Coimbra to Mealhada May 15 - 24/25kms

Another 6:00am start but this time into a decidedly cold morning. I was pretty layered up for the first few hours but it was refreshing to walk in a cooler temperature and a chilling breeze. This was a fairly unremarkable walk this morning. Our first cafe stop was welcomed but they only had herbal infusion tea, bitter and not much use in getting one revved up for twenty more kilometres. We passed some school kids waiting for their bus and, when a huge double decker tour bus pulled up to collect them, we couldn't help but think of our kids bumping along in their old yellow school buses. Then we met the pastry truck - another brilliant idea along the camino! Now we had a bit of a sugar high as a pick me up.

The walk this morning was not particularly long or hard but, for some reason, I felt like I was moving through peanut butter all day. My feet are feeling pretty good although, sadly, Dayton's are a little worse each day and that is tough but he just keeps soldiering. Even after stopping at a Super Marché and the Post Office, we were in our room at the Residenciale Oasis by 12:15pm. In our opinion, this hotel certainly lives up to its name. We have a huge room with both a single and a double bed and an equally huge private patio terrace exposed to the afternoon sun and perfect for drying our laundry. We took advantage of this to wash and dry as much as possible because often hotels don't have anywhere to hang stuff up to dry.

The beauty of this oasis is that it also includes a restaurant, one that specializes in the roast piglet for which this area is renowned. I don't have to reiterate that this is of interest to me only as a comment of information. We did indulge the proud chef by taking a picture of his roasted wonder. I have discovered the satisfying vegetable Portuguese soups and, with warm rolls fresh out of the oven, that was ambrosia for me. Eating a late lunch seems a better idea than finishing eating at 8:30 or 9:00pm and then going straight to bed on a full stomach.

Once again, and maybe for the last time, our friends from Malta are staying at the same hotel so maybe instead of dinner we will share a light dinner or just a cup of tea or glass of wine and have a quiet night. Tomorrow it promises to be back up into the 30s C so that early start will be critical to getting ahead of the heat.

 

The friendly pastry truck and 'pastrista.'

 

 

Our patio / laundry, right off our room.

Dayton's dinner tonight!!!!!

The local school bus.

 

 

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Rabaçal to Coimbra May 14 - 30 kms

A rather dark menacing sky hung over us as Dayton and I left our little Residenciale hotel at 6:00am this morning. As we set off down the deserted and rather desolate looking streets of this simple town and followed the yellow Camino arrows out of town, a chilly breeze put a little pep in our step. Most of our pilgrim companions had indicated that they had no intention of rushing out early this morning so we were on our own as the markers directed us onto quiet country tracks alongside farmlands, fields of olive trees and vineyards. The first hour's walk was companionably peaceful and that tranquility continued throughout the day. For most of the morning we meandered along the country roads and fields, through one small village after another and from one cafe stop to another. It is nice when the cafes pop up right before you know you even need them.

The only pilgrim we met up with today was Francisco, our Barcelona gentleman. Dayton and I were enjoying our tea and coffee and a couple of the rather tasteless prepackaged pastries when Francisco was served up a wonderfully fresh bocadilla and a snifter of some alcoholic beverage. I guess it helps to know what to ask for or to know what you don't even know you want to ask for. Francisco's wake-me-up beverage made me think of when we were walking towards the Somport Pass in France two years ago when a Dutch pilgrim introduced us to the concept of 'cafe courageux', a cup of espresso served with a snifter of brandy. It is a combination that certainly puts some fire inside you on a wet and freezing day. Right now we are not dealing with that cold so we will stick with our coffee and tea. Still.....that is something to keep in mind.

That menacing sky of dark clouds turned into nothing more than a welcome shade to make today's walk so much easier. Often the only super early traffic is the bread delivery man and at one village we saw a few locals lined up at a truck with his side canopy lifted. We thought it was the traditional bread truck but as we got nearer, the salty aroma was a little fishy...it was the door to door fresh fish monger. I wonder if this door to door daily delivery might be a concept our LCBO might consider pursuing.

