091916 Vila Nova de Cerveira to Tui

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).

Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.

We got up at 7:30 am, since breakfast at the Pousada de Juventude was to start at 8:30. We went down a bit early with our backpacks, and the reception clerk said we could start breakfast. As we finished eating and passed the reception, a man was arriving to pick up our backpacks (around 9 am).

We departed at 9:10. The receptionist told us about a new path (only 8 months old) along the Rio Minho all the way to Valença; she said there would be no arrows, but to just follow the paved path, painted pink or yellow. She said the old way was on highways and secondary roads and very dangerous. Don missed having the route go through villages (the new way had no towns or bars for banho breaks until near the end), but this way was flat and easier going.

We had to rely on MT’s iPhone to take photos, since Don’s camera had broken the evening before. (Although photo captions indicate “MT” for MT’s iPhone, both of us took photos with it.)

MT Monday, ‎September ‎19, ‎2016, ‏‎9:13M – after Vila Nova de Cerveira: pink paved path along Rio Minho.

Soon, the path along the river passed near the village of Lovelhe.

Lovelhe (previously called Lobelhe) already existed at the time of the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, and its name derives from the Roman name Lubelius. Lovelhe was already a freguesia (civil parish) in 675, making it one of the oldest parishes in Portugal. In 2013, the Freguesia de Lovelhe (pop. 443 in 2011) in the municipality of Vila Nova de Cerveira was merged in 2013 into the Freguesia de Vila Nova de Cerveira e Lovelhe as part of an administrative reorganization.

MT 9:29 AM - Lovelhe: Forte de São Francisco de Lovelhe- two bastions with round guard towers; road sign pointing to right to village of Lovelhe.

Also in the Freguesia de Vila Nova de Cerveira e Lovelhe is the Forte de São Francisco de Lovelhe (Fort of St. Francis of Lovelhe), also known as Forte de Azevedo or simply as Forte de Lovelhe (Fort of Lovelhe). This fortification dates back to the time of the Wars of Restoration (1640-1668), when the Governador das Armas do Minho (Governor of the Defenses of the Minho) ordered this fort to be built, to resist Spanish attempts to reunite the Iberian Peninsula. It was part of the defensive line on the left (south) bank of the Rio Minho. Its construction was begun in 1642, under the direction of General Dom Francisco de Azevedo, who was also an engineer, and completed in 1663. Despite its smaller size, it had greater potential for defense than the fortification of Vila Nova de Cerveira. By 1758, almost a century after the Wars of Restoration, the fort was without soldiers and would serve as a cattle shelter. The fort was rebuilt in 1797 and about a decade later played an important role in the active defense of the region against the invasions of Napoleonic troops. During that Peninsular War, much of its inner premises were blown up by French troops in 1809. Although it lost its military function in the 19th century, it served as a hospital during an epidemic in 1857. Since then it has been abandoned.

Lovelhe: Forte de São Francisco de Lovelhe

(https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forte_de_S%C3%A3o_Francisco_de_Lovelhe#/media/File:Forte_de_Lovelhe2.jpg by Adrián Estévez (Estevoaei). Original uploader was Estevoaei at gl.wikipedia - Transferred from gl.wikipedia(Original text : self made), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7400985 ).

Built according to typical 17th-century military architectural models, the fort has a pentagonal (star) shape, consisting of five bastions—four of equal dimensions arranged laterally, two by two, and a fifth, larger one built on the front wall by the porta de armas [door of the coat of arms?]. Round guard towers were arranged at each of the corners of the ramparts.

Around 10:15, Don had to make a stop in a cornfield.

MT 10:43 AM - Parque Lazer da Lenta: sign for “EcoPista caminho do rio [way of the river] Vila Nova de Cerveira cerveira sandável” with red “You are here!” circle indicating that this was at “Parque de Lazer da Lenta (Lenta Park [of Leisure])” and showing that the pink path changes to yellow at this point.

MT 10:45 AM – After Parque Lazer da Lenta: yellow paved path by river.

At 11:00, Don had to make another stop in tall weeds by round hay bales covered with plastic.

MT 11:23 AM – Furna: another sign for EcoPista yellow paved path by river, with red “You are here!” circle indicating that this was at “Furna.”

MT 11:39 AM – After Furna: small boat on Rio Minho.

MT Monday, September 20, 2016, 11:47 AM – After Furna: sign beside yellow paved path forbidding bicycles (or motorcycles?), cars, and horse-drawn carts.

MT 11:47 AM – After Furna: same sign beside yellow paved path forbidding bicycles (or motorcycles?), cars, and horse-drawn carts; however, pedestrians and bicycle painted on the path itself indicate that bicycles are allowed.

MT 12:17 PM – After Furna: yellow path (with pedestrians and bicycles painted on it) gives way to pink path.

MT 12:36 PM – São Pedro da Torre: another EcoPista sign, this one with the red circle for “Você está aquí!” (You are here!) at Pesqueira de São Pedro da Torre (pesqueira = place for fishing); this map shows the “green” route continuing to a Ponte Romana (Roman Bridge) at Veiga da Mira, then going back to the riverside around Cristelo Côvo, then turning right (east) at Parque da Senhora da Cabeça, then left (north) and skirting the west side of the Fortaleza de Valença to the Ponte Internacional (International Bridge), where we would cross into Spain; after that bridge, the “green” route continues on the Portuguese side of the river.

São Pedro da Torre (St. Peter of the Tower) is a freguesia (civil parish, pop. 1,267) in the municipality of Valença.

The Freixo maps did show an alternate “green” route labeled Senda Fluvial (River Trail) along the river for a short distance after Vila Nova de Cerveira (about 7 km) but then going back to the “old” inland way until around Cristelo Côvo, about 12.5 km after Vila Nova de Cerveira, where the “green” route again branched off to the river until turning sharply inland on Avenida Santa Maria da Cabeza to enter the south gate of the Fortaleza de Valença.

MT 11:56 AM – Veiga da Mira: Roman bridge.

Veiga da Mira is a natural zone along the left bank of the Rio Minho, crossing the freguesias (civil parishes) of São Pedro da Torre and Cristelo Côvo. It is characterized by an extensive veiga (plain), flooded, where forest vegetation predominates.

MT 11:57 AM – Veiga da Mira: Roman bridge – surface of roadway.

MT 11:58 AM – Veiga da Mira: after Roman bridge, pink path with yellow arrow painted on wooden post and another on leg of metal tower.

MT 1:37 PM – Veiga da Mira: sign for “Nome do Percurso: Trilho Veiga da Mira; Localização: Cristelo Côvo e S. Pedro da Torre; Tipo de Percurso: Pequena Rota (PR)” [Name of Route: Veiga da Mira Trail; Location: Cristelo Côvo and S. Pedro da Torre; Type of Route: Small Route (PR)].

