Coimbra (Sé Nova)

After two flights, a metro ride, a two hour train ride and a 2.1 km uphill hike, I finally caught up with Brenda, Anita and Ernie at 6:00PM in a bar next to our Coimbra accommodations. The only thing better than that cool beer sliding down my throat was the hug and kiss I got from Brenda upon my arrival.

Having had very little sleep during my journey, I managed to get in about 10 hours on Saturday night, finally hauling my butt out of bed at 8:30 Sunday morning.

Thankfully, the gang agreed that Sunday would be a day of rest to allow me to acclimate and give them a well deserved break from the trek.

With our late start, Ernie and Anita were out exploring long before us, so Brenda and I broke fast together before joining up with our companions. We met them at a cafe by the waterfront where I had my first Pastel de Nata of the trip (surely not my last).

We then decided it would be fun to ride the Comboio de Patrimonio, a tourist train that gives a guided tour through the narrow and hilly streets of Coimbra to the main points of interest.

After the train ride, Brenda and I decided we should continue our exploration of the city on foot and climbed back up a very steep hill to the University of Coimbra, which dates back to 1290. While there, we visited the very ornate "New" Cathedral, which opened its doors in 1640. At the cathedral, I received the first stamp in my Pilgrim Passport.

Next, we walked down the hill in search of the Festival de Francesinha, which I had spotted while on our train ride. On our way, we saw the remains of the Roman aquaduct and made a short tour of the very lush and verdant botanical garden.

We arrived at an intersection and were faced with three possible routes to follow, one of which would take us to the festival. However, neither Brenda nor I could recall which of the three the train had followed. As we stood there pondering our choices, we heard a familiar clanging of bells. Lo and behold, the train came around the corner to lead us to our destination, where we shared a vegan version of a Francesinha and quaffed a couple of beers.

Back to our hotel for a siesta before meeting up with Anita, Ernie and fellow pilgrim Wil for aperitivos in the town square.

We capped our day off with a spectacular meal at Maria Rio, a hillside restaurant we stumbled upon while on our way to the university.

Who could ask for a better first day on the Camino?Read more