Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis

Lots to be thankful for today. I slept well (on a lower bunk) and woke early enough to be away from the albergue at about 7. The rain had stopped overnight ,although more rain was likely later in the morning.

I’d also been able to secure accommodation for the next 2 nights, about which more later.

I set off with purpose into the dark, mainly because I was retracing my steps back to the old city and so I knew exactly where I was going!

The Camino soon led out of the city and back into countryside. The roads and paths were wet after the rain and the forest in particular had that fresh rain smell.

For much of the morning the path followed the line of a railway line, which was sometimes at the same level as the Camino, but more often was on a concrete viaduct high above.

At various points, I caught up with and chatted to my South African and Italian friends.

The forecast rain came. But then lasted just long enough to fight my way into my poncho, usually with the assistance of a passing pilgrim to help get it over my backpack. It then stopped raining almost immediately, and so the poncho came back off again.

After 15 minutes, the rain did the same trick again. On went the poncho, this time long enough to enjoy the personal sauna effect inside. And then the rain stopped again.

A few pilgrims kept their ponchos on but most were doing the same routine as me.

For the last few km into Caldas de Reis, I chatted to 2 British pilgrims, a father and daughter. The father was a retired investment manager. Before we knew it, we’d covered the remaining distance and had arrived in Caldas de Reis, a town known for its hot springs since at least the Middle Ages.

I was feeling hungry and spotted a cafe in the middle of the town. I selected a chicken salad, which was very good.

Once I’d eaten, I located the town’s central bus stop, which turned out to be a minute away from the cafe. I needed to catch the next bus to Padrón, tomorrow’s destination, not because I wasn’t planning to walk there but because the only accommodation I’d been able to find, when searching last night, was a private albergue in Padrón.

The bus was a little late, which seems routine for Spanish local buses (at least based on my limited experience) but after only 25 minutes we’d covered 20km and were pulling into Padrón’s estación de autobús.Read more