090716 Coimbra to Mealhada

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).

Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.

We woke at 6:10 am and went to breakfast buffet at Hotel Vila Galé at 7:30 (it had started at 7:00, but the desk clerk had told us 7:30).

Wednesday, ‎September ‎07, ‎2016, 7:29 AM – Coimbra: Hotel Vila Galé – breakfast buffet (two lines loaded with good food).

7:30 AM – Coimbra: Hotel Vila Galé – breakfast buffet – sparkling wine bottle and part of meat and cheese section.

7:33 AM – Coimbra: Hotel Vila Galé – breakfast buffet – Don’s first plate: crepe with mushrooms and cheese; quiche; and 2 cooked tomatoes.

7:35 AM – Coimbra: Hotel Vila Galé – breakfast buffet – MT with her first plate; pool in background.

7:54 AM – Coimbra: Hotel Vila Galé – breakfast buffet – Don’s apple; fruit salad, with orange slices on top; French toast; yogurt; and orange juice.

We departed the hotel at 8:55 am, starting out in fog and sprinkles that lasted for an hour or so. The previous night, Don had figured out how to get from Hotel Vila Galé onto the Camino route, by going one block north, then turning left (rather than right to the roundabout). The only problem was that the street to the left, Rua Padre Estevão Cabral, then turned north again and led onto busy highways rather than passing over or under them. A man on the street told us we had to go farther left, across the railroad tracks (although Brierley’s guidebook map showed the Camino on the near side of the tracks). We did that, went under the highways, and found our first Camino markers.

There were several other times this day when Brierley's information was either unclear or disagreed with the Camino signage.

8:59 AM – Outskirts of Coimbra: Camino sign showing route from Condeixa-a-Nova, through Cernache and Santa Clara, to Coimbra and then on, through Trouxemil and Sargento Mor to Mealhada.

According to Brierley, the terrain on today’s route was “markedly different from the previous stage, being virtually flat and passing along various river valleys crisscrossed with flood and irrigation channels” and would have short stretches of the calzada romana (Roman road), although most of the route would be along asphalt and main roads.

Around 10 am, Don urgently needed a bathroom stop and was desperate enough to try a stand of bamboo/cane across the road from an old canal. Unfortunately, the cane was densely spaced and contained sharp brambles; so he had to abandon this attempt.

From 10:15 to 10:25, we stopped at a café in Adémia de Baixo, but by that time Don had lost the urge. (Much later, we would stop at another café that was closed, obviously for remodeling, but the owner let Don use the banho anyway.) MT bought a 0.33 liter bottle of water (€0.60) and a fruit salad (€1.50) for €2.10 total.

The name Adémia means fertile land between the hill and the meadow. Adémia de Baixo (Lower Adémia) had a hermitage (chapel) and cemetery from 1617 to 1861. By the end of the 19th century, the towns of Adémia de Cima (Upper Adémia) and Adémia de Baixo belonged, respectively, to the freguesia (civil parish) of São João Baptista de Santa Cruz and the freguesia of São Bartolomeu, both of the city of Coimbra. However, with the administrative reform of parishes in 1890, they both joined the freguesia of Trouxemil.

Around 10:40, we came to Fornos.

Fornos is a town in the freguesia (civil parish) of Trouxemil e Torre de Vilela, in the Municipio de Coimbra.

10:40 AM – Fornos: Camino marker in Fornos, still in Municipio de Coimbra; on right side of marker post is a blue arrow for Fátima; MT up the street.

10:42 AM – Fornos: azulejo tile picture of fado players (with one Spanish guitar and one fado guitar) apparently serenading a young lady on the bank of the Mondego River across from Coimbra, with the Ponte de Santa Clara bridge at left and the University on the hill in the background.

Around 11 am, we came to Trouxemil.

