Category Archives: Portugal

Fatima Evening Procession

September 15, 2014Portugal, TravelFatimakarenfranza

Here is Jim’s video of the evening procession at Fatima. Beautiful!

In Tomar, we visited many sites, such as the Castelo Templario and the Convento do Christo. The castle and convent are on a hill high above the city. The Rotunda within the complex was designed to allow the Templar knights to attend mass on horseback. While inside, I was overwhelmed by the monumental paintings and murals. I could not frame a video which would capture their power and beauty. The idea of horses attending mass is interesting, though. The Moors would target the horses during battle and by doing this disable the knights. Templar knights often suffered 80-90% casualties due to their manner of attack. They had taken oaths never to retreat unless ordered to do so and would attack enemy front lines in a manner that indicated their refusal to retreat. This action often caused breaches in the enemy front which could be exploited by regular troops. The Templars…

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Condeixa-a-Nova to Coimbra

September 14, 2014Backpacking, Hiking, Portugal, TravelCoimbra, Condeixa, flowers, Nice People of Portugal, Santa Isabelkarenfranza

9/14 – Happy birthday to Eliese and Tiare and Eva! Hugs and much love to you!

Today we walked 12 miles into our next big city, Coimbra. The morning walk started out on level ground, so we made great time for the first few hours. Here is our 7am sunrise:

My salute to a Nice Person of Portugal came as we stood at a crossroads with conflicting Caminho arrows; a spray painted one pointing to the left fork, and the more official looking but less reliable municipal sign pointing to the right. A driver pulled up and pointed to the left, assuring us that the hand painted sign was the one to follow. Obrigado to you, sir!

We stopped for an espresso mid-morning, and were delighted and mystified to hear a bagpipe and drums bleating out a lively tune and coming our way. I love a parade! Never did find out what the occasion was, but they stood in front of us and played a merry tune while we clapped encouragement. Then off they went down the street. Do you think all Pilgrims get this reception?

We passed three churches in three towns on this Sunday morning, none of which were open or holding a service. Don’t know what to think about that…

The love put into flower gardens spilling out over walls and fences continues to amaze me. Today I saw lots of purple.

…and a waterfall.

Before we knew it we were looking down the city of Coimbra:

Here a Roman aqueduct had to be partially destroyed to allow the highway to be built. Thankfully, much of the aqueduct was spared:

At the entrance to the city is the Convento Santa Isabel, erected in honor of the beautiful and kind hearted young queen who gave her riches away to the poor. When her jealous husband tried to catch her in the act, her basket of coins miraculously turned into roses. She is buried here.

Then the rain came down and we hoofed it over to our residencial (with a balcony!) where we will rest our weary feet and see what the city has to offer for the next few days.

Rabacal to Conimbriga to Condeixa-a-Nova

September 13, 2014Backpacking, Caminho Portugues, Hiking, Portugal, TravelCoimbriga, Condeixa, Nice People of Portugal, Rabacal, ruinskarenfranza

9/13 – Ave Maria got us out of bed and back on the road. There was no kitchen in the hostel or cafe in town, so we got a sluggish start, but we don’t have far to go today.

We came upon a little hamlet that claimed to have the actual road where St. James had trod, and there we met a lady out walking her three goats. She graciously allowed me to take her picture, and is my Nice Person of Portugal today.

A Belgian pilgrim named Jacques caught up with us, and he and Jim talked economics and politics for a while. This was his second Caminho, having walked through Belgium, France and Spain two years ago.

We parted ways as we approached the town of Coimbriga, where we detoured to see the oldest Roman ruins in Portugal, where objects have been found dating from the 9th centurny BCE.

I especially liked the intricate mosaic floors of the homes, which were intact and still beautiful after so many years.

One house had patterned swastikas on the floor. I wonder what the symbol signified back then? The excavations began in 1898, and are ongoing.

From Coimbriga it was just a few kilometers to Condeixa, where we are spending the night at Residencial Ruinas. There we saw an artist’s rendering of the House of a Fountains ruin we had just visited, where the fountains still worked. I’m happy to report that it was a very nice place, not the ruin implied by the name!