By noon hour we were in a little village high above the city of Coimbra. It was still an almost five kilometre walk through the huge suburb of Santa Clara, and then across the river into Coimbra. After finding our hotel we wandered over to one of the many open squares for yet another tea and/or wine and just as we were packing up to go back to our hotel, Eman and John showed up ready for lunch so we joined them for a truly authentic Portuguese midday meal. We're flexible like that. Now we have to do some more town wandering to work up an appetite for the evening meal. So chalk this one up as another good day on the Camino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Alvaiãzere to Rabaçal May 13 - 33kms

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift."

I have used this saying so many times that it has become my personal cliche but it seems to fit the occasion. Today was a gift of an easier day on the Camino, not easy, but easier. The varied terrain of today's route changed from quiet country roads, to soft pine coated wooded paths and to rocky scrubland trails along the crests of one hill after another which was a nice contrast to the days of pavement pounding we have been enduring up until now. Frequent Cafe stops were an added welcomed benefit too.

At 5:40, as we headed out this morning, it was pitch black with only the city streetlights to guide our way but immediately they went out. By sheer and literal blind luck we walked straight to the albergue where we met up with John and Eman. Within five minutes daylight appeared. I was thinking how comical we must look to any local early risers who happened to look out their window; four pilgrims at an intersection all going in different directions trying to find the markers out of town. Markers were soon found and we headed up and out of town and I do mean up. We climbed up for the first hour of the day and then it was up and down all day but a gentle breeze and the haze filtering out the blaze of the sun meant it was all fairly pleasant.

Around 8:45 we enjoyed a cafe stop; a tea and a decadent pastry which normally would I would consider a dietary disaster but, as we get into the rhythm of 33km days, a pastry is more medicinal than guilty pleasure. I didn't even share. As we were leaving, three other pilgrims arrived, two gentlemen from Austria and a man from Switzerland, so the Camino group grows and it seems everyone is definitely doing their own Camino their own way. Some of the people we have met are taking shorter stages, mixing tourism with pilgrimage, some are taking taxis or busses to shorten the long days and others are sending their backpacks along to make these long walks a bit more tolerable.

This got me thinking back to a book about pilgrimage that I had been reading recently and about the in-depth reference to and discussion of 'real' pilgrims. Reading those chapters, the term 'real' pilgrims sat uncomfortably with me, and with Dayton too. Who is to say what a real pilgrim is? When we first walked the Camino Frances de Santiago there did seem to be a definite hierarchy of pilgrims. Those who carried their packs and walked the entire route were given preference over those who sent their packs ahead by car or who took a bus or other transportation. Arriving at an albergue, if you hadn't walked the entire way from the previous stop, you might have to wait until the 'real' pilgrims arrived to see if there was a bed left available for you. But who is to say whose pilgrimage is more valid than anyone else's. Are you less of a pilgrim because you chose to miss the last five kilometres in 33C or if you send your backpack ahead to prevent further injuring a bad back or because you are ill? Unless you can walk a mile in someone else's shoes ( and if I ever do I hope they are a size larger than the ones that are now cramping my tender tootsies....but I digress), you cannot know their circumstances or intentions. The only one who might know if he or she is a 'real' pilgrim is the person themself; what is in their heart, their soul and their intention. The rest of us can let go of judgment. At the end of each day all we need to know is that we have done our best for that time, that moment.

So now we are in Rabaçal with a full house at the Casa de Tourismo Residenciale, a very basic hostel with double rooms but no hair dryers. Does wanting a hairdryer make me less of a pilgrim? That might be a qualifier. We have a virtual United Nations of guests; the German couple from Bremen, John and Eman from Malta, Francisco from Barcelona who is a very patient Spanish teacher to me, an Irishman, a couple of other Canadians, ladies from Vancouver, and Dayton and I. We all agree that this was the best walking day so far on this Camino.

