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Writer's picturePilgrim Nick

Day 6 Mealhada to Agueda

The Golf hotel was good. Pretty swish, fancy restaurant with non-suckling-pig options, decent red wine and virtually no other guests. Of course, the hotel was off Camino so the choice was either walk an extra 5 km or cab it back to the Way. So the hotel called me a taxi.

The taxi driver was very special. He was standing next to his rather shabby car on the phone as I walked out. He was using the phone on speaker in the way that the idiots on The Apprentice do so both sides of the conversation were audible. He had quite a louche air about him; carefully tossed hair and sunglasses, he clearly felt that he should be driving a Lamborghini. The conversation continued as he drove, shouting furiously as he drove. The only word I could understand was “taxi” which he shouted a lot - perhaps he was telling his dad that he was driving a taxi? Who knows.


Miraculously he made it to the destination, despite only occasionally taking his eyes off the phone to glance at the road. And then a pleasant walk into the town of Agueda.


Agueda is famous for its street art. Heaven only knows why. There is a small part of town which is rather cute and then it’s “world famous” street of umbrellas. As the hotel didn’t actually open until the afternoon, there was plenty of time to walk around the town and realise that there was very little to see so instead it was coffee and pastel de nata time (forget Crystal meth, these little pastries are really addictive). Then beer time and a nice chat with some pilgrims.


The problem with Agueda is that unless you are blown away by painted steps there is not a lot to see. The church was dedicated to Saint Eulalia. There are two Saint Eulalia’s in Spain - one for Barcelona, one for Merida. As they have very similar stories, I suspect they might actually be the same saint, a girl martyred by the horrible Diocletian in the third century. I also suspect that the statue in this church isn’t particularly flattering to the poor girl.

A rather portly St Eulalia

Having exhausted the attractions of Agueda it was back to the Pastelaria in the Street of Umbrella. Fortunately the weather decided to liven things up with a little storm which was pretty entertaining, watching large umbrellas flying down the street.

Evening meal was in O Tipico, an unattractive name and location but a really nice and friendly restaurant run by a husband and wife team.

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