Day 7: In two places at the same time

Dear traveler,

We woke up early today and without lingering for too long, we hit the road. The warm sunrise light is painting the streets and houses inside the citadel, but no one is brave enough to wake up. We're the only ones wandering around at this time of day, trying to be as quiet as possible. We leave the citadel, not before sending some postcards back home, from Portuguese lands.

A few steps forward and in front of us pops up the bridge that will take us to the Spanish shore. Now would be a good time to say goodbye to Portugal.

Oh how I'll miss you, land of sweet pastry and endless beaches and blackberries that grow in trees, and..., and...

And one step, two forward and we reach a line drawn under my feet.

Oh, that was it? Done, we're in Spain.

Nothing changed. Or? My folks tell me that the time has changed. Wait, how come?

- "Yes, marmot. In Portugal it was 8 and in Spain it's 7."

So wait a minute. It was 7 before, a few minutes ago. It was about the time I was coming to my senses and entering the citadel. I feel like I've been in two places at the same time. Weeeeird.

We entered Tui and the only difference I see are the blue with yellow shell milestones. The last time I saw a milestone like these we were leaving from Porto.

The Tui citadel is bustling with people, a few cafes are already open and a chocolate scent comes from the inside. It seems like everyone is awake here, even though the clock shows the same time it showed earlier in the Portuguese citadel. 

The trail takes us from the citadel further into the forest. As far as the eye can see, there are shades of deep green that remind me of Galicia. Actually, we might already be in Galicia. Oh god, how far we've walked! I'm hungry!

A coffee shop at the edge of the forest welcomes us in a beautiful garden terrace, a good moment to relax barefoot in the grass. My folks order a coffee but I don't want anything. My thoughts are still back with pastel de nata and I'm thinking of how could I quickly teleport across the border. As I aimlessly gaze through the glass cabinet with goodies in front of me, my eyes jump to a well known triangular shape that makes me drool instantly. Before I remember its name, my brain had already sent me the delicious taste of this marvel and, with it, some memories that carry a few years on their shoulders. I'm back in time on the paths of Spain, with my face sunburned but my belly full of.... tortilla con patatas. That was it!

The melancholic barrel I had fallen into earlier thinking about pastel de nata from across the border, passes with the first bite. Delicious!

Belly is full, we've sat barefoot in the grass and I even found a cat to pet. So let's go!

The classic shell milestone is always present now, showing us the little we've got left to Santiago de Compostela, but also other alternate routes that Mamarmot would certainly like to explore. Not today, Mamarmot!

The trail takes us along a river for a long time. Dragonflies of various colors flutter through the grasses that are swayed by the gentle current. They move so fast that the blue one I set my eyes on seems to be in two places at the same time. I look at them and realize that we are very similar. I also flutter along this path and let myself be guided by the river and the shell. I could use a pair of wings from time to time, but today, it's not that hard. Could be the effect of tortilla...

Soon, the path takes us out of the forest and a building pops in front of us. Given the number of people that are queuing at the entrance, it's an albergue, or more precisely, a xunta, as that's what they are called here, in Galicia. 

My parents say we'll be staying here until 14, when it opens and we'll see if we can get some beds... if not, we'll be walking further.

Sometimes it's not so fun to reach your destination early, as I feel the time moving like a snail. How I wish to be on the Portuguese time zone now. It would already be 14 something and I could already be on my way to a place where we could eat. My folks are chatting with a Japanese guy from Canada and I can't help but yawn, especially when they inevitably reach the topic "running". Adults can be so boring sometimes. Luckily I have my sketchbook with me and I start doodling a portrait of us. 

I almost finish my drawing when I see the door opening and one by one, a pilgrim disappears inside. If waiting for the xunta to open was hard, think again. It seems like each and every one of them are asked to tell their life's story, otherwise I can't explain why it's taking so long. It's our turn, finally and it's seems there's room for us as well, even though our beds are not next to each other this time. 

We get settled and then we go out in the small town because, obviously, I'm hungry. The town is pretty, clean, and full of places where you can eat. All closed. 

Before I can say something, my folks remember why there's no one on the streets and everything is closed. Siesta!

- "We'll return later, marmot. Until then we'll go out for our run."

But what about my stomach? It's running around for about an hour and makes creepy noises. I'll have to endure once more and see what I can do to make time move faster.

Siesta time passes slowly and once my folks return, we go back to the city, which now looks like nothing what we saw earlier. 

People are swarming everywhere, music, full restaurants and joy. We find ourselves a place where we enjoy a delicious tuna salad and tortilla con patatas. Now we're talking!

A thick blanket of clouds covers city as we continue exploring the narrow streets and apparently the only park around here. A sign shows us the distance to Porto, 149 kilometers, and I unsuccessfully try to remember how many days passed since we left.

We meet again with the Japanese guy from Canada and I catch him working on a sketch of a citadel that resembles the one in Tui. Finally, a conversation topic I'm interested in too! I show him my sketch and I see him slightly surprised by our portraits that apparently don't resemble us, but art is not discussed, it's felt, right?

It's about time to go to sleep so we say goodnight to each other and we return to our beds. Not being able to sleep near my folks seems a bit strange, but here we're all a big family somehow.

I feel really tired and I'm wondering why. Then I remember that today I travelled between two worlds. In case you didn't know, being in two places at the same time is kind of exhausting, although I wouldn't mind being able to do that all the time and travel here and there whenever I want. I would go see my cats right now, because I miss them so. Or even a short trip to Japan as I really miss a bowl of ramen. Thinking about delicious noodles that run away from my chopsticks, I slip into the world of slumber.