We finished this really good Camino day with a typical Camino communal meal. We all met up at the local restaurant. With all the many countries represented, Portuguese is the least spoken and understood language among us and that lack of understanding was reflected in our meal choices. The green vegetable soup was a delicious surprise so that was all good but the individual pizzas,that most of us ordered, were also a bit of a surprise. They were the size of a city street manhole cover and we all got a complete manhole cover to ourselves! I had never had a vegetarian pizza with just corn and peas on it. An interesting new combination. Of course the Portuguese service was typically and exceptionally friendly and generous.

It has been a good day and, although tomorrow may be a mystery, there is no mystery about the fact that it will be another 30+km day. It will be long but, hopefully, just as pleasant as today.

 

Break time with John and Eman from Malta.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tomar to Alvaiázere May 12

" Comparison is the thief of joy".

While this old adage about comparison robbing us of joy may well be true, I was also thinking that comparison could be an opportunity to become even more aware of how fortunate some of us truly are. Yesterday, coming into the city of Tomar, we walked passed by what could euphemistically be called really rough living conditions. For a couple of blocks there was a makeshift 'campo' of corrugated sheets of metal propped together to form living quarters. I will not demean the residents living there by suggesting squalor but, from our home life terms of reference, it is hard to describe it otherwise. Blankets of strips of cloth were haphazardly draped between connecting 'walls' to serve as doorways. Ironically, in the parking lots were a couple of trucks, cars and even a Mercedes Benz. Immediately I was reminded of how lucky we are to have decent homes and have our worries be about renovating, redoing a bathroom, updating the kitchen cabinets and planning our summer flower gardens and pots.

As we were having our first pit stop this morning, I was watching on the cafe TV news clips of the throngs of pilgrims streaming into Fatima for the 100th anniversary of the Miracle at Fatima and I was hit again with how small and inconsequential our troubles really are. So many of the pilgrims were obviously and severely physically handicapped, walking in on crutches or with the needed aid of others, that it made our ongoing saga of the 'agony of the heat and the feet' insignificant in comparison. In fact, all our physical ailments at this point could almost be considered 'self-inflicted wounds'. Good thoughts to keep in mind as we went through another 33km, 33C day. We chose this!

This morning we tried to beat the heat by starting out in the almost still dark chilly 6:00am morning and fortunately we met up with the two gentlemen from Malta right at the start. Fortunately, because we needed Eman's early morning eagle eyes to find the markers that were still a blurry smudge to the rest of us. With Eman's trail blazing and the crisp morning air we made great time for the first couple of hours. After that we got slower and slower. The route was decently well marked travelling uphill and downhill all day along country roads and forest paths but there were pitifully few cafes for refreshment stops and it was hot, super hot. Whenever we had the opportunity, we bought and guzzled down bottles of lemonade and Seven Up and all our water and ate any and every snack we had in our packs.

Dayton and I are now in a little residenciale hotel called O Bras in the town of Alvaiázere. Showers are done, laundry on the line, blisters popped and bandaged and then we enjoyed a glass of wine in the restaurant chatting with a couple from Bremen in Germany who are on their first Portuguese Camino but who have been walking various routes of the Camino Santiago for the last twenty years - true camino veterans.

Too weary to wander around town, we decided to have dinner at the restaurant that is part of this residenciale hotel and it turned out to be a great evening. John and Eman were dining at the same place and we met a few other pilgrims, three ladies from Chicago and a Spaniard from Barcelona ..so our camino group grows. I was able to have a conversation in Spanish with Francisco from Barcelona because he was very understanding and kind enough to speak very slowly. The family who own and run this hotel became increasing relaxed, friendly and generous as the evening went on. I had the typical Portuguese vegetarian meal of salad and chips and Dayton had a delicious sopa and then an entree of rice, pork and salad. Of course, wine and bread accompanied the meal. We also sprang for a huge bottle of water which probably was the most expensive item on the tab. The owners even made us sandwiches to take on on way tomorrow morning as we will leave hours before the scheduled breakfast. It is another 33 or 34 km and another 33C day tomorrow. My plan is to put on my big girl underpants, suck it up and not whine. Ha, you might find out different when I blog tomorrow night.

