The principal drive in the neighbourhood of Tuy is to the Portuguese frontier town of Valença, on the opposite side of the Miño. We started at 2 p.m., on a fine afternoon in the end of April, and enjoyed crossing the handsome bridge which joins Portugal to Spain above the blue waters of the largest river in Galicia. Portuguese sentinels in blue uniform greeted us on the farther bank, and questioned us in the language of their country as to our object, but they did not ask for passports. At the post office in Valença we posted Portuguese post-cards to various friends in memory of our afternoon visit [Illustration: PORCH OF TUY CATHEDRAL] to Portugal, and while we were writing them a group of respectably-dressed boys between the ages of twelve and sixteen gathered round us and watched us as we wrote. On my laughingly remonstrating with the postmaster, he replied, “You need not mind the boys; not one of them knows how to read.” So much for education in Portugal in the twentieth century! CHAPTER XXII ORENSE Our last view of Tuy Cathedral--Scenery between Tuy and Orense--Ribadavia--Boundaries of Orense--Crossing the Miño--The _Puente Mayor_--The hot springs--Their usefulness--The Cathedral of Orense--Its _Pórtico de Gloria_--The wonderful crucifix--The cloister--Santa Eufemia--Fight for her body--The oxen decide--Cardinal Quevado--Sculpture brought from Italy--Wood-carving--Spanish enamels--A silver crucifix--The reredos--The Orense Museum--Stone sarcophagi--Roman mosaics--A strange musical instrument--The Gallegan bagpipe--Orense and the Sueves--The Monastery of San Francisco--La Trinidad--Allariz--An interesting church--Convent of Santa Clara--Allariz mentioned by Ptolemy--Strongly fortified--_Aquasantas_--The parish church--_San Pedro de la Mezquita_--_Junquera de Ambia_--_El Mosteiro_ We rose early on a glorious April morning to catch the first train to Orense. The sun shone brilliantly, and the outline of the blue-grey hills with which Tuy is surrounded stood out clear and distinct. On some of these peaks there are still the ruins of fortifications raised by the ancient Celts when they fled from the Romans in the valley. As the railway omnibus was taking us through the pine woods to the station, we caught, at a bend in the road, a view of the Cathedral of Tuy. “What ancient castle is that?” I inquired of a fellow-passenger. “It is the Cathedral,” he replied, smiling. This was the second time that I had mistaken that edifice for a mediæval stronghold.