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Published: September 24th 2016
10 September 2016, Day 15, São Joao de Madeira to Grijo. 19 km or 12 miles.
This relatively short day allowed us to leave around 0810 and walk at a leisurely pace. After self service breakfast at Hotel AS on the central commercial plaza we got right on the Camino track through town.
At the Oliva factories we took photos of the two statues: one of a shoemaker and another of hat making.
Our morning was spent wandering the mix of suburbs and industrial areas as the route undulated up and down almost all on pavement. As we stopped to take some photos we saw a pilgrim behind us. When he caught up I learned he was Kevin from Cairns, Australia. We enjoyed our day walking with him. We learned his wife is with a group swimming 5 to 10 kilometers a day in the Mediterranean off Barcelona. She flies to Porto tomorrow.
Kevin is the CEO of the Catholic diocese from new Guinea to Brisbane and northern Australia.
This alleviated some of the otherwise boring, nondescript day. As we started down a hill into Grijo we did get a glimpse of the sea beyond Porto.
Having gotten the driver's name and number from Follow the Camino, I called Sergio. He and his daughter arrived in a Mercedes Vito semi limousine to bring us back to São Joao de Madeira hotel AS for the night.
September 10, Saturday, Sao Joao da Madeira - rest day for Karen
While Harlan and Jo are laboring, on foot, to get to Grijo, I have a lovely, quiet day. While leaving the breakfast room I meet a couple from Leavenworth, Kansas. Unbeknownst to us now, our paths will cross many times in the coming days.
I work on blog items until early afternoon and then decide to visit two museums. Part of this decision is prompted by the fact that the activity level outside on the plaza is ratcheting up.
The Oliva Creative Factory is São João da Madeira’s most recent cultural and artistic venue and its mission is to inspire talent and creativity. Housed inside the former Oliva factory, one of the most important in Portugal’s industrial history, the Oliva Creative Factory comprises a shopping area, an information centre on Oliva’s history, a contemporary art museum, resident artists, a dance school and a variety
The obelisk in commercial center in front of hotel
Lots of loud exercise activity all day and early eveningof spaces for artistic and creative development and training and the staging of cultural events and activities.
I find the museum and spend several hours at a temporary exhibit, Brute Art. "Outsider Art" was coined in the 70's as an English synonym for art brut (French: "raw art" or "rough art"), a label created to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; it focused particularly on art by those on the outside of the established art scene, such as psychiatric hospital patients and children.
It was an amazing exhibit and really extends the concept of art created outside the usually accepted mainstream by people who are outside traditional art channels.
Did not have time to see any of their permanent collection as I wanted to visit the Museu de Chapelaria (Hat Museum.) It was known among local people at the time as the "New Factory", after being founded in 1914 by António José Oliveira Júnior, a well-regarded personality in São João da Madeira.
The factory was innovative when it came to manufacturing techniques and was always up-to-date regarding market needs. The company was also responsible for introducing the merino wool (fine wool) hat, the
so-called "fashion hat" for being completely different from the old coarse wool hat produced up to then. As the only company in the country to have the manufacturing machinery and techniques for this hat, the Empresa Industrial de Chapelaria had a monopoly on its manufacture and sale for many years.
The Empresa Industrial de Chapelaria closed in 1995, having been part of the entire history of this industry and naturally reflecting its times of prosperity and decline. It will be forever associated with the image of the factory which employed and trained successive generations of hatters and craftsmen who devoted a lifetime’s work to it.
I walk through the exhibits and various machinery but, since there was no placards in English, I requested a guide and had a tour with JoAna. She was an amazing guide, especially explaining how, currently, the factory has become a gathering spot, culturally and educationally, for the city. We close down the museum for the day and I hurry back to hear about Jo and Harlan's walk.
We return to our little restaurant. Our server from last night is not on but has left information about us to a new waiter. We
will arrive early for tapas, especially the delicious tuna spread, and will, most likely want the cheesecake with berries on top!
Back to the hotel where the music scene is just warming up outside on the plaza. Even though we have the door ajar in the sitting room, the music does not hinder us from falling into a deep sleep.
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