Distance: 29.0km (258.8km), time spent: 9:01.
Weather: The sun must go on.
Yet another milestone stands shining at the end of this day, Coimbra. Stating the obvious, I am looking forward to getting there. By the sound of the multiple footsteps I can hear outside early in the morning, many others are of the same opinion. Breakfast was said to be included, but it is at best meagre, all we can find is some dry bread. There is stuff in the refrigerator, but I never feel comfortable just grabbing it since I do not know if it is meant for us or not. I am happy that I did buy some yoghurt yesterday. Once again, I spend so much time in the morning that everybody else has left when I peek out of the door and start walking.
Looking back at Castelo de Germanelo and Monte Jerumelo from a quiet country road leaving Rabaçal.
Rua de Santiago, tiled signpost in Zambujal.
It is a little bit of a lonesome feeling this, walking off alone after all the others. I have the streets of Rabaçal and the quiet country roads (one of them the Roman XVI road) afterwards all for myself. A pleasant walk, but it takes some time to shake off the lonesome feeling. I cannot really explain why I get this feeling too, it is not like I have not been walking alone before. The sun rises slowly above the ridge next to me, just as alone, but any sunrise worth mentioning fails to materialize. On the way into Zambujal, a tiled signpost tells me that I am on the Rua de Santiago (Santiago's Road, Rue Chemin de Saint-Jacques).
A reproduction of a painting by Pier Mari Baldi on tiles in Fonte Coberta.
At some point I no longer feel lonesome anymore, not knowing excactly when the feeling left me.
Walking on a lovely path between two hills before Conímbriga.
It appear that the inhabitants of Fonte Coberta has turned their small hamlet into a museum. At the entrance to the hamlet, I find an information board made of tiles, listing up fifteen places of interest in the hamlet. Including Santiago's Road. Every sign here is in both Spanish, English and French. Most interesting is probably Largo Pier Maria Baldi, a small square where you can find a reproduction of a painting by the famous painter when he accompanied Cosimo III of Medici on his pilgrimage to Santiago in 1669. It certainly add something extra to this small pleasant hamlet, at the end of the hamlet you get to a small bridge, the 'Philippine Bridge' built by order of Philip the third of Portugal.
Conímbriga.
The Casa dos Repuxos in Conímbriga.
From the small bridge and Fonte Coberta, the Camino enters a small valley nestled beneath two hills. It is a return to the pleasant walk from yesterday. And although it passes the tiny cluster of houses called Poco, I feel the scenery around me is again dominated by nature. Poco feels like a small distant place, both in appearance and location. The way wanders around and over the houses, with the wind making a loose rooftop plate slam repeatedly against the rooftop, giving it a ghostly atmosphere. The path is lovely going slowly up in the valley, illuminated by the new sun.
Woodland Camino on the way towards Coimbra.
The Santa Clara Aqueduct, built to provide water for the Santa Clara Monastery.
I have timed my walk perfectly, arriving at Conímbriga at 10 o'clock, just as the museum opens. This is the site of an Roman city in the second century BC, with only 17% of the original city excavated and is the best preserved of the ancient Roman cities in Portugal. It contains all that you symbolize with a Roman city, mosaics, thermal baths, forums, amphiteatre, aqueduct and more. The visit is however giving me a small dilemma, I would like to spend some time here, taking in the wonderful remains. On the other hand, as with Tomar, I want to arrive in Coimbra early. Walking around the site, I think it is the mosaics that captivates me most, but all the various pillars, broken foundations and old buildings are also interesting. If you have a lot of history on your mind, this is a must-see.
The gilded church interior of Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Nova.
Cloister garden, Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Nova.
It is less interesting after Conímbriga, although there are several sections of pleasant walks through forests and scenic cultural landscapes. As if the small valley I walked through formed a gate out of a hidden and remote landscape. Maybe I fail to enjoy the scenery because I have too much anticipations of arriving in Coimbra.
Coimbra.
Largo da Portagem.
Despite walking underneath an ancient aqueduct that the highway cuts straight through, the walk into Coimbra is not very exciting. That is soon changed as Coimbra itself comes into view. I believe the entrance into the heart of the city is one of the greatest on any Camino. You stand high up and then you see the old capital across the river (Mondego). From the top of the hill to the west of the city, Coimbra looks like a city beautifully stacked and packed tightly together. The renowned university is clearly visible at the top.
Universidade de Coimbra with its clock tower.
The main square outside the old university of Coimbra, with the statue of King João III, who based the University permanently in Coimbra, and the Joanine Library.
Ciaran has been ahead of me all the time, with the added benefit for me that he has secured a bed for me too. I can then relax a little and then decides to visit the Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Nova monastery before heading over to the hostel and the city itself. The cloister garden is as they usually are, tranquil and peaceful. You may get a little bit awestruck by the decoration inside the church, at the point of being too much. It is overly gilded, but still wondrous when the sunlight shines through the windows. There is also an albergue here in the monastery, which looks nice, but we wanted to stay at a more centrally located place, to get more time in the city.
The Grand Examination Room in Coimbra university.
I think pilgrims cannot help falling a little bit in love with Coimbra upon reaching the entrace into the city past the monasteries and over the bridge, before diving into the narrow streets. They winds and turns upwards through the city, with old niches, entryways, alleyways and small squares worthy of Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I meet Ciaran at a café in front of the old cathedral, Sé Velha. I have not failed to notice all the students teeming around the squares and streets, there must be some sort of initiation week going on, they are making a lot of noise. The place Ciaran has found looks great, Hostel Sé Velha.
Coimbra and surroundings from the top of the clock tower.
A cloister garden from above.
UNESCO has added the old university here to their world heritage list, not without reason. The university was actually established in Lisbon in 1290, but was moved here in 1537. It is such one of the oldest operational universities in the world, with over 20 000 students. I am not going to study in the university, but I am going to study the university. Fortunately for me, I do not have to wait too long to get access to the Joanine Library. You have to book a time get into the 18th century library. Before I visit the library, I have time to do the normal round of the university. It is quite exquisite as the saying goes.
Saint Michael's Chapel.
Since they allow you to climb up into the clock tower of the university, I do exactly that. The stairs are so narrow that they only allow one to use the stairs at the same time, but the views from the top are well worth both the climb and possible wait. Down again it is time to visit the Joanine Library, founded in 1717. An amazing and wonderfully ornamented library. They are actually letting bats loose inside the room in the night, to guard the books against insects. I regret not taking any sneak photos of the library (it is prohibited to do so).
Sunset next to the Joanine Library.
The sun is about to go down behind the hills in the West when our visit to the library is finished. The statues next to the library are colored red, as is the sky. Satisfied, I make my way down the narrow streets again to meet Ciaran for dinner. He had spotted a place to eat. Underneath one of the stairs leading up into the city, we find a small local street vendor kind of café. No tables really, we just sit next to the bar and kitchen area, pointing at what we like to eat. It is great.
Dinner at a local place, A Tasquinha.
As with Tomar, we cannot get enough of Coimbra, so we wander down and around the city, finding a place to sit down for a beer. The place is in an old chapel next to the Igreja de Santa Cruz, which is a busy and popular place. Coimbra needs more than just one evening to make it justice. Another fine day on the Camino, but it was Coimbra and Conímbriga that made the day.
Ciaran walking through the streets of Coimbra in the evening.
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