MT 1:41 PM – After Veiga da Mira: statue of Nossa Senhora da Cabeça (with the Virgin holding the top of her head); plaque on base reads: “Parque José Joaquin Alves – Este parque e monumento foi oferecido en memoria de seus pais – José Joaquin Alves e Francisca Afonso Alves por seu filho Antonio Joaquin Alves grande bememeríto de Cristelo-Covo e Valença – Consagrado a Nossa Senhora da Cabeça – Outubro de 1959” (José Joaquin Alves Park – This park and monument was offered in memory of his parents – José Joaquin Alves and Francisca Afonso Alves by their son Antonio Joaquin Alves [grande bememeríto=?] of Cristelo-Covo and Valença – Consecrated to Our Lady of the Head – October 1959).

MT 1:42 PM – Parque Senhora da Cabeça: Bar Senhora da Cabeça, near picnic bench.

Around 1:42 pm, we stopped at Bar Senhora da Cabeça (Lady of the Head) for two glasses of red wine and cheese on bread (total €5.20).We got carimbo stamps.

Parque Senhora da Cabeça: carimbo stamp from “Bar SR.^a da Cabeça, María Isabel Ferreira Simões, N.I.F. PT [Número de Identificação Fiscal – tax identification number, Portugal]… Parque SR.^a da Cabeça 4930 Valença.”

The Parque Natural da Senhora da Cabeça ([Our] Lady of the Head Natural Park), also known simply as Parque Senhora da Cabeça ([Our] Lady of the Head Park) or as Área de Lazer de Nossa Senhora da Cabeça (Leisure Area of Our Lady of the Head), is a park located by the Rio Minho, in the freguesia (civil parish) of Cristelo Côvo, where the traditional Senhora da Cabeça pilgrimage is held. It has a restaurant, gardens, playground, bar, nautical center, and pier. It is a place reserved for recreation and picnics. Proximity to the river, where there are two marinas—one for pleasure boats and another for traditional boats—also promotes water sports.

The Santuário da Senhora da Cabeça (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Head) is a shrine situated on the banks of the Rio Minho, on a hill that is part of a recreation and entertainment zone known by the same name. The feast day of this saint is the second Sunday of July.

The Freixo map showed the “green” route labeled Senda Fluvial (River Trail) going along the river until turning sharply inland on Avenida Santa Maria da Cabeça to enter the south gate of the Fortaleza de Valença. (It shows the “red” main inland Camino route going around the east side of the fortress.) Brierley’s text and map describe the “green” route through the fortress as “Valença Detour,” saying that one should allow 2 hours to explore the fortress and old town and that it is a very busy place with bus tours until 5 pm, while his “gold” main Camino route also goes around the east side of the fortress. However, the EcoPista trail we were on would keep us along the river, outside the west wall of the fortress.

Valença, also known as Valença do Minho, is a city in a municipality (pop. 14,127) of the same name in the District of Viana do Castelo. It officially became a city in 2009. It is a walled town on the left bank of the Rio Minho, approximately 25 km from the Atlantic Ocean.

The origins of Valença date back to human communities that existed here in prehistoric times. In Roman times, it was an important crossing point over the Rio Minho and was on the Roman road Via VI (designated itinerary XIX for military use or itinerary XX for commercial use). In the time of Caesar Augustus, the Romans began to build small fortresses, then called castelli, at this strategic location; one of them was called the Castellum of Valença. When the Romans were succeeded by Suevi (Swabians) and Visigoths, this was still a strategic location. When the Moors invaded, for the first time in 716, the inhabitants of Valença were forced to disperse to the north; the most powerful Arab invasion was in 997. With the Christian Reconquest, this region was recovered, being later integrated into the Condado Portucalense (County of Portucale) and later into the Kingdom of Portugal. Also in this time, the old Roman road gained importance as a route of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. During the 12th century, King Sancho I of Portugal decided to erect a permanent defensive fortress here, ordered this stronghold to be populated, and granted its first foral (charter). It was then called Contrasta, which means “village opposed to another,” referring to Tui in Spain. In 1262, King Afonso III granted it a new foral and changed its name to Valença, trying symbolically to revive the dynamism of this strategic location. Its historical importance is mainly due to its decisive role in the defense of Portugal against neighboring Spain.

We continued around the west and north side of the Fortaleza de Valença (Fortress of Valença), totally missing the city by approaching from the riverside.

The Fortaleza de Valença (Fortress of Valença) looks down on the Rio Minho and Spain. Fortifications here were destroyed many times, whether by the Barbarians, the Moors, the (Spanish) armies of Asturias and León, or even by French forces in the early 19th century. However, they were always restored and are still well preserved. Valença’s fortress is a piece of Gothic and Baroque military architecture. The first walls were built in the 13th century. It was upgraded during the 17th and 18th centuries, forming the present bulwark system with 5 km of walls, 10 bastions, and 2 half bastions. It is located on top of two small hills and formed by two polygons (the Recinto Magistral and the Coroada) separated by a ditch and with four gates (Coroada, Gaviarra, Fonte da Vila, and Sol). The main entrance is Porta do Sol (Gate of the Sun), which was damaged during the Napoleonic invasions. Located inside the fortress is a Roman milestone that dates back to around 47 AD.

MT 2:16 PM – Valença: Fortaleza de Valença and part of city with church tower on horizon.

MT 2:18 PM – Valença: Fortaleza de Valença wall and two guard towers at top of embankment.

MT 2:21 PM – Valença: part of city with several church towers beyond Fortaleza de Valença wall and guard tower at top of embankment.

MT 2:23 PM – Valença: part of city and more of Fortaleza de Valença wall around curve in pink path.

MT 2:25 PM – Valença: more of Fortaleza de Valença wall and guard towers around curve in pink path.

MT 2:32 PM – Valença: more of Fortaleza de Valença wall and guard tower.

Finally, we arrived at the Ponte Internacional, where we would cross into Spain.

MT 2:33 PM – Valença: another EcoPista sign with red circle for “Você está aquí!” (You are here!) at Ponte Internacional at north end of Fortaleza de Valença. Callout 2 for “Ponte Internacional” says: “Rodo ferroviária, inicio do construção 1882, inaugurada a 25 de Março 1886, projectada pela Arq^a espanhol Pelayo Mancebo” (Road railway, start of construction 1882, inaugurated March 25, 1886, planned by the Spanish architect Pelayo Mancebo).

