Day Ten on the Camino Portugués
~ Coimbra to Mealhada (Sernadelo), 24.8 Km (15.41 Miles)

Our day ten on the Camino Portugués was a quiet walk through Coimbra and then through the Portuguese countryside, with few landmarks or distractions. 

This day was not too long, but just perfect for me, after my ankle problems from the days before. My ankle, newly braced for support, gave me no trouble at all on this day!

“You see, during my pilgrimage it became increasingly apparent that I wasn't happy and I had to do something about it - stop making excuses. I realized that you don't have to jump through a series of complicated hoops to achieve a goal. You can just look at a mountain and get a connection with God; you don't have to understand the mountain to feel that.”  ~ Paul Coelho

This Paul Coelho quote was perfect for me on this day ten of our Camino Portugués. My mission was to walk and observe and feel. God is everywhere.

Map and Stats of Day Ten on the Camino Portugués

All the information that I give you is what I took from my own GPS application that I used each and every day to record elevation and distance. I also placed the albergues/hotels/cafés on my Google map below as usual for your convenience.

There are two routes through Coimbra, the official route in blue that takes a longer way through town, and past the Igreja de São Tiago (Santiago Church), and another shortcut route that follows the river to the west, which I show in red. Both routes begin in the Largo da Portagem, after the Camino crosses the river into the center of Coimbra.

Depending where you stop/start your journey in Coimbra, will depend on which route is most appropriate for you to take. I included both routes in my GPS tracks below, so you can make your own choice. 

Below is the elevation profile for day ten. While it looks like a steep climb after the town of Fornos, about 8.2 kilometers into the day, it really didn't feel that way to us. It is about a 130 meter (420 feet) climb over five kilometers. 

Photo-Rich Travelogue of Day Ten on the Camino Portugués

You may have noticed on day nine some brass tiles with Camino shells on the cobblestone sidewalk as you entered into the center of Coimbra. Some are for the Caminho to Fátima, and some are for the Camino to Santiago, like the one below, with the arrow in the lower right corner. They are hard to spot, and a bit random, but they are there. The first one for this day’s stage is in the southeast corner of the Portagem Square, near the crosswalk where you crossed from the bridge. Unfortunately, the arrows on the tiles do not always depict the correct direction of travel, so pay attention to the directions to follow.

The Shortcut Route Along the Mondego River

After one of the best nights of sleep I ever had at the Hostal Coimbra Portagem, we set off at 0700. The hostal is only a few steps from the Portagem Square, below, so we were right on the Camino when we stepped out the door. 

The Largo da Portagem was asleep and aglow with the dawning light. No cafés anywhere that we could see that were open at 7:00 a.m. 

From the Portagem Square by the bridge and the river, in the center of Coimbra, simply head north to follow the river. The walk along the river was on a nice path, and the views at dawn were lovely, below. You will walk along the river for a total of about 1.4 kilometers. 

When you come to the second bridge across the river, after about 1.3 kilometers, take the set of stairs up to the roadway under the bridge and to the left of a small roundabout. Pick up the bike path to cross the road, turn right and continue to follow the bikeway under the bridge as it bends to the left and continues along the Avenida Marginal. It is at the next intersection, a few meters onward where the official route joins this shortcut. 

Just as we arrived at the intersection of the routes, we saw a sign for a McDonalds immediately east of us, that said "Open 24 hours."  Yay! We could have a nice early breakfast after all, even though it was a McDonalds. 

After crossing the busy road to the east, walking under the complex overpass system of the IC 2 and through a significant puddle, we arrived to find the door to the McDonalds locked! (Our trip to McDonald’s is the reverse of the Camino route coming from town, which passes by the restaurant!) However, an employee smoking outside pointed us to the drive-up. Alright, the 24 hours meant the drive-up. That was OK.

We walked up to the window to order a café con leite. No, it wasn't available, only espresso - no milk. Alright, that was fine too. I ordered a small espresso and Rich, a large. I ordered an Egg McMuffin. No, we were told, breakfast is not available until 8:00. It was 7:20. That was not OK. I asked, is there any food available now? We were told only hamburgers. Bummer. We passed on the hamburgers.

So much for our cultural expectations of McDonalds! I observed my American reaction, once again, to a McDonald's that didn't have breakfast 24 hours a day! Ha ha ha! Instead of eating Egg McMuffins, we sat on the curb and dug out some chocolate biscuits we had in our pack to go with our very strong black expressos! It satisfied my hunger, but not my soul's expectations. 

