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O Porriño

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    • TravelerCamino Portugues
      1
      Day 7

      Casa Alternativo to O Corisco

      July 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

      After a good night’s sleep, we had toast, jam, orange juice, and coffee at 7:30 am. We hit the road, following the yellow arrows through an industrial area. Many advised a detour through an unmarked woodland. We chose instead the traditional way with flat pavement and a steady pace to test our stamina. It was a good decision. We made it past our daily goal! 12.1 miles at a pace of 2.5. Our feet and bodies are healing and not too achy.
      We stopped for a 1 1/2 hour lunch with Sean from Montreal. He has done 4 caminos, so I asked him to tell us a bit about each one. From a youthful excursion to mourning the death of his mother, we got to know this joyful young man. He was I inspiring. Since his pace was vigorous, we bid him buen csmino, see you in Santiago!
      Now we are in Saxamonde, Spain. We paid $15 Euros each for a bunk bed and a fantastic hot shower; we may be the only ones in this 15 bed establishment! Our host is doing our laundry (8 Euros) and we have had two beers each (2 Euros each?) It seems our host owns the albergue, the cafe/bar and a laundromat.! What a great way to live in a beautiful small town in Spain!
      I am hoping for a church service tomorrow, Sunday, July 3, if we can organize our walking to arrive in a town at noon.
      We have settled into a routine. Charles sets the pace; we stop regularly to check our feet or stretch. We have again replanned our next few days. Santiago is within reach!      Read more

    • TravelerCamino portuguese
      Day 5–6

      Walked to Porrino

      October 27, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

      This place is nowhere near as picturesque as last night. Most pilgrims bypass this Albergue, but my legs are sore. 🫤
      Went to vigo, for a look, after my walk. €1.50 for a 15-mile bus ride! Transport and cafe culture are super cheap here.Read more

    • TravelerCamino de Santiago
      Day 17

      A day - Day 13

      April 20 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      Woke Up: Casa Alternativo
      Destination: O Porrino

      As promised we were woke at 7, but not with any music, dramatic opera. It was as if we were preparing for war.

      I guess in someways we are. Either we are body or mind, or in my case both.

      Breakfast was by sunrise outside, lit by candles. Big fan of breakfasts by candlelight. Enables a slower mindset for the day.

      I couldn’t eat the breakfast - was bread! But I had decided on a late one when I got to O Porrino.

      With my arrival times lately being at least 90 minutes over the eta. I decided on getting just to o porrino today, with the intention of getting to Redondela tomorrow. A classic stage.

      However leaving at 8am, I underestimated how long it would take me to get to the city. Meaning I got to the town at 10:30.

      And I’ve booked my accommodation so there’s no going on. But it’s okay. I could do with an afternoon of nothing - including sightseeing.

      And there’s not much to do here! And I could do with doing some washing - repacking etc.

      Did feel the loneliness again, setting off. I was the second to leave. The two Brazillian gentleman left first. Then me, then 4 germans and 1 Dutch who met on the Camino’s and are now walking together left after me.

      I thought I’d made a good pace despite the first steep climb back to the riverside Camino. - And I bumped into a Spanish gentleman walking to Fatima still with a head torch on who wanted me to take a picture for him - But they’d caught me up within the first 45 minutes, but they had brought Otto the dog from the albergue for a walk to O Porrino. So I walked with them for a while, but it was clear I couldn’t match their pace so I slunk to the back.

      It felt a bit crappy for a while. But I remembered I belong to the Camino, right now, not people. And of course the lessons I’ve been telling myself for years now, that it’s only my pace that matters and the fact I’m still going.

      Yes I miss my original Camino family. But I also needed the challenge of no one. Just me and my actual brain. And body. And I’ve got it!

      I knew it was going to be tough so I don’t know when I am surprised exactly.

      But as I’m having all these thoughts coming into O Porrino, Louisa calls me, checking in. She’s up ahead in Pontevedra, and who has also broken away from the group she was walking with.

      I find a brunch spot! And wait there till the albergue opens. I want to get there early to bag the bottom bunk, not a fan of the top ones.

