Camiño Portugues Day 8: Tui - O Porriño

Welcome to sunny Spain! - Er, sorry, make that welcome to rainy Galicia!

Every pilgrimage must include at least one day of walking in the rain, and we had ours today. 18 kilometres, from Tui to O Porriño. Only half of what is probably the longest of the standard stages between Porto and Santiago, Tui - Redondela, 32 km (by the book - the stages always seem to work out longer than they're supposed to be!) 

We set out, wrapped up in our waterproof gear, in a gentle drizzle, which soon turned into a steady downpour. But as I learned last year in Scotland, it is possible to walk in the rain, and as I realised in France in May, it can even be quite exhilarating - for a while. And as long as you don't stop walking, and start to feel the chill of the wind through your damp clothes...

The path took us into an enchanted forest of eucalyptus trees and ferns, along a stream and over ancient stone bridges, amongst pilgrims with rain ponchos over their backpacks, looking like so many hunchbacked forest gnomes!

We stopped only for coffee, at a bar in Ribadelouro packed with dripping pilgrims in colourful raingear. We have now joined the Camino Central route and there are more pilgrims along the way. 

From the bar we booked beds in the next town and bravely set off again in the rain. After only 18 km - which is, however, a long way to walk in the rain - we were happy to find the Senda Sur hostel open, with hot showers, a hot chocolate machine, and a clothes dryer!

While our clothes were drying I ventured out as far as the nearest supermarket to buy some soup to heat in the microwave for our lunch. We strung up a clothesline between the bunks in our already narrow sleeping space and took an afternoon nap before venturing out into the town, where preparations were underway for some nocturnal festivities. Stands were being set up to sell sweets and toys, while sound technicians prepared two stages and festive lights were strung up over the streets. However, we focused on getting a new pair of sandals for Annette and eating dinner as early as is possible in Spain, which is about 8:30 pm, and then retired to our hostel at pilgrim bedtime, missing out on all the festivities!

We need to save our energy to walk the last hundred kilometres into Santiago!