The Ponte Rodo-Ferroviaria de Valença (Road-Railway Bridge of Valença) is also known as Ponte de Valença (Bridge of Valença) or Puente de Tuy (Bridge of Tui [in Spanish]) or Ponte Internacional de Tui (International Bridge of Tui) or Ponte Internacional Tui-Valença (Tui-Valença International Bridge) or just Ponte Internacional (in Portuguese or Galego [Galician] or Puente Internacional in Spanish). It is a railroad infrastructure that crosses the Rio Minho, on the border between Portugal and Spain. In connects the two cities of Valença (Portugal) and Tui (Spain). The 318-meter-long bridge has a metal-beam superstructure with five continuous sections. It has two decks, the upper for railway and the lower for road use (with a pedestrian walkway on the side). The central span is 170 meters long. Construction began in 1882 and was completed in 1884, although it was inaugurated with a grand opening on March 25, 1886. It was designed by the Spanish architect Pelayo Mancebo y Ágreda, with the construction work carried out by a Belgian firm and construction costs being divided between the Portuguese and Spanish governments.

It is sometimes erroneously called Ponte Eiffel de Valença (Eiffel Bridge of Valença); although the architect Gustave Eiffel (of tower fame) was one of seven candidates who submitted proposals for the project, his was not adopted. However, the chosen design of Mancebo may have been inspired by Eiffel.

MT 2:35 PM – Valença: selfie of MT and Don at Portuguese end of Ponte Internacional.

MT 2:35 PM – Valença: sign at Portuguese end of Ponte Internacional, showing the upper deck, for railroad, leading across to Tui.

MT 2:36 PM – Valença: lower deck of Ponte Internacional, with pedestrian walkway, leading across to Tui.

MT 2:40 PM – Tui: Don at Spanish end of Ponte Internacional.

NOTE: Although Brierley’s guidebook had pointed out that the time in Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal, we unfortunately forgot to set our watches ahead when we crossed into Spain. We did not figure this out until Tuesday morning; then it explained some strange time-related turns of events the rest of Monday.

MT 2:43 PM – Tui: Sign for entering “Provincia de Pontevedra” (Province of Pontevedra) in “Comunidad de Galicia” (Community of Galicia), with Galicia’s coat of arms.

Galicia (Galiza in the local Galego language) is a comunidad autonóma (autonomous community, comunidade autónoma in Galego, the highest level of political and administrative division in Spain), that contains 4 provinces. Since the 13th century, the coat of arms of Galicia has a golden chalice on a field of blue. This symbol originated due to the phonetic similarity between the words “chalice” (cáliz in Spanish or Galego, cálice in Portuguese) and Galyce (“Galicia” in the old Norman language). Centuries later, a field of crosses was added to the blue background, and even later also a silver host above the chalice. The crown above the shield comes from a time when the Kingdom of Galicia was a separate monarchy.

Coat of arms of Galicia

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicia_(Spain)#/media/File:Escudo_de_Galicia_2.svg).

The mountains of Galicia are the first object in 5,000 km that the westerly winds coming off the Atlantic hit; so there is an immediate change in weather with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms and thick mountain fog—reminiscent of other Celtic lands, particularly the west of Ireland. Galicia is Spain’s greenest region. Galicia and its people retain many traces of the Celts, who swept through from 900-600 BC and did not relinquish their hold on this land until the arrival of the Romans in 137 BC. The name Galicia derives from the Latin Callaecia, later Gallaecia, related to the name of an ancient Celtic tribe that resided here and coexisted with the Romans for 3 centuries, the golden age of Celtic culture. The Romans called these people Gallaeci and then applied their name to all the other tribes in the northwest who spoke the same language and lived the same lifestyle. The Celtic character of this land is evident in the Galicians’ favorite traditional instrument, the bagpipes.

Hundreds of ruined hilltop castras [Spanish: castros], or fortified Celtic settlements, survive. Even before the Celtic centuries, the native people lived in pallozas, conical-shaped stone houses with thatched roofs. Galicia’s population remains overwhelmingly rural; 3 out of 10 Galician families live off the land, the highest proportion of any European region. Galicians are also renowned for their belief in magic, witches, and superstition. In many cases, this pagan belief in the spirit world has grafted itself onto Christianity.

Isolated from the rest of Spain by a bulwark of mountains on the east and south, Galicia remained relatively free from Muslim influence. As the Muslim invaders consolidated their conquests in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, Galicia constituted a political unit within the medieval kingdoms of Asturias and León, although it maintained a certain autonomy that allowed it sometimes to emerge as an independent kingdom. Galician culture showed greater affinity for Portuguese culture than for that of Spain until the final separation of the two countries in 1668. Galicia came under the rule of the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella), who established the Junta of the Kingdom of Galicia in 1495. By that time, Galicia had firm economic and religious ties to the central kingdom (Spain) because of the importance of Santiago de Compostela as a pilgrim destination.

A regional herd of a million dairy and beef cattle provide superb meat and milk; the latter is used to make farmhouse cheeses such as the semi-soft breast-shaped queixo tetilla. Beside tapas, seafood is a particular delight: pulpo a Gallego (tender octopus), pulpo a feira (boiled or broiled octopus), and scallops are famed. Those savory fish and meat pies called empenadas, usually stuffed with salted cod or tuna although sometimes with shellfish or pork, are native to Galicia, as is the famous lacón con grelos (cured pork shoulder with turnip tops and chorizo sausage). The best Galician wine is the fruity, full-bodied, white Albariño, perfect with seafood. The acidic and slightly sparkling Ribeiro wine, the popular everyday wine of Galicia, is often served in a ceramic bowl or up. Asturias is known for its sidra (hard cider), served carbonated or still; but this is also common in Galicia.

Thick hot soups (caldo gallego) and rich vegetable and meat stews are typical cuisine. Nearer to the coast, fish dishes such as pulpo a la gallega (steamed octopus dusted with paprika) and mariscos (shellfish) will dominate. Common desserts are queso y membrillo (local cheese with quince jelly) and the famous tarta de Santiago (almond cake dusted with powdered sugar outlining the shape of the cross of Santiago). Wooden and stone granaries (hórreos) are everywhere, for storing the local harvest (primarily corn, maíz) out of reach of rat and rain. Galicia is very green because it rains so often.

