Conimbriga to Coimbra (11.73 miles/18.92 km)

Today was the shortest day of the Camino and I am glad that it was because I am in a beautiful old city.

Coimbra is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon and Porto. I have to be honest that I heard lots of people on the Camino talk about how beautiful it is and I didn’t think much about it until I came over the hill today and saw it. The first thing you see as you start coming into town is the awe inspiring sight of the remains of an old Roman aqueduct that stands at both sides of the freeway. The freeway actual goes between the pillars and arches. What a contrast in the old and new!

As I walked further down I saw the picturesque old white washed buildings with the red clay tile roofs on the steep hillside above the Mondego River that divides the city.

As I started down the steep street towards the river crossing I walked through another beautiful old part of the city, the large Convento Sao Francisco on my left. Further up is the Estádio Universitario de Coimbra, the oldest university in Portugal.

Darn, I thought only spending two days in Lisbon surely wasn’t enough, and now I see this beautiful city and it’s another one where I want to stop and smell the roses, but I don’t have the time!

Stopping here was a good way to end my day as I didn’t have much energy and don’t think I had it to go further today.

I started out this morning about 7:00, after Marie the French lady in the albergue, who went to sleep at 8:00 and got up before 6:00. I should sleep twelve hours and I might have her energy. She is seventy-eight years old and I could not keep up with her, even on flat and down hill terrain. She has done five marathons and her legs look like a thirty year old. I felt her back pack and it has to weigh 15-17 pounds, along with a front pack that probably weighs another 5-7 pounds. I walked with her a little, but I just couldn’t keep up with her. She was going 40 km (25 miles) today. It’s amazing the people you meet on the Camino.

I was not in my best form today as the terrain was also challenging for the short distance to Coimbra. The Camino traveled through lots of residential areas as it got closer to Coimbra.

In last three days I started to see lots of pilgrims. I met a group, who Bart and Lisa has introduced me to, from the US, Czech Republic, and Australia. I ran into some of them again today, and also met a German couple. Interesting because I went two to three days before I saw another pilgrim when I first started.

Ok, Wrong Way Ted did get lost today again! And stupidly I should not have gotten lost to because I have a new Wise Pilgrim app for the Camino Portugués on my phone. Lindsay and Ann showed it to me as they had been using it. And then again, I was with them when we got lost together. Well, that’s what happened to me today, I wasn’t looking at my phone and was just sightseeing. Thankfully the live map shows me the actual Camino and where I am.

I stopped at acwonderful little cafe near the river and bridge and enjoyed a little down time just people watching and spent almost two hours looking around before going to my hotel.

I booked a room at the Coimbra City Hotel because it’s an older hotel and I wanted something with the feel of the old City Center. I am laying in my room with the air condition on, but with the window open so I can hear the sounds of the busy city outside. But I didn’t realize the building next door is a huge fire station. Lots of sirens so far, and I’ll just have to close the windows tonight.

I walked a few blocks to a plaza and had dinner. One thing I am still not use to here and Spain, and that is you have to ask for water, and you have to pay for it because it only come out of a bottle.

I would love to stay in this beautiful city a few more days, maybe weeks, but I will start back up tomorrow.

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.

If you would like to see the Alzheimer’s Association website, see our team page, and donated, please go to:

act.alz.org/goto/tedstrek

My friend having breakfast with me and saying, “Bom Caminho!”

Just leaving the albergue

Approaching Coimbra

The Roman aqueduct next to the freeway. What a contrast!

Wow! Amazing!

Still standing

You can see the channel that the water flowed through

Coimbra on the south side of the river

Starting down towards the river and passing the Convento Sao Francisco

View looking back up at Convento Sao Francisco

Ops, how did that junk food picture get in there? Remember my kids, eat well and don’t eat junk food. But wait, are gourmet pastries really junk food? No, I would say!

The bridge crossing

Beautiful fountain in the Mondego River

Pilgrim Ted smiling because he’s done for the day!

Beautiful spot

Definitely a busy tourist city

Beautiful old architecture. The building to the far left is the Astoria Hotel, and I found out later it was only $20 ($59) more than my hotel, or I would have stayed there.

My hotel, The City Hotel. Notice the fire station attached on the left. That’s my room, second floor (not counting ground level), last window on the right.

Not fancy, but I could rent out the two other beds

Bath. No, that’s not a sink to wash you hand next to the toilet!

The plaza

Where I had dinner

Walking back from dinner

For a short day the elevation and climbs were tough

My trek today

My trek today