El Camino, my Angel path

July 2, 2018 - Together with my friend Elena, we arrived in a border town called Tui. Located on the right bank of the Miño River overlooking the Portuguese city of Valença, Tui is a pleasant little place. Although it's just north of the Portuguese border, a shortened version of the 'Portuguese Way' of St James starts here. At 116 kilometers (72 miles) long, it was long enough for us to get our pilgrim certificate. Just me and Elena, as her friend dropped out at the last minute.

I found a hostel overnight and bought a pilgrim passport for the epic journey we were about to embark on.

I went to bed early because the hostel's curfew was 10:30. I hadn't been to bed that early in years, but it was the perfect preparation for what was to come.

Almost immediately, Elena complained of back problems from taking too much stuff. As a result, I had to carry her backpack alongside mine. In addition to the big backpack, Elena was also carrying two pl