Caldo gallego in Spanish (or simply caldo in Galician) is literally Galician broth, a traditional soup dish from Galicia. Ingredients include repollo (white cabbage) or other greens [kale, verzas (collard greens), grelos, or navizas/nabizas (sweet turnip greens)]; potatoes; white beans; and unto (lard). Additionally, it can contain garbanzos (chickpeas), fatty pork, chorizo [sausage], ham, or bacon (compagno). Galicia also has its own language, Galician (Gallego in Spanish or Galego in Galician). It is the westernmost of the romance languages, having split off from Latin in the early Middle Ages (around the 9th century). Modern Galician and its sibling, Portuguese, originated from a common medieval ancestor, the language that developed in the old Kingdom of Galicia, which covered the territories of modern-day Galicia, Asturias, and northern Portugal. Therefore, Galician is closely related to Portuguese (more so than to Spanish). During the Reconquista, in the 11th and 12th centuries, Galicia pushed south into what is now Portugal; today, the southern dialect of Galician is called Portuguese. Gallego was considered the elegant court language in León as late as the 13th century. Troubadours sang Galician songs in the great halls, and King Alfonso X used the language for his Cantigos (Canticles) to the Virgin.

Under the Statute of Autonomy of Galicia (1978), the Galician language is co-official with Spanish. Signs in (and near) Galicia are most often in the Galician language rather than Castilian Spanish. The most notable spelling differences are that X replaces J, as in Xunta (junta) or Perexe (Pereje); R replaces L, as in praia (playa) or praza (plaza); EI replaces E, as in cruceiro (crucero); O replaces UE, as in porta (puerta), fonte (fuente), or ponte (puente); Ñ replaces N, as in camiño (camino). Other differences are, o/os (el/los), a/as (la/las), do/dos (del/de los), da/das (de la/de las), no (en el), co (con el), unha (una), e (y), and use of igrexa (iglesia); a logo (hasta luego). The Xunta de Galicia once had a web site for translating Galego to Spanish or English and vice versa: www.xunta.es/tradutor (no longer available?); the Xunta de Galicia also has a site for translating between Castelán (Spanish), Galego, and Portuguese at 
http://tradutorgaio.xunta.gal/TradutorPublico/traducir/index.

In the 1991 census, a massive 91% of inhabitants said they were able to speak Galego, the region's Portuguese-like language. Galego is still the majority language in Galicia, although there is a tendency for Spanish to gain ground in daily use. Galego tends to be heard more in rural areas, and it is still thought of as an old person's language. After Galicia was granted autonomous government in 1981, the study of the language took off.

Galician music is firmly Celtic, and perhaps nothing shows the links between northern Celtic nations and Galicia better than the gaita (Galician bagpipe).

In Galicia, municipios [municipalities in Spanish] are called concellos, which break down into different parroquias [parishes] that in turn contain towns and villages.

Pontevedra is a city (pop. 75,000) that is the capital of both the Comarca (County) and Provincia (Province) of Pontevedra in Galicia. It is also the capital of the municipality (pop. 82,549) of the same name.

MT 2:44 PM – Tui: MT with sign for entering Tui.

Tui (the Galician name, but the official Spanish spelling is Tuy) is a city (pop. 15,000) in a municipality of the same name (pop. 17,262) in the Province of Pontevedra, located on the north bank of the Río Miño, facing the Portuguese town of Valença. The fertile valley of the Miño accommodated human settlement since prehistoric times. (Highway construction has uncovered vestiges of human occupation dated from the Lower Paleolithic period.) In the castreña period (8th-7th centuries BC to the 1st century AD), stable and fortified settlements, called castros (hill fortresses) were constructed on the tops of mountains and hills. The Romanization of the area began in 137 BC. At that time, the inhabitants of the castros began to leave the high areas and to descend to the banks of the river. The original name, Tude, was mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, who documented the existence of Castallum Tude and the mythical foundation of the city by the Greek hero Diomedes, son of the hero Tideo (hence the name Tude). The adjective for the city and its people is still Tudenese (tudense in Spanish). It became an episcopal see no later than the 6th century, during the Suevic (Swabian) rule. After the Swabians were integrated into the Visigothic kingdom (585), it briefly served as the capital of a Galician subkingdom. At the beginning of the 8th century, the city of Tui was devastated during the Moorish invasion. After the campaigns of King Alfonso of Asturias (739-757) against the Moors, Tui was liberated in 739 and 860; however, the town lay abandoned in the largely empty buffer zone between Moors and Christians. During the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias (850-866), it was part of a repopulation effort. In 915, Ordoño II restored the episcopal see. Later in the 10th century, Tui was raided and plundered by the Vikings and abandoned, with the episcopal see vacated until 1071, when it was re-established by King García of Galicia. With the independence of the Kingdom of Portugal in the early 12th century, Tui became the scene of multiple border struggles over the centuries. In 1170, King Fernando II ordered the transfer of the Tudenese population from the area of San Bartolomeu to the current location and endowed it with a system of walls of which several sections are still preserved. The city then began to recover its splendor and became the capital of a province named after it in the Kingdom of Galicia. In the medieval centuries, Tui was an important commercial center, with a dynamic river port, and became an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago.

Tui: Coat of arms of Tui

(https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuy_(Pontevedra)#/media/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Tui.svg).

The coat of arms of Tui shows the glory and nobility of the city from very remote times in its sky blue shield; in the left half is a silver half-moon and in the right half three gold stars. The moon represents the population and the nobility that assists it; the stars (from top to bottom) represent King Alfonso (who recovered Tui from the Moors), Ordoño I (who repopulated it after the war), and Fernando II (who moved the city to the current site). Above the shield is a golden crown.

MT 2:54 PM – Tui: crucero (cross) by gas station.

MT 2:56 PM – Tui: our first view of Cathedral on hill.

We entered Tui along highway N-551, on which we had crossed the International Bridge.

MT 2:59 PM – Tui: closer view of Cathedral on hill, from along highway.

We passed a small park with “Monumento al Peregrino MMV” (Monument to the Pilgrim 2005).

MT 3:02 PM – Tui: MT at Monumento al Peregrino with statue of Santiago Peregrino; “Agua No Potable” (Water Not Potable) by fountain.

MT 3:03 PM – Tui: Don at Monumento al Peregrino with statue of Santiago Peregrino; “Agua No Potable” (Water Not Potable) by fountain.

On the way to our hotel, MT stopped at two peluquerias (hair dressers’ salons) to inquire about a haircut; the first place wanted only €20 but couldn’t get to her until the next day, and the second, KM Peluqueria, was €26 and could take her that afternoon. So she made an appointment for 4 pm to allow time to shower at the hotel.

We arrived at Hotel Colón (3-star) at what we thought was around 2:30 pm (it was actually 3:30). We got stamps (now called sellos in Spanish) for our credenciales.

Tui: sello stamp from “Hotel Colon Tuy, S.L.”

S.L. or SL stands for sociedad limitada, similar to British Ltd. (limited) or the American LLC (limited liability company). The Spanish SL can also stand for sociedad de responsabilidad limitada, which literally means limited liability company and can also be abbreviated SRL.

