Camino Portugués: Day 6 - Rubiães to Valença

The tranquility of the countryside and the light breeze gave me a good night's sleep. For once, we did not even bother turning on the air conditioning. Even though we did not have an ensuite bathroom, our room was comfortable and had everything needed. We saw that heavy fog had descended onto the landscape outside our window. It was just the romantic, misty morning I had hoped for, Camino. Of course, our schedule was once again dictated by the complimentary breakfast.

Just like the dinner last night, the breakfast this morning was served personally by Fernando. It was quite a lovely spread. Over breakfast, we learned that we were the only ones not using the daily luggage transfer service. Luggage transfer is somewhat a “controversial” topic in the pilgrim community. Many Camino purists, especially those obsessed with the concept of “authentic Camino,” looked down on luggage transfer. I could tell that Brian was quite jealous of the idea. If not for the fact that we hadn’t booked our accommodations ahead of time, I think I might have signed him up for the service.

After settling our final bill with Fernando, we bid our farewell and set off on our way. Unbeknownst to us, Peter had set off while we were packing up in our room. I hoped to say goodbye to him as he is one of those Americans with a big personality and positivity. However, we were lucky to get to walk with Francisco and Anna. They are both extremely well-traveled and speak decent Portuguese. When I mentioned to them that Portugal seems to embrace modern homes, they showed me some pictures of their home in Mexico City. That house is one of the most stunning modern homes I have seen. As an architect, I could tell how much money and thought were put into that home.

But despite their wealth and social status, they embody grace and humility based on our brief time with them. This was their second Camino. They walked Camino Frances last year from Leon to Santiago. Interestingly, they opted not to get their Compostela because of the 3-hour-long queue at the pilgrim office. Naturally, I had to ask them about the difference between the two routes. They both resoundingly said that the Frances is a much more enjoyable experience than the Portugués regarding scenery, trails, amenities, and historical sites. Since I already decided to walk another Camino or two, it was great to speak with Camino veterans. For them, the bonus about the Portugués was the opportunity to practice their Portuguese.

Café São Sebastião is a popular pilgrim stop due to its location and modern architecture.

Before we knew it, we arrived at Café São Sebastião, a popular pilgrim stop in Rubiães. Situated across the street from the municipal albergue, the modern cafe is perched along the side of a hill. With floor-to-ceiling windows, the cafe is filled with natural light and great views. But what got us excited was to see Peter there sitting out front. Despite his early start, he couldn’t help making frequent stops to speak with everyone. He is probably the most talkative and friendly guy we have ever met. It was fun to hear him talk and see how non-Americans handle his high energy and antics. The best way to describe Peter would be 65 years-old big kid who finds something interesting in everything and everyone.

It was good to have Peter joining us for this stretch of the trail.

After an espresso, we all decided to walk together as a group. The trail tracked along the River Coura, a major tributary of River Minho. The scenery was beautiful, but we were distracted by the lively conversations. But one of the most interesting markers we have seen on the Camino was a stone marker at the parish of Cossourado. On the marker is a giant yellow arrow, and at the bottom is a Portuguese inscription stating that this was the spot where the very first modern yellow Camino arrows first appeared in the early 1990s. Given the popularity of yellow arrows in the pilgrim community, I was surprised that this marker is not more popular with pilgrims.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Relief in Pecene.

Truthfully, the only downside of walking with fellow pilgrims is that everyone invariably walks at a slightly different pace. This is particularly a problem when we enjoy other’s company. We were impressed by how energetic and fast Francisco and Anna walked. In comparison, Peter and I were huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with them. I could see that Camino veterans have better stamina than us newbies. By the time we reached Pecene, Brian was struggling with the pace and the incline. We decided to take another coffee break at Café and Alojamento Castro. I got really worried about him as he seemed to have a mini anxiety attack. I thought we might have to call a cab to take us to Valença.

While we were resting up, a Kenyan mother and daughter showed up. We saw them a few times yesterday. It didn’t surprise us when we learned that they were acquaintances of Peter. Peter did mention them to Fernando last night. As an Angolan, Fernando was happy to hear about African pilgrims on the Camino. Even though the Camino draws in pilgrims from all over the world, there is no question that it is still predominantly white. They are the first people of color we encountered on Camino, except for an Asian lady we saw on the second day. I have heard that the Camino is popular among Koreans, but we have yet to meet one.

The modern marker traced the route of Quarta Via Romana.