For supper we found a restaurant that served pasta, and I had fettuccine with Parmesan and chicken – what a treat! We’ve had enough pork and fried potatoes to last us a lifetime…

Ansaio to Rabacal

September 13, 2014Backpacking, Caminho Portugues, Hiking, Portugal, TravelAnsaio, blackberries, Nice People of Portugal, Rabacalkarenfranza

9/12 – we started to see signs of fall as we hiked our 11 miles today, although the days are still warm:

We came upon some rabbits, ate some grapes and blackberries off the vine, and just enjoyed the day:

As we were eating our lunch under a shady tree, an old man came up and started speaking rapidly and gesturing across the road. We tried Bom Dia, and Obrigado, but neither satisfied him. He hustled off, but then came back in a few minutes with a handful of figs that he picked off a nearby tree. Now when we said Obrigado (thank you), his face lit up. Nice people everywhere!

Rabacal is a very small town with one hostel and one cafe. At the hostel we met a young man from Boston named John, and he accompanied us to dinner at the cafe. He has caught the travel bug, and we shared stories of the different places we’ve been. It was nice way to spend the evening.

The town church played A full chorus of Ave Maria every hour and half hour, and we wondered if we would be able to sleep. Mercifully, the bells were silent after 10pm, but woke us promptly at 6!

Tomar to Alvaiazere to Ansiao

September 11, 2014Backpacking, Caminho Portugues, Hiking, Portugal, TravelAlvaiazere, Ansiaokarenfranza

9/10 – my first 20 mile day! It rained in the morning and was cool and overcast for the rest of the day, so we just kept walking. One blister. Not bad!

Above is Jim walking across a medieval bridge. There is so much here that is so old, but well built and still being used. Incredible!

We were the only guests at Residencio O Bras, where we had a gorgeous tiled ensuite (I’m getting very fond of bidets, btw, will have to have one installed when we get home). The price included dinner, so we went down to the restaurant for our meal at 7 to find the door locked. A knock got us in, and we found only one table, set for two. The chef served the soup, pork filets, salad and fried potatoes, and kept hovering and refilling our plates as we ate. Very intimidating, as we kept trying to tell him we had enough, but there was evermore food to consume! Then three French pilgrims came in asking for dinner, and were told they would not be served as they weren’t staying at the Residencio! They talked him into serving them eventually… A very strange way to run a restaurant, don’t you think?

9/11 – after yesterday’s 20 miles, I knew I wouldn’t be much good today, so it was good that we only had 9 miles planned. Another rainy morning, with a long morning climb followed by a longer descent on loose, slippery rock. Not my favorite, but better than walking on the highway! Happy to say the sun came out by noon.

Excursion to Fatima

September 8, 2014Portugal, TravelFatimakarenfranza

8/8 – Tomar is a one hour bus ride from Fatima, where three shepherd children saw Our Lady of the Rosary in 1917, and 70,000 people witnessed the sun spinning like a silver disk in the sky. This is a major pilgrimage site for Catholics, and we won’t be this close again, so we are taking a day to experience it.

The sanctuary consists of a huge open area with a basilica at each end, and the Chapel of the Apparitions, marking the spot where the Lady was seen, to one side.

The children saw the Lady for six consecutive months on the 13th of each month, starting in May, so the crowds flock here on the 13th, with major festivities in May and October. Today is Monday, probably the lowest attendance day, and the museums and the original basilica were closed, but there were plenty of people and lots to see.

A piece of the Berlin Wall resides here, as well as the bullet removed from the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II.

A second basilica was built when the first proved inadequate to hold the crowds. It’s very open and modern, with discordant music, lighting and art.

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The crucifix on the high altar contains a universal Jesus sculpted by an Irish artist, unlike any we’ve ever seen. Clean shaven, with long hair one one side and short on the other, the face holds traces of different ethnicities and both genders. I couldn’t get a clear pic, but hope this gives the idea:

There is a painting depicting the revelations given to Lucia, suppressed by the Vatican until 2000:

Of course the streets are lined with shops selling religious souvenirs, but the atmosphere in the open sanctuary was solemn, with penitents crawling on their knees from one basilica to the other, and masses in different languages held every hour.

