As promised – to give the girls some recovery time ; the day started 8:30 am – in an Artisan Tui backstreet café – Coffee , Juice , croissants, pasties all bakery fresh , bread and croissants, Serrano ham and strong curado cheese .

A short Hop from town – we arrive at a decision point – the guidebooks and blogs make a lot of this being difficult. It really is simple – either keep right on the original Camino through heavily industrialised outskirts or take the new recommended rural left route . Local bars and Hostels on the original route fought this – blacking out new yellow arrows , trying to redirect Pilgrims with their own arrows and signs !!! . From what we saw they shouldn’t have worried – 70% of the pelegrinös we saw still took the original (slightly shorter) route .

The new route is a little longer but cool and green as it follows riverside and woodland paths .

Past miles remarkable granite fencing – Granite houses , Granite everything Porriño is famous for mining it – it’s cheaper than wood here .

Lunch today is carried by Ciara for a riverside picnic later.

Takes us into industrial Porriño, small square , fairground , little architecture, to mention , super welcome from everyone in this dusty Granite based hard working town trying to establish tourism here – with a railway running through it. Engines dragging 10.000 ton Multi Car wagons . Reminds me of a rust belt American heartlands .

And after diner at a corner Caff’ – lovely people . Prices a fraction of fashionable Tui – an early Alberque night – Girls actually enjoyed the bunked ,curtained off sleeping pods – all part of the adventure.

The following day ……… as we leave – feeling this has been an memorable authentic experience – NOT – Everything can be chocolate box pretty – I hear 2 couples saying that on an organised tour when they walk Tui to Porriño they then get 🚌 bussed back to Tui for a second night as nothing suits the tour companies here ! They THEN get 🚌 bussed back to Porriño AGAIN ! to restart their walk – bless.😉

************************************

Let’s head to Redondela – the Tweenager Bonus today is that allegedly it has a beach 🏖 ! – let’s sea if it’s true 😆🙏 .

A climb up to the lovely village of Mos-

Great little bars and craft shops ……

Where we meet up Cris &Charlotte from California. Part of our “wave” – that’s people we keep meeting up with , regardless of how fast or slow we all go.

Top of the hill and first sight of the coast .

And into Redondela – we are staying 5k the other side in an Alto Quinta – in what looks to be a Characterful place – but first the search for the beach 🏖!

It’s not easy to find – they don’t appear to feel it’s a tourist attraction and it takes us another 40 minutes to find this deserted picnic spot – but well worth it just to be here for an hour or two.

A memorable picnic and escape from the Midday sun –

But by now we have walked 23k including an extra 4K to find the beach and are way off the Camino . It’s too much to leave this lovely place to climb another steep 2 hours to our hill top farm for the night . Sooo – ………. TAXI 🚕 !!!

And smiling with relief we are whisked to the top of Alto Blanca . The Casa Rural named As Chivas ( the Horned Goat ) is stunning –

Vine shaded and cool – we 4 have a super separate farm building . It’s pretty big – often used for weddings and the Kitchen has a good reputation.

Over the course of the next few hours we tested their Complimentary Tapas , Cold Beers , Childrens Cocktails , G&T’s , Wild coloured burgers , Padrón Peppers, Fresh Fish and laid back hospitality. Thanks to our host Ursula x

It’s been a long day . We crashed asleep 💤 before 10.00pm surrounded by soft rural silence

Xxxxxx