Stage 18. Rubiaes to Tui - 23+kms, sunny and warm

It was another beautiful crisp and sunny early autumn morning today. We set out from our albergue in good spirits. We were tempted to take a ride down 'wild side', but contented ourselves instead with the delightful woodland path that we entered immediately upon leaving Rubiaes.

We soon came to a lovely little stream, complete with customary Roman bridge for the atmospheric pilgrim crossing,

We met up with Annemarie and Geoff for our breakfast cafe con leite, and then continued on our woodland way.

Again, we marvelled at the ethereal quality of the morning light and later, the warmth of the sunlight slanting through the cork trees.

And how's this for a set of steps up the wall??

There were a number of cobbled roads today, but they were softened by grass in between. Amazing how you can become attuned to the subtle differences in surfaces underfoot!

These weren't grassy, but smooth enough to be relatively easy on the soles!

This is a cairn left by pilgrims.

And it was clearly a day for signposts. As well as the one we passed first thing in the morning, these gave us our location in the world.

It was a fairly downhill run today, and before we knew it we were entering Valenca, our last Portugese town. Unfortunately the albergue there was closed, so we've had to cross the river to Tui - just over the Spanish border and three kilometres on.

These towns have a long history with each other, not all of it friendly.

That's Tui from the bridge/ border.

And that's Valenca from our albergue. Note the fortified walls which still enclose the old city.

Another shot from our albergue, which is a restored stone building just below the Cathedral.

And speaking of the cathedral ...

These winding city lanes are always enticing.

We're about to walk back to Valenca to have dinner with Geoff and Annemarie (just to add a few more kilometres to our day). This will be our last Portuguese meal. We have loved our time in Portugal and have really appreciated many simple pleasures in this special part of the world. It's also nice to reconnect with Spain, we just have to adjust to time and language differences!!

Bom caminho

Sarah and Neil 

Stage 17. Lugar do Corgo to Rubiaes - 33kms, sunny and hot

Last night's stay at Casa da Fernanda lived up to its reputation. Our hosts, Fernanda and Jacinto, were full of fun and incredibly generous. We enjoyed a lovely shared meal, and afterwards singing ensued during which we had the chance to sing our pilgrim song. Neil was called upon to play guitar for a few other community favourites - Sounds of Silence, Here Comes the Sun and, of course, a rousing version of Walzing Mathilda and did very well with some dodgy song sheets provided (along with liberal offers of port wine) by Jacinto. 

We were out on the road before dawn this morning in order to cover some kilometres and get to Ponte de Lima before it got too hot. 

Sliver moon, light'ning sky.

We tread softly past 

still dark fields. Day's forms loom.

As Annemarie said, there's something quite special about being on the road while the villages are asleep and the dawn gradually breaks over the landscape. We made good progress and saw again signs of an older agrarian life still being lived out.

This man led his little flock of sheep and new lambs past us up the road.

We passed tractors with older women in the back, dressed in black and going to the grape harvest. 

And as we crossed this stone bridge, saw this woman washing clothes in the river.

Ponte de Lima is a very beautiful town, with a spectacular avenue of plane trees at its entrance.

This wonderful avenue inspired a second haiku for the day:

Cathedral of plane trees

Arching to the light

Buttressing heav'n to earth

The whole stage today was filled with spectacular scenery. We've commented before that not everything on the Camino is beautiful or comfortable, and pilgrimage is about engaging everything that comes along - the whole of it. What we keep being reminded of is that our reaction to anything can help reveal us to ourselves and be a catalyst for insight or a deepened sense of things, so we are seeking to appreciate whatever comes on a stage. But some days it's easier to do that than others - and today was one of those easier days, despite a demanding climb, considerable mileage and heat. 

As we began to climb, we passed some beautiful streams and waterfalls.

And some very welcome cool springs and fonts. We've been surprised how much water gushes from these hillsides, given that it is late in the summer and we haven't had rain (thankfully!) for some time. Overall this northern part of Portugal seems richer and more fertile than the country we passed through earlier on our way.

Any shade was welcome today, including the lovely grape trellises that were wrought across some of the narrow lanes.

Once through the final village, we embarked on some serious climbing up steep forested paths.

Higher up in this pine forest, the trees were being tapped for their resin.

And everywhere in Portugal there are wayside crosses, even here.

Track winds up and up.

Toil in heat, rock to rock.

Top ... 'Bella vista!'

After such a toil, we were surprised to have caught up with many other pilgrims who had left from way ahead of us in the morning. Clearly, everyone enjoyed the rest at the top!

It's good to be relaxing in our municipal albergue at the end of the day - showered, clothes washed, and with time to sit and look out over beautiful green countryside. Tonight Geoff and Annemarie are at a little pension up the hill, and we'll all catch up tomorrow at the first cafe on the stage for breakfast. 

Bom caminho

Sarah and Neil