We both showered and washed a few clothes and hung them in the bathroom to dry (our room had no balcony).

Then MT went to the hair dresser at what she thought was 4 pm (but was actually 5 pm); the hairdresser didn’t say anything about being an hour late.

Meanwhile, Don asked the hotel reception clerk about a place to look for a new camera, and she sent him back toward the center of town to a store with lots of electronic stuff; Don found that store (but on the wrong street). He found a mobile phone store on the same street as the hotel (Rúa Colón), asked about cameras, and they sent him back past the hotel on that street to what seemed to be a photography studio, called Jesus Fotografo. Don asked the man there if there was a place nearby to buy a camera. The man, who spoke almost no English, asked if he wanted a grande (large) or pequeño (small) one. Don explained (in Spanish, the best he could) that he needed a small digital camera and what had happened to his old camera. The man had only one such camera on a shelf, a Nikon Colorpix S4200; he had to scan the bar code to find out how much it cost; the computer said €135 in one column, but another column said €108 ($120.95 at the current exchange rate), which was what he asked. (Later, Don looked up this camera online and found one on eBay for $180; so this was a really good deal—he must have felt sorry for Don’s situation.) The man then showed Don how to use the camera (including the wrist strap, because of how Don lost his last camera) since the only operator’s manual was on a CD. All this conversation was mostly in Spanish, although the man threw in a little English when he knew the words. The only thing he couldn’t answer (either because he didn’t understand or because he didn’t know how) was how to reduce the size of photos from the camera’s 16-megapixel capability to a smaller size that would take up less storage space in the camera or computer. When Don showed him a 1-GB SD card he happened to have with him, the man said the 16-MP photos would fill that up too soon, and he threw in an 8-GB SD card at no charge. Don went outside and took a photo of the front of our hotel, but couldn’t see how to view the photo; so he went back into the store to ask the man, who showed him how. Then Don went back to the hotel and found a computer in the lobby where he could use the CD operator’s manual to find out how to change photo size from 16 MP to 8, 4, or 2. Since his old Kodak camera had been set on 3 MP, Don decided on 4 MP.

5:56 PM – Tui: Hotel Colón exterior (1st photo with Don’s new camera).

Across the street (Rúa Colón) was the Biblioteca Pública Municipal de Tui (Municipal Public Library of Tui) with a crucero in front of it.

5:57 PM – Tui: crucero (side with crucified Christ) across from Hotel Colón by Biblioteca Pública Municipal de Tui.

5:57 PM – Tui: crucero (other side with Virgin) in front of Biblioteca Pública Municipal de Tui with Hotel Colón down street on other side.

The Biblioteca Pública Municipal de Tui (Municipal Public Library of Tui) is located on the first floor of the Área Panorámica (Panoramic Area) exhibition hall building, which also houses the Teatro Municipal (Municipal Theater).

6:04 PM – Tui: another crucero (side with crucified Christ) near corner of Rúa Colón and Rúa Ordoño.

6:04 PM – Tui: same crucero (side with Virgin).

Then Don went to the hairdresser to check on MT and gave her her iPhone, which she had loaned to him when he didn’t have a camera. She thought she might not be done before 6 pm and [still thought] it was only 5 pm; so Don took a whirlwind tour of the Cathedral, Church of San Telmo, Convent of San Francisco (with tunnel for Camino), and Church of San Francisco, then back on the main boulevard and then took a side street, Rúa Rosa Bahamonde, toward the hotel.

6:08 PM – Tui: Cathedral – from street to north, with bell tower and tower over end of north transept (the clock on the transept tower shows the time as just after 7 o’clock).

The Catedral de Santa María de Tuy (Cathedral of St. Mary of Tuy), on Plaza San Fernando, is located on a hill in the highest part of the city. Antecedents of this magnificent construction date back to an early Paleochristian basilica of the 5th-6th centuries, in the time of the Suevic (Swabian) Kingdom. The current cathedral (12th-15th centuries) began to take shape after the Moorish and Norman invasions (10th-11th centuries), when the city was again established as an episcopal seat. It has the appearance of a fortress, with crenellated towers, passageways, and passages. It preserves Romanesque elements in its main vestibule, and the Gothic period in the western vestibule.

Construction of the Cathedral began in 1120 and was completed in 1180, in the Romanesque style, with extraordinary richness and variety. However, the Cathedral was not consecrated until 1225. Originally, its exterior walls were free of decoration except for a set of Romanesque windows. Later diverse decorative Gothic elements were added. The Romanesque cathedral took the shape of a Latin cross. At the ends of the original cathedral were the towers, giving it the appearance of a defensive fortress, which would be enhanced in 1424 with the Tower of San Andrés in the northern part and by the Tower of Soutomaior in the southwest corner of the Gothic cloister, in 1408. The transept towers would be removed in the 18th century, with only the bell tower surviving. Its Romanesque architectural style influenced the entire region of Galicia and the Portuguese Minho region, especially in the region of the medieval bishopric of Tui, between the Miño and Limia rivers.

Starting in the last quarter of the 12th century, the Cathedral would be completed in the Gothic style, mainly in its longitudinal nave and vaults. The exceptional Gothic western (main) façade, dating from approximately 1225, is considered the first Gothic sculptural group of the Iberian Peninsula; the originality of its arrangement makes it unique. The Gothic cloister, built in the second half of the 13th century, is the only medieval one preserved in all the Galician cathedrals; it underwent restoration in 1408, at which time the defensive Tower of Soutomaior was integrated into its southwest corner.

Together with the Concatedral de Vigo, this Cathedral is one of the episcopal sees of the Diocese of Tuy-Vigo. In 1959, the original name of the diocese, Diocese de Tuy, was modified to the Diocese of Tuy-Vigo, and the Cathedral of Tuy was designated as a co-cathedral to the collegiate church of Santa María de Vigo.

Tui: Cathedral –north portal

(https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_de_Tuy#/media/File:Tui,_catedral,_S._Epitacio,_portada_setentrional_rom%C3%A1nica.jpg).

The North Portico is in the Romanesque style, except for the upper part, which was completed in the Gothic period. It is flanked by four columns and has triple semicircular archivolt over the smooth tympanum. The mochetas (corbels) that support the tympanum bear the images of a bear and a wolf. Over the door are two continuous wall arches, in turn encompassed in a larger arch. In the middle of the larger arch is a statue of a bishop, St. Epitacio, the first bishop of the diocese, resting on an old pre-Romanesque capital reused from the primitive church.

6:09 PM – Tui: Cathedral – north side, with north portal at left, bell tower, and statue of Knight Templar between windows of tower at right.

