España Day 13: A Taste of Portugal

The party’s in full swing, the fun and adventure seemingly limitless, then comes a sudden realization it’s all going to end soon. What…it’s almost over? Here’s the very last day of our (as we’re heard to say) “epic” Spanish adventure. For the last couple weeks, we toured historic sites, taken in local culture, eaten our share, revelled in the scenery and lived the life. And most important we hiked our little hearts out along the legendary El Camino de Santiago Trail. Time just flew by with us sort of unprepared for the bummer let down coming – we don’t wanna go home! Still, we got 24hrs so there’s exploring to do.

This day has us dipping to Portugal and then winding things down back at our home base for the last couple days, in the charming fishing village of O Pindo. Soon we’ll be homeward bound but today, we soak as much as we can knowing there’s a pretty good chance we’ll never be back. It was sixteen hour days rushing by – getting out, looking around, seeing and doing and damn it we’ll sleep on the plane. Here’s the last hurrah.

1) Roads near the rocky coast are narrow, steep and winding. Here’s a truck that’s about as long as could be accommodated forced to take a corner wide. A car in the opposing lane had to hug the shoulder or risk a collision. We’re headed to Portugal.

2) It’s not a Boler, but it’ll have to do. Here’s a little trailer (or caravan) called an Eriba. These hold an honourary position among the Boler fraternity. They’re cute, small and non-slab sided, the rules for inclusion in the “spotting” game. We saw no campers or RVs in Spain that were any larger than this. Outside the main highways, most places are too confined to accommodate anything longer. We’ve seen one Eriba in Canada so far.

1) Roadtrip! We’re Portugal bound.

3) Colourfully decorated little trains like this could be found at many attractions we visited. Here we’re entered the Fortress of Valença, a walled city just across the river from Spain.

4) Ahead, it’s restaurants and bars, curio shops, boutiques and more. Some touristy stuff here but not all of it bad. Still if you want a Rooster of Barcelos souvenir, you won’t be disappointed. The streets alternate between being wall to wall with people and dead quiet. The Fortaleza de Valença dates back eight or nine hundred years, although most buildings seen are a fair bit newer (but still incredibly old).

5) Colourful banners on this side street.

6) Here’s the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, which has elements that date back hundreds and hundred of years to the thirteen century. They do like their churches in Iberian Peninsula countries. It was not open our visit or we’d have paid it a visit.

7) Some streets are for walking but some can be driven. The ones with banners are the former and the narrowest. Still, even those that see cars are sometimes not much wider.

8) More of the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, left. Tight spaces has us using portrait mode more than usual.

9) Here’s a splash of colour down some side street. The Fortress is a maze of lanes and walkways. In spite of being a tourist attraction in every sense of the word, it’s also home to many people with many of the buildings seen being apartment blocks. Old ones at that.

10) Just some random symbols found carved in one wall. Is there a significance or meaning? We don’t know. We saw this but someone missed a big first century Roman Milestone similarly (but more elaborately) inscribed in stone.

11) For those seeking redemption, there’s always a church nearby. Fortaleza de Valença sits atop a hill overlooking the Minho River (and Spain) and has over five kilometres worth of outer walls around its perimeter. There’s also a moat. The fortress has seen its fair share of battles and skirmishes most recently during the 1800s.

12) Speaking of churches, it Church of St Stephen, dating from the thirteen and eighteenth centuries. It too was closed – must have been a slow day. Given our hectic pace, we weren’t even sure what day it was!

13) These stunning blue tiles are called Azulejo and adorn many buildings in the area. They can display simple repeating patterns or more elaborate scenes. They sure have nice architecture out this way. We were spoiled.

14) An inner wall in back, here we’re looking sort of east-ish. Behind our position, less than a kilometre away is Spain and this fortress was in defence of the border with that country. Now they get along.

15) The Statue of St. Theotonius (or Teotonio) in front of Capela do Bom Jesus Church. He was the first Portuguese Saint, had a good deed resume that’s volumes thick and is celebrated throughout the county. An all around good guy is he.

16) Here’s the former moat between the inner and outer walls. It’s all peaceful now, but long ago it’s here battles were fought.

17) Back in O Pindo, it’s an evening stroll on the beach. Our rental is back there in that group of homes.

2) Little trailer!

18) Cape Finisterre/Fisterra, to the ancient Romans the very end of the known world. We visited it: España Day 12: Cabo Finisterre/Fisterra. It’s not quite the most westerly point in Spain but is often erroneously thought to be. There’s a lesser known cape a bit to the north that beats it by a hair.

19) The beach never seemed to be busy and here we had it all to ourselves. O Pindo’s not so much a tourist town, so only the locals seemed to use it, the way we like it. That’s an ancient lighthouse in back which we photographed a lot. See: España Day 10: Evening in O Pindo.

20) Here we’re carefree and enjoying the last day together. We look back at this very moment fondly. We see so many amazing places, but it’s special “us” moments like this that are best. Mere months away, who knew the battles we would be facing, that damn C-word, but at O Pindo Beach it’s peace and serenity.

