Day 4 - May 11th: SPAIN!
Day 4 – May 11th
Rubiaes to O Porriño: 25.43 miles
Lodging has become a bigger challenge than I expected. Anyone walking the Camino quickly learns that the busiest routes are the hardest for finding rooms. Add in the need for pet-friendly spots, and it’s a whole different level of headache. Christina came through, though, finding a place about 30 minutes away from where I ended up. Simple, clean, and close to a solid restaurant – that’s all we really need.
I took a gamble at dinner. The place had a rack with featured wines, one of them being Cartuxa, my new favorite Alentejo wine, right by the entrance. Then the waiter recommended the Picanha steak – a Brazilian classic, and one of my favorite cuts. Normally a no-go for me on long runs since steak is hard to digest, but I figured it’s early in the journey, so why not? The plate that landed on our table looked like a small mountain – four pounds of meat and a pile of fresh-cut fries. Jax hit the jackpot, devouring the leftovers in about 30 seconds, then curled up fat and happy in his bed. Eventually, I caved and gave the magic command, “up” where he immediately jumped into my double bed – the first of this trip – where he curled up beside me and we both slept like babies for the night.
Day four started cold and wet, with 40-degree rain pounding the mountaintop where I left off. I let Jax off his leash early on, giving him a chance to stretch out on the narrow, cobbled path cutting through thick, dripping trees. He bounded around a corner and ran into two women shrouded in massive ponchos that covered their heads, bodies and most importantly, all their possessions in the packs on their backs. Startled at first, they smiled as I caught up, and we fell into step for a few kilometers, talking about the camino, what brought them here and the happiness they both emanated. They were kind enough to chat on camera - bright spirits in a gray day.
Later, as I crested a ridge near the hilltop village of Barrio, I stumbled into an entirely different scene – a funeral procession, perfectly timed with my arrival. Two priests, draped in heavy, ornate robes, led the way, chanting in a language I couldn’t place. Behind them, a small group of family members carried a coffin topped with an intricate bust of Christ carrying a cross. The air was thick with incense, the scent cutting through the wet, cold air. I had no idea who they were mourning – young, old, man or woman. I thought of a name - “certainty”. And from there I ran with a sense of real urgency and purpose.
Shortly afterwards, we hit traffic out of nowhere - a traditional farmers market. Jax and I pushed our way through the throng of locals to see the wares that included foods such as cheeses, sausages, vegetables but also livestock, birds and so much more. Jax was overwhelmed with the people but mostly the ducks, chicks, canaries all within a bites distance.
We finally broke out of the mountains and into Valença, the last Portuguese town before the border. We hit the ancient fortress that once protected Portugal from Spain, its walls towering over the Minho River. Rain couldn’t drown our excitement as we crossed the bridge into our second country – Spain.
The rain has been relentless, and our feet are feeling it. In long ultras, the combination of wet and mileage means swelling and blood pooling under the nails, eventually turning them black and blue before they fall off. I’ve got two of those coming in hot, and a quick check tells me Jax has three. We’re in sync, for better or worse. No limp from him yet, so we’ll keep pushing, but I’m ready to pull him at the first sign of trouble.
Christina found us a solid AirBnB right on the trail, perfect for the night. Time to rest and recover for another day on the road.
Thanks for the support.
Cheers,
David
