Day 28/17 Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis

When we set out this morning at 7:30, the temperature was a very humid 18 C and there were a few sunny breaks in the cloud cover.

We didn't have much of a chance to explore Pontevedra yesterday, but on our way out of town we discovered what a pretty and interesting city it is. The old town is really well preserved and maintained and there are lovely buildings everywhere. We even came across an archeological dig with some newly uncovered Roman ruins. Too bad we didn't have an extra day here.

Our destination today was Caldas de Reis, about 21 kilometers from Pontevedra. There are very few photos of today's journey for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there really wasn't much to see. The majority of the first part of the trek was through woodlands or along paved roads. Not too exciting.

At our rest stop 9.7 kilometers out, the forecasted rains finally materialized...and with a vengeance. Fortunately, we were able to take cover in the cafe's garage where we finished our refreshments and prepared ourselves for our first real wet-weather walk. Our €22.00 ponchos finally got to see the light of day and we couldn't have been happier with our purchases. The rain continued all the way into Caldas de Reis but, other than our feet, we all managed to stay dry and comfortable.

Lunch and dinner were good, especially the grilled vegetables at lunch, but at €11.00 a plate, we expected more than a few slices of zucchini and eggplants and a handful of carrots and broccoli. The most remarkable thing about eating out is the shear number of pilgrims crowding every restaurant. And, of course, we're the only ones dining at 6:00 p.m. in a country where the dinner hour typically is just getting started at 9:00.

We're now well under fifty kilometers to our destination and, by the end of the day tomorrow we'll be under twenty to go.

Rain is in the forecast for both days but it's in no way dimming the light at the end of the tunnel.Read more