In case a reminder is needed, these signs are posted at each entrance:

At 9:30 in the evening, the bells rang to summon everyone back to the Chapel, where the rosary was recited in different languages and Ave Marias were sung while everyone held candles aloft.

At the conclusion, the illuminated cross and the statue of the Virgin were lifted from the altar, and all the people joined the procession, with their candles, around the square. An experience of a lifetime…

A Day in Tomar

September 7, 2014Caminho Portugues, Portugal, TravelCastelo Templar, Castelo Tomar, Convento de Cristo, Knights Templar, Tomarkarenfranza

9/7 – this morning we climbed the steep hill to see the Castelo Tomar and the Convento de Cristo, that date from the 12th century.

The church was built to a scale that allowed the Knights Templar to attend mass on horseback!

The Templar Cross:

Just a gorgeous, awe inspiring place.

Golega to Atalaia

September 6, 2014Backpacking, Caminho Portugues, Hiking, Portugal, TravelAtalaia, Casa do Patriarca, flowers, Golega, Nice People of Portugal, Snailskarenfranza

9/5 – we walked out of Golega this morning, and ran into this fellow sitting on a bench:

Our guidebook always tells about the historic church in town, but the churches are seldom open. Here’s Golega’s 16th century church:

As we walked in the early morning, we came upon a little old lady peering down into the dirt beside the road, and occasionally picking something up and tossing it in her shopping bag. When we got close enough to inquire, she showed us a bag full of snails. Sure enough, as we walked along the highway, we could see lots of snails, and picked some up to give to her. Jim asked to take her picture, but she started yelling, so we moved on…

Today our walk is only 7 miles, to the tiny town of Atalaia, which boasts one restaurant, and one very nice B and B.

When we got to Casa do Patriarca a little after noon, we read the sign that said checkin wasn’t until 2, and breakfast would not be served before 8:30. We started to fret, as we really wanted a cool shower, and if we can’t leave at 7am we’ll be walking in the hottest part of the day. Our gracious hostess, Senhora Oliviera, put our fears to rest, saying the sign was for the tourists. We are Pilgrims, and can have whatever we want! And, she ran our laundry through her washer for us! Another Nice person of Portugal!

A note that I may have already mentioned, but no one has electric clothes dryers here. We found this true also in Ireland, Spain and Italy. Even hotels hang their sheets and towels outside to dry.

The B and B has a lovely back garden, and we ate our lunch in the shade:

Now here is a question: we’ve been seeing this fruit tree growing all over, and no one can tell us the name of the fruit. It looks like an apple or a pear, and is edible but not sweet, with an astringency that makes your mouth pucker. We’re told that they are used for making marmalade, but not eaten out of hand. What is it? Eliese?? Anybody??

For supper we walked to the only restaurant, where we saw this sign in the window:

Now, you know we had to order snails for dinner! Maybe these were the very ones we picked this morning! Jim ordered a snail appetizer, and we expected maybe six snails on a plate. Instead, the waiter brought like a gallon of snails, and some toothpicks. You just stick a toothpick in the shell and haul the little slimer out, then suck the garlic and butter out of the shell. Yum!

Vale de Figueira to Golega

September 5, 2014Backpacking, Caminho Portugues, Hiking, Portugal, TravelGolega, horses, Nice People of Portugal, Vale de Figueirakarenfranza

9/4 – we allowed ourselves an hour for the 20 minute walk to the train station this morning, and we needed it! We got turned around and had to retrace our steps, but we got there just in time for the 7:56 am train to resume the Caminho where we left off yesterday.

A Nice Young Lady of Portugal engaged us in conversation on the train, and was able to explain why we’ve been having so much trouble with the language. Google Translate only gives us Brazilian Portuguese, which can be very different from Portugal Portuguese. We were asking for Trem (for train), when the local word is Ferro. Duh!

Nothing new to report today… more corn, more tomatoes, more peppers. We did spy a patch of pumpkins, and a sunflower field.

The last 5 miles into Golega was on a busy highway with absolutely no shoulder to walk on. Every time a truck went by I covered my face and hoped for the best. Better routes for pilgrims, please!

