Boy Toy – June 2, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 3 / Agueda to Albegaria-a-Nova
  • Distance: 13.7 miles / Total 46.7 miles
  • Ascent: 948’ / Descent: 626’
  • Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
  • Weather: 55 – 75 degrees / overcast

All-in-one boy toy. Grabs limb, trims branches off limb, removes bark from limb, cuts limb into uniform segments, gathers and piles trimmed branches.

All-in-one boy toy.
Better than a Transformer.
Segments neatly stacked.

Service – June 2, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 3 / Agueda to Albegaria-a-Nova
  • Distance: 13.7 miles / Total 46.7 miles
  • Ascent: 948’ / Descent: 626’
  • Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
  • Weather: 55 – 75 degrees / overcast becoming blue skies with clouds

Service with a smile. In three minutes flat, this cashier found all my shopping items…rubber gloves, hair twist, medical tape, and clothes pins. Unfortunately I wouldn’t have the same quality experience at home.

Cashier
This was a mega-grocery store.
Clothespins, rubber gloves, hair twists, medical tape. Gloves, twists, and tape will keep my splinted finger dry in the shower.
Read the fine print. 330km / 205 miles to Santiago.

Curbside – June 2, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 3 / Agueda to Albegaria-a-Nova
  • Distance: 13.7 miles / Total 46.7 miles
  • Ascent: 948’ / Descent: 626’
  • Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
  • Weather: 55 – 75 degrees / overcast becoming blue skies with clouds

Buildings are literally curbside or their privacy walls are curbside.

Curbside
Curbside Building
Curbside Privacy Wall
Curbside Succulent

Magician and Wizard – June 1, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 2 / Anadia to Agueda
  • Distance: 12.1 miles / Total 33 miles
  • Ascent: 727’ / Descent: 746’
  • Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Weather: 60 – 75 degrees / blue skies becoming overcast

Coach Mark L. is the magician and Dr. Bob W. is the wizard. My bend pinkie from surfing is comfortable splint with an improvised cut-to-size McDonald’s bamboo spoon.

I thought the pinkie was simply jammed.
Bamboo spoon splint.
Agueda
Public Water Fountain.

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Tiles – June 1, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 2 / Anadia to Agueda
  • Distance: 12.1 miles / Total 33 miles
  • Ascent: 727’ / Descent: 746’
  • Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Weather: 60 – 75 degrees / blue skies becoming overcast

Aesthetic tiles to cool the houses. Religious tiles to set spiritual compasses. Both are found in Portugal.

House tiles cool.
House tiles.
Spellbinding symmetry.
Virgin Mary appearing to Fátima and two friends.

Coffee – June 1, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 2 / Anadia to Agueda
  • Distance: 12.1 miles / Total 33 miles
  • Ascent: 727’ / Descent: 746’
  • Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Weather: 60 – 75 degrees / blue skies becoming overcast

Genuine expression machine are typical at roadside cafés. The cafés’ decor haven’t changed over the years. The interiors are basic, functional, and inviting to linger.

Cappuccino please.
Make mine an expresso.
Two Caminos, two destinations sharing same route. Santiago in Spain and Fátima in Portugal.

Bugs – May 31, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 1 / Coimbra to Anadia
  • Distance: 20.9 miles / Total 20.9 miles
  • Ascent: 1,148’ / Descent: 1,048’
  • Time: 11 hours
  • Weather: 66 – 72 degrees / overcast and a bit humid

Once on the Portuguese Camino there were bugs in my bed. Planning for this Camino, I could not remember which albergue to avoid. That problem was resolved as I discovered tonight’s reservation was at that very same albergue! Being there I could vividly remember every horrible detail. Fortunately I did did not become a bug carrier. New reservations were made making my 16 mile day into 21 miles. The excessively long walk was somewhat repaired by a long soak in the tub.

Blooms
Today I heard churches chime at 8:00am and 1:00pm. The loveliest of sounds.
Soon wine.
Portuguese Tile

Remembering – May 31, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 1 / Coimbra to Anadia
  • Distance: 20.9 miles / Total 20.9 miles
  • Ascent: 1,148’ / Descent: 1,048’
  • Time: 11 hours
  • Weather: 66 – 72 degrees / overcast and a bit humid

It’s strange what I can remember about this section of the Camino walked in 2022. Places where I ate. Pharmacies I restocked Compeeds for persistent blisters. Detours to the Decathlon sporting goods store. The bulk of the walk is as if I was seeing it for the first time.

Vintage tractors driven on streets is common sight.
Portuguese Tile
Though not to my liking, Bacalhau is the fish of the region.
The scallop is a symbol for the Camino

What Next? – May 31, 2023

  • Portuguese Central Camino: Day 1 / Coimbra to Anadia
  • Distance: 20.9 miles / Total 20.9 miles
  • Ascent: 1,148’ / Descent: 1,048’
  • Time: 11 hours
  • Weather: 66 – 72 degrees / overcast and a bit humid

Having walked Møn Camino and gone to surf camp, I set out for the final leg of my summer travels. This section of the Portuguese Central Camino to Santiago de Compostelle will take 20 days.

Pre-dawn from my Coimbra balcony window.
Pre-dawn from my Coimbra balcony window.
This looks official enough.
Like the sitcom “Cheers” where everyone knows your name, the server knew his clientele. By the time a client sat, his preferred coffee drink and pastry had arrived.