With no breakfast at Quinta das Leiras, we started earlier this morning, about 7:30. We like to start early, to hike a few kilometers, and then to stop at a nice café for coffee, pastry, and a rest. It’s amazing how a twenty-minute coffee stop can refresh you, can make ready to hike a few more miles. It looks grey and misty this morning, and rain is in the forecast, but things are dry as we begin.
Today we begin by crossing another Roman Bridge, but not a huge one like the Ponte de Lima. This one crosses what we would call a stream, in a small wood by a farmyard. Only folks who walk the Camino or intend to find it will ever see this one. Nevertheless, it is ancient and historical, part of the system of roads built by the Romans hundreds of years ago.
We walked right past a small, unassuming spot on the path – the first café. So we ended up walking almost three miles before our coffee break. At a busy café, we had fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee and a mouthwatering chocolate croissant, all for 8€. Life is good, and not very expensive, in Portugal.
With the sky clearing and the day warming, we removed our layers and enjoyed a beautiful walk. Our way frequently takes us over more Roman roads. In the late morning, as we followed the stones of another road into a lovely forest, we passed a lovely albergue / café. Sara was intrigued by the menu, so we stopped at this one, Quinta Estrada Romana, best translated as “house of/on the Roman Road.” Our hostess was a lovely young woman who offered Sara an herbal iced tea and a homemade apple cake, both delicious. The setting was lovely too, so we relaxed here for a while and thought what a great place they had for their albergue.
Iced Herb Tea Ingredients: Lemon verbina, rosemary, mint, oranges, lemons. Maybe a little cinnamon stick. Cook it some and add sugar.
Walking further on toward Valenca, we came into more populated but less interesting areas. It got downright boring as we ended up at a bus station on the city’s edge. Sara pulled out GPS to find the most efficient way toward the Fortress, the large walled old city sitting atop the hill overlooking the river. This is the north of Portugal, and across that river is Spain. Clearly this fortress had strategic importance. We lunched here and walked the Fortress, suitably impressed with its size and its great walls.
But it did seem somewhat odd to us. Although this was a city center within a great medieval fortress, it seemed more like a quaint shopping mall full of shops and restaurants. Why would people come here to buy sheets and blankets, shoes and fashion – and of course souvenirs?
Before leaving the Fortress, we went to the north point to look over the river, into Spain, and to Tui, the Spanish city just across the border. Then we crossed the bridge, leaving Portugal to enter Spain, and we adjusted our watches, since Spain is an hour later.
The afternoon threatened rain, so we were glad to find our accommodation, the Hostal Las Sigrinas, just a bloc or two from the lovely old town center atop the hill. After checking in, we set out to explore the town, found the cathedral, and an abundance of albergues and restaurants. We really enjoyed Tui.
Following the advice of our gracious hosts at Las Sigrinas, we waited for O Nova Cabala Furado to open up at 8pm. That may sound strange to Americans who haven’t traveled in Spain or Portugal, but here, it’s the norm. Restaurants often close midday, at 2:00 or 3:00, and don’t open again until 8:00. O Nova Cabala Furado was worth waiting for! While waiting, we met another American, Leon, a lone hiker from Lancaster, PA. We invited him to join us. We talked travel, drank wine, got to know each other and shared an amazing tapas dinner featuring seafood and beef. What a lovely evening.
Day #7: A Wet Day in Tui
We planned this rest day in Tui to coincide with the forecast of rain, and it did start out grey and wet. We slept late this morning due to (1) adjusting to a new time zone and (2) that late-night dinner. But the rain had more or less stopped by early afternoon, so we set out to find lunch. We enjoyed O Novo Cabala Furado so much that we decided to return, perhaps for their “menu de dia,” which turned out to include a very nice steak, and a leisurely meal.
But the rain returned while we ate and was pretty hard by the time we left the restaurant. We headed back to the hotel to rest and write. With our full meal at a late lunchtime, we didn’t need to eat again. A rainy day is a good day to stay in, so that’s what we did.
Sara worked on reservations for our future nights in Spain while Evan worked on recording our travels for the blog. And Evan called on his “Weather Gods” to provide a dry day tomorrow.