Eventually, we had to bid goodbye to the gang as they were eager to march on. We could only hope that our paths would cross again on the Camino. All three of them planned to have a rest day tomorrow, so I think there is a chance we could run into them tomorrow. Today’s stage is our shortest yet. For that reason, we walked at a slower pace than usual. This next section of the Camino follows the ancient path of the Roman origins. Compared to your typical cobblestones, the Roman roads were paved with rather big stone slabs. I think this is probably one of the best walking experiences so far on this Camino.

This section of the Roman roads is now waymarked with concrete pillars with a metal plaque. Known as Quarta Via Romana, this was the longest Roman road in this corner of the Iberian peninsula. The road connects the administrative centers of Braga (Portugal) and Lugo (Spain). At about 500 kilometers, the road was an important artery for economic and cultural exchanges. These markers were installed recently after a multi-year project to identify and restore this ancient path. Perhaps not by coincidence, the Camino track followed this road to Pontevedra! I suspect that the modern revival of Camino contributes a great deal to archaeological research like this one.

This was the first sign for Valença, the last town in Portugal before crossing into Spain.

In seemingly no time, we arrived at a little concrete shack with a sign for Valença. Valença is our destination of today’s stage and the last town in Portugal before crossing into Spain. It also just happens that this town would mark the midway point of our Camino journey. It is an important milestone for us. We even considered taking a rest day tomorrow as a reward for ourselves. Peter, Anna, and Francisco all emphasized the importance of a rest day now and again. But with only two weeks available, we felt the obligation to march on.

Although we have technically arrived within the municipal boundary of Valença, the city’s historical center was still an hour’s hike away. Luckily, pilgrims were spared the ugly industrial outskirt on this section. Rather, we walked through beautiful sections of the suburbs. The flowers were in full bloom, and the phrase “the grass is always greener” came to mind. The Portuguese homes seem particularly well-built and sturdy compared to their American countertops. There is a sense of timeless permanence among them that is very attractive. In general, they are also immaculately well-kept.

One of the most important landmarks along this stretch is the Altarpiece of Our Lady of the Camino (Retábulo do Senhor dos Caminhos) in the parish of Pereira. According to the guidebook, the local pilgrim association selected this beautifully painted cross as a symbol of Camino Portugués in 1996. That said, I must admit that I don’t remember ever seeing this iconography until this moment. So, I am not certain just how famous this cross is. Restored by a German pilgrim association in 2006, the altarpiece is now well-marked with a Camino plaque and stacked with leaflets. Nowadays, the place is more like a visitor information booth than a religious shrine.

The Altarpiece of Our Lady of the Camino is said to be a symbol of Camino Portugués.

Luckily for us, there were quite a few restaurants and cafes in this area so that we could be more selective with our lunch choices. Based on the reviews on Google Maps, we decided to give Quinta do Caminho a try. This pilgrim-oriented Quinta is a large estate with luxurious accommodations and a high-end restaurant. So it did not surprise us that we saw Peter there enjoying lunch. Being such an outgoing person, he immediately invited us to join him at the table. Dining with him was a memorable experience. He was excited about everything and a true embodiment of pilgrim spirits.

We were very happy to hang out with Peter again.

As we sat at the table, it was fun to see him being himself. He really couldn't help himself but talk to everyone he met. In all honesty, his over-enthusiasm could sometimes verge on being cringe-worthy, but I am confident that everyone knew that it was coming from a good place. Hanging out with Peter also seems like a good place to know our fellow pilgrims since he seems to know everyone at the restaurant. Next to our table was a group of Canadian pilgrims. From their conversations with Peter, I could tell that Peter’s outgoing personality also amused them.

One thing that surprised me the most about Camino was the political leaning of the pilgrims. Because this is technically a Catholic pilgrimage, I expect the majority to be practicing Catholic and somewhat conservative. But everyone we met on the Camino has been overwhelming liberal. They generally tended to the far left of the political spectrum. It was almost inevitable that the loathing for Donald Trump would be part of the conversations. Although Brian and I consider ourselves to be liberal, we do wish that there was a little bit more political diversity on the trail. I don’t think there are that many practicing Catholics on the trail.