      I do. And I manage to get the first laundry too which I share with the next Pilgrim, Victoria 🇩🇪. We exchange feet horror stories and take care of our feet. Hang our clothes, eat trail mix before heading out for some food. We headed only towards a lil tiny kebab place, nearby. But I felt lightheaded and shakey as soon as I got there. Possibly low blood pressure, possible just tired. But it made me mild panic - so I took my food to go.

      Although so close to the end now, I’m more dubious of my food. And my appetite is lower, when worrying if it’s okay to eat. Never had an issue before, but then I’ve never had to keep my body right for multiple days hiking on the trot.

      Grainne 🇮🇪 messages me to say that she got super ill between Caldas de Reis and Padron. And that she needed a doctor to come to the hotel, to inject her to stop her vomiting! She doesn’t know what caused it but told me to be weary of that stretch, to keep out of the sun etc. and careful of what I’m eating/drinking. She’s also not going to make the final day to Santiago now, she will take a bus. This knowledge. - I think - gives me psychosomatic symptoms of illness.

      Anyways, I feel a little better back at the hostel. And aiming for an early night.

      So today is just a day.

      PS: Lora cut her Camino short due to an illness, and flies home today.

      Body check - as per usual
      Highlights/Small things:
      O Call from Louisa
      O Finding the immediate steep hill much better than i thought
      O walking with Otto for a lil while - dog      Read more

    • TravelerCaminho Português
      Day 6

      Beat it!

      July 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      In der Nacht um etwa 3 Uhr ging der Tag eigentlich schon an. Ein Paar fand es wohl toll, im Schlafraum mit ca. 10 Pilgern etwa zu spielen
      Die Taschenlampe, die sie dabei benutzten, schien direkt in mein Gesicht. Ich würde also wach und hat, die Taschenlampe woanders hin zu halten. Traurig, dass es Menschen gibt, denen man solche einfachen Regeln erklären muss - aber auf der anderen Seite muss ich vermuten, dass sie es einfach nicht besser wussten. Ich ärgerte mich dennoch darüber und freute mich, als Marek um ca. 5:30 Uhr zu schnarchen anfing. Er lag direkt neben den beiden und sie waren mittlerweile eingeschlafen.

      Der restliche Tag war frischer. Die Sonne schien nicht durch die Wolken, die an Vormittag durchs Land zögern und erst leichte Gewitter, später dann leichten Regen mitbrachten. Ich passierte die Landesgrenze zu Spanien und ließ zunächst Jan in Tui zurück, später lief Marek schneller als ich und ich sah ihn nicht mehr.

      Ich schaffte 40 Kilometer bis nach O Porriño und hätte noch einen schönen Abend bei Festlichkeiten in der Stadt. Ab hier muss man Herbergen buchen!

      Sorry, too tired for English translation      Read more

      See translation
    • El Camino
      Day 28

      Day 25/14 Tui to O Porriño

      May 28, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

      A short and relatively flat walk today started out at 7:30 a.m. and covered just 15.74 kms.

      The temperature was about 15 C when we started out and felt quite cool as we walked through the early forested parts of the trail. But by the time we arrived at our destination at noon, the sun was blazing and we were glad to be done for the day.

      The walk itself was uneventful, except for when we wandered across a duo of pipers in the middle of a wooded section, happily playing for the pilgrims that passed them by.

      Even though we arrived just around noon, we were able to check in and shower right away and then took advantage of our early arrival to enjoy a very good paella in a pastry shop.

      In Spain, pretty much everything shuts down between 1:30 and 4:30, so after lunch we went back to our rooms for a little siesta.

      Because the forecast is for heavy rain for most of next week, as soon as the stores reopened, we went shopping for rain ponchos. The Caminho looked after us once again as we snatched up the last three available.

      The rest of the afternoon was spent sipping sangria and beer on a patio while we people watched.

      Ernie and I later caught the first half of the Real Madrid vs Liverpool football game before calling it a night. We would have loved to watch the whole game, but the Caminho calls early every morning.

      Tomorrow we'll finish our walk well within 100 kms of our destunation in Santiago. We're all going to be a little sad to see the journey come to an end.      Read more

    • TravelerCamino de Santiago
      Day 10

      Goodbye Portugal, Hello Spain!