The Official Route Through Town

We were able to complete this official route, some years after the original story. It is worth the extra four hundred meters, I felt, especially if you haven’t seen all the sights in your prior time in Coimbra.

The beginning of the route is very tricky to find. I’m not sure how a pilgrim is supposed to find the way across the Portagem square, with all the cafe tables out, if you were even able to see the first waymark after the crosswalk, as described above. 

Suffice it to say that you will need to walk diagonally across the square, to the far northeast corner. You are aiming between the white buildings in the photo below, and for a stairway, pictured next.

In the photo below you can see a brass tile waymark on the cobblestone at the top of the stairway, but more easily you can see faded blue and yellow arrows on the concrete post to the right side of the stairway. These will be your last arrows in the center part of town, so pay attention to the brass tile waymarks which are hard to see or to my directions!

At the bottom of the stairway, you are on the Rua dos Gatos. Stay to the left of the white building in the photo above.

A few steps later and you will bear right onto the narrow medieval street called the Adro de Cima, pictured below, and the church, the 17th century Igreja de São Bartolomeu, is ahead on the left. You can see the church steeple in the photo. 

(While the above two photos were taken in the light of day, before our actual walk and for clarity’s sake, the photos to follow were taken in the pre-dawn light of the actual day’s pilgrimage.) 

Less than 100 meters later, the Adro de Cima opens into a large plaza by the front of the church, called the Praça do Comércio. This “Market Square” is one of Coimbra’s largest squares, extends for about 100 meters, and is a bustling place, full of shops, cafes and events during the light of day.

After walking through the plaza, at the far end, on the right, is the Santiago Church, the simple Romanesque, 12th century, Igreja de São Tiago. There was something magnificent about this edifice in the pre-dawn light.

After admiring the church, look for the narrow, Rua Eduardo Coelho, straight ahead but to the left side of the plaza (northwest corner). Walk on this street, bearing right a few meters onward at a Y-intersection, and for a total of about 125 meters.

When you arrive at the Rua do Louça, turn right. Walk about 75 meters along the Rua do Louça, until you come out to the next large square, the Praça 8 de Maio, and the Igreja de Santa Cruz looms above you.

This church plaza is yet another bustling place during the day. You have completed a mere one-half kilometer from the Portagem Square at this church. 

The church, originally started in the 12th century, for the first kings of Portugal, and rebuilt in the 19th century, in the Renaissance style, is also a mausoleum, housing the remains of these first kings.

As you face the church, you will look to the left, and the Camino goes up the ramp that you can see, below. At the top of the ramp, in the photo, you can also see a pharmacy where the street meets the Rua da Sofia. There is a Multibank across the street. 

Turn left onto the Rua da Sofia. You will walk about 360 meters, and along this street and on the left side you will encounter more waymark tiles. Look for the Rua Dr. Manuel Rodrigues, after another brass shell on the pavement. Turn left.

Walk another 150 meters until you arrive at a T-intersection with the N1 and a large, long traffic circle. This is the Largo Arnado. Turn right onto the N1. You will now re-encounter the yellow arrows as you can see on the pole in the photo! Finding your way will be easier from here! 

After crossing the first intersection, at the north end of the traffic circle, you are directed to turn left and cross the N1 to the other side, below.

You will now continue on the N1 for 560 meters, going through another large traffic circle and past the infamous McDonald’s, on your left, from the story above. 

Just beyond the McDonald’s parking lot, you will come to this intersection, pictured next. Here you will see your first concrete waymark. Turn left as directed, walk under the overpass, staying left at the Y-intersection. You are now on the street called the Caminho da Casa do Sal. 

Walk on this street for 150 meters, when you come to a traffic circle at the first intersection. Join the river route by crossing over and onto the Avenida Marginal on the other side. You have walked 1.85 kilometers total for the day at this joining of routes. 

From this point onward, the total mileage I will give is for the official route. If you have taken the river route, you can subtract four-tenths of a kilometer from the totals. 

Turn right onto the Avenida Marginal. You will now follow along this canal the Rio Velho, below. It is a nice gravel walking path through here.

After about 1/2 kilometer and at a total of about 2.3 kilometers, after a roundabout, the path crosses to the other side of the road and becomes one made of brick, below. Good thing for the path, because the EN111-1 here is extremely busy with morning traffic rushing into Coimbra for the workday. 