Trouxemil is a town and was a freguesia (civil parish, pop. 2,712 in 2011) in the Municipio de Coimbra. In 2013, the freguesia was extinguished and was merged into the freguesia of Trouxemil e Torre de Vilela, of which Trouxemil is still the seat.

11:01 AM – Trouxemil: Camino marker in Trouxemil, still in Municipio de Coimbra.

11:03 AM – Trouxemil: Statue of Santiago, in front of the church, Igreja Paroquial de São Tiago de Trouxemil.

11:03 AM – Trouxemil: Igreja Paroquial de São Tiago de Trouxemil, bell tower and façade of church with cemetery to right.

The Igreja Paroquial de São Tiago de Trouxemil (Parish Church of St. James of Trouxemil) is a Renaissance and late Baroque church, with a single nave, a main chapel (chancel), two sacristies, a high choir, and a bell tower. Most notable in the interior are the main altarpiece from the 17th century and the side altars from the 16th century.

Shortly after Trouxemil, we came to Adões around 11:15 am.

11:16 AM – Adões: sign entering town.

In 1747, Adões, at that time spelled Adoens, was a village in the freguesia (civil parish) of Nossa Senhora do Ó de Barcouço (Our Lady of the Ó de Barcouço), now known as Freguesia  Barcouço, in the district of Coimbra. It had there a hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré (Our Lady of Nazareth). However, today part of the village also belongs to the municipality of Mealhada, in the district of Aveiro.

11:40 AM – After Adões: church with rooster wind vane instead of cross atop bell tower.

11:41 AM – After Adões: church with rooster wind vane instead of cross atop bell tower; fish-selling truck parked in front.

11:42 AM – After Adões: church with rooster wind vane instead of cross atop bell tower, after fish-selling truck left.

Around 11:50 am, we came to Sargento Mor.

11:54 AM – Sargento Mor: sign leaving town, with coat of arms of Freguesia Barcouço.

Like Adões, Sargento Mor is a village whose territory is divided between the municipality of Mealhada, in the district of Aveiro and the freguesia (civil parish) of Barcouço, in the district of Coimbra.

Around 12:12 pm, we came to Santa Luzia.

12:12 PM – Santa Luzia: sign entering town.

The village of Santa Luzia is in a unique situation. Part of it is in the freguesias (civil parishes) of Barcouço (the majority of the village) and Casal Comba, both in the municipality of Mealhada, in the district of Aveiro, and part also belongs to the freguesia of Souselas, in the district of Coimbra.

After Santa Luzia, the Camino followed a newly waymarked forest track.

12:33 PM – After Santa Luzia: eucalyptus tree with younger, round, bluish leaves at the bottom and darker green, pointed leaves at the top.

12:33 PM – After Santa Luzia: eucalyptus tree with younger, round, bluish leaves at the bottom and darker green, pointed leaves at the top (closer up with 76 mm telephoto).

12:42 PM – After Santa Luzia: MT and newly planted eucalyptus trees, with medium-size ones in background.

12:44 PM – After Santa Luzia: sign for “Zona de Caça Associativa” (Zone of Hunting of Association) among eucalyptus trees.

By this time, we had learned the difference between caca (excrement) and caça (hunting) in Portuguese.

12:44 PM – After Santa Luzia: sign for “Zona de Caça Associativa” (Zone of Hunting of Association) on eucalyptus tree (telephoto 220 mm).

MT 12:54 PM – After Santa Luzia: another sign for “Zona de Caça Associativa” (Zone of Hunting of Association), with blue arrow on top (for Fátima).

12:48 PM – After Santa Luzia: sign for “Regime Cinegetico Especial - Zona de Caça Associativa” (Special Cinegetic [Hunting] Regime - Zone of Hunting of Association).

12:49 PM – After Santa Luzia: sign for “Regime Cinegetico Especial - Zona de Caça Associativa” (Special Cinegetic [Hunting] Regime - Zone of Hunting of Association) (telephoto 54 mm).