21) The mountains around O Pindo are particularly rugged and in the last light of day glow.

22) A reminder that time’s running out. It won’t be the last Spanish sunset for us – there will be one more seen from a Madrid Hotel Room – but this is the last in paradise.

23) We noticed what we felt was a disproportionate number of homes empty and for sale all over rural Spain. Just like in Canada, it seems the smaller towns are shrinking account old timers passing on and young people moving away to the city.

24) Some construction work in front. Truth be told we kind of liked the red building in back. Hórreo spotted, a traditional Spanish granary of which we saw literately hundreds. They all take a similar form and most are quite old.

25) Our visit to the beach is over. It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend.

26) Up on the hill, the warm glow of sunset. We leaving tomorrow AM and we don’t want to.

27) What was for our time in O Pindo our favourite watering hole. At the end of each day we’d stroll on down for the local brew and some Jamón Ibérico or some such snack. Here times stands still, even if the world around zips past in a blur. The proprietor would always have a cold one waiting for us.

28) Over by the pier. There was a fisherman’s bar here that we wanted to visit but never did. So much to do, so little time. In hindsight, and regret, it probably would have afforded us a real window into the soul of O Pindo.

29) Cafe/Bar Mar del Norte (North Sea) our “Cheers” while in town. Norm! Often we were the only ones there, expect when the Wold Cup was on. Then it’d be packed.

30) Wandering home – well our home while here – it’s random stuff passed. We’re getting antsy now, knowing that time is ticking and the dream almost done. Grasping at straws we try to delay the inevitable by walking slower. It doesn’t work.

31) We told you earlier, those Hórreos are everywhere. We saw none in Central Spain but once close to Galcia (the region) almost every old house had one. It’s said there’s tens of thousands of them. And they all look like this, although some might differ in size or what ever materials they were made from. The mushroom capped pillars keep vermin from climbing up. Many display religious symbolism. Seems the largest Hórreo was just down the road from us in Carnota but we ran out of time.

3) Any time is train time at Fortaleza de Valença Portugal.

32) Here’s another. Most of these are supported by six or eight pillars. The largest one spoken of above easily has dozens and dozens. It’s a SUPER Hórreo.

33) And a smaller Hórreo seem from our rental, which had one too BTW. There’s the beach, there’s the ancient lighthouse, there’s the end of the world. It’s and end-of-day view for us to enjoy. One last look, another in the morning and O Pindo would be a memory. We’re not even gone and damn we miss it already. Just about every place we go touches us in some way, but here, it blew us away. The whole Spain adventure did, and the El Camino was bloody life changing, but this small Spanish village will for ever be in our hearts. Tomorrow’s not here yet.

There will be a follow up piece or two to tidy up any loose ends. One will document an in Calgary hike done in the spirit of the El Camino, on the one year anniversary of it happening. But otherwise the series has pretty much run it course. Hoped you enjoyed it. We sure the hell did.

They’re saying…

“Wonderful pictures. Lots of memories. Keep it up.” Richard C Lowe.

Spain play by play…
Off The Beaten Path en España – touching down in Spain.
España Day 1 – Wandering Madrid – getting to know the city.
España Day 2 – Toledo Cathedral – the most impressive yet.
España Day 3 – Hello Astorga – the last stop before the El Camino.
España Day 4 – Scruffy Peregrino – feet in motion.
España Day 5: Up & Over – lovin’ Spain.
España Day 6: Buen Camino – the “Good Way”.
España Day 7: Lost & Loving It – as though in a dream.
España Day 8: Walking the Cows – a magical day.
España Day 9-10: Santiago! – one things ends, another soon to begin.
España Day 10: Evening in O Pindo – our base for a few days.
España Day 11: Porto de Quilmas – a seaside village down the road.
España Day 12: Cabo Finisterre/Fisterra – to the ends of the earth!

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date of Adventure: June, 2018.
Location: Valença, Viana do Castelo District, Portugal & O Pindo, Galicia Region, Spain.
Article references and thanks: Katrina & Grant LaRocque.

4) Entering the ancient walled city.

5) Lined with shops.

6) Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

7) Narrow streets are the order of the day.

8) Just wandering about.

9) A splash of colour.

10) Carved in stone…

11) There’s always a church in view…

12) …Case in point, the Church of St Stephen.

13) Covered in “Azulejo” Tile.

14) The inner wall can be seen in back.

15) Statue of St. Theotonius.

16) The outer wall and former moat.

17) An evening stroll at O Pindo Beach.

18) The end of the known world.

19) The beach is all ours.

20) Wind in the hair and carefree.

21) Rugged mountains and a charming village.

22) One last sunset in paradise.

23) For sale if you’re interested.

24) There’s a building boom!

25) One last look back.

26) Houses on the hill.

27) The local brew.

28) Meanwhile, this fine sunset.

29) Our “Cheers”.

30) Some side street as we doddle home.

31) Hórreo one.

32) Hórreo two.

33) Hórreo three & come morning it’s goodbye.