Day 14 Sao Joao Da Madeira to Porto 34km

We are in Porto. Haven't had time to take a proper look at it yet but from what we have seen, it is stunning. Also, we have a great apartment right in the city, and our Airbnb host is just lovely.

Well balanced - near Malaposta today

The outer suburbs of Porto (as with most cities) are a bit of a monotonous drag. So it was only an OK walk. Our real problem though was that we didn't complete all of the kilometres listed in the heading. We were late starting, some hills set us back, and we had an agreed meeting time with our host. So, we had to use transport for the last few kilometres. We are disappointed but in the context of a 600km+ walk, it's not so bad.

Datura plant shortly after Sao Joao

Bite taken from pasteis nata before it could be photographed

For the hot weather we have experienced for most of the past two weeks, there is a constant need for liquids. We've satisfied this through regular water stops and cafe breaks. Between the three of us we start each day with less than two litres of water. This and the cokes in the cafes has proved sufficient. It has to, as there are no water taps for replenishing supplies. Taps exist on the route but many have signs suggesting that the water is unsuitable for drinking, so we avoid them all to be safe.

Roman road near Malaposta

In the past few days we have encountered communal clothes washing areas at the edge of some villages. These take the form of a very big bath and a number of women wash clothes in it and chat. It all looks very sociable and appears to be a tradition that has yet to die out. (We were too shy to photograph any of them while the women were present).

Day 13 Albergaria-a-Vela to Sao Joao da Madeira 30km

It rained today and it was colder than usual. We put our plastic covers around our packs but never got to put on our rain gear, but there is a change and the forecast is for cloudier and wetter weather in the low 20s.

Early morning Albergaria

Progress was slowish as we encountered a number of steep hills. The series of hills leading up to Oliveira de Azemeis were killers - I can't remember that many continuous hills on these walks before. The hill up to Faria de Cima was for mountain climbers. Anyway, we are here in Sao Jao staying in the Residencial Solar. We have experienced some crappy showers in the rooms so far, but this is the best on the Camino - I think we drained the hotel's supply of hot water.

Lots of views on how far we walk each day but we'll take this suggestion as to what remains

Our communal meal last night went well. At it, we discovered that the Polish couple could talk directly to a Slovak couple (on their way to Fatima) and vice versa. It seems that the two languages are extremely similar.

Noisy goat

Porto/Oporto tomorrow. We will spend a second day there as our first rest day, so we are really looking forward to it. Also, we have taken an apartment there for the two nights through Airbnb. Let's hope it all works out.

Corn stores/espigueiros

Day 12 Agueda to Albergaria-a-Velha 16km

Dinner last night was great. Mary, with help from Fleur, put together a pasta dish with tomato, chorizo, and lardons, accompanied by a green salad and fresh crusty bread, to feed the five who sat down. And at the same time she helped the struggling Frenchmen to cook their dinner. There was plenty left over and a young polish couple, we have seen for the last day or so, mopped up the rest of it, and supplied us with fresh melon for dessert.

Traditional tiled house near Mourisca do Vouga

Before we started we had a slight fear that it would be difficult to communicate with the Portuguese as we passed through the countryside and villages. This has not been the case. There are more English speakers than we thought. Also, when we want to enquire about something on the street, we tend to target younger people as they all appear to have some English. Another source has been the staff in pharmacies - for some reason they all seem to have good English. Then, Fleur seems to pick up more words each day, so we are managing.

Different Camino waymarker near Pedacaes

An interesting aspect of the walk is that as we walk north, others are walking south. These are pilgrims going to Fatima. We saw many of them today. They are easy to pick out as they all wear high visibility jackets - they don't have large backpacks like us so I presume their baggage is being taken by van.

Kieran and Fleur at lake near Pedacaes

Today's walk was wonderfully short. It was mostly on quiet country roads, and the hotel had supplied a good breakfast so there was no long stop at a cafe. We arrived at Albergaria for 12 noon at the Albergue Rainha D Teresa (wonderful pilgrim dormitory accommodation) - NB: it does not open until 2pm but it's worth the wait. All the usual suspects are here and Stephen (who is a chef) is cooking for all of us tonight.

Front garden

Getting closer to Porto. However, the forecast is for temperatures to drop over the next few days to the low 20s. I'm sure we can manage that!

Day 11 Mealhada to Agueda 25km

At this stage we are moving along each day with the same group of people, ie. We see them on the road and chat with them at the hostels. They are a Belgian father and son, a guy from Derry, a couple from Canada, a guy from Greystones, and a couple of Frenchmen. In the first few days we had regular contact with an Australian woman, an Italian woman and a Bulgarian man - all of these appeared to have dropped out or dropped back. Also, two French ladies haven't been sighted by us for two days. We plan to take a day off when we get to Porto and so may see some of them again after that.

On the trail.

I wouldn't call any of these days boring but today was ordinary. There were no interesting agricultural activities, no spectacular views, and nothing quirky or strange. We were away by 7.15am and in Agueda by 2pm.  We are staying in Residencial Celeste (also seems to go under the name Albergue Antonio) and it is fine, if a little pricier than other lodgings to date. The room is fine but the bathroom is tiny. There is a good kitchen and so we will cook in for the first time this trip and we have invited a couple of our fellow walkers to join us.

Scented rose.