Tui: Cathedral – statue of Knight Templar on north exterior

(https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_de_Tuy#/media/File:Tuy-Templario-en-la-catedral-AlejandraManteca.JPG).

6:10 PM – Tui: Cathedral – sign for “Catedral de Santa María” with text in Spanish only, which translates:

“Maximum exponent of the artistic richness of this city, it is distinguished by the appearance of a fortress. It construction began in the 12th century, in the full Romanesque style, which corresponds to the style of its floorplan, the north portal, and the magnificent iconography of the capitals of this church. The Gothic sculpture on the main façade is the first work of this style made on the Iberian Peninsula; its tympanum has two registers. Represented in the lower [register] is the birth of Jesus and in the upper the Adoration of the Magi, being completed in the upper part with a vision of the heavenly Jerusalem. This church was consecrated by Bishop Esteban Egea in 1225.

“In its interior stands out the altarpiece of the Expectation, made by the Redondelano [from Redondelo] sculptor Antonio del Villar, even though the central image of the Virgin is from the 16th century. The reliquary altar of the Chapel of the Relics, executed by the carver Francisco Castro, stands out for its fine work. Finally, located in the capilla mayor [main chapel, chancel] is the choir made in 1699 by Francisco Castro Canseco, with an iconographic program based on the lift of San Telmo, patron of the city, in the lower chairs and the Virgin Mary in the upper ashlar.

“Inside the church, in the old Capilla de Santa Catalina [Chapel of St. Catherine], is the Cathedral Museum with the pieces of treasure of this see, among which stand out the processional cross of Bishop Tolosa of 1602, the ciborium of coco [coconut?] of the 15th [century], and the carving of the Virgin, known as the Patrona [Patroness, Patron Saint], dating back to the 14th century,

“The cloister, the only original one preserved in the Galician cathedrals, is a superb work of the Gothic, highlighting the landscape that is contemplated from the Tower of the Soutomaior and the primitive Romanesque Chapter House of the 12th century.”

6:11 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main façade and main portal with portico.

6:11 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main façade and main portal with portico; part of crenelated wall to right.

6:18 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main portal.

The main portal, on the western façade, is attributed to French stonemasons. The statues on columns to the left depict Moses, Isaiah, St. Peter, and St. John the Baptist, while those on the right show Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, Jeremiah, and Daniel (other sources list the king as Alfonso IX and the queen as Queen Berengaria). The tympanum develops the cycle of the Nativity: the lower register (lintel) shows the Annunciation (of the Angel to Mary), the Birth (with the Virgin in four-poster canopy bed and Joseph on the right side in a pensive attitude resting on his staff), and the Annunciation to the Shepherds; in the upper register is the interview of the Magi with Herod (shown with crossed legs, a sign of his personality) and the Adoration of the Kings. Crowning the whole is a representation of the Heavenly Jerusalem. Work on the portal was begun in 1210 and completed in 1225, when the bishop finally consecrated the cathedral. The west portal is sheltered by a vaulted portico, made around 1250, which extends the sacred space of the church to the plaza in front of the cathedral. The portico has a curious representation of the Annunciation in the pillars its front corners, the Angel Gabriel on one side and the Virgin on the other, from the 14th century.

Tui: Cathedral – detail of the Birth in tympanum of main portal

(https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_Santa_Mar%C3%ADa_de_Tuy#/media/File:Tui_cathedral_detail.jpg).

6:20 PM – Tui: Cathedral – quick shot from rear of nave to main altar in apse with choir stalls (from near ticket counter).

6:21 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main portal, carvings on right door (from inside or left from outside).

6:21 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main portal, carvings on same door (left from outside).

6:21 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main portal, carvings on right door (from outside).

On the north side of the Cathedral, near its rear, was the Plaza de la Misericórdia, with a crucero (cross).

6:24 PM – Tui: crucero in Plaza de la Misericórdia – side with crucified Christ; in left background is the entrance to the Túnel de la Misericórdia.

The Plaza de la Misericórdia (Square of Mercy) is set back off Rúa (or Calle) Párroco Rodríguez Vásquez street, between the east end of the Cathedral and the west side of Capela de la Misericórdia (Chapel of Mercy). It was formed when the Capela de San Telmo (Chapel of St. Telmo) in the Cathedral was extended toward the east in 1732.

The Túnel de la Misericórdia (Tunnel of Mercy), located between the Cathedral and the Capela de la Misericórdia (Chapel of Mercy), passes under the east side of the Cathedral, leading from the Plaza de la Misericórdia to the Calle Entrehornos (aka Rúa Entrefornos, either one meaning street between the ovens).

Around behind the Cathedral on Rúa Párroco Rodríguez Vásquez was the very small Capela de la Misericórdia.

6:23 PM – Tui: Capela de la Misericórdia directly behind Cathedral – front and west side; tower of Iglesia de San Telmo in left background, Plaza de la Misericórdia to right of chapel.

The Capela de la Misericórdia (Chapel of Mercy) had its origin in 1542 with the purpose of burying the destitute and helping the needy. The current chapel is the result of various renovations, retaining part of the 16th-century façade, when the chapel was composed of three naves with the entrance to the west. Inside, the highlights are the main altarpiece, a 16th-century Renaissance work; the Christ on the cross, also from the 14th century; and the image of La Dolorosa (Lady of Sorrows) from 1909. Also kept inside are many of the statues used in Holy Week processions in the city. The façade dates from 1575.

6:29 PM – Tui: Capela de la Misericórdia Misericórdia – figures above main door on façade, with inscriptions including the year “1575” (telephoto 81 mm).

6:24 PM – Tui: Capela de la Misericórdia - interior, view from rear of nave to main altar (taken through bars of iron gate).

6:26 PM – Tui: on street between Capela de la Misericórdia and Iglesia de San Telmo – stone sign for Rúa Párroco [parish priest] Rodríguez Vázquez [formerly called] Rúa da Pedreira [quarry] (14th century), Rúa do Outeiro [hill] (15th century), Rúa da Misericórdia (19th century) (telephoto 81 mm).

6:27 PM – Tui: Near Iglesia de San Telmo – stone sign for Rúa San Telmo Antes [Formerly] Rúa da Porta Vergaa, Rúa do Corpo Santo [Street of the Holy Body] (telephoto 105 mm).

At the intersection of Rúa Párroco Rodríguez Vázquez and Rúa San Telmo, Don came to the Iglesia de San Telmo or Igrexa de San Telmo.

6:26 PM – Tui: Iglesia de San Telmo – façade.