      October 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

      Walked across the bridge that connects Portugal to Spain, had my feet washed and treated by an Italian priest😳 walked through an old citadel city, and had a very simple conversation in Spanish that ended in free dessert 🍮😋 I will miss you Portugal 🇵🇹 I’m ready for you Spain 🇪🇸Read more

    • TravelerCamino Portuguese
      Day 5

      Porriño!

      March 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

      It’s Saturday, apparantly. The residents of Tui have many fine attributes, but early-rising is not one of them. I and a handful of other peregrinos pounded the streets at 0730 in search of coffee without success. On returning to collect my bag El patron had surfaced in an unexpectedly flamboyant pair of pyjamas and got a brew on.

      I did notice that all the café tables and chairs are left out, clean and tidy, overnight. In the UK if they weren’t chained down securely they wouldn’t survive the first night. Says something nice about the youth of Tui.

      Despite being glorious in the sunshine it’s absolutely baltic in the shade. Nonetheless; I’m setting off in shorts to O Porriño. My second-best knee (currently the right one) is grumbling a little, so I’ll take it nice and slow. I’ve already filled two pages of a credencial basically standing still.

      I’ve enjoyed Tui. It would be a shame to regard it as somewhere to simply start from. Also my limited time in Portugal. I would like to have communicated better in Portuguese; but since attaining some competence in Spanish, my French has deteriorated and I don’t think I’ve got the right brain for more than two languages simultaneously.

      So; let’s see what we can find.

      The first half of the walk’s nice and rural. Three tiny arched bridges paved with huge granite blocks; the first is Roman and the second (being refurbished) (photo) the Ponte de Fiebre where San Telmo came to grief, returning to Tui to die where he is buried and is the town’s patron saint.

      Casa Alternativo (should be -a; perhaps that’s a Belgian joke) is to be found just after the ‘decision point’ between the old and new routes. Even if you’re taking the new scenic route it’s still worth a visit. There’s a short-cut through the woods to the new route; so it doesn’t add any distance. Operated by Dries from Belgium, accompanied by Otto the dog. 10 beds, nice guy, good food. Best bread I’ve had in a while. I think the upcoming area has a reputation for flour milling?

      I generally don’t mind the industrial outskirts of towns; in fact I find them quite interesting, but taking the direct route into Porriño on a Saturday was not the best choice. It goes on forever. There is an unmarked cafe next to the fire-station on the long drag, but only Monday to Friday. I got a coffee out of the fire brigade though.

      There are plans to further expand the already massive industrial estate, which the locals are rightly up in arms about. (Not particularly interesting photo)

      On the last stretch into town - a strange mixture of housing and commerce - the ‘100km to Santiago’ plot is vacant and advertised as such

      I’m not overwhelmed by Porriño. I’m in the Hotel Parque, largely because the attached café is open early tomorrow and as it’s a Sunday I’m not taking any chances with breakfast.

      The receptionists an imbecile; a sure sign of a family business. ‘What are we going to do with the youngest; he’s too thick to get a job anywhere else?’ ‘Oh, just put him on reception, he’ll not do any harm there’. Well .. (not on the Camino Forum now folks - even though most moderators past and present are along for the ride; it’s a free press here)

      According to the security software I run the miserably slow wifi was put in by North Korean intelligence and there’s a children’s ride outside my balcony playing ‘never do a tango with an Eskimo’ at full volume, out of tune, on a loop.

      On the upside, the room’s clean and there’s a bath.

      Sun’s out. It’s unseasonably warm which is lovely, although there’s rain forecast in a few days.

      Mustn’t grumble, all in all it’s going rather well.

