Camino Day 10 - Conimbriga to Coimbra

Because today (Sunday, September 4th) was going to be a relatively short day of walking, we decided to have our taxi pick us up at 9:30 and we would explore the Roman ruins in Conimbriga (which opened at 10:00) before starting our walk to Coimbra. It being Sunday. the restaurant at the inn was closed so we walked to the bakery where we had had lunch on Friday and enjoyed a breakfast of coffee, orange juice and pastries. By the time we got back to the inn, our taxi was waiting for us (same driver, but much more relaxing ride today).

We wondered through the ruins, exclaiming at the beautiful mosaic tile floors in some of the homes and the 35,000 sq. ft. mansion! 

                          Amphitheatre stage

Close up of mosaic tile floor

House of the Fountains atrium                     

At @ 11:30, we were ready to head on our way to Coimbra. The first 6.5 miles were relatively flat, mostly along secondary roads and woodland tracts. The last 5.5 miles were undulating hills, some very long and steep. As we neared Coimbra we passed an ancient Roman aqueduct and the medieval Monastery of Santa Clara. We were all weary as we walked the last few miles through the city to our hotel, arriving @ 5:30. After checking in, we asked for our luggage and were informed it hadn’t yet arrived! Rich immediately called the Camino Ways emergency number, and they contacted the luggage transfer service and were told our luggage was on its way. However, they didn’t actu
ally deliver our luggage until after 7:30. We ended up going to dinner sweaty and dirty, but glad we had a hot shower and clean bed to look forward to. So glad tomorrow is a rest day!

  

                  View of the Roman aqueduct

View of Coimbra as we make our way downhill

into the city

Weary travelers resting on the Santa Clara bridge       

before entering the city                         

Camino Day 9 - Ansião to Conimbriga

Saturday, September 3rd, was another long, hot day of walking (@ 20.5 miles) with a number of challenging hills and lots of Roman roads as we continued our journey to Santiago. Our destination today, Conimbriga, is the site of the largest and best-preserved Roman settlement in Portugal. The Romans arrived here in 139 BC, but excavations on the site have also unearthed Iron Age remains from the 9th century BC. What history lies underground and what stories might be told!

We left Ansião before dawn, walking an hour or so with only the light of our headlamps. By the time the sun was coming up, we had climbed our first steep hill and had a panoramic view of the sunrise, stopping for a minute to not only take pictures, but to also ponder the beauty and wonder of God’s world.

Sunrise over Ansião 

We’re using John Brierly’s book Camino Portugués to see not only the towns we’ll be passing through each day (and where there might be cafes for a quick cup of coffee and a bite to eat), but also to get an idea of the terrain and elevation ahead of us. I have to say his elevation map for today’s walk did not prepare us for the number or length of the hills ahead of us. To be fair, when I look back at his elevation map of today’s route, the increments are in 1000 meters, rather than the 100 or 200 meter increments we’re used to seeing, so at first glance, the hills don’t look that steep or that long. Thankfully, although it was in the 80’s today and the sun felt quite hot, we had a fair amount of shade and nice breezes in the afternoon, alleviating some of the sun’s intensity.

       I don't know what the significance of a sewing 

    machine is to the small town of Netos, but I had to 

                 have my picture taken with it

Checking out the signage for the Fátima Camino

Speaking to a local woman about a tall growing        

vegetable crop we didn't recognize - she called it      

 cal verde - we decided it looked like kale             

Stamping our pilgrim's passports at a wayside pilgrim stop

We walked the last steep uphill climb into Conimbriga directly into Portugal's Roman Ruins National Monument. Besides the ruins themselves, there’s a museum and restaurant on the grounds. We stopped for a well- earned gelato while waiting for our taxi to take us back to Ansião. The taxi ride back can only be described as harrowing at best, as our driver seemed to be keeping his eyes on his cell phone rather than the road most of the time. We made it back safely with just enough time to shower and change before dinner. Tomorrow, we’ll take a taxi back to Conimbriga to continue our journey.

Camino Day 8 - Alvaiázere to Ansião

Our 8th day of walking, Friday, September 2nd, was an unusually short day - only @ 8.5 miles. We were able to sleep in a little and have breakfast at the hotel, which felt like such a luxury! We had a fairly long, steep climb out of town and then a few undulating hills as we made our way toward Ansião. We walked through forested valleys interspersed with olive groves and small crop fields. We also encountered a few more Roman roads.

                     Our morning shadow picture

    L to R: Jerry, Becky, Rich, me, Theresa and Dave

Rich navigating an uphill climb on one of the ancient

Roman roads we encountered today

We came upon this cobweb of lace in the middle        

of a forest - never learned the significance of it             

We reached Ansião @ lunchtime and stopped at a delightful bakery for coffee, orange juice, sandwiches and pastries and then headed further down the road to our accommodations for the next 2 nights. We're staying at a family run inn with an owner who speaks excellent English and is a very welcoming host. He offered to do our laundry, which we eagerly took him up on. The food tonight was served family style and was delicious, although it was way more than we could finish. Now off to bed as we prepare for another long day of walking tomorrow.

Camino Day 7 - Tomar to Alvaiázere

We had another long, hot day of walking on Thursday, September 1st, this time walking almost 22 miles over some very steep terrain. According to our pilgrim’s guide for this stage, we climbed more than 4400 vertical feet. By the end of the day, we were VERY hot, tired and sweaty. 

Met a few more pilgrims along the way and at dinner tonight, but the pilgrim numbers along this portion of the Portuguese Camino are nothing compared to the number of pilgrims we encountered every day on the French Camino. Miguel had told me that only @ 3,000 pilgrims travel the Lisbon to Porto portion of the Portuguese Camino each year. It’s amazing what a difference this makes! Hearing other pilgrim’s stories and sharing experiences along the way makes for a comraderie that has certainly been lacking to date.