The Iglesia de San Telmo or in Galego Igrexa de San Telmo (Church of St. Telmo) is considered a unique example of the Portuguese Baroque style in Galicia and is located in the vicinity of the Cathedral. In the 15th century, a small chapel was built on the house where the Saint died around 1240. Construction of the present church was begun in 1769, although its completion date was delayed until 1803. In the initial project, two lateral towers were planned, but due to a lack of financial means, they were reduced to a single central tower. The statue of San Telmo on the façade stands on a base with the date 1872. Below the chapel is the crypt in which the relics of the saint are buried (except for his head, which is now in a reliquary in the Capela de San Telmo in the Cathedral of Tui).

Inside the chapel, four medallions, on the respective corners of the chapel, are illustrated with the miracles of San Telmo. They are linked with the lower elements by a fat ribbon that borders the medallions and ends with a trefoil (three-leaf clover) motif at the top. The altarpiece of the main altar, together with the other two, were made between 1797 and 1799. The altarpiece presents more of a structural than an ornamental solution. There are two pairs of smooth columns, one pair at the sides of the altar and one flanking the image of the Saint. All four columns are topped by golden Corinthian capitals, while the shafts are a marbling blue. The image of San Telmo is on a cloud suspended in the middle of the altarpiece, standing out against a plain and simple white background. Other highlights of the church are its gilded dome and early 19th-century frescoes.

The Blessed Peter González, sometimes referred to as Pedro González Telmo, Saint Elmo, or Saint Telmo (San Telmo in Spanish) was a Castilian Dominican friar and priest, born in 1190 in Frómista, Province of Palencia, Kingdom of Castile and León. He became a renowned preacher and spent much of his life as a court preacher and chaplain. After retiring from the royal court, he devoted the remainder of his life to preaching in northwest Spain (Asturias and Galicia) and developed a special mission to Spanish and Portuguese seamen. In his old age, he retired in Tui, Galicia, then in the Kingdom of Castile and León, where he died in 1246 while trying to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. At his death, he was known among the people as “corpo santo” (the holy body). He is the patron of the city.

He was beatified as “Blessed” in 1254, and his cultus was confirmed in 1741; however, despite his common epithet of “saint,” he was never canonized. The diminutive “Elmo” (or “Telmo”) belongs properly to the martyr-bishop Saint Erasmus (died c. 303), of whose name “Elmo” is a contraction. Erasmus is the patron saint of sailors in general, while Peter González is the patron of Spanish and Portuguese sailors specifically; thus, they have both been popularly invoked as “Saint Elmo” (San Telmo).

6:27 PM – Tui: Iglesia de San Telmo – interior, view from rear of nave to main altar in apse (taken through iron gate) (horizontal).

6:27 PM – Tui: Iglesia de San Telmo – interior, view from rear of nave to main altar in apse (taken through iron gate) (vertical, showing the trefoils topping the medallions and part of dome).

From there, Don headed back toward the Cathedral and then to the north on Rúa das Monxas (Street of the Nuns), which led toward the Convento y Iglesia de las Clarisas.

6:31 PM – Tui: Approaching Convento e Iglesia de las Clarisas on Rúa das Monxas.

The Convento y Iglesia de las Clarisas (Convent and Church of the Poor Clares) is also known as Convento de las Clarisas o Encerradas (Convent of the Poor Clares or Locked-Ins) or the Convento das Monxas Encerradas (Convent of the Locked-In Nuns). The Clarisas are known in Tui as “las Encerradas” or “as Encerradas” in Galego (the Locked-Ins). The convent is also known (on its own website) as Monasterio de Santa María de la Concepción (Convent of St. Mary of the Conception). The convent was founded in 1524 on the site where an old Romanesque church of Santa María de Oliveira and part of the bishop‘s palace had been located. At first, the nuns occupied only a dormitory and refectory house. In 1545, the old church was destroyed. Construction of the current convent began in 1605, and (after the original convent church fell into ruin by 1679) construction of the current church began in 1688. The church was consecrated in 1693. Both the church and the convent are in a style combining the Portuguese Baroque and Mannerism, but preserve the old door of Santa María da Oliveira. There are magnificent bars on the windows of the convent.

6:32 PM – Tui: Convento e Iglesia de las Clarisas – statue of Mary the Immaculate Conception in niche over church door (telephoto 81 mm).

6:32 PM – Tui: Túnel de las Monxas – entrance to tunnel down steps at end of Rúa das Monxas; plaque on the wall at top right is for “Rúa das Monxas Antes [formerly] Da Oliveira”; the yellow arrow on the wall at the left indicated that the Camino route goes this way.

The Túnel de las Monxas (Tunnel of the Nuns), from the 16th century, is located at the end of Rúa das Monxas, the street that leads to the Convent of the Poor Clares. It is a vaulted passageway under the convent, and connects the upper part of the city and the area between the walls. (The old medieval wall around the upper part of the city was built in the 12th-13th centuries; as the city grew, another wall was built in the 17th-18th centuries.) The Camino route passes through this tunnel on the way out of the medieval city.

6:33 PM – Tui: Convento e Iglesia de las Clarisas - view back south on Rúa das Monxas, of convent with elaborate bars on the windows, bell tower of church, and top of Cathedral in distance.

6:37 PM – Tui: Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice), which seemed to be a police station, with statue of “Fray R. Salvado” in patio in front of it. (The clock on the building shows 6:40).

Father Rosendo Salvado (Lucas José Rosendo Salvado y Rotea) was born in Tui in 1814. After completing his first studies in the Convento de San Francisco (the current Minor Seminary of Tui) in 1828, he entered the Benedictine monastery of San Martín Pinario in Santiago de Compostela and took his final vows in 1832. In 1835, he was stripped of the Benedictine habit during the Confiscation of Mendizábel (abolishing religious orders in Portugal) and returned to his home in Tui. However, in 1838, he joined the Benedictine monastery in Naples, Italy, and was ordained a priest there in 1839. In 1845, he and three other monks desiring to become missionaries went to England, from whence they sailed to Australia. While other monks tended to the white settlers, he and another Spanish monk evangelized the aborigines. In 1949, Salvado was consecrated Bishop of Port Essington, but after Port Essington was abandoned, he was left a bishop without a see. In 1867, he became the first abbot of the Territorial Abbey of New Norica (named after the birthplace of St. Benedict), in Western Australia. He returned to Europe in 1899 and died in a Benedictine convent in Rome in 1900.

In front of Salvado’s statue in Tui is the statue of an aborigine woman and child, with a plaque in Spanish and English; English text [edited per Spanish]:

“In gratitude to the tuden[e]se Fr. Rosendo Salvado for his dedication and apostolic work with the aborigines in New Norica, Australia, on this 160th anniversary [of the founding of Nova Nursia (New Norica) … June 2007].”

