downloaded a couple of e-books on Libby from the library to keep us occupied on our long flight. David checked a Porto map for directions to the hotel from the bus station and then the walking distance and route to the Se Cathedral, the Camino starting point, from our hotel. We’re as ready as we’re going to be.
WE made our list and checked it twice (or three, four or five times!)
We scheduled our Uber ride to the airport for a 1330 pickup. David has splurged for access to Priority Pass lounges, and we’re looking forward to taking advantage of this rather posh amenity.
Our British Airways flight departs Las Vegas at 1720. It’s a long, 10-hour direct flight to London’s Heathrow Airport, where, after a 1-1/2 hour layover, we will connect to our Lisbon flight, another 3-hour trip. Neither of us minds long flights. In fact, we kind of enjoy them. We have a 2-seat row to ourselves, so we’ll have plenty of room. Our friends, Catherine and Michael, will be waiting for us in Lisbon to take us to their home for a couple of days. Catherine called it ‘de-jetlagging,’ and we’re all in.
On that note, we’ll bid you adieu for a day or so and pick up our adventure tale in Portugal. We’re hoping you’ll be traveling with us. We’ll post frequently, update our positions, share with you the nitty-gritty of how it’s going, what we see, what we feel, and a glimpse of Portugal and Spain. Look for lots of photos. If you have questions along the way, let us know.
For more information about the Camino, check out: https://justalittlefurther.com/camino-de-santiago
Bom Caminho! Buen camino!