Valença/Tui to O Porriño: Not quite as planned

I emerged from my hotel at 5.50am (WEST) to meet my pre-booked Uber. After 10 mins, the app wasn’t giving any confidence that a driver was actually on their way and so I cancelled, girded my loins and flip flopped back across Valença towards Spain.

When I arrived at the albergue front door at 7.30am (CEST), someone was fortunately coming out for a smoke and so I was able to regain access.

Once ready to leave at about 8, I stepped back outside knowing I needed to get cracking to have a chance of a bed at the Xunta albergue at O Porriño.

Today’s leg involved 2 alternative routes. The traditional route passes a large industrial estate along a busy road to the edge of O Porriño, whereas the recommended alternative route was slightly longer but mostly follows a river through countryside to O Porriño.

I had intended to take the latter path, and everyone I’d spoken to was planning on the same.

However, with the extra 6+km in flip flops last night and this morning, which gave me my first blister of this trip, I decided to flip the 6 km or so to the hotel in Valença and back again with part of today’s walk.

I therefore walked part of the way on the traditional route towards the industrial estate, in order to the get an uber 7km forwards to the edge of O Porriño (and thus avoiding the worst of this route). This also had the advantage of catching up some time and so I was in the queue outside the Xunta albergue in good time to get a bed.

As I arrived in O Porriño, it was clear something was afoot as there were loads of locals thronging the streets. It turns out that today (Sunday) is the highlight of a huge festival called “Festas do Cristo” (“Festivals of Christ”) with at least 3 stages constructed or being constructed during the afternoon.

I whiled away most of the queuing time with some South African friends who are big rugby fans, and who were watching the Australia v South Africa match. Probably safest not to mention the outcome!

After the usual ablutions and unpacking, I headed into the town centre to see what was happening.

As I rested in one bar, it was fascinating to watch some of the festival crew position and then assemble one of the stages from the back of an articulated lorry.

As well as performances from the stages (which in the afternoon seemed mostly to be a children’s show), several bands were wandering around playing as they went.

I managed to miss some traditional Galego (Galician) music whilst I was having dinner and then, perhaps especially watchful of the time, I made sure I was securely inside the albergue well before the 10pm witching hour.

10pm was also the start of the main headline concert, on a stage just at the top of the road from the albergue. We didn’t need to leave the albergue to listen… until 2.30am when the music finally stopped.Read more