|
Porrino to Arcade. Spain.
|
April 13th, 2017
Last night I went back to the plaza in Tui, where I was staying another night and where I had met Maria & Yoda, and hung out watching kids as small as 2 play football on the wide footpath, while Mum & Dad and often friends & family would have tapas and drink and socialise. They would take turns looking after the little ones regardless of who they belonged to. Magic.
- The plaza in Tui with kids playing football and extended families greeting each other. Magic.
I spoke with a retired couple from California who asked if NZ was like this. When I answered ”No” he said “Yes. It’s sad isn’t it. This is the way I grew up but it’s not like that anymore.”
Having tapas at a restaurante, I had a lovely video call with my daughter Bridget, who is now very keen to do the Camino. Dinner was salada, with more Galician Vino Tinto, cheese and Bullock ham. At least I think he said Bullock. If it was the alternative they breed them big in Spain. Was definitely quite salty so who knows.
Anyway, leaving Tui in the taxi to be taken to Porrino at 9AM, I hit ‘the way’ in the middle of town and started my walking day.
Thankfully it didn’t take long before I hit the country as Porrino is a horrible little place. It wasn’t a day full of landscapes and vistas and the tracks were pretty enough but the villages were quite new and there was nothing really different about most of the day.
There was a hill out of Porrino called Rua dos Cabaleiros or Road of the Knights which takes you up Monte Cornedo at 235m. This was a long slog followed by a very steep descent into Redondela. My knees, hips and calves started making their feelings known about halfway down the hill, and by the time I had got into Redondela my old friend the blister had puffed up again. Grrr…
After an excellent Spanish batata salada (potato salad) and a bit of doctoring, I set off again to climb another hill at 153m called alto da Lomba. With my body and mind starting to whinge, I turned on some Country Gold to make me focus on something else, which worked, as it took me into my stop for the night – Arcade.
- The bridge leading out of Arcade
The good news about this town is that it is by the sea, which is the first time I have seen it since leaving Porto. The accommodation standard has been steadily slipping since Porto and the hotel tonight is a way out of town and strictly one star. Fine if you are paying 20E a night but I’m not, I am paying on average a lot more than that. Still there is a nice view out the window.
- My first glimpse of the sea since leaving Porto
I will have a look around later, but Arcade looks pleasant enough.
Unfortunately I am now a town or day behind the group I was travelling with, due to stopping in Tui for two nights, so I am sharing the road with a new group of people.
MLC THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: C’mon body don’t let me down we want to do this
STEPS: 33,860 or 27.5 kms
WEIGHT: Definitely looking good for that sculpture
BODY STATE: 4/10
WILLERTONS WORLD 