After about 300 meters more, the Portuguese Way goes right, at the photo below, leaving the busy EN111-1 to join the Rua Parcelar do Campo. The bike/walking path now peters out. 

While the name and appearance of this road says "country," (campo) this was so far the busiest, narrowest and most horrible road we had been on in Portugal thus far!

The good news is that this road was recently upgraded, with a separate lane for pilgrims, below. There are only flexible posts between the pilgrim and the speeding lanes of traffic, but it is a great improvement! Unfortunately, this busy section of road lasts for 2.33 kilometers, so exercise caution.

Fortunately, just before the next town of Adémia, along this busy country road, we spied what looked like a shortcut to the left. The Rua Parcelar do Campo makes a big bend to the west, up ahead, that we could see by the cars traveling on it.

We took a chance and started walking on the gravel road, below, that cuts across the field. And it worked! It is a real shortcut. We were thrilled to have had a reprieve from the busy traffic. Look for the shortcut after approximately 5.33 kilometers into the day (2.33 kilometers from the turnoff).

The shortcut joins the Rua Cabeço, by turning right, to walk into the town of Adémia.

By about 6.0 kilometers into our day ten on the Camino Portugués, walking through the town of Adémia, we noticed the first open café, below, the Adega do Leite. It was conveniently located across the EN111 and right along the Camino. Another meal of sugar, caffeine and this time, milk awaited us!

In the café we ran into a youngish Mexican pilgrim and her teenage daughter, who had spotted us in Coimbra the prior day and pegged us as pilgrims! There were moving very fast, keeping up with a group of young Portuguese pilgrims who were also at the café. 

We chatted only briefly, as they were preparing to leave. The ladies left us some pastries they didn't finish, so all we had to order was the usual café con leite. Plus we continued to supplement our meals with fresh oranges from untended trees along the Way. 

We were to never see this group of pilgrims again. We were in no such rush!

The Camino continues behind the café and takes the first and most immediate left onto the Rua Nova de São João. After walking through Adémia, the Way turns left onto this road below, the Rua da Espertina after about 6.3 kilometers. It is after Adémia that the Way goes from flat to climbing. 

We traversed this road for about 2/3 kilometer...

...until it stayed right here and onto the Rua Valverde. There is a quaint little footbridge in the background in the photo below. 

After a bit more than a half kilometer on the Rua Valverde, the town of Fornos is ahead.

There are some interesting buildings in this town, including the one below, with the mural. A waymark on the building directs the pilgrimage traveler to the left onto the Rua Nossa Senhora da Esperança. 

On this street we passed this typical home, below, in the main square, after 7.9 kilometers, with a mural to Fátima and a Camino waymark signaling a left turn.

I did not see any cafés right along the Camino route in Fornos, but there are several a short way off route. You can check the Google map to see them. There is one accommodation, the Casa Morais Turismo Rural, in the main square by the church if you wish to spend the night (+351 967 636 029).

We followed the waymarks through the town, turning left at a large roundabout, to join a wider street, the Rua da Junqueira de Trouxemil, then a few steps later, a left turn onto the Rua Fogueteira, to finally leave Fornos, below.

The diversion on the Rua Fogueteira lasts only 1/4 kilometer, before you turn left, back onto the Rua da Junqueira de Trouxemil to walk into the next town of  Trouxemil. This two-lane road is quite busy, with a bit of a shoulder to walk upon, and sometimes a bit of a pilgrim’s path.

When you first make the turn, you  may be tempted to take a farmer’s lane off to the left to avoid the busy road, however, this lane climbs a bit, before dropping back down to the road again. 

Next we walked under the highway IP3, below, climbing on the road into town. 

Trouxemil is only a short kilometer farther down the road from Fornos. 

Arrive in the main square after approximately 9.2 kilometers. 

The town church, below, dedicated to Santiago has a pilgrim statue in front of the church. 

We paused for a brief moment here to feel our own pilgrimage, with our hands across our hearts, like this guy. It was good to feel and be alive. 

There is a café in the church square, if you need one.

One-half kilometer, continuing down the road, we encountered this shrine, below, called the Capelinha do Senhor dos Aflitos, as we left town on the north side. Yet another reminder for us, to be grateful, for our journey and for just about everything.

When you reach this shrine, you are at the top of the first, two kilometer climb of the day, after about 9.8 kilometers. 