12:59 PM – After Santa Luzia: at intersection of woodland path with paved road – many signs and arrows, including two Camino arrows on near side of intersection pointing right, and two red and white Zona de Caça signs (one at right with a yellow X, meaning not to go that way for the Camino de Santiago) on far side; also blue X on tree at right (meaning not to go that way for Fátima either).

1:13 PM – Mala: sign entering town.

The village of Mala is in the freguesia (civil parish) of Casal Comba, in the district of Aveiro.

1:20 PM – Mala: Capela de Nossa Senhora das Candeias - façade with separate bell tower.

The Capela de Nossa Senhora das Candeias (Chapel of Our Lady of the Candles) in Mala, sometimes called Capela de Mala (Chapel of Mala), is a beautiful building from the 18th century.

1:53 PM – Lendiosa: sign looking back as we were leaving town.

Lendiosa is another village in the freguesia (civil parish) of Casal Comba, in the municipality of Mealhada, in the district of Aveiro.

1:53 PM – Vimieira: sign entering town.

Vimieira is another village in the freguesia (civil parish) of Casal Comba, in the municipality of Mealhada, in the district of Aveiro.

2:12 PM – After Vimieira: Don with sign for Albergue de Peregrinos (Pilgrims’ hostel) in Mealhada, still 4 km, and showing distance to Santiago as 345 km.

2:14 PM – After Vimieira: MT on dirt path through trees.

2:21 PM – After Vimieira: fallen Camino marker (the arrow still pointed in the right direction, even though the scallop shell emblem pointed the wrong way (according to the Spanish convention, not closely observed in Portugal).

2:22 PM – After Vimieira: MT on path that turned here (fallen Camino marker on ground at right).

2:22 PM – Just before Mealhada: pumpkin patch.

Around 3:20 pm, we finally came out of the wooded path into Mealhada.

Mealhada is a city (pop. 4,522) and municipality (pop. 20,428) in the southern part of the Aveiro district, in the region of Coimbra. The name of the town may come from meahla (half-penny, a coin halved in the middle) but more likely comes from meada (meeting of the ways); either etymology is related to the Portuguese meada (middle). Even in Roman times, the town was at a major crossroads. Nowadays, it remains a crossroads, just off the A-1 and straddling the N-1 and the rail line. It is in a major wine-growing area, the demarcated region of Bairrada. Since the 18th century, Mealhada has been famous for its leitão assado (spit-roasted month-old suckling pigs), also known as leitão da Bairrada, baked in a corn bread over heated by dried vines. Mealhada is in the Beiras, a central region where pigs have been raised for centuries, nibbling the acorns of oak forests.

Mealhada was at miliário (milepost) XII on the Roman highway from Olissipo (Lisbon) to Bracara Augusta (Braga) between Aeminium (Coimbra) and Cale (Porto). The milestone had inscriptions referring to the time of the Emperor Caligula (39 AD). In 1002, there was a monastery in the old county of Vacariça (from which the municipality of Mealhada was formed in 1836). King Manuel I granted the foral (town charter) of Vacariça and Mealhada in 1514. It was in the municipality of Mealhada that, in 1810, Napoleon suffered one of the first defeats during the third French invasion of Portugal, at the hands of an Anglo-Portuguese army led by the Duke of Wellington.

Mealhada was elevated to the status of cidade (city) in 2003.

2:41 PM – Mealhada: monument to wine-growing, with Bacchus astride a wine barrel, above the crest of the municipality of Mealhada (a crowned shield with an oak tree flanked by two bunches of grapes).

We stopped at a Lidl store to buy bananas and grapes (total €1.51).

Lidl, formally Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG, is a German global discount supermarket chain, based in Neckarsulm, Germany, that operates over 10,000 stores across Europe (and soon in the US). What started out in 1930 as a small, independent grocery wholesaler in Germany is now one of the largest grocery retailers in the world. Lidl is the chief competitor of the similar German discount chain Aldi.

