The skies are foreboding-heavy black clouds and a cool temperature. Back into the warmer gear-so pleased we had the gear we did as most days I have worn my icebreaker at least in the evenings. We decided to explore Valenca first, a fortress town on the other side of the Minho River.We traversed it on our way here yesterday and decided it was worth another look so we set off mid-morning to explore-on foot of course! Shank's pony is not getting a break for awhile yet.
The path led over the bridge and up the old fortress entrance into the town via the battlements-over the border and back into Portugal for lunch,so easy in a modern era, fraught in medieval times I imagine.It is hard not to think of what life might have delivered its residents in past generations.This city reeks of historical events and conflicts played out on the borders of these two old settlements.
I liked Portugal and I am sorry to leave, people are friendly and courteous and there is a great spirit of goodwill here, albeit they are in the tourist trade but they do it well.
The trip has been noteworthy for these random encounters we have had with people we may never meet again,yet friendly and interesting insights into other cultures.We also met another American sitting on the steps leading from the town, she was overcome with painful swollen feet and blisters and not in good shape so we spent some time talking with her and giving directions to a sports shop where she might be able to get better footwear. Poor thing, we have been lucky on the foot aspect of the walk. No blisters to date.
Back to the hotel for a siesta-everything shuts down for some hours over the afternoon so we joined the habit. Later we went out and explored Tuy,visiting the Catedral. We got our compestella stamped and then paid to climb the tower to see the view from the cloister walk, walked in the gardens and had a brief encounter with the treasures of the sacred order.
The catedral dates back to the 11th-12th century beginning as a gothic design but altered and is now a prime example of a romanesque design with an impressive facade and great acoustics.We heard some organ music played while in the body of the church.Spine tingling.
The antiquity of the place is what captures me. The old stone lanes,shutters on windows,metal frames and iron bars guarding entrances to homes and apartments-little evidence of life existing behind the walls as they are so well guarded and silenced by the materials used to safeguard the town.About 15,000 people live here most in the newer part I expect.
We had all our warm gear on tonight to venture out for a meal as it is very cool and the rain has chilled the air.We ate at a Gallician cafe -a delicious type of pork and chick pea stew which I tried making for Lou once I got back to London. The whole meal included coffee and wine and bread for five euros!
So nice to amble back to our hotel after a low key day. Tomorrow we are off again on the first leg of the Spanish side of the camino.
Thursday 20 June 2013
ReplyDeleteThe sun shines-what a lovely sight to see. Cool as it turned out once we left the hotel replenished by the usual substantial breakfast from the assorted meats,cheeses,breads and cakes!
The taxi is going to take us out of the city this morning as this part of the camino is through industrial estates and heavy traffic so they by-pass this stretch of the trail and drop you off on the other side of Porrino in a wooded section of the trail so we were underway quite quickly.
We left at 9.15am and arrived at 3.00pm so there was enough walking anyway but new country, new images so we set off in high spirits,refreshed somewhat by our rest day and looking forward to our stay beside the sea at Redondela. Actually it was quite a way out of the town as it turned out: thankfully it shortened the following day's walk but it was beautifully sited right on the edge of the Ria de Vigo, the water just across the road from the hotel.I had planned a swim here but by the time we arrived it was so cold and wet we were wrapped in blankets in our room so little exploring done here certainly no swimming! Across from the hotel was a lovely old island just asking to be explored but no appetite for it tonight.
We ate in the hotel with our American fellow walkers who keep meeting up with us-lots of fun and refreshingly open to new experiences.More on them later. Stuffed pimentos were a taste treat here,the soup was a disasterIt is a comfortable hotel and outside my window the NZ cabbage tree is flowering-nostalgia.News from home is all about the snow and here we are wrapped in blankets-not what I expected at all. Tomorrow is said to be better weather.
Our walk today was a nice one -up the rio Louro Valley and over a steep pass from Mos up the Road of the Knights into Monte Cornedo and then downhill to Redondela and the sea. The views were lovely and much of the walk was on rural pathways through small holdings with lots of vegetables and poultry,citrus,grapes and colourful displays of flowers along the way.The men were out cutting big piles of wood-life is lived close to the land around here.Tools are primitive and we saw men using pitch forks to turn hay stooks, any machinery we saw was old and fairly low tech.
We could hear sounds of birds and church bells once we got away from the sound of motorways and airports but the air was fresh and it was good to be outside of the urban streets although it was important to top up there with a coffee from time to time.
Little shrines and statues,religious crosses are frequent and they are all beautifully cared for with fresh flowers,candles and adorned with stones left by countless pilgrims.Various saints are venerated in each region and here it seems Antonio,Sebastian and Christopher are important here.
The miles seem to slide by when you get started on the days walk but as time goes along your body starts a refrain of 'poor me'. It gets hard to ignore but it is part of the pilgrimage experience. Sore muscles emerge,cramped toes and aching joints start to play with your head but on you go-mind over matter. Today my knee is better than it has been mainly I think because it is softer walking surfaces on this stretch. Brad seems undaunted and soldiers on at a steady pace.We have both felt physically fit enough for the walk.no lack of puff to get over the passes and we have kept up with others on the way so pretty pleased about that,our training was enough.
We bought our scallop shells to attach to our packs here at an albergue on the edge of the town and made our way through the town and along the coast until we eventually found our hotel.Got to have the look right as we enter Spain.
Another day is put to bed.