Our Walk Along the Camino Portuguese

Pilgrims and Pastries on Camino Camino Portuguese  Although we got in near midnight last night and weren't able to check out until 9 AM, we nevertheless woke around 7 AM. Outside the city was bathed in the soft light of early morning, and the cathedral on the hill was partially hidden in golden mist. We had a slow start, enjoying hot showers, packing our bags, and heading out to the street below for a breakfast of coffee and rather sticky, sweet chocolate croissants. When all this was done, it was still only 8:45 AM, but the kind hostess let us check out, and we were soon heading up the steep cobblestone main street of Coimbra. The walk out of Coimbra was a bit chaotic. The streets were very busy with cars,  pedestrians on their way to work, and delivery vans loading and unloading merchandise on the sidewalks. Although The Way is well marked, within the city limits the markers are stylish, understated, brass plaques sunk into the cobblestone sidewalks. ...

History and Culture on the Camino Portuguese Pilgrimage Some days you win, and some days you lose. Today we won. As people in the dorm began to stir, around 5:30 AM, we could hear the rain pelting against the windows. Since we only had a short walk today, 12 km, we decided to stay put for a while to see if the weather would improve. When we headed out around 6:45 AM, the rain had stopped, and everything was bathed in a soft morning light. We stopped on the way out of town for a coffee and croissant at the Pastelaria where we had dinner last night. The place was packed with event volunteers for today's Freedom Day celebrations, and the energy was high. We passed band stands, food truck vendors, and many volunteers with brightly coloured vests as we walked the light-strewn streets out of town. The path took us up into the hills almost immediately, down a very wet but well-used forested track. The sheer variety of different tree species in Portugal left us amazed o...