Camino Português Day 9 - Tui to Porriño

Today has been a really interesting one, and looking back at my notes for it demonstrates this. Normally by the time I come to write the notes up I have a lot of text on my phone with random thoughts, descriptions and comments, together with the photos. Today I had almost nothing, as today has been very sociable, and I’ve been focused much more on people than the walking. I had breakfast in the old kitchen of the lovely hotel with a number of Spanish people very excited about starting their Camino in Tui. I need to correct myself on the information I gave yesterday saying that Tui is 100 km from Santiago - in fact it’s more like 120km, I wasn’t as close to the end as I thought!

There was a slight change in the weather, in that there was a bit of mist over the river and the hills. The mini heatwave seems to be thankfully receding, it got to the high 20s today instead of the mid 30s

Although I set off later, the hour’s change meant that it was still cool and lovely for walking.

I spent the first hour or so with Birgitte, from Denmark, whom I met a few days ago. She has written a book about gardening, and, after we crossed a bridge used by the Romans, was telling me how the soldiers were given a parcel of land once they left the army, and it was from this that many of the farms across Europe were established. She also told me that it was one of these ex Roman soldiers that wrote the first book on gardening, realising that different soils nurture different types of plants. She kindly took this classy photo.

Today’s walk has been a mixture of track and tarmac. As I crossed the trunk road I was again struck by how quiet it was, not a car to be seen. I can’t imagine that occurring in the UK.

We were caught up by Hans and his wife (whose name I’ve not yet sadly learnt), who were in my hostel a few days ago. We all commented on how much busier the trail was today, even when setting out early. The new pilgrims all look a lot cleaner - one of my shirts is not responding well to the regular washing in a sink and is now grey round the edges….

Once over the silent trunk road the path led through the woods. Briefly, I was on my own, having left Birgitte to change her socks (she has a careful protocol of foot care which works well for her).  But then, at a junction, I saw Aidan and Lauren, the siblings from California whom I met days ago, and who I’ve seen almost every day since. And at the same time we were joined by Ari from NYC who I’d met two or three days ago. The rest of the walk was ours. The path alternated between less interesting tarmac and lovelier woodland, often with water running alongside.

But this journey was much more about the interactions between the four of us. We walk at the same speed, and I had the best time talking to these interesting people a generation or two younger than me. We were all so engrossed that when we stopped for our first coffee we realised we’d been walking for 9 miles, talking and laughing the whole way.

So much was covered, religion, American sports, singing, accents, family, the experience of Jewish people walking a historically Catholic pilgrimage, relationships, books, poetry, how to airdrop a photo, the Met museum, the environment, what ancient pilgrims would make of tiny motocross riders.

This was all the good stuff, with a lightness and ease that comes from knowing these meetings are fleeting, precious and can’t be clung to. Like walking with Bill and Lizzie yesterday, today will be a highlight of my Camino Portugues.

Today is my first night, on this trip, in a dormitory room in an albergue. It is a good one in that it opened at 1pm instead of 4pm like some do, that it seems clean and the host was cheerfully welcoming (though writing ‘Brave!!’ on my Credencial has made me wonder about what is to come). What’s not so good is that the ten bunk beds are in a small room that smells of drains at my end of it, and the hearty Spanish couples who are some of my sleeping companions had a siesta earlier in which the snoring was quite a thing.  But it’s very much part of the Camino experience, and it’s just one night….

Along with the Spaniards, the nationalities represented are UK, Germany, NZ, Mexico and Canada of those I’ve met so far, ranging in age from 70 to early twenties. Some were being shown in as I got a FaceTime from Tasha and David. So lovely to see their faces, it was a real boost.

There’s not much comfortable seating at the Albergue, so I firstly took myself off to a restaurant for a menu del dia for lunch, and then later to a paderia for a cup of tea. I love the tapas culture which leads to a cup of tea coming with two free cakes. That should transfer to the UK please.

Porriño is a town that didn’t get much of a write up in my guidebook, but it has a pleasant centre with lots of cafes at which I saw a number of pilgrims that I’ve met over the last few days.

I felt in the mood for a quieter night though, so Anna, my bunk mate from Vancouver, and I popped into town for a brilliant tortilla and a beer before drawing the curtains across the bunks.

Many thanks to all who’ve got in touch about my physical niggles of yesterday. My foot seems to have resolved, currently not progressing to a proper blister, and the sore on my back is no worse. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Stats

Distance travelled - 11.2 miles/18km

Total ascent - 668 feet/203m

Messages of the day

On a subway wall (not the words of the prophet…)

‘Where is that pilgrim going, my pilgrim where will he go? Camino de Compostela - I know he will get there...’

‘You are important’ (part of a series of posters advertising Lidl)