The food offerings at Quinta do Caminho were excellent and quite upmarket as far as pilgrim meals are concerned. Brian got a giant piece of pork shanks. My bacalhau fish was almost identical to the casserole Fernando served us last night. Because we were so close to the day's destination, Brian and I decided to have a glass of wine with our lunch. On the other hand, Peter had a whole bottle and the most expensive entree on the menu. Ultimately, his final bill turned out to be €62 before tips. Now, that was one epic pilgrim lunch if you asked me.

With a full belly, we really enjoyed this afternoon’s trek.

Since Peter stayed at the Quinta for the night, we said goodbye to him again, and I was confident we would meet again. Compared to the previous days, we were doing very well time-wise. We did not feel the time pressure for the first time on this Camino. It was a beautiful feeling. The walk into Valença was surprisingly pleasant. After walking through a series of woodlands, we arrived at the more industrial-looking section of town. Even so, the walk was quite beautiful. It seems like there is another stone cross just about every few minutes. Although we enjoyed this afternoon’s walk, it was weird not to come across any other pilgrims on the trail.

Sometimes, I marveled at the fact that these stone crosses in the middle of the road mangaed to survive.

So far on Camino, we have come across numerous stone crosses. I have read somewhere that stone crosses are especially common on Camino Portugués. Historically, these crosses served as the waymarking for pilgrims to Santiago since the arrows did not exist in medieval times. Spiritually, these crosses also helped protect pilgrims from evil spirits and provided blessings for safe passage under the watchful eye of Christ. For modern pilgrims, it is too easy to forget just how fortunate we are. Back then, the pilgrimage to Santiago was dangerous because of bandits and diseases. While most of us see them as artistic landmarks along the Camino, these stone crosses must have provided quite a bit of comfort to medieval pilgrims.

Could you believe this was the “industrial” section of town?

As the last town before crossing into Spain, Valença is one of the most important stops on the Camino. Peter asked Fernando yesterday for his opinion on Valença. We were all a little disappointed to hear him say that there was nothing in Valença that would compel him to visit. For him, Ponte de Lima was the more cosmopolitan of the two. If anything, he would be more likely to visit Tui across the border than Valença. There seemed to be nothing special about this town. With such a glowing endorsement, he helped to set a pretty low expectation for us about Valença. In the end, I think that was a good thing.

After walking through the modern section of town, we arrived at a landscape park that was once the outer defense earthwork of the fortress of Valença. Along the path, we encountered three brightly painted boulders named Stones of the Camino (Pedras do Caminho). They are the work of local artist Dinis Ribeiro and were only inaugurated this past summer. According to the artist’s statement, the design with primary colors reflects “the difficulties of pilgrimage, which both men and women experience.” The bright colors are also meant to evoke images of stained glass in cathedrals and the inspiration for pilgrims during the Middle Ages. That may be a good explanation, but I don’t see the connection with the Camino. If anything, they look like works of Joan Miró.

Stones of the Camino (*Pedras do Caminho*) by Dinis Ribeiro.

For many pilgrims, the preferred destination of this typical stage is the Spanish town of Tui, just across the Minho River. Culturally and historically speaking, Tui is, in fact, the more significant town of the two. However, I decided to stay in Valença for the moment after seeing a photo of the town’s historic center. The old city is entirely enclosed by its historical fortifications and is beautifully preserved. The fortification is composed of two conjoining forts connected by a stone bridge. The twin fortresses have a slew of watchtowers, ceremonial gates, bastions, and defensive bulwarks. Following the Camino path, we entered the fort through the Gate of the Crown (Portas da Coroada). Upon entrance, we were immediately transported into a different world.

Just beyond the gate was a first-century Roman milestone, which marks the 42nd Roman from the Braga. Erected by the order of Emperor Claudius, it spoke to the historical importance of Valença in the past two millennia. The fortress town is linear and organized around a single road. Today’s town and its fortification date mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries and are still remarkably preserved. Today’s Valença is known domestically as a textile capital. The streets around town are lined with fabric shops selling linens, sheets, and clothing. Best of all, there were hardly any tacky tourist shops around.

Gate of the Crown (*Portas da Coroada*).

Tonight, we would be staying at Pousada de Valença do Minho, which happens to be located on the other side of the fortress. For anyone unfamiliar with Pousadas de Portugal, it is a chain of traditional and historical hotels formerly operated by the Portuguese government. In the 1940s, the government looked at its vast portfolio of vacant historic buildings that needed restoration. Under the direction of writer/politician António Ferro, Portugal looked to neighboring Spain for some ideas. Since the 1920s, the Spanish government established a vast network of luxury hotels called Paradores. The chain provides important tourism infrastructure and a way to preserve Spain’s national heritage.

