Day 11- Tui to O Porriño

Up a hill, down a hill… ups and downs seem to dictate our walking experience at the moment as the path follows the rolling hill terrain of Galicia. Based on our reading, this will continue as we near Santiago. We’re having a bit of a problem with the loss of an hour in the time change crossing into Spain. Since we’re in the extreme western part of Spain, the sun doesn’t rise till 0730 and it sets at 2130. The late sunset is great, but it’s really dark in the mornings at 0630 when we’re getting ready to hit the road. The answer we found is to dawdle a little longer in the morning. Easy enough for us slow travelers.

We walked along city streets for a mile or two and then encountered five ancient crosses which marked the route out of the town as we departed Tui.

Barely out of Tui, the Camino changed from city cobblestones to a lovely forest path. We soon came across Arian, whom we nicknamed ‘banana man’. He was a pleasant young fellow sitting on a crate on the side of the path. He had a big smile, a credencial stamp and a crate full of bananas for pilgrims. You could leave a Euro or a few cents if you wished, or if not, he still offered a banana, a stamp and a Buen Camino.

As we progressed along the path, deeper into the forest, we were walking on the Via Romana once again and crossed yet another ancient Roman bridge.

In the distance, we could hear the strains of a bagpipe. Considering our location, we tried to convince ourselves this was probably not the case, but the closer we got, the more assured we were that we weren’t hearing things. There on the path stood a kilt-less bagpiper, piping away. He, too, had a stamp for our pilgrim passports and a bowl for donations. He never stopped piping long enough to chat with us. We stamped, donated and went on our way.

As we exited the forest, we were greeted with a wonderful mural entitled ‘El Viejo Peregrino’ (The Old Pilgrim). This 2-meter high (6.5’) oil mural in Orbenlle was painted by Xai Oscar, a local artist, as a gift to pilgrims. Obrigada!

We departed the forest paths, walked on the roadside for awhile and came to a decision-making point… two alternative routes were available. We could take the scenic route which was 2 km longer or take a shorter route.

We hadn’t done our homework the night before. We also hadn’t slept well the night before and, being tired, we chose the shorter route. A definite mistake. John Brierley, author of several books on different Camino routes, called this route “a soulless slog through the industrial estate”. He wasn’t wrong. It was pretty bleak.

This was, indeed, a trudge and a slog with semis screaming past and industrial smells and noises all around us. Enormous factories belching out smoke and soot as we tromped along narrow sidewalks avoiding trucks entering and exiting factory lots. We decided Brierley was overly complimentary in his description. The only redeeming factor beyond the fact we saved 2 kms? The Biscuits Galicia factory was baking cookies and the aroma was heavenly. Wish I could do a smell byte for you.

We climbed up steep stairs and ramps to cross a bridge over the railroad tracks and finally entered O Porriño. What a relief! Next time, we take the scenic route!

Signs of city life and a sign welcoming pilgrims to O Porriño were welcome sights.

O Porriño’s Town Hall was designed by Antonio Palacios, a renowned Spanish architect who hailed from the city. It’s pretty impressive. According to AI, “Built between 1919 and 1924, it is considered one of Galicia's most beautiful civic buildings, featuring a distinctive stone facade, an open porch layout, and a design influenced by both historical and regional styles.”

We had booked a private apartment for the night labeled as ‘On the Way’ and we weren’t quite sure about our choice until we walked in. It was downtown, just a block off the Camino, spacious, modern and lovely. Hallelujah!

We’re getting closer and closer to Santiago and the pilgrim traffic is increasing. We’re heading to Rondondela next. No blisters yet and the weather still looks good. Are you still up for the walk?