There were no open cafés in Trouxemil when we went through, but there are several and a mini-market. 

After Trouxemil, continuing straight onward, the next hamlet is Adões, below. There is a café, the Café Central, towards the left of the photo, in the Largo de Capela (Church Square) after about 10.2 kilometers. 

The small church in the square, the Capela de Adões, is the place where the Way turns to the right, onto the Rua Principal.

Only about 600 meters after the chapel in Adões, pass the town sign of Sargento Mor, however, it is another 500 meters until you will arrive in the town center. 

After 11.3 kilometers, bear left at a Y-intersection in the center of town, pictured below, where in a few meters there are several cafés and several mini-mercados (mini-markets) if you need supplies. We did not, so we kept walking. 

You will walk about a full kilometer through town, to the north side. 

On the north side of Sargento Mor the road ends, and you walk to the left on this ramp that leads you to the IC2. Stay to the left when you join the highway.

The IC2 is a horrific road for the pilgrim! The passing trucks on the IC2 sent billows of wind gusts, practically knocking me off my feet. We hugged the shoulder to the farthest left as possible! I promised to show you the good, the bad, the ugly and this was terrible!

So far this day has been my least favorite of all. The clouds were building and it was dismal, and there was more pavement today than any other! 

Fortunately, this highway stretch is only about 800 meters, as the sign for Santa Luzia comes into focus, below, after approximately 12.8 kilometers. 

Into the center of Santa Luzia, and the Way quickly veers off the main highway to the left here, as it began to rain on us. There are several cafés at this juncture.

Santa Luzia is roughly at the halfway point for day ten on the Camino Portugués and at the peak elevation for the day. It might be a good place for a break for your Camino, but we kept on because we were looking for a quiet picnic spot. Our packs were freshly filled with supplies from Coimbra.  

The pavement quickly becomes narrower and quieter as we left Santa Luzia, below, and even quieter still as the pavement becomes dirt.

We found the perfect picnic spot along the gravel lane. We set down a space blanket and enjoyed our snack and reprieve. Then it was onward through a eucalyptus forest, below.

This lovely sandy lane goes on for a bit more than two kilometers, until you arrive at this crossroad, below.

Here you will turn right and join the pavement, on the CM1344 after about 15.8 kilometers.

After about 1.2 kilometers on the pavement, pass the sign for the entry into the next town of Mala and within another 400 meters you are in the town center at its Largo Capela, below. You are approximately 17.4 kilometers into the day at this chapel. There is a pastry shop just beyond the church if you need a break.

150 meters after the town church, come to a T-intersection, with a left turn onto the Rua 25 de Abril. This street is the EM616, below, and walks toward the next town of Lendiosa, reached after about 18.6 kilometers. 

Sometimes when I enter a country village, something attracts my eye. This spring it was the tropical flowers. Here are some brilliant Alstroemeria that I saw at one home. We can only get these tropical flowers at florists where I live! I was thrilled to see them growing along the sidewalk. 

Camino boots also attracted my attention at yet another home along the way:

Seeing and feeling today, was indeed enough! God was near.

After leaving Lendiosa, with only about six more kilometers to go for day ten on our Camino Portugués, the hamlet Vimieira is next.

After entering the tiny hamlet of Vimieira, you come to this intersection, below, where you follow the yellow arrow on the back of the stop sign and turn right onto the Rua Fonte Corgo.

Just beyond the turn, the quaintest of small chapels appears in the "square," where Rich and I took a brief repose on the bench beside it, after about 19.6 kilometers. It would have been a lovely place for a picnic. But we decided to eat later. 

After Vimiera, the Way continues on the Rua Fonte Corgo for 270 meters more, then turns right at a T-intersection and onto the Rua Eira Velha. 100 meters later bear to the left at a Y-intersection and onto the Rua Areias, below.

The pavement of the Rua Areias eventually turns into a quiet dirt lane after about 350 meters, and a total of 20.3 kilometers for the day. Within a few more meters, takes a left turn onto a similar lane, below.

After about one-quarter of a kilometer, and after rounding a sharp bend, the tractor lane reduces to a path.

A few hundred meters later you will join another, wider lane.

This wide lane leads you into the outskirts of Mealhada. In the next photo, at the end of the lane, and after about 21.4 kilometers, the Camino turns to the right, and onto the pavement of the Rua Catarrosa and walks toward Mealhada, our destination for day ten.

