Europe Archives - Page 8 of 10

June 14: Porto

We left Coimbra around 10 and arrived in Porto around 12:30. Porto is the largest city I have seen in Portugal, with large buildings and plazas that remind me of Madrid, Spain. The train station, Sao Bento is adorned with blue and white tiles. Leaving the station, I was dwarfed by tall stone buildings that prevented the sun from reaching the streets.

We found a reasonably priced hotel, Residencia Solar, on Rua Santa Catarina. The room is cramped but the bed is comfy and the WIFI is the strongest we’ve seen in Portugal.

After getting settled in we went for lunch and then to the cathedral to get our pilgrim’s passport stamped. The building looks more like a fort than a place to worship. Surprisingly, the inside is very narrow, and dark.

From the plaza in front of the cathedral is a vista point overlooking the city. I counted eight churches in the area. Each has a different look, possibly reflecting the various epochal styles. It was windy on the hill near the cathedral and I could smell the salty Atlantic.

The Rio Douro divides the city. From Ponte Luis, you can look down to the boats and gondolas on the river. Porto, to me, is one of the nicest European metropolis, very clean, and easy to get around in. Tomorrow we leave it to continue on towards Santiago; the Way promises to be scenic, with more pilgrims and pilgrim’s accommodations.

After an Italian dinner, we said goodbye to our German pilgrim friends who are returning home tomorrow. Dennis and I enjoyed our time with Tomas, Irma, and Andres–we shared a lot of laughs.

June 13: Coimbra

We left Rabacal at 8:09, planning to have breakfast in the next town (Zambujal) 3.2 km (2.5 mi) away. As we approached the town, I told Dennis that from now on we needed to eat before hiking; I was running out of energy. In town, we discovered that the cafe does not open until 1 P.M. Luckily I had some cookies and had them with watered-down Gatorade for breakfast. Our next chance for sustenance was 7.5 km away–more than two hours of walking.

It was a gorgeous day and the walk alternated between single-tract field paths, to cobble-stones, to asphalt, to dirt. In Fonte Coberta, the town has recently erected blue and white Portuguese tiles (2113) at the entrance and exit and on various monuments and buildings. It is a poor town that is taking pride in the Camino de Santiago. This quaint village has a water fountain and picnic area at the end of town. We were stopped there when our German pilgrim friends arrived. (Irma, Tomas, and Andres whose birthday it is today.) We walked from the fountain to Conimbriga together. We were all happy to arrive and find a place to eat.

Dennis and I got sunburned in the early morning sun. I on the back of my legs and arms. Because of the light breeze, I never suspected that I was turning red. Now that the sun is shinning most of the day, we will have to be more diligent in applying sunblock.

In Conimbriga we took a city bus to Coimbra because most of the remainder of the day’s walk was on asphalt and busy and dangerous streets. Its was a wise decision. Looking at the guidebook, we decided to take the train tomorrow to Porto, and then continue to Santiago on foot. Though I had initially thought of doing the coastal route, Dennis and I miss the camaraderie of having other pilgrims traveling with us. Consequently we decided to take the more traditional route, hoping to find other peregrinos.

June 12: Rabacal

Perfect day, at last. We left Ansiao around 11 A.M., after running a few errands. The sun was shining and the temps were near 70 F. For most of the day we walked on dirt paths–so much better than yesterday’s pavement. Along the narrow cart paths were flowers, birds, butterflies with occasional sheep, goats, and chickens, and one snake. No dogs chased us; yesterday a pack of 5 snarly canines tried to attack us. Dennis used his hiking pole and I screamed, which caused a lady to run out and calm the dogs.

It was hot enough today for us to add Gatorade to our water bottles. In Alvorge, we stopped at a cafe to buy ice cream (I love the fact that I can eat about anything I want without putting on weight). The proprietor, Victor Jose Guiomar was delighted with our visiting his establishment. He told us all about the pilgrims who have stopped there, showed us his collection of foreign money, and posed for a picture. We spoke in French. This is the part of the Camino I treasure.

After Alvorge, we climbed up a hill that reminded me of the terrain above the treeline in the White Mountains of NH. There were scrub brush, portulacas, wild flowers, poppies, and stony paths. We rested at the top where it was very peaceful and a cool breeze dried our sweaty bodies. From the top we still had over an hours walk to Rabacal, so we did not stay there too long.

We are amazed at how often we have no idea where we are. We come into small hamlets, even towns, that are not listed on the map. Most have no signs telling us the town’s name. At intersections, the signs don’t give the distances to the next towns, so we can’t judge by those. Of course, the guidebook is of little help because we don’t know where we are. Thank goodness the Via Lusitana has been so thorough in painting the yellow arrows. Without these, we would be really lost.

June 11: Ansiao

Yesterday, I had no Internet connection; we were very rural. We hiked a full stage: 31.3 km (over 19 mi) to Alvaiazere. The last 6 km seemed to go on forever. We stayed in a nice residencial called Bras. Since it was a fiesta day, there were very few people about. I think we say 5 or 6 old people all day. All the cafes and markets were closed; nothing to eat or drink along the way. Luckily we has stopped at a mini market and picked up sardines for an afternoon snack.

