Day Six: Rubiães to Tui

Stage one: completed -- we have marched our booties from Porto, Portugal 108 kilometers over the rio Minho and into Spain!! Today was a wonderful day: sunny and downhill. (It doesn't get any better than that on the Camino!) We started later today than usual because breakfast wasn't being served at our albergue until 7:30 -- no need to rise at six if you can't leave until after seven thirty! We fall in the middle of the pack when it comes to leaving the albergues early: the German pilgrims are always up and out first; Collie (the pilgrim from Ireland) has quite the blister on the bottom of his foot, so he stayed behind for a bit to tend to his feet. It was so sunny today that we even needed sunscreen!! So after packing and breakfast and Bom caminhos, CJ and I headed out on the trail. 

The first five kilometers flew by, and in no time we were at a tiny cafe, perfect spot for cafe con leche. As we were arriving the trio from Israel and Portugal were leaving; they are quite the group, father and son plus one. We spent the rest of the day playing leap frog with these three -- them passing us when we took a rest, them passing is when we took a rest. Just as we were finishing up, Collie came by and stopped for a drink as well; so we visited with him a little longer, and then all three of us left for the trail. At least we thought we left for the trail. 

Hm.

Where IS the trail? We knew we saw a yellow arrow on the church pointing us out of town ... but then it seems we missed a very important arrow that directed us to the path. Oh well. We knew we were walking along the 201 and the guidebook showed where the Camino path should intersect the 201 a little ways down ... so we stuck with it.  I know I talk about loving those little yellow arrows a lot, but gosh was I happy to see the yellow arrow directing us back to the path!! 

After our accidental detour, we continued on until we found a little albergue tucked into the countryside; all alone without a town, surrounded by trees and streams. It was the perfect spot to grab a sandwich (and reapply some sunscreen!) They also had a really neat tree stamp for our passports. Sandwiches in, we continues on. 

The sites today were really beautiful for the most part -- forest paths and tiny towns and mountains every direction you look; it's kind of like you are in the center of a big mixing bowl: you are low in the center and everything rises around you into the horizon. And if you are so lucky as to reach the top edge of the bowl, you simply slide back down and start again. 

There were a couple churches open today along the path, so we took advantage of the open doors to go inside and pray a while (not that I don't spend quite a bit of time praying as I walk). I've been a little disappointed that there are not so many pilgrim masses in Portugal, but hopefully as we get closer to Santiago there will be more opportunities. And if not, praying on the trail will have to do -- God doesn't care where I speak to Him. 

The longest part of our day was the walk right before we reached valençia. We were walking along busy streets into a big town and the sites were not so pretty. I much prefer the mountain paths and tiny towns to sidewalks and pavement. Oh well -- we got through it and found ourselves at on the cobblestone streets of Valençia, a very lovely town and the last one we would be in within Portugal. A tall wall surrounded the city; we had to go through a (dark and creepy) mossy tunnel that went through the wall in order to reach the bridge that would take us over the rio Minho into Tui, Spain. Let's talk about that bridge for a minute. Now at first, it was no big deal. Kind of cool even. I mean, how many times do you walk across boarders into other countries? (Well, except when I did it in France/Spain ... and US/Mexico ... okay maybe it is more common than I thought.) So we start out across this bridge. We're walking ... and we're walking ... and the town looks pretty in the opposite shore and the mountains are reflecting in the water and it's cool and we're walking ... and walking ... and that river sure is wide ... and that bridge sure doesn't seem like the most sturdy thing in the world ... and who thought sheet metal was a suitable walking surface? And who thought leaving tiny gaps so you could see just how thin the sheet metal beneath your feet, the only thing separating you from the river, was a good idea?! And now we're half way out when we come across a little painted sign on the bridge: the boarder between Portugal and Spain. I promise I walked faster on the second half of the bridge than the first, and finally we arrived in Spain. ☺️

Once we were in Tui we followed the path until we reached our albergue -- the municipal xunta. These are nice because they are clean, efficient, run by the town, and very inexpensive (six euros a night); they are not nice because there is a high person to room and person to bathroom ratio ... and the showers are not very private. BUT if you can get over the showers they are really pretty good. 

After we settled in at our albergue we took a much needed nap. Plus when we crossed into Spain we lost an hour, so in the morning we'll be glad we got a nap in today. After a nap and a shower and a change of clothes, we headed out to explore the town a little. We went to the cathedral where we explored the different altars and chapels; it never ceases to amaze me how intricate the details of the altar pieces and columns are for being created in an age without technology. We ended our exploration of the cathedral in a chapel with perpetual adoration, adding our prayers to those who keep prayer hour after hour, day after day. 

We left the cathedral in search of dinner and found the father and son from Israel and the girl from Portugal (Catalina, Robbi, and ... oh gosh ... I can't remember and I'll just butcher it ... ) sitting at a cafe just beginning their meal; they invited us to join them, so we did. We had a wonderful time with them; lots of laughter and delicious food. I also got to make use of my Spanish, ordering CJ and I's dinner: carne con patata y ensalada y pan y vino tinto para mi, vino blanco para CJ. For desert they served us pears soaked in a spiced red wine -- very delicious. And of course the cafe owner decided to bring us chupitos after our meal. 

We all sat and visited for a while before heading back to our albergue -- doors close at ten! And now I'm tucked into bed in a room with fifteen bunks, ready to get some sleep. Photos .... 

Good morning mountains!! 

Sometimes a parade involves floats and candy ... sometimes it involves sheep. 

We're headed in the right direction -- Santiago bound!! 

Going up!! 

It would be very easy to trap a pilgrim -- put a yellow arrow on it and we'll march through anything, even creepy drippy tunnels that lead through city walls. Good thing my hiking buddy carries a walking / evil people whacking stick!! 

Bye Portugal -- you were amazing!! Definitely a place to return to someday. ❤️

Just a bridge. No big deal. A very long bridge. A rickety old bridge extending over a deep river kilometer after kilometer after kilometer ... 

😳

Hey look -- we're in two countries at once!! 

Cathedral entrance. 

I love this alter -- not often do you see the depiction of the pregnant Mary, but this is just that: the Expectant Virgin Mary. The alter depicts "all of salvation" with Adam and Eve and the many stages of the life of Christ -- and in the center, mother Mary. 

the cathedral cloister 

The view of Valençia from Tui. 

Our dinner crew, representing Portugal, Israel, and the USA. 

The view from the window next to my bed in the albergue.

And my bed for the night. 

My heart is so happy being here on the Camino -- I feel so at peace, like everything is as it should be. One hundred eight kilometers walked, one hundred fifteen kilometers yet to explore. 

Buen Camino.