Lidl logo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidl#/media/File:Lidl_Stiftung_%26_Co._KG_logo.svg).

Then we stopped at the Turismo (Tourist Office), which had no carimbo stamp but gave us a map of the town and the municipality.

MT 3:04 PM – Mealhada: MT with giant cork.

2:59 PM – Mealhada: Don with giant cork.

We finally arrived at the 3-star hotel Quinta dos Três Pinheiros (Inn of the Three Pines), with three large pine trees out front, around 4 pm. It is actually in the village of Sernadelo in the municipality of Mealhada, farther north of the town of Mealhada on the N-1 highway.

4:16 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros –signs on street (N-1 highway) for the hotel, restaurant (Adega means wine cellar), discotheque, and pool complex (poster for eating to the sound of live fado music, but only on Saturdays).

4:16 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – view of hotel-restaurant-discotheque complex from street (N-1 highway).

3:55 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – view from driveway; MT on left fork of driveway.

3:56 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – entrance (with three pine trees) and main building; MT already on steps to entrance.

We got Room 39, out the front door and to the left side. We showered and washed clothes and hung them on the terrace in front of our room. MT went to the lobby to use the WiFi, since it didn’t work in our room.

Mealhada: carimbo stamp from “Conjunto Tirístico, Quinta dos Três Pinheiros, Lda., Cont. 501 583 286. Sernadelo l 3050-382 Mealhada.”

Sernadelo is a village in the municipio (municipality) of Mealhada in the Bairrada region. It is located about 20 km north of Coimbra, taking upon itself the title of the true capital of the Leitão Assado à Bairrada (Roasted Suckling Pig of Bairrada), of which it is said to be the origin.

4:13 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – Room 39 (in center) on outside, to left of main part of hotel.

4:13 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – Rooms on outside, including Room 39 below the hotel’s Discoteca (Discotheque), to left of main part of hotel with entrance.

4:13 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – main part of hotel, with more rooms to right of entrance; one pine growing through roof of entrance.

4:17 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – lower part of hotel, with more rooms (closer to street), and main part behind it.

4:18 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – the 3 pines by entrance to reception and restaurant.

7:23 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – one pine growing through roof of entrance porch.

7:23 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – of the 3 pines around the entrance, 2 were growing through roof of porch; sign to left of door for “Discotecas” (Discotheques) and “Piscinas” (Swimming Pools) and sign at right for “Restaurante” (Restaurant) an “Recepção” (Reception).

7:24 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros –entrance with 3 pine trees (and a few small palms).

By 7 pm, the sky looked like it was about to rain or storm. When we went to dinner at 7:30, it had started to sprinkle, but it had stopped by the time we finished dinner, around 9:15.

The half-board menu included a 750 ml bottle of red wine and a 1-liter bottle of water; both of us had vegetable soup with bread; for the main course, MT had leg of lamb, of which she shared some with Don; Don had bife grelhada (grilled veal steak); both main courses came with cooked potatoes (vice fries) and cauliflower; for desert, MT had maçã assada (grilled apple), Don tried to order crème caramel by picking Leite Crème from the Portuguese side of the menu, but he thought he got crème brulée.

7:36 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – São Domingos vinho tinto (red wine) of the local Beira region, Vihno Regional Beira Atlántico.

8:13 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – Don’s grilled veal steak, with cooked potatoes and cauliflower.

8:14 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – MT’s leg of lamb, with cooked potatoes and cauliflower, and extra bowl of lamb (good for sharing).

MT 8:29 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – MT’s leg of lamb, with cooked potatoes and cauliflower.

8:40 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – Half-board menu in English and French (the only part of the famous suckling pig on this menu was the liver).

8:41 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – Half-board menu in Portuguese (the only part of the famous suckling pig on this menu was the iscas [fried liver]).

8:51 PM – Mealhada: Quinta dos Três Pinheiros – MT’s grilled apple with cinnamon stick.