El Camino Portuguese Condeixo a Nova to Coimbra

El Camino Portuguese 

Condeixo a Nova to Coimbra 

The swimming pool from my balcony.The swimming pool from my balcony.

I didn't realise that other countries had gnomes unless this is an English gnome on holiday. A former next door neighbour had a collection of gnomes and he would love them around every week. If he went n holiday, he would take one or two with him and there would be posts about what his gnome was doing on holidaay.

Unusual flower pots by the mill race...

...by the mill.

You have to know what sort of mail you are posting, blue is for priority and by air, red is for ordinary mail.

I was walking down a road when a car swerved in front of me and started to reverse into a ridiculously small gateway with just centimetres either side between the car and the gateposts. I stood still as he inched forward and back to get the car through the gateway.

Finally he was through the gap and I walked on. Hw called out whether I was following El Camino...an superfluous question as I had a large scallop shell tied to the back of my rucksack, the sign of a pilgrim plus a hat with a scallop shell on it and Camino de Santiago emdroidered on the front.

 He pointed to a turn off behind me. I pointed to the distinct yellow arrow on a concrete electricity pylon just along the road. He replied that it was an old sign and the new route was back up the road.

I had followed false arrows before and doubted the varsity of his claim but walked back to the turning and did a check. Obscured by a parked car was a bright scallop shell sign and an arrow.

The old route took pilgrims down to a very busy road, over it and along side it before climbing up the hill on the far side. The new route brought pilgrims to a new footbridge spanning the road as it passes through a deep cutting. Cutting some distance off the previous route and a lot safer.

The route crossed another busy road on a bridge from which you could see the Roman aqueduct the used to deliver water to Coimbra.  

The route follows a minor road through one of the arches but the new road, out f sight but where the lorry is situated required one of the columns that supported two arches to be demolished.

A view down the river from the Santa Clara bridge and my hotel, the last big white building on the right.

A view from the bridge of part of the old town built high above the river.

The church in the city centre but I didn't linger or do any sight seeing as it had begun to rain and I wanted to get to my hotel before I got too wet.