On the Camino Frances there is accommodation in the smallest of interim towns on each of the stages, so you can tailor stage lengths to suit yourself and your capabilities. On this camino, any accommodation tends to be centred in the nominated stage ending towns, so tailoring the length is much more difficult. The stage lengths for the next three days are 16, 29 and 34. Ideally these three days would be better managed at about 26km each. However, there appears to be little interim accommodation to facilitate this. We will think a little bit more about it.

Day10 Coimbra to Mealhada 22km

Temperatures are way into the 30s again and will be for a few days. Rain seems to be non-existent (famous last words!!).

Today, for the first time the Camino Portuguese looked a little more like the Camino Frances as we encountered many pilgrims, Canadians, English, French and many others. Up until now, we have only encountered other pilgrims at the hostels but today they seemed to be everywhere on the road. We know that some of the new groups have joined after going north to Fatima and now are moving on to Santiago. Others, we presume, have picked the city of Coimbra as a starting point.

Chapel prior to a procession today in Lendiosa.

The Pensao Larbelo where we stayed last night was OK. However, the highlight of the night was our meal. Mary decided we needed a change to the standard fare we were having, so she treated us to tapas, and it was excellent, in a very English language friendly restaurant - Dux Petiscos E Vinhos. It was Trip Advisors No 1 of 251 places to eat in Coimbra. It was a walk of about 1.5kms, but that seems so little these days.

Making progress?

Much shorter walk today. A couple of short stiff hills thrown in but generally flat. Got to Mealhada at about 13.15 (having left Coimbra at 7am) but our accommodation was at the far end of town so that took a further half hour. It is excellent, and though its restaurant is not open today, there are lots other restaurants nearby.  The front of the premises is the Hilario restaurant, while the rear has the sign Alberge de Peregrinos. 

We are tonight in the Tipico restaurant next door. Mary had their speciality - suckling pig!!

Pumpkins

Something I meant to mention yesterday was the Roman aqueduct we passed on the way into Coimbra. This ancient structure was cut in half to accommodate a new motorway a few years back. I won't pretent to understand the rights and wrongs of the whole thing, but it does seem to be an appalling shame.

Aqueduct.

Day 9 Rabacal to Coimbra 30km

We keep saying how wonderful the Portuguese are, and so it continued today. We greeted a farmer working his vineyard this morning near Conimbriga. He asked us to wait and came to us with a bunch of grapes for each of us. Later, we were sitting in front of a church at Cernache and we were approached by (1) an old lady who gave us all a bunch of grapes, (2) a young man who asked if we needed water, and (3) a lady who called Mary into the church to sign/stamp our Camino credentials. Later again, in Palheira, when faced with a very full cafe where we wished to have a lunchtime snack, a man crossed the road to ask if he could help and advised us of another cafe 100 metres further down the road. Little things, but appreciated.

Very fancy Camino signs near Zambujal!

On the road by 6.45am. Got to Coimbra by 3.15pm. That is about normal for 30km. By the end we feel a bit wasted but we recover quickly. Coimbra is a city. We have a hotel room near the centre - it is basic but it is clean. It is on the third floor and there is no lift, so that's not so easy when you've completed a 30km walk. And the WIFI is very weak in the hotel so this is being compiled at a bar - any excuse!!

A lot going on here!

Our first view of Coimbra.

Mentioned this previously, I think, the Camino Portuguese is much more hilly than we were led to believe. We have struggled up some of the hills we've faced. Mary hates hills but approaches them with determination.

A hard working lady.

Tomorrow we are only facing 22km. Woohoo!!!

Day 8 - Alvaiazere to Rabacal 32km

Walking at 6.45am, starting with a sharp uphill for a few kilometres. While it was a slog, we all felt it was a nice day and we have arrived here in Rabacal to nice accommodation (Casa de Turismo do Rabacal). The walk continues to improve and has moved from just about endurable (Lisbon stages) to very enjoyable (rural stages), and the Portuguese continue to be so pleasant.

Grotto on the trail.

There are plenty of dogs along the trail but the majority are tied up and are therefore restricted to barking at us. However, at some spots the household has a couple of terrier type dogs running free who can menace you a bit. Waving the walking sticks will usually keep them under control, and pretending to pick something off the road will often send them scurrying (clearly someone has lobbed a rock at them before). Today we were attacked by a couple of nasties, one of whom was a slightly mongrel version of a pit bull. Anyway we got clear OK but would prefer not to have a repeat.

Yum!!

Our route today was very much dirt and farm tracks, and woodland trails, with little road, and so it was more like the Camino Francais. It was also very well waymarked. We stopped in Ansiao and had wonderful pastries (see photo) and we encountered a wonderful bar owner in Alvorge He showed us a photo of a pilgrim who had passed through the town yesterday, a girl - she is doing the Camino in a wheelchair - I don't know how she manages.

Sap collection in the woods.

Pumpkins.

All three of us have different footwear strategies. Mary just wears walking sandals - her feet are free of blisters. Fleur also wears sandals but with two pairs of socks - she has blisters but that is due to her relative newness to such walking - blisters from the initial days are now fading and she has no new blisters. I wear walking shoes with one pair of socks, I change into fresh socks after about 10km, and I change into sandals and no socks for the last 10km or so - I am free of blisters.

Mary sees a way past the water charges - prototype needs further development!

Another 30km tomorrow and we are at Coimbra - an old city, with 160k people. Should be good.

Billy goat (not) gruff in Alvorge .

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