Camino Portugués // day 10 // Sernadelo - Águeda

Camino Portugués, day 10.
Distance: 25.6km (311.0km), time spent: 7:35.
Weather: Clear blue sky.

There are no places open nearby for breakfast, so we take our chances in finding a café in one of the first villages we will come to. I should have to walk 12km before finding a place to eat. This will be the second of two days that is shorter than usual. Yesterday was probably a tad short for me, but today it would not matter much. I have some hope that Águeda will provide some additional entertainment.

A red dawn in the morning outside Sernadelo.

It is a wonderful light in the sky when we start walking, pure red and purple hue. And thankfully it has just got enough light when we come to a pine and eucalyptus forest. The only downside is that the walk through the forest is too short. The light is wonderful through the trees, giving it too a sheen as if there is a haze moving through the trees too. This would be where the mythical creatures and beings comes to life in ones imagination, maybe a Mouro or even a Moura Encantada lurks in the hidden parts of this forest.

After Sernadelo, the Camino enters a short, but wonderful eucalyptus forest path.

This morning has been an upgrade from yesterday, but it will not last as I know the Camino will go through some industrial areas later. For now, I enjoy walking through villages on nice country roads, with the purple sky before sunrise. It almost would have looked like a painting, if it had not been for the power lines breaking the illusion. All the time looking for a café, no one is open.

From the eucalyptus forest after Sernadelo.

Some less interesting walk later past the Anadia sports complex and futebol clube, the only exception being a wonderful light when I was passing by a cemetery in Anadia, the Camino goes through the outskirts of Anadia. Here, I go past several worn, dilapidated and impoverished buildings. Many abandoned. Some of the houses are inhabited. At some point, this place must have been thriving, but has failed to stand the test of time. The café in Alféloas is of course closed.

Santiago de Compostela.

Now something strange happens. Ciaran was just ahead of me, but suddenly I find Françoise in front of me between us. Where did he came from? Then Guus appear behind me, and she had started before me in Sernadelo. Someone must be playing some trick with me. We pass by some villagers making creative use of tractors and small trucks to cut hedges in a neighboorhood. They cannot help but smile when they see me and Françoise taking pictures of them in action.

Sunrise through the trees.

In Avelãs de Caminho, I finally find a place to eat brunch, Caminho Bar. After 12k of walk without having anything to eat, it was about time. Ciaran was in another place here, and I was surprised to stumble upon him, believing him to be further ahead.

Cemetery in Anadia.

I come to the Caves São João where wine tasting is possible, but I do not see anybody in the reception so I move on. Later regretting not trying harder, as two other pilgrims come talking about how happy they were with their visit. While the walk is not particularly scenic, it does have some interesting sights. I pass by a stately farm, Quinta da Grimpa, a solitary gate next to the road, and a church in Aguada de Baixo covered in tiles.

Abandoned building in the outskirts of Anadia.

The walk through another industrial area is salvaged by a kind person. About to leave work, a man stops his car and comes out, handing me a small bag consisting of a bottle of water and two apples. I have seldom experienced this on a Camino, but frequently when I did the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage in Japan. Always unexpected, but always appreciated.

Local people trimming the hedges while Françoise is taking a photo of them.

Walk gets better when approaching Águeda. History passes by us, by the Fonte do Atalho from 1467. Buildings in various colours and tiles. And a small park before going over the bridge to Águeda, with the buildings of the town reflected in the river. I spot Ciaran leaving the small square across the bridge just as I walk into it, but I have to leave him going. For several reasons. I need a late lunch and I want to have a look at the street with the umbrellas as roof. Águeda has something special in store, and I will go in detail on that later.

Portuguese tiled house with window frame.

Ciaran seems to take the more direct route towards our accommodation for the night, Albergue Santo António, with the only drawback is its location a little outside the town. I, on the other hand, has to follow the proper route. Going on a little detour around the town, but then making me see more of what Águeda has to offer. Huge upside down umbrellas. A large bird made up of various scrap on the wall of a building. A man on a swing. The words 'Tao Bela' (so beautiful) on some buildings, only visible when you stand at a proper position.

An old mansion covered in vines.

I take a liking to the Albergue Santo António the moment I arrive. Ciaran is here already, naturally. As is Guus, Alex and Chiara. Alex and Chiara are as always early up and leaves way before me, and also arrives way before me. When the chores has been done and we have rested some, we all go down to the centre of the town.

The streets of Borralha, just before arriving in Águeda.

Águeda is wonderfully quirky and looks like the street art capital of something, the streets are full of various urban art. While the others are having something to eat, I pick up a map of the town at the local tourist information, where I can see where the various arts and installations are. At first, I walk on a street underneath a canopy of umbrellas of various colors. In another street, the umbrellas has patterns on them. Further up in the town, I find a street that has a canopy of balloons instead, and then another with ribbons fluttering in the air. A staircase is painted as a river with people relaxing on inflatable boats. A big black tinker with many small yellow persons on him. I do not have the time to see it all.

Águeda.

Man on a swing, on a building next to the Camino going through Águeda.

Joining the rest of the group, we go for a round in the town, being my second. When approaching the Igreja Matrix, we come dangerously close to an angry craftsman working above us. Things are definitely not going his way, and in a rage he throws his bucket away. It clatters down on the street not far away from us. We quietly retreats to a course out of his reach.

The wonderful and quirky Rua Luís de Camões in Águeda, with an umbrella canopy.

Umbrella roof in a street.

