What goes up must come down

But there's no rule it can't just go straight back up! How is it that so many Camino days start off swiftly with steep climbs?

We've taken our time leaving the lovely alberge A Darcena do Frances. It has a bit of a French château look, and wonderful grounds. But it was unanimously agreed at the breakfast this morning that the mattresses are the best on the Camino so far! And there was much recognition of the value of Marion's great prize, a private bathroom😅

We end up having an extra coffee and a great conversation with Marion, a clinical psychiatrist, Beatrice a retired educator from Wales, and an Irish girl whose name none of us ever caught 😊 Such different inputs and life experiences, the conversation is lively, fast flowing, and so interesting. But hit the road we must!

Brad has over 24 hours of antibiotics in his system now, and is feeling so much better. The plan is for him to start out, walk as far as he can, then taxi if necessary to our nights lodgings on Pontevedra.

If anything was going to do him in, it should have been all those initial climbs! I realize now when the Camino Portugese is referred to as the flattest, what is really meant is "on average". We did spot the bread van going through the last little town, but all they had left were large loaves. We've learned this from last experience, in Spain the bread truck will deliver fresh bread to your door, and you can run out to buy some too. Way better than an ice cream truck! I told Brad I've read in a forum that some pilgrims thought it was bread left out for them, and just took it! Imagine the chagrin of the purchaser!

Today there are more pathside vendors, as after reaching Arcade in about 7 km, there path is mostly through forest. We buy a couple of apples from one, and a tuna empanada to share for lunch from another.

It's an easy going walk, after the initial hills. It's not an exciting day, rather a peaceful one. We are strolling along so well, in fact, that we decide to take a slightly longer alternative route that follows a river right into town. A perfect choice, leafy shade, birdsong, river current and little falls. Brad spots brilliant dragonflies, the brightest blue we've ever seen. It's funny what we're noticing...last night we had coffee after dinner in the garden, and watched 3 snails race around a chairs edge.

Pontevedra is a typical city at the outskirts, and we head straight to the old town area where our hostel is. A short rest then a quick explore for the night, puts us right at the Cathedral in time for pilgrims blessing. Not something we would normally do, but it seemed absolutely serendipitous, so we did. A mass in another language is so isolating, but allowed me to recognise the rituals and cadences from my childhood. There is a beauty to it.Read more