Redondela to Pontevedra to Poia 23km + some more!

What a tough day. We headed off early as we knew it was a 7-8 hour hike today. It was the most ascent of the trip so far with over 500m. It was quite a technical route with both up and down.

We focussed on putting one foot in front of the other and taking breaks whenever they presented themselves. We caught up with Larry and Dave from the US again and Dave kindly carried my pack for 5-6 km which made a huge difference, massive thanks to him! Larry let us know that his professional hiking mates from the US had told him that the hike into SDC is tough so be prepared. Right! Got that in the memory bank! 

Unfortunately, my accommodation is across the bridge in Poia which is about an additional kilometre walk back to Pontevedra. Brian so very kindly made the extra trek for me and carried my bag! So grateful! ☺️ 

My accommodation is not what I’d hoped for and without disclosing details here, I’ve just booked another room tomorrow night back in Pontevedra. Accommodation is hard to come by due to a world triathlon here! For all my tri mates, where the bloody hell are you???

Brian and I caught up briefly this evening but are both exhausted so plan to explore the town tomorrow! I finally got food! 

O Porrino to Redondela 18km

We made an early start this morning keen to manage the kilometres over the day. It was a relatively simple walk although there were a couple of technical sections on gravel and some very steep 25% gradient downhills which challenged the knees! 

I had my heart set on a restaurant that offered a majority of gluten free food but unfortunately it was closed today for repairs! It took some time to find somewhere I could safely eat and it was a but of a make shift meal but at least I got fed! 

Brian and I are staying one street apart. Unfortunately my accommodation was having issues and I had to change hostels. They had arranged this but it was a bit challenging to understand if it was equivalent accommodation. Brian helped me navigate this which was lovely. Two heads are always better than one! 

Body and feet still sore. Day two was a success! 

Tui to O Porrino 18km

Today was Brian’s first official day on the Camino so set off from his hostel after saying goodbye to Robin and Dave.

The weather was a little cooler today and the walk wound its way through old streets and beautiful forests. We opted to avoid an industrial area which added about 1km to our day. We came across the local police on our way encouraging safe travel and providing stamps for our Camino credential. 

We arrived in O Porrino before check in time so grabbed a bite to eat on the way to our hostel. We met Krum from Bulgaria and his awesome son Alex, who is only 11, who are riding to SDC.  Krum wrote a book about circumnavigating Iceland by bike in 14 days. Unfortunately, it’s not in English but for anyone who can read Bulgarian, I’m sure it’s a great read!

All in all, a successful day on the Camino! 

Rest day in Tui

A great rest day in Tui yesterday. I managed to do some much needed admin, washing, and finally caught up with bestie Brian and his mates, Robin and Dave. We had planned to catch up later in the day however,  it turned out to be an impromptu catch up as I was having a cup of coffee in the pilgrim’s cafe and chatting to Alison who I’d met a few days earlier on my walk. When three lovely people walked in to the cafe, I recognised Brian immediately and I was so glad to see him after all the planning to make it to this point.

We spent the afternoon together and walked to the bridge so Brian could have a photo with one foot in Portugal and one in Spain. It wasn’t the most intelligent thing to do given the heat of the day. We managed to visit the cathedral despite Mr Grumpy unwillingly selling access tickets for 3 euro. It was worth the angst to be able to visit such a beautiful cathedral. 

We had dinner together at the lovely restaurant overlooking the cathedral where I’d eaten the night before. It was goodbye to Robin and Dave and ‘off we go’ for Brian and I! 

Vila Nova de Cerveira to Tui 20km

Another beautiful sunny day for my walk from Portugal into Spain. I feel so grateful for this weather even though it can be a bit hot at times. 

I stayed at the Pilgrims Rest, a little way out of town but so beautiful. Owned and run by a young lady called Laura who also cooks a great vegetarian rice dish! There is a full kitchen for use, you can do your washing and there are plenty of places to relax in the garden and on the patio. 

I had a walk through the town and grabbed a bite to eat not knowing when I’d eat next. Food has been an issue particularly finding gluten free food. There were markets on and the town was very busy. 

I wasn’t sure how my foot would hold up for my walk so decided to head off and just work it out as I went. A lady staying at the same place gave me some of her bandaids in the hope it might help my blister. At the first sight of cobblestones, I decided to make ,y own route and walked through small villages and farmland instead of the original way. I eventually joined up with the offical route so it wasn’t a problem. I have a pretty good sense of direction and am used to navigating on my bike tours so it’s something I worry about. I was alone all day and mostly isolated but that’s okay. 

I was routed through the old fortified town of Valenca which was bustling with activity and lots of cobblestones. It was very beautiful so I hope to go back today on my rest day. The border is the river between Portugal and Spain so I crossed countries today. I think there is a petite train that goes back to Valenca from Tui! It might save my feet as the walk to my accommodation was brutal. It is basic for what if cost but it will have to do. Unfortunately, not many facilities to use like a kitchen etc. The old town and cathedral look amazing so I’ll visit those today as well.