John and Eman at dinner tonight. We will meet them at 6:00am tomorrow to find our way out of town.

Here's a few shots of Karen's day:

 

A eucalyptus forest.

Walking through cork trees.

Finishing up on "The yellow brick road."

 

 

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Golegã to Tomar Monday May 11

Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you get what you need and sometimes you get what you get. And sometimes you don't get a thing.

Today we sometimes got all of the above.

Sometimes you get what you get. Oftimes on the Pilgrim Forum, potential pilgrims ask, "What is the weather like in Spain or Portugal in October? In September? In March? Is it rainy in May? How hot is it in June"? When it comes to weather, you get what you get. Two years ago we walked in France and Spain throughout May and into June and were wet, muddy and freezing almost every single day. We endured a May 8th blizzard in the south of France, a nine hour rainstorm May 29th walking from Negeria to Olveiroa and froze on a cathedral rooftop tour in Santiago the first week of June. This time we are in Portugal in a May heatwave, bemoaning the fleece jackets, Gortex raincoats and ponchos that are adding so much weight to our packs...well Dayton's pack actually but still.

With another blistering scorcher predicted for today and another 32km walk, Dayton and I knew we needed to tweak our Camino strategy to make life and these 30+km walks in 30+ degrees Celsius a little more bearable or even doable. We packed up everything we could the night before, got up early and taped up our tender feet and toes with bandages and Mefix tape, quickly enjoyed a cup of tea and made lunch out of the breakfast that had been elegantly laid out for us in the dining room and were on our way shortly after 6:00am. It may have been before sunrise but not before actual daylight so finding the route was no problem.

Sometimes you get what you want. Today the path was clearly marked which was a blessing and a comfort, especially to me who tends to get in a lather if I don't see a flecha (arrow) every few hundred metres or at least at every junction. It was actually chilly for the first couple of hours but there were no complaints, not one. The trail today was a bit more varied as we went through pleasant countryside roads and a lovely eucalyptus forest. The day got hotter and hotter and out came Dayton's hat with the neck protector flap and my umbrella and we just kept on keeping on from one refreshment cafe to the next. Our hotel, Cavaleiros de Cristo, is just about perfect too, perfect location close to the Camino and to a multitude of outdoor restaurants. The city of Tomar is the home Knights Templar, quaint cobblestones streets lined with shops and restaurants and a massive castle dominating the horizon. Dayton took one look up at the high hill where the castle sits and declared, "Yup, that won't be happening." But it did.

Sometimes you get what you don't even know you want. As we were wandering in search of food and drink, a lovely and lively young lady sitting in her touristy TukTuk vehicle, offered us a sales pitch to see the castle and the city. She promised a short informative and picturesque tour and we took her up on it. She was right on all counts. A TukTuk is a little three wheeled scooter buggy that seats two passengers behind the driver. It was a little bumpy but still perfect. Our driver, Catarina informed us a little of the economy and job situation in Portugal. Educated as a construction engineer and having lost her position when her company folded due to the plummeting economy, she and her boyfriend started this little tourist business. She said it is the best job she has ever had, meeting tourists and talking to people all day long. Originally from Lisbon she says she finds the quality of life and economy much better in Tomar. Average salaries are around a month €500 but rents in Tomar are half that of Lisbon as are the costs of everything else so she can afford what she wants and what she needs.

Sometimes you get what you need. This afternoon I needed some medical help. I have one toenail that is purple and so sore. Fearing the worst, I went to a Farmacia and got some magic cream to make sure I can let nature take its course, lose the nail but without infection. Without pain would be nice too.

And sometimes you just don't get. I had another vegetarian fail when we went to get a snack. Every pastry was filled with chicken, sausage, eggs or tuna and the restaurant we were at served soft drinks and beer but no wine. Dayton had a quiche and Super Bock beer and I had nada. Fortunately Dayton indulged me in finding another cafe later and we split a little split of wine and all is well. Our evening meal turned out to be what I needed and wanted. Bonus. I had a platter of vegetables; green beans, carrots and, of course, the requisite French Fries, most of which were left uneaten after devouring the mass of other veggies. Dayton had a very aromatic soup dish of rice, fish and shrimp.

