Day 8 - 14 May - Vila Nova de Cerveira to Tui

As Paul McCartney and Wings famously sang:

Jet, I can almost remember their funny faces
That time you told them you were going to be marrying soon
And Jet, I thought the only lonely place was on the moon

Jet, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

We were downstairs, ready for breakfast, at eight o’clock. The german couple were already sat outside, tucking into their brekky. Two blokes. One of whom bore at least a passing resemblance to Baron Bomburst. Honestly. The other guy was definitely wearing more than a tee-shirt.

Maria Antonia - for she was mama - was almost killing us with kindness. Breads, ham, cheese, chorizo, jams, coffee………and chocolate cake. All of which was available to take as a packed lunch should we desire. The most hospitable and generous of hosts imaginable.

João Paulo - for he was the son - then walked us down to the river route to see us off. He studied as a football coach and knows Carlos Carvalhal who managed Sheffield Wednesday between 2015 and 2017.

We had opted to take the river route all the way to Valença, around ten miles in distance, because we knew it would be easy walking underfoot and we liked the idea of being able to look across the river to Spain. We stopped for coffee around six miles in and then continued on to the small but perfectly formed city where the old town is just stunning. We had covered the distance in pretty efficient time and needed refreshment so we parked up at Cafe Caravela for a couple of bottles of Estrella Galicia’s 1906 beer. We then strolled through the old town and out onto the bridge over the Minho river……and into Spain.

Our destination for the night was the Spanish city of Tui and the Albergue Convento Del Camino, a 1,000 year old, converted convent building, where we have four beds in a five bunk-bed dorm. It’s all very quirky and the beds are comfortable. Fingers crossed that Mrs C can keep a lid on the snoring.

That’s our accommodation!

We ventured out into the town centre and had a couple of beers at Cafe Central Official, near the cathedral, before hitting a little pizza place. Truth be told we were all pretty tired and were back at the albergue for not much after nine o’clock which was really only eight o’clock in real money so we must have been tired.

And finally, we have made two more friends which takes us up to a total of five now! Ted and Jet live in Canada although originally hail from Holland and The Philippines respectively. Jet is the owner of the coolest name on the Camino and the four of us have decided to sing doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo every time we hear her name. They are on their first Camino and started out yesterday in……….Valença. Yep, they made it all the way across the bridge but, to be fair, they were weighed down with a suitcase in addition to their rucksacks. They will arrange for the suitcase to be transported onwards from tomorrow which should see them get started proper. I hope we see them again, not just so we can keep saying Jet doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo every time we see them, but also because Jet doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo is as mad as a box of frogs and we like a bit of mad. The Dutch guy, as she refers to her hubby of thirty odd years, plays the perfect straight man in this double act.

We bumped into two of our other three friends tonight, Reece and Sabrina. At last, this Camino friendship thing is beginning to take off!