The route from Mealhada to Águeda on Camino day 12 (Wednesday, September 7th) was a relatively flat 11.5 mile day. The terrain was mostly asphalt with some long stretches along busy highways as we made our way through a number of industrial areas. Not the most pleasant route to walk, especially under a hot sun with little shade reprieve. However, two high points of the day brightened our spirits:
1) As we were walking along one particularly long stretch of highway in the afternoon sun, a man drove by, stopping to give us each a bottle of ice-cold water and two apples for the ‘peregrinos’ (pilgrims). We thanked him profusely and he continued on his way, looking for other hot and thirsty pilgrims. Such a random act of kindness, but so appreciated.
2) Our first glimpse of the town of Águeda and its main square was almost magical! Colorful umbrellas were hung high between the buildings lining the square, forming a whimsical canopy to shade shoppers and diners below. As weary as we were, it lifted our spirits tremendously.
We stopped at a small cafe for lunch before heading up the street to our hotel. We also had time to do our laundry and explore the town a little. We were lucky enough to see Nina again (the pilgrim from Atlanta we had met on day 3 of our Camino walk). She suggested we visit the local church and walk the stations of the cross, which were not inside the church as is typical, but were depicted on blue and white tiles along the staircase from the main square to the church.
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