 

 

 

 

 

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Santarém to Golegã May 10

" How hot is it? Dang hot"!

In the interest of class and culture I will not finish this Robin Williams quote from the movie Good Morning Vietnam but you can fill in the blanks, add a couple of degrees Celsius and you might be close to how hot it was today.

There have been so many times on past caminos that we have been drenched through, frozen to within a shiver from hypothermia but today was the opposite extreme. Thirty four and a half kilometres, thirty four and a half degrees Celsius, thirty SPF sunscreen (and it wasn't enough) and Dayton's thirty pound pack completes the picture. I carried my umbrella for shade all day and it was perfect although the backs of my calves are a mess of sunburn and hikers' heat rash. The good news is we get to do it again and again for the next few several stages; same distance, same heat, same packs.

While it is hot, dang hot, we have no complaints about most of the Camino Portuguese. The people are so friendly, the food is great (so says the omnivore, Dayton) and the prices are ridiculously low. Today for a break we had two drinks and a huge pastry for €2.70. When we got into Golegã, we stopped at a park and had an ice cream bar, a lemonade and a beer and again it was €2.70. Last night we had a wonderful dinner with a few other pilgrims, our new friends from Malta and a gentleman from Spain. Dayton had a cauldron of sopa full of potatoes, a couple kinds of fish and at least three kinds of meat and maybe a vegetable. And when I say a cauldron of sopa don't hesitate to think HUGE! This plus a jug of wine, salad, bread and a cup of tea for me was under €11.00. Imagine, at home, a full meal and wine for two for $11.00. It almost makes up for the confusing trail markings.

Yes, the Camino arrows and John Brierley's book failed us a lot today. There were missing arrows, incorrect arrows and contradictory arrows, one arrow pointing this way beside another pointed in the opposite direction. Someone somewhere said 'attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure' and I spent a lot of this scorching hot, confusing and frustrating day trying to keep a jolly attitude.

The people, the accommodations, the food and the prices are all impressive here. Our pensionne tonight is a very elegant old house with 14-16 feet high ceilings. We have a sitting room, a huge bedroom with armoire and dressers, a bathroom and bidet and the lovely hostess did our laundry for us. Then we went out and met up with John and Eman for a delicious dinner. I even got green vegetables for dinner! Dayton had Stone Soup as an appetizer with Hake as an entree. Again the price was so reasonable.

As impressive as all of this is, I cannot say the same for the route itself. The Camino Portuguese, so far, is barely picture worthy. Lovely flat terrain over country roads or frightening walks along busy high traffic roads; nice but not spectacular. I mention this only for those contemplating a pilgrim route.

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Azambuja to Santarém May 9

Today was as pastoral and quietly peaceful as yesterday was industrial and insanely noisy. Thirty two kilometres along lovely flat country roads bordering vineyards and fields of tomatoes, corn and poppies culminated with a couple of kilometres straight uphill into Santarém. The physicality of walking a Camino is all about endurance, stamina and sheer doggedness with very little cardio except for those last few uphill kilometres. Core work is somewhat lacking. Thinking about this today, Dayton and I were worrying about how five weeks of not 'working out' would mean we would probably be in sad shape when we get back home.

Maybe it was a touch of sun stroke or heat exhaustion but we starting thinking up our own High Intensity Camino Cirucit Training workout.

Start with a 32 kilometre walk carrying 30 pounds (scaled to 10-15 for females)

High curb rhythmic step ups

Backpack laden pilgrim planks

Hiking Pole overhead lunges

Backpack overhead squats

Four kilometre hill climb

Follow up with vinho branca (white wine) biceps curls

End with svasana

 

 

Today's blazing hot sun called for extra sunscreen protection so my umbrella became my parasol. It may look a little silly but it works.

 

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