The town of Golega is known for horses and there is a great statue at the entrance, in case you had any doubts.

We stayed at a hotel above a restaurant, and were the only guests! Our room had an ensuite toilet without a door, which was a little weird, but oh well…

For supper, Jim wanted to try a local specialty, so I ordered the same thing. We got plates piled high and overflowing with pork ribs, four different kinds of sausage, tripe, chick peas, cabbage, rice, carrots, potatoes and other things I could not identify. I gave it the old college try, but couldn’t eat half of the serving. Should have taken a pic, because you won’t believe how much food there was – I may never eat again…

Walking gives you lots of time to think, and today I thought about folks back home.

We’ve been keeping up with our boys and grand babies weekly by video call. Emma at 20 months likes to say Hi Gramma, and she always asks to see Grandad, so Jim jumps into the picture and we wave. After that, she may show us a toy, or go off and play, or sit down to color, and we can watch her while we catch up with Peter and Lauren. Not sure what she thinks of us being on the flat screen.

Up until a few weeks ago, Lexi at 3 and a half would say hello, tell us her news from school, sing a song and generally ham it up in Lexi style. Recently, however, she’s become more interested in where we are, asking why we are always calling from bed (at a hotel), why we don’t have a living room, and asked if we were real or just a picture. When I told her we were real, she asked to see the back of my head, as proof that we were three dimensional! Last Sunday, she asked when we were coming home, and if we would come home if she gave us our house back. She asked if we were coming to her birthday party in January. Several times.

Now that it’s September, I think about the start of choir practice, and the start of book study, and the friends who will be starting without me. I think of the folks at the Q and hope they are ready for another holiday season.

So, there is another side to life on the road, and that’s missing the people you love, even though you’re having a wonderful time.

Santarem to Vale de Figueira

September 3, 2014Caminho Portugues, Hiking, Portugal, Travelgrapes, Nice People of Portugal, peppers, Pilgrims, Santarem, tomatoes, Train, Vale de Figueirakarenfranza

9/3 – our original plan for today was to walk 15 miles north, which would give us a short 5 mile walk the following day. Our host Mario suggested a different plan: walk 7 miles north today without our packs, take the train back to Santarem, then reverse the process tomorrow, giving us a 13 mile day. This sounded like a good idea for us, plus it would give Mario another night of our business.

Santarem is a confusing town with many little alleyways, and the maps don’t show all the streets, so we had a challenging time getting out of town in the morning. This is the last time we will see blue arrows for the pilgrimage to Fatima, as those pilgrims are now walking in the opposite direction:

There are several old churches with interesting architecture:

The cathedral had an open square inside, with palm trees growing within!

It was a foggy morning, and the view from the summit of the hill, where the old castle walls stand covered in morning glories, was breathtaking:

We shared the path for a while with Robert, a Pilgrim born in the U.S. but lives in France. Then we were back on dusty sand tracks, looking at today’s crops of peppers, corn, grapes and olive trees:

We reached the sleepy little town of Vale de Figueira by 11, and assumed we would be able to find the train station, either by hearing trains, seeing tracks, reading a sign, or asking helpful townfolk. No such luck! Google Translate gave us the Portuguese for Train Station, but the townfolk looked at us like we were speaking Martian. Then we tried making Choo Choo sounds, but that really didn’t help. Jim determined from our small map that the station was on a different road than the Caminho, but as soon as we turned left, EVERYBODY became a Nice Person of Portugal; pointing, prodding and gesticulating that we were going the WRONG WAY!

We found the station eventually, and in a half hour we were back in Santarem. Here are some of the lovely tile mosaics at the train station:

Tomorrow, we hoist our packs and head for Golega!

Taking Our Time

Seeing the World, Nice and Slow

Category Archives: Portugal

Fatima Evening Procession

Condeixa-a-Nova to Coimbra

Rabacal to Conimbriga to Condeixa-a-Nova

Ansaio to Rabacal

Tomar to Alvaiazere to Ansiao

Excursion to Fatima

A Day in Tomar

Golega to Atalaia

Vale de Figueira to Golega

Santarem to Vale de Figueira

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