      (Clarification re: receptionist. Having been here a few hours, many of the middle-aged blokes look very (really very) similar; speak gallego as a first language, and have a severe nasal impairment. They also shout a lot. They clearly understand each other. My Spanish is functionally fluent and I’m back to hand-signals)

      I’ve added a photo of the view from my balcony of the musically-enhanced entertainment. Whilst I’m usually even-tempered, and I do see the need for children (someone’s going to have to pay the pension one day); I’m rapidly siding with Herod on the matter of innocents.      Read more

    • TravelerBUEN CAMINO 2023
      1
      Day 25

      Etappe 23

      June 1, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      Hoi zämä, da bin ich wieder...
      Der Umstand, dass in Portugal die Normalzeit aktuell ist, in Spanien, wo wir uns jetzt aufhalten, die Uhren aber auf Sommerzeit umgestellt wurden, bescherte uns ungewollt eine Stunde mehr Schlaf. So zogen wir heute, mehr oder weniger ausgeschlafen, los ins nächste Cafe. Denn so ganz ohne Frühstück macht das Laufen viel weniger Spass!
      Schon bald, als wir die interessante Stadt Tui verliessen, führte uns der Pilgerweg durch einen traumhaft schönen Wald! Endlich keine Pflastersteine mehr.... endlich ganz schlichte Waldwege! Plötzlich hörten wir in der Nähe Musik! Roland meinte, dass die Töne ev. von einem Dudelsack stammen könnten. Und tatsächlich, je näher wir kamen um so deutlicher vernahmen wir diese, eigentlich schottischen Klänge! Da stand doch tatsächlich mitten im Gehölz ein Waldmusikant. Er hatte im Arm eine Sackpfeife und dudelte zur Freude der Wanderer und gegen eine kleine Gabe munter vor sich hin! Uns erstaunte und gefiel dieser Anblick!
      Auch am Nachmittag konnten wir durch wunderschöne, schattige Wälder und an Bächen entlang laufen.  Das kam uns sehr entgegen, denn nur unter der prallen Sonne, die uns heute auch zur Verfügung stand, hätten wir wohl vorzeitig schlapp gemacht!
      Nun...die heutige Tour fiel ohnehin, da Roland über Bauchschmerzen und Durchfall klagte, etwas kürzer aus. Wahrscheinlich liegt die Ursache der Beschwerden im Wasser. Dieses hat hier nämlich nicht gerade den besten Ruf!
      Die heutige Herberge ist wieder einmal sehr speziell! Also eigentlich ganz normal...nur das Personal ist etwas aussergewöhnlich. Nachtessen gibt es, so wurde es uns mitgeteilt, um 20:00 Uhr. Da das ja nicht besonderes früh ist, sassen nicht wenige Pilger, sehr pünktlich am Tisch und warteten darauf, dass ihnen zumindest  einmal die Speisekarte gereicht wird. Bevor dies aber geschah, wurde uns mitgeteilt, dass der Koch erst in einer 1/4 Stunde auftaucht. BRAVO...das kann ja noch dauern! Und so war es dann auch....es dauerte. Nun, irgendwann konnten wir unser Menue bestellen.... und dann wurde gerüstet, gebraten, frittiert und gekocht! Soweit gut, so gut.... Allerdings, während der Bestellung bekam ich einen unkontrollierten Lachanfall, denn die Bedienung hatte Schluckauf. Und zwar so, dass sie "ständig und grad wieder" sehr laut higgsgä musste. Das war so absurd auch weil es ihr völlig egal war! Als sie die Bestellung wiederholte tönte das in etwa so: Ein "higgs" Bier, Menü higgs 2, higgs, ohne Sal "higgs"at usw...Das war zum sich weglachen! Übrigens.... sie hat ihr eigenes Menü, während wir assen, ganz legere hinter dem Thresen auch verputzt!
      So...für heute soll es das wieder sein....
      Hebeds und macheds guet!      Read more

      See translation
    • TravelerCamino de Santiago
      Day 16

      Meltdown - Day 13

      April 19 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Woke up: Hostel Bulwark, Valenca
      Destination: Os Eidos

      I woke up at 7:30 and everyone had left!!

      I felt mega late. It took me a while to repack in the morning but I made my way out with the intention of eating breakfast on the way and exploring a little more of Valenca and Tui on the way .

      Which I did. Coffee and pasta de natal at the restaurant last night, where I got a stamp! Almost left my pole again!