The residencial provided a substantial breakfast which was good since there were no places to eat today. We should have walked 14.5 km today (half of the planned staged) but go lost and walked an extra 8 to 10 km. Another long day resulting in tired feet and legs. It is comical to see us limp around. At this point, we are planning on taking a day off from hiking tomorrow, unless we feel as if we can hike 19 km (end of this stage) to Rabacal (population of 1000). Will decide in A.M.

On the way to Ansiao, we walked on dirt paths on ancient oxcart paths bordered with tall stone walls, on cobble-stoned streets through small hamlets, on paved roads, on dirt and muddy trails. Everything rippled up or down; it was seldom flat.

Dennis and I were watching a woman cart out compost to the field and did not realize we were at a crucial intersection, and consequentially missed a right turn. As a result, we walked about 8 to 10 km over a mountain and back to where we got lost. Why is it that I listened to Dennis when he says we are heading in the right directions and the road is just over the next rise?

The weather for the past two days has been cold and cloudy; not great for taking pictures. Promises of better weather for Thursday.

June 9: Tomar

We are starting to get into our stride–walked 22.5 km (14) today. It was cold and rainy when we started, warmed enough to make it comfortable for walking, and remained overcast all day. The road was filled with snails, which the Portuguese collect for food. This evening, the Templar town of Tomar, the restaurant specialty was snails. People eat them with a toothpick and wash it down with a beer. Seemed like to much work for me.

June 8: Golega

Because Dennis’ foot is still suffering, we decided to take the train to Santarem. It took us only 26 minutes to travel what would have taken us 8 to 10 hrs of walking. Near the plaza of the Igreja N. S. da Conceioao (Our Lade of Conception) we went to the tourist office to locate a room. There were none available. There is a week-long fair which has taken most of the rooms. After spending about an hour, we found a room in a town 30 km away, thanks to Jose Luis Sanchez who gave us the phone number when we met with him. Leonor even came to the train station to take us to her Casa da Tia Guida.

When we arrived, we noticed that Nigel Sunman from Cambridge UK was here last night. We met him in Lisboa the day before we left. He must be an incredibly fast walker, and he is carrying half the weight we are. We are sharing the place with three other pilgrims. Nice to be having others with us.

After registering, we explored Golega, a town dedicated to horsemanship. Many signs and statues have figures of horses; in November, there is an equestrian fair and a running of the bulls.

Rain predicted again for tomorrow with temps overnight around 50 F.

June 7: Azambuja

We left the La Laterna in Verdelha de Baixo around 8:15 A.M with cool temperatures 17 C (62.6 F), but nice for walking. Dennis helped me adjust my backpack straps (with my sore left arm, I cannot pull the tight) and the fit was much better. I told him he was officially my page until my arm healed.

We walked past industrial areas, granaries, and busy streets. At one point we went through an alfalfa field where we meet a man collecting snails for dinner. I have eaten sea snails and did not know that land snails were edible. He puts them in a sauce with garlic.

Dennis has a headache today and has achy legs and feet. So, when it started to pour as we were walking by the train station in Alhandra (7.5 km or 4.5 miles later) I decided we should take the train to Azambuja. We were lucky, the train only cost 1.75 E each and was leaving in 10 minutes. We arrive in town about 11 A.M. and stopped for coffee. The proprietor recommended rooms next to the cafe, but said there was no WIFI. So we went in search of the hotel in town Oura. Very expensive (50 E) and no internet connection except for the computers in the lobby. We walked around town for about an hour and returned to where we started, only to find that there was WIFI. I recommend the Flor da Primavera…very clean and with internet.

Dennis is amazed that so many times were are really close to what we are looking for, but cannot find it. It seems to be a daily occurrence.

In town we found the bull ring (where they do not kill the bulls) and met the only other pilgrim we have seen to date, Katherine from Quebec. She was hoping to stay for free at the fire station (Los Bombeiros), but they sent her to the city hall.

There are barriers along the major street. Apparently there was a running of the bulls here in town, as they do in Pamplona, Spain, two weeks ago and they have not yet taken the barriers away.

June 6: Tired and sore in Verdelha do Baixo

After we went to be last night, two busloads of nine-year-olds arrived. It was bedlam as the adults tried to corral the kids to their rooms. We left this morning at 7:40 A.M., without breakfast, not wanting to deal with all the kids. We returned to the tree-lined Alameda dos Oceanos, a path along the riverbank, to follow the Camino. We past the Statue of Catherine dos Braganz, who introduced tea and teatime to England. We past the 17 km bridge which reminded me of the Sunshine Bridge in FL.

It was a lovely walk, but, bad we known, we could have taken an alternate route and saved walking a few kilometers.

We did not get an opportunity to eat until 11:am in Granja about 15 km (9 mi) later. I could have kissed the proprietor when he told us where we were…we thought we were at least 5 km back.