While Portugal’s Pousada never enjoys the same level of prestige as its Spanish counterpart, it is nevertheless a well-respected chain. Few choices were available because we booked all our Camino accommodations at the last minute. Weirdly enough, Pousada was one of the few options still available. I booked a special rate for only €105 a night, a fantastic last-minute deal during the high season. This would have been the most luxurious place we have stayed thus far. It is an understatement that we were looking forward to a good stay tonight.

Pousada de Valença do Minho is very well situated shall we say?

Our check-in at Pousada Valença did not exactly go well. First of all, I was informed by the staff that I made a double booking. When I made the reservation on their website last night, I got an error message after I submitted my payment information. Since I never received a confirmation e-mail, I rightfully assumed the reservation did not go through and that I should make another reservation attempt. After some persistent pushback, I convinced the manager to issue a refund for the duplicate booking. Because I booked the web special, we were given the worst room in the hotel. The ground-level room has one tiny window facing the back parking lot. It was not great, but at least we got air conditioning.

I still couldn’t believe that we were staying here. This place was like a fairytale.

Like a pilgrim, the first thing I did is to take a shower and get our laundry started. As I was about to lather my clothes, the undermount sink suddenly detached from the countertop and dropped to the floor. After years of traveling, this has never happened to me. I admit that I used quite a lot of force, as you do when doing laundry. However, this is still not normal regardless. It was one of those “WTF” moments in life. It immediately dawned on me that I needed to go to the front to ask for a new room since it would not be an easy fix. Sure enough, I had to return to that manager and show him the damage. I think he was just as confused and dumbfounded as we both were.

After checking the inventory, he led us to another room on the upper floor. This was a more expensive room with a beautiful view of the fort, River Minho, and the town of Tui beyond. I felt bad we got a free room upgrade because of my washing of laundry. At least I gave the manager a €10 tip in return. Justifiably, it was clear that we were labeled as one of their “problematic guests.” We tried to avoid running into that same manager for the rest of our stay.

The rampart of Valença may just be the most interesting park in the world.

As pleasant as the new room was, I was eager to go out and explore the city more before the sunset. The hotel is located at the tip of the fortress. Unlike other similar fortresses, all the ramparts were open for recreational use. The fort is reminiscent of Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan or Suomenlinna in Helsinki. The fortress embodies the best of Baroque and Mannerist military architecture. The border between Portugal and Spain is considered Europe's oldest and most stable. But it did not mean that it was not hotly contested throughout history. There used to be an opposite fort in Tui. According to Fernando, the Portuguese are proud of the fact that not many of the fortresses on the Spanish side survived.

Evening Stroll around the fortification of Valença.

At this hour, we practically had the whole place to myself. I was quite taken by just how beautiful and serene this place is. Valença is even more beautiful and magnificent than I thought. I started to question why all the pilgrims decided to stay in Tui. This is by far my favorite town so far and the biggest surprise on the Camino. That said, Valença was transformed into a ghost shortly after dark. Once all the fabric shops closed, there was barely any foot traffic. The difference in a matter of an hour was stark. It almost made me wonder whether we should even be hanging around.

An evening stroll between the two fortresses.

About half a dozen restaurants were open, but hardly any diners were inside. Because of its proximity to Spain, I wonder whether Valença adopts the custom of late dinner time. To complicate things, Spain and Portugal are in different time zones. Our cell services are switching between the two countries and impacting the hours shown on our phones. After mulling around the town and looking at all the options, we decided to go with a restaurant called Bom Jesus, which had the most guests. Although the food was a letdown, the massive portion and al fresco dining more than made up for it.

Over the dinner, the topic of our conversations was our plan for tomorrow. While we would like to have a rest day tomorrow, we had difficulty finding sensible accommodation. The only option seems to be a €160 Airbnb apartment in Tui. The dwindling option stressed me out quite a bit. So far on this Camino, we have been able to get away with booking everything last minute. But as we get closer to Santiago, it may be imperative for us to plan ahead. After much discussion, we decided to forego a rest day tomorrow. Instead, we will have another short stage ending in O Porriño. Let’s hope we have a good sleep tonight.

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Camino Portugués: Day 6 - Rubiães to Valença

Camino Portugués: Day 7 - Valença to O Porriño

Camino Portugués: Day 5 - Ponte de Lima to Rubiães