      Visited the Knights Templar Church that Anna told me about. And stood in the corner while tourists came in and out. I just soaked in the space. It did feel different and after a while I did get emotional. That place IS special.

      Opposite was quirky antiques store, with a lovely lil chap, who gave me prices lower than whatever it was priced which was somewhat refreshing. We then had a conversation outside about the church and the Camino. He told me his best chance now is to drive it, but they frown on that.

      The way out of the fort was something special. It was giving Lord of the Rings vibes. And I loved it.

      Got a lil lost on the way out. And ended up on a battlement again, but soon figured it out.

      Got accosted by an American man asking if there was anything up there, and I think I replied with ‘yeah, everything, once in a lifetime thing’ and he and his companions had so many questions about the Camino.

      After living and breathing the Camino for so many days. You forget that some people just don’t know anything about it. They asked my name, thanked me and off I popped to the bridge to officially walk into Spain.

      Don’t remember the exact time as I was bricking it! The footpath bridge was again, long and felt like it was fixed with sellotape. So concentrated on breathing until I reached the otherside.

      I got a glimpse of Tui castle/Catherdral and hoped the Camino would take me passed. Despite it being on a hill. And it did! And the hill was easier than I thought - whether my body is stronger or hills are more gradual - it wasn’t too much of a slog. And unfortunately it wasn’t open. But my word is it impressive?!

      I had a lil chat with a man who took my photo at the doors which I super appreciated. And I also took a photo of three German friends who took a photo of me.

      I then wished to find a lil cafe for lunch on the way out of Tui. But apparently there was none. But there was a lovely stretch of old churches and woodland river walks with clearly old Roman structures still in place.

      But I did need to stop at some point and cafes that Google said were there weren’t. So when I came to the main road crossing I walked 100 metres or so back to a lil roadway cafe. That was NOT a friendly experience. So I just downed a juice and got a water to go! Quickly.

      After this the road stretch was long and seemingly never ending! And that’s when my mental power was properly first challenged. The sun, the heat, my brain. My legs. All got too much and of course I start beating myself up, knowing that actually I’m doing such comparatively shorter distances now.

      But at least the last section was mostly woodland and with a Roman bridge!

      And finally to Casa Alternativo. Last one here means I’m on the top bunk for the first time. But everyone was a lot more welcoming. Again, the majority Germans.

      Pilgrim dinner was amazing. I had a rice and fish fished cooked especially for me. Played with the dogs, dipped my feet in the cold pool. And after food Julia, came to visit me with her aunt from Vigo. She had asked if I needed anything. I said cotton wool and maybe cough sweets. She seemingly bought a whole pharmacy, bless her. But it was soooo good to see her and her love for the Camino was evident. I know she got emotional when I was talking about my experiences. And her aunt informed the conversations with her knowledge from living in Santiago.

      Oh and I also realised for the whole of today. I’m still on Portugal time. So weird for it now to be light at 9pm in a day.

      But sleep is needed as tomorrow apparently we’re getting woken up by music…

      That’s new.

      Body check: arm / back pack bruises make me look a bit drug addict-y.

      Little things / highlights;
      O strangers doing their best to take photos of you (Lorenzo / Catherdral man)
      O motivational signs when you need them
      O friendly welcome signs when you need them
      O pilgrims putting their mobile lights on so you can reach your top bunk
      O friends that bring you supplies in the middle of no where      Read more