Next we came to the Convento y Iglesia de San Francisco (Monastery and Church of St. Francis).

6:38 PM – Tui: Convento y Iglesia de San Francisco.

The Iglesia de San Francisco (Church of St. Francis), also known as Iglesia de San Antonio de Pádua (Church of St. Anthony of Padua), was originally part of the Franciscan complex of the Convento de San Antonio (Monastery of St. Anthony), whose construction began in 1682. The church was completed in 1723. The church, in the Neoclassical style, has three naves and a simple bell tower on the left (north) side with two bodies and little ornamentation. The balanced, white façade has simple forms typical of the academic Baroque (although most would call it Neoclassical). The interior inclines more toward the Baroque than Neoclassicism.

The Convento de San Francisco de Tui (Monastery of St. Francis of Tui), originally known as Convento de San Antonio (Monastery of St. Anthony) was built in 1682. It was occupied by members of the Orden de San Francisco (Order of St. Francis) until religious orders in Portugal were abolished in the Confiscation of Mendizábel in 1835. Since 1850, part of the convent houses the Minor Seminary of the Diocese of Tui-Vigo.

6:38 PM – Tui: Iglesia de San Francisco – bell tower and façade.

6:40 PM – Tui: Iglesia de San Francisco – sign on façade (under street lamp) for “Iglesia de San Francisco” with text in Spanish only, which translates:

“This church was originally part of the Franciscan Convent [Monastery] of St. Anthony, built between 1682 and 1828, with an outstanding Baroque altarpiece of 1741 ‘work of Portuguese artists’, the lateral altarpieces, a half-orange dome and a large choir. On the south side is the chapel of the ‘Venerable Third Order’ built in 1777.

“The old convent is currently the diocesan Minor Seminary, since 1850, with two cloisters, one Baroque and open.”

6:40 PM – Tui: Iglesia de San Francisco – statue of St. Francis (no, MT said it was St. Anthony!) over main door.

According to some Internet sources, a statue of St. Francis is on the pediment over the main door; however, MT correctly said it was actually St. Anthony, for whom the convent and church were originally named.

From there, Don went back to the Palacio de Justicia, where he turned on Rúa Rosa Bahamonde to head back toward Hotel Colón. On that narrow street, he came across Café Bar Scala, which had a good menu peregrino (pilgrim menu) for only €8.

6:42 PM – Tui: Café Bar Scala – pilgrim menu in English and Spanish.

6:43 PM – Tui: Café Bar Scala – outdoor seating across (pedestrianized) street from the café; on the other side by the door were menus for tapas and raciones (like tapas but larger portions).

Rúa Rosa Bahamonde (after a few steps down) came out onto Rúa Martinez Padin, half a block from the hairdresser and near the hotel.

The hair stylist saw Don looking for MT and motioned that she had already gone. So Don went back to the hotel, and MT came at [what we thought was] 6:01 with fruit from a grocery store: 4 bananas (listed as “platano canario” on the bill) and a tomato (total €1.40).

Before 7 pm [we thought], we both headed for the Cathedral, where we got sellos, but we didn’t pay €4 each for entry. The man at the ticket counter said they were closing in 15 minutes, which we thought was strange since he had told Don earlier that they closed at 8:00 (we still hadn’t figured out the 1-hour time difference).

Tui: sello from “Sant Iglesia Catedral Tui” (Holy Church Cathedral Tuy), around picture of façade.

7:44 PM – Tui: Cathedral – main portal.

On the main portal, the statues on columns to the left depict Moses, Isaiah, St. Peter, and St. John the Baptist, while those on the right show Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, Jeremiah, and Daniel (other sources list the king as Alfonso IX and the queen as Queen Berengaria). The tympanum develops the cycle of the Nativity: the lower register shows the Annunciation (of the Angel to Mary), the Birth (with the Virgin in four-poster canopy bed and Joseph on the right side in a pensive attitude resting on his staff), and the Annunciation to the Shepherds; in the upper register is the interview of the Magi with Herod (shown with crossed legs, a sign of his personality) and the Adoration of the Kings. Crowning the whole is a representation of the Heavenly Jerusalem. Work on the portal was begun in 1210 and completed in 1225,

7:45 PM – Tui: Cathedral – statues on left side of main portal (left to right: Moses, Isaiah, St. Peter, and St. John the Baptist).

7:45 PM – Tui: Cathedral – statues on tympanum (Nativity cycle) and right side of main portal (right to left: King Solomon [or Alfonso IX], the Queen of Sheba [or Queen Berengaria], Jeremiah, and Daniel).

7:45 PM – Tui: Cathedral – MT under arch of portico outside main portal; view of crenellated wall to right of portico.

Then, at [what we thought was] 6:45, we went to the Turismo office across the Praza de San Fernando square from the Cathedral, but didn’t understand why it was already closed, since a sign said it closed at 7 pm. (We hadn’t yet figured out the 1-hour time difference.)

After leaving the Turismo and Cathedral area, we started looking for a place to eat dinner. We passed one place with a pilgrim menu and a sign that said it opened for dinner at 8 pm. [Still thinking it was only 7 pm], we went on, not wanting to wait an hour.

MT 7:50 PM – Tui: on the way to Café Bar Scala – pilgrim with yellow arrows pointing around corner.

Then we went to Café Bar Scala, also known as Cafetería [Coffeeshop] Scala, on Rúa Rosa Bahamonde, where we both ordered the pilgrim menu: 1st course: caldo galego (soup [see note on Galicia above]); 2nd course: merluza de la plancha (grilled hake) with cooked potatoes and green peppers; bottle of red wine; desert: both had tarta de helado (ice cream cake)—all for €8 each. The menu said there was a €0.20 charge for eating on the terraza (outdoor dining area), but the lady wasn’t going to charge us; however, MT gave her an extra €0.50. We got sellos.

Tui: sello from “Cafetería Scala, C/ [Calle = street] Rosa Bahamonde, 5 – Tuy, N.I.F. [Número de Identificação Fiscal = tax identification number] 34.097.963-A.”

8:09 PM – Tui: Café Bar Scala – Don’s caldo galego, with chunks of bread added.

8:21 PM – Tui: Café Bar Scala – Don’s merluza de la plancha with potatoes and green peppers.

8:36 PM – Tui: Café Bar Scala – Don’s tarta de helado.

MT 8:37 PM – Tui: sunset down Rúa Rosa Bahamonde from Café Bar Scala.

MT 8:46 PM – Tui: sunset down Rúa Rosa Bahamonde from Café Bar Scala.