Tired and sore,we stopped in Verdelha de Baixo (near Alverca) and stayed at the La Laterna, where they have WIFI. Both of us have sore legs, shoulders, and feet. It should take us about a week to adjust to the weight of the packs and the walking. It is supposed to rain tomorrow and, since there are few places to bed on the route, we may take a day off. Will see.

June 3: In Lisboa and learning Portuguese customs

For me, part of the fun of visiting other countries is speaking with the people, learning their customs, and eating their food. I prefer this interaction than looking at monuments or visiting old buildings. It’s all about the people.

I also like trying to speak the language. In Lisboa, so many people involved with tourism (cab drivers, hotel receptionists, restaurant workers) speak English. They are patient with me as I try my less-than-basic Portuguese, and then hand me an English menu or try to help me pronounce the words. I find that I can understand a good deal of conversations, especially if they are speaking slowly. Pronouncing the words, on the other hand, is more difficult. In the hotel, I use Google translate to help me learn the pronunciation. (I can now count and say the days of the week in Portuguese.) Yesterday, Dennis downloaded an app to his phone to help us translate; of course, that only works if we have WIFI, which we may not have out in the countryside.

This morning Dennis went to the barber’s and looks very proper. Afterward, we went to the hospital by Metro to get the stitches out. It took us longer to find the hospital than it did to get attended to. The nurse, Esa, spoke perfect English. The doctor also looked at my toe and said to wait until the nail falls of naturally. After removing the stitches, they used steri-strips (like butterfly bandages) to finish the healing. I am to use them for three days. To make sure I don’t reopen the wound, we have decided to stay in Lisbon one more day.

In the afternoon we went to visit the Castelo de São Jorge, a Moorish castle overlooking Lisbon’s historic section. Lots of colorfully tiled facades, narrow streets, and friendly people, but very touristy.

What I learned:

Tipping Etiquette is 10% (different from Spain)
To order draft beer, you need to specify the size.
- 1/2 pint (300 ml): Uma fino, por favor. (NORTHERN PORTUGAL) or Uma imperial, por favor. (SOUTHERN PORTUGAL)
- a mug of beer (500 ml): Uma caneca de cerveja, por favor.
- a bottle of beer: Uma garrafa de cerveja
Be vigilant: Uneven sidewalks, missing cobblestones, potholes, etc. are everywhere. Also, there are signs warning of pickpockets.
The people are extremely helpful. Once we got into the Metro, we pulled out the map to try to determine which platform to stand on. One woman walked us over to the correct one. We have experienced this going out of their way to be helpful before. It is a characteristic that I hope to develop, following their example.
Most cafes/pastelarias are open as early as 7:00 am and close around 7 or 8 P.M. Most restaurants in the Old Quarter are open by 7 P.M. and serve dinner until 11 P.M or later. Some of the FADO restaurants don’t light the barbeque until around 8:30.
I only observed a few small shops shutting down for siesta (from 1 to 3 P.M.). Most remained open, but this is a large city.
Portuguese celebrate the holiday on its date, not moving it to Monday as in the U.S. Holidays which might affect us:
- Monday 10th June – Portugal Day
- Monday 24th June – São João this unofficial holiday is observed widely in the north of the country, on the railways etc. but not everywhere in the south.
Dinner hour depends on the restaurant. Most open around 7 or 7:30 P.M., but you may be alone in the dinning hall until 8 P.M. or more.
WIFI is pronounced as in English and not wee-fee as in Spain.
The couvert is a fee in restaurants to cover the cost of items brought to your table that you did not order, such as bread and butter or a small plate of olives. If you don’t want to pay the one- or two-Euro fee per person for these items, don’t eat them, or ask the waiter to remove them.

June 2: Being Lisboa tourist

Slow start this morning. After an 11 A.M. brunch we toured the city. First we went to the ancient Se Cathedral. The insides reminded me of my childhood church, Our Lady of Sorrows in Hartford, CT. We stayed a while to listen to the choir.

From there we headed towards the shoreline and watched sailboats and other tourists. For the first time in weeks, I am warm, even seeking the shady side of the streets as we head towards the Church of Our Lady of Martyrs to get our credential stamped. On the way we pass many “Largos” or squares. Lisboa has seven hills and before long, we realized that after a month of biking, we need to develop different leg muscles, especially in the calves.

We found the Igreja dos Martires without difficulty. I asked a sexton where to get the carimbo, the pilgrim’s stamp; he lead me to an unmarked door on the left side of the church as you face the altar. Inside and with difficulty, I explained what we needed and our credentials now bear the parish stamp. We have started our Camino Portuguese, though we still feel like tourist.

After treating ourselves to Ben & Jerry (of course, mine was the chocolate fudge brownie), Dennis took a nap. As I typed this blog and used Google translate to learn Portuguese, I can hear traditional music coming from the cathedral square, making me feel serene and happy to be in Lisboa.