July 19, Coimbra, 367 km

This is a really cool city, like a miniature San Francisco, hilly, beautiful, cool architecture. I am not the greatest tourist, but Coimbra has Roman aqueducts, one of the world’s oldest universities, and was the capitol of Portugal for a while a thousand years ago. I had a delicious dinner last night, a really good t-bone steak. Today I ordered a dark beer when I saw someone drinking it. It was yummy. I saw university students walking around dressed like they were in Harry Potter, including capes.

I have been comparing this Camino to the Frances that I walked last September. The time of the year obviously makes a big difference, from heat to celebrations in cities. I think as a general rule, I like walking on the Frances better, because of the cooler temperatures and the little cafes have better food and drink. I like the stops in Portugal better, because of the dinners, and the events in the cities. I think once I get to Porto, interacting with other pilgrims will become more common. I met a pilgrim yesterday that has completed 8 Camino.