    • TravelerCamino Portugues 2022
      1
      Day 13

      Tui - Os Eidos

      June 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      Am Morgen hieß es zuerst noch den Rucksack-Transport zu organisieren, da sich unser Rucksack-Transporteur aus für uns unverständlichen Gründen ausserstand erklärt hatte, unsere Rucksäcke zu transportieren, da an der Zieldestination keine Rezeption vorhanden wäre. Aus diesem Grund besprachen wir die Angelegenheit mit unserem Vermieter, der sich bereit erklärte, das Ganze an die Hand zu nehmen, zum gleichen Preis wie der Rucksack-Transporteur. So gingen wir auf den Deal ein und begaben uns in ein nahe gelegenes Café. um uns für den Tag zu stärken. Für den heutigen Tag hatten wir eine kleinere Etappe von rund 10 km vorgesehen, da wir eine Herberge mit Namen Casa Alternativo, ausgesucht hatten, die in den Führern als besonders originell empfohlen wurde. Unser Pilgerweg führte durch außerordentlich schöne Landschaften. Schließlich gelangten wir nach einem kleineren Aufstieg zu der Casa Alternativo, wo Dries, ein belgischer Aussteiger, sich vor wenigen Jahren eine Lebensgrundlage aufgebaut hatte.
      Kurz vor der Coronakrise hatte er sich das Haus gekauft und wurde durch die Epidemie finanziell in extreme Bedrängnis gebracht. Mit diversen Jobs in umliegenden Fabriken konnte sich einigermaßen über Wasser halten. Umso erfreuter war er, dass er in diesem Frühjahr wieder eröffnen konnte. Seine Pension wird seither rege besucht. Kathy, unsere Reisebegleiterin, war schon eine rechte Weile vor uns in der Herberge eingetroffen und hatte es sich auf ihrem Bett gemütlich gemacht. Sie trug eine Schlafbrille und schien nicht so guter Laune zu sein, denn sie hatte Zoff mit dem Herbergsvater. Dieser hatte uns zugesagt, wir seien zu dritt in einem 4-er-Zimmer, und das würde so bleiben. Offenbar hatte er aber eine Buchung vergessen, und so schleuste er uns noch ein deutsches Mädel ins Zimmer ein. Sein Haus ist ungefähr für neun Personen gedacht. Dafür hat er aber nur eine Nasszelle, was zur Folge hatte, dass alle die Dusche, das WC und ein Lavabo miteinander teilen mussten. Das bedeutete natürlich, dass es eine Zirkelei gab für all die Bedürfnisse zu den verschiedenen (Stoss-)Zeiten.
      Gegen 19 Uhr wurde draussen an einem großen runden Tisch unter einem Sonnenschirm bei untergehender Sonne ein Apéro und anschließend ein italienisches Spaghetti-Gericht mit Peperoni serviert, welches recht gut schmeckte. Zusätzlich wurde auch Wasser und Wein ausgeschenkt.
      Hin und wieder kam der Doggy von Dries bei den einzelnen Pilgern vorbei und versuchte ein Stück Fressi zu erhaschen. was ihm aber leider nicht gewährt wurde. Der Hund ist ein Strassenhund, den Dries vor ungefähr einem Jahr aufgelesen hat. Es ist ein Staffordshire-Terrier, also ein zünftiger Kampfhund, der aber inzwischen lammfromm ist und ständig seinem Herrchen hinterherläuft. Dries musste allerdings ein Jahr intensiv mit ihm arbeiten, bis er ihn auf Kurs hatte. Dries ist ein Selfmade-Man, der eigentlich alles ausser den Mauern und dem Dach selber gezimmert hat. Die Betten sind aus dicken Holzteilen zusammengesetzt, die aus Abfällen einer nahe gelegenen Fabrik stammen. Nachdem die Sonne untergegangen war, sassen wir noch gemütlich im Garten zusammen und genossen die schöne Stimmung. Kurz vor Mitternacht gingen wir ins Bett.
      Just um 7 Uhr in der Früh wurden wir durch einen lautstarken musikalischen Wecker von Dries aufgeweckt. Diese Weckmethode hatte natürlich einen entscheidenden kleinen Nachteil, nämlich, dass alle in etwa zur gleichen Zeit das Bedürfnis hatten die Toilette und die Duschen aufzusuchen. Zum Glück waren die zwei Italiener schon sehr früh aufgebrochen. Das Frühstück in der kühlen Morgenfrische war sehr angenehm und recht vielseitig. Auch die Eier der ansässigen Hühner schmeckten uns sehr, doch dann war es bald wieder Zeit, die Wanderstöcke zu ergreifen und weiter zu wandern. Unser Tagesziel war Saxamonde kurz vor Redondela.      Read more

      See translation

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    O Porriño, O Porrino, بورينيو, Porriño, ا پرینیو, オ・ポリーニョ, Порриньо, О-Порріньйо, 奥波里尼奥

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