Although hilly, the paths today were varied, alternating between town pavement, quiet country lanes, cobblestones, earth tracks, woodland paths and ancient Roman roads. By far, the ancient Roman roads were the toughest to navigate, especially when walking downhill! Needless to say, we were quite happy when we finally came to the sign for the town of Alvaiázere.

                           Adjusting our packs

One of the many hills we climbed today         

    After a relaxing coffee break, getting ready to head out

Finally at Alvaiázere!                        

Tomar Rest Day

Wednesday, August 31st was our ‘rest’ day. We have four of them scheduled during our Camino walk and, with so many long days of walking, they will be much needed. Since Fátima is only a 30-minute taxi ride away we decided to visit Fátima in the morning and spend the afternoon exploring the Templar fortress and its Convento de Cristo. Not being Catholic, Rich wasn’t particularly interested in visiting Fátima, so he offered to do our laundry while we were gone, which was much appreciated, as this is usually one of our primary tasks on ‘rest’ days.

The High Cross

Our first glimpse of Fátima was breathtaking: a clean, wide-open esplanade with the High Cross dominating the scene at one end flanked by the modern Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. At the other end of the esplanade stood the more traditional Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima. In between the two churches was the Little Chapel of the Apparitions, built on the spot where Mary appeared to the three peasant children: Francisco, Jacinto and Lucia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary

We were able to attend Mass in the Little Chapel of the Apparitions and then wandered through the rest of the complex. There was a long line of people snaking their way toward one end of the Little Chapel, each carrying one or more candles, some of which were at least six feet tall. The purpose is similar to our lighting of votive candles, although much more dramatic. There is an inferno below where they light and leave their candles (this melts the wax so it can be re-formed into new candles).

              Little Chapel of the Apparitions

Lighting votive candles with the inferno behind      

I hadn’t mentioned this before, but there is a very popular Camino route to Fatima. Pilgrims on their way to Fatima travel a lot of the same roads we’ve been traveling. As I watched the crowds today, I wondered how many of them had just completed their Camino journey and what an emotional high it must have been for them.

In the afternoon, we walked up the hill above town to the convent first and then explored the fortress. Contrary to our use of the word ‘convent’, the Convento de Cristo housed male religious, and is quite large. Explorers such as Columbus and Vancouver da Gama were almost certainly received in these buildings, as were pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

                          Convent courtyard

Example of some of the beautiful tile work in the convent

Altar piece                     

   

                  

View of the Templar fortress

All in all, it was a fascinating day, but I can’t say it was really a day of rest, unless one considers a nine-mile walk restful.

Camino Day 6 - Golegã to Tomar

On Day 6 of our Camino walk, Tuesday August 30th, Rich and I decided to take a rest day. He was still recovering from the walk to Santarem on Sunday and my feet had taken a beating the day before walking 22 miles on uneven and rocky farm tracks. Becky, Jerry, Dave and Theresa set out @ 5:30 for the grueling day ahead, @ 20 miles up and down hills in 80+ degree heat.

Rich and I took a taxi mid-morning to Tomar, an historic Templar town (as in the Knights Templar). After dropping our backpacks at our hotel's reception desk, we set off to explore the town and grab a bite to eat. Found a lovely, historic cafe on the way to the main town square, ordered coffee and pastries and sat outside to do some people watching. 

The town of Tomar was founded in the 12th century by Gualdim Pais, first Grand Master of the Knights Templar, who established Tomar as the headquarters of the Order in Portugal. The Templar castle/fortress and its adjacent convent (Convento de Cristo) sit on a hill high above the town. (We'll visit these sites during our rest day tomorrow.)

  

               Medieval waterwheel

Church in Praça da República (main square)
undergoing massive renovation

Returning to the hotel, we were able to check in to our room, unpack our luggage and settle in to wait for everyone else to get in, which they did mid-afternoon, tired and sweaty.

     Climbing one of the many hills on the way to Tomar

Stopping for a quick lunch on the road

Finally reaching Tomar!

Camino Day 5 - Santarem to Golegã

Day 5 of our Camino trek, Monday, August 29th, was another long walk. Given the heat issues we experienced the day before, we left our hotel in Santarem at 5:45 am, hoping to walk a few more miles in the cool of the early morning. Rich opted to not walk, instead hoping to recover somewhat from the previous day’s toll on his body.

We wound our way down through town, at times having to use our headlamps where there were no streetlights. We passed an impressive castle we hadn’t seen the day before and picked our way over the narrow, rocky path past the castle. Our destination today was the town of Golegã, a distance of @ 22 miles, mostly traveling through vineyards and corn fields. 

        View of a Santarem church in the pre-dawn hours

Grapes that look like they're ready for harvesting

                                                                            Happy sunflower fields

We stopped mid-morning for coffee, juice and pastries at a cafe in the small town of Vale de Figueroa and then again early afternoon for lunch in Azinhaga (birthplace of Polish Nobel Laureate Jose Saramago) where we had hamburgers cooked on a George Forman grill and the best salad we’ve had since arriving in Portugal. Shortly after leaving Azinhaga the Camino joined the busy N-365 highway (with absolutely NO shoulder), which was our path all the way to Golegã.

As we marched single file along the highway, we could see another pilgrim ahead of us, thinking it looked like our friend Miguel from the previous day. Once we got closer, we called out to him and he stopped and waited for us and we walked the rest of the way into town with him, learning along the way (from a native Portuguese) how to authoritatively wave down traffic so to get drivers to reduce their speed (a handy skill to have in this country where everyone seems to drive at least 30 miles over the speed limit).