For dinner, the group is suddenly hungry for MacDonalds, of all things. Though, the closest one is a little bit too far away. We instead decide upon going back to the albergue and order some take-away from there, but we have to order before six o'clock. On the way, we all vanish into a supermarket, going a little bit shopping crazy. I am the last to leave, getting delayed by an alarm going off, prompting me to show that I have not stolen anything. Fortunately, Guus has been so kind to wait for me. I make it just in time back to order. It was not a bad idea to order take-away too, the food was quite good and more social too, eating together with the others at the albergue.

Balloons in a street in Águeda.

The street with balloons as roof.

Not altogether able to leave the street art behind, I have to go down again. Curious to what it looks like when it is dark. It is a different atmosphere walking in the streets when it is quiet, dark and less people around. I really admire what they have done here in Águeda, the urban art is certainly adding another dimension to the town. I find Ciaran still up when I return, the others has gone to bed.

A staircase as a river with people on inflatable boats.

A day of three parts, first a quiet and nice walk through woods and interesting villages, then a less interesting walk to Águeda, and last a delightfully evening in a creative place.

Rua Luís de Camões in the evening.

Dark clad figures watching over a lone bench.

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Camino Portugués // day 9 // Coimbra - Sernadelo

Camino Portugués, day 9.
Distance: 26.6km (285.4km), time spent: 7:21.
Weather: The sun always shines on the Camino.

There were some noise outside the windows during the night, the students celebrating the start of a new semester really had it going, but it was still quite muffled and so not interfering much with my sleep. I heard later from another pilgrim that she had to almost step over sleeping students in the streets when she left early in the morning. Ciaran and I are having breakfast at a small café in the morning, making notice of the portuguese drinking a glass of white wine.

Ciaran at the small café where we had our breakfast in Coimbra.

Praça do Comercio in Coimbra.

While Ciaran continues on the Camino from the café, I have to go back to where I left it yesterday. You may call it a (strange) obsession, but I sort of have to. On the way back, I pass by Hotel Oslo, which I found amusing given that I live in Oslo. The fine thing for me by starting from where I left yesterday, at Largo do Portagem, is that I get to some atmospheric part of Coimbra that I did not see yesterday. I also take a look inside the Igreja de Santa Cruz, which has some wonderful tiled walls. Outside the church, I try to take some good photos using the reflections in the fountain, spending more time before finally starting the walk out of Coimbra. Maybe there is something holding me back.

Igreja de Santa Cruz.

Definitely not the more modern part of the city, which I get to shortly after the old buildings makes way for the new, here I walk faster. Not as fast as François though (he was the Frenchman talking to the women 'taking' our beds at the Albergue O Bonito in Rabaçal), who comes racing past me with a backpack full of Camino trinkets. There is a park right next to where the Camino goes, and I would like to go in there instead of on the Camino, but unsure if I easily can get back to the Camino I let it go.

Praça 8 de Maio.

There is nothing really exciting happening on the Camino today, although the walk is somewhat pleasant, going on relatively quiet roads and through the usual villages. I do not know what to expect of this stage. Coimbra is still taking up too much of my mind probably. At Café Milfrutas in Trouxemil, I catch up with Ciaran again, while another pilgrim spills out some of my coffee by accident. Leaving Trouxemil with its nice Igreja de Santiago, Ciaran again is getting ahead of me.

Interior of Igreja de Santa Cruz.

Tiles depicting Coimbra on house in a village outside Coimbra.

A deafening walk on a busy road towards Santa Luzia threatens the day, but it is thankfully short (still needed a café com leite at Santa Luzia), and the scenery improves afterwards. Here, a road gradually changes into a gravel track and heads into an eucalyptus forest. The change is welcoming.

Statue of St. James in Trouxemil.

Ciaran is sitting relaxed in Café One Way in Lendiosa, talking a little bit with some locals. Interestingly, he had tried to order some food at the café, but they had declined to make any. On our table there is a bag of bread and as a replacement for not getting any food at the café, Ciaran takes a bread from the bag. It is belonging to one of the locals, but he is giving it to him.

Igreja de Santiago in Trouxemil.

From there on, I manage to keep up with Ciaran, but the view is now strangely familiar. Me, walking short behind, having his blue backpack in my view. We walk through grapes, grapevines and small villages for the rest of the way to Mealhada. This is the suckling pig capital of Portugal, leitão. Although we are not having leitão now, eating a rarely late lunch.

A yellow arrow on a sign in the eucalyptus forest between Santa Luzia and Mala.

Eucalyptus forest walk.

We end our stage just outside Mealhada, so close that it could be called Mealhada maybe, in the Albergue Hilario in Sernadelo. It is a nice and also kind of strange albergue, with a large display of tiny race cars in the office. In the parking lot, a Google street view car is parked. Alex and Chiara has of course arrived here before us, we did not see them in Coimbra, but knew they were there. Also present is Guus from Holland. And a group of pilgrims coming from USA, Canada and New Zealand, whom I have the pleasure to sit down with a beer together.

Tiles depicting a clerical person in Mealhada.

Then, it is time for leitão. For dinner we, which are Ciaran, Alex, Chiara, Guus and I, go to the O Tipico restaurant, close by the albergue. At first, we are a little bit put off by the price, but as there are few others interesting places nearby, we decide to splash out a little today. It is well worth the money. This is probably the best meal or meat (just swap the l for the t) I have had on the Camino so far. The meat is melting on the tongue.

Fountain with tiles in Mealhada, notice the left side displaying preparations of leitão.

Not a so interesting walk today, lots of roads and less interesting villages, still pleasant enough. It was the morning in Coimbra and the afternoon and evening in Sernadelo that made the day.

My dish of leitão.

<< CoimbraÁgueda >>

Camino Portugués // day 8 // Rabaçal - Coimbra

Camino Portugués, day 8.
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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