Next, walk along the Rua Catarrosa for only a few hundred meters, and at a Y-intersection, continue straight onward, and pass a wonderful shady park with an inviting café. After walking another few hundred meters along the southside of the park, the way turns left onto the busy IC2 once again, but now on a nice sidewalk. Continue straight through a large roundabout and cross the railroad tracks, on this bridge, below.

After only a few meters beyond the railroad bridge, we turned left off the highway. 

Just beyond the turn off of the IC2 there is the big grocery store, the Intermarché on your right. If you are going on to Sernadelo, you will walk by a giant Pingo Doce, so no need to stop here if you don’t want to.

On the left side of the Intermaché is a strip of shops, containing the restaurant, the Churrasqueira Lendas na Braza. I was extremely hungry, and finally convinced Rich to stop.

Rich had been pushing me hard to avoid the rain that seemed to want to happen all day, but never really amounted to much.

We had one of the loveliest meals we had the entire trip, below. The fried chicken was to die for. Plus the chickpea and corn meal side dish was so very unusual and delicious, especially since it was drenched in butter! Most likely I loved it because I was so exhausted, hungry and my feet were aching!

A few meters farther down the road, a nice fountain sends the pilgrimage traveler to the right and towards the heart of the city. 

And onward we walked through town on the Rua Dr. José Cerveira Lebre.

The street above turns into a walking plaza on the Rua Prof. Dr. Costa Simoes farther on. There are cafés and shops with about anything you would need. 

When the walking plaza ends, a quarter kilometer later, cross a larger, busy street. This street will dead-end shortly, but after the first large shop on your right, look for an arbor and a set of stairs leading you to the busy divided highway, the Avenida Florista, the IC2 yet again. This is your route.

At the top of the stairs, cross the IC2 highway to the other side and turn left. You will immediately see a small stand, the Posto 12, selling Leitões, a specialty of the area. It is barbecued suckling pig. We tried his Leitões sandwiches, and they were good. You will see many Leitões restaurants as you continue onward. In fact, just across the street from the Posto 12 is mural, below, with a roasting pig on it! 

Past the mural, you will pick up a nice path by a park, below. I was tired and this path, though lovely and in the final kilometer of the day, seemed very, very long. It was also following the busy road, so it was not so peaceful.

You will pass by the Oasis Hotel and Restaurant (+351 231 202 081), if you wish to stay closer to town, however, the albergue is less than a kilometer away. 

After walking past the park, look for the Pingo Doce grocery store on your left, if you need it. The Albergue de Peregrinos, Mealhada (+351 231 202 117), has no real kitchen, so we found that the Pingo Doce has a very nice cafeteria where you can get a decent meal that is inexpensive and with generous portion sizes! 

The final turn, is off the IC2, onto the Rua Fonte, below, by all these restaurants. Roasted piglet barbeque is the specialty here! There is another accommodation, the Hotel Quinta dos Tres Pinheiros, (+351 231 202 391), several meters beyond this turn.

Almost immediately after turning onto the Rua Fonte, the albergue appears on the left. It is easy to spot, see the photo below. 

You turn into the gate, and walk into a courtyard, where you will see the office straight ahead. The residencial hotel is the building you first see on the right and the albergue is across the courtyard. This is all part of a large restaurant/albergue/hotel complex called the Residencial Hilário that you can pre-book, even the albergue, if you wish. Click on the link to see more of the place.

We chose to stay in the hotel, below, which was clean, wonderfully functional and with a small, private bath, for only 35 Euros. A single room is only 20 Euros. Can't beat that! The albergue is 12 Euros, as of this writing.

Lessons Learned on Day Ten, Camino Portugués

This was perhaps my longest-feeling, worst day ever, on the Camino ~ walking on the industrial routes, with the busy traffic, aching feet, gnawing hunger and the overcast day. I experienced it all and I survived. 

My tips are: 

• Don't walk by an opportunity when you see one. 
• Just seeing is good. 
• Just feeling is good. 
• Just walking is good. 
• Just being is enough.

Salutation

May you seize the moment on your own day ten on the Camino Portugués.

May you see.

May you feel.

May you walk.

May you just be.

And the Journey Continues:

~ Lisbon to Porto

~ Porto to Santiago Via the Coastal Route and/or the Sendal Litoral

~ Porto to Santiago Via the Central Route

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