Day 28- Rest day in Pontevedra

Distance - 5.5 miles

Although today was officially a rest day on the Camino, we still managed to add about 5.5 miles to our journey while exploring the beautiful city of Pontevedra.

We got up early so we could make the most of our day. After breakfast, we headed out to do some much-needed laundry. Fortunately, laundry here is quick and easy, but I wanted to attend the 10:00 a.m. Mass, so Bob kindly stayed behind to finish the wash while Gina and I headed to the Igreja de San Francisco. The service was entirely in Spanish, so I felt right at home. After Mass, we met Bob in the plaza for a café con leche and began our day of sightseeing.

Gina had found a walking tour of Pontevedra, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the day. Our guide spent nearly two hours sharing the city's fascinating history, architecture, traditions, and symbolism. Bob even tried using my translation earbuds to follow along with the Spanish tour, although the experience was a bit hit-or-miss. Still, we learned a tremendous amount about the city and gained a new appreciation for its unique character. One thing became very clear—Pontevedra has a lot of plazas!

After the tour, we found a lively plaza where a local band was performing. The square was packed with people enjoying the sunshine, music, and conversation. We managed to find seats by sharing a table with fellow pilgrims Tom and Geri from New South Wales, Australia. As always, we ordered some delicious Padrón peppers, which are currently in season, along with drinks. We spent a couple of relaxing hours talking about our Camino experiences. They had been walking the Central Route, while we had followed the Coastal Route to this point. We even discussed the possibility of someday walking the Camino Francés.

Later in the afternoon, we wandered back through the winding streets toward our hotel. Although it was about a mile from the city center, we enjoyed exploring different neighborhoods and discovering new corners of the city along the way. After a short break to freshen up, we met Gina again for dinner. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of short ribs (which the menu called "little ribs"), fries, octopus, and salad. Everything was delicious.

We called it an early evening because tomorrow's stage will be one of our more challenging days, with a long climb of roughly 1,200 feet on the way to A Armenteira.

As always, another adventure awaits tomorrow.

Some Interesting History of Pontevedra

One of the most memorable stories from the tour was that of Ravachol, the famous parrot of Pontevedra. Ravachol was an African grey parrot owned by pharmacist Don Perfecto Feijóo, whose pharmacy stood in Plaza de la Peregrina. Living from 1891 to 1913, the bird became a local celebrity thanks to his witty personality. Stories say he would warn when customers entered the pharmacy and wouldn't let people leave without paying. When Ravachol died during Carnival season in 1913, the townspeople organized a large mock funeral in his honor. Today, his memory lives on through an annual Carnival tradition in which locals dress in black and recreate the parrot's funeral and "burial" as part of a citywide celebration.

We also visited Praza da Leña (Firewood Square), a charming medieval square that once served as the city's firewood marketplace. The square is surrounded by beautiful Galician buildings dating from the 15th to 18th centuries and features a striking stone cross that was relocated there in the 20th century.

In Plaza de España, we learned how Pontevedra's role as provincial capital transformed the area. Many older buildings were removed to make way for government buildings and the town hall. Nearby stands the impressive Monumento a los Héroes de Puente Sampayo, commemorating the Spanish victory over Napoleon's forces in 1809.

The tour also highlighted the many cruceiros, traditional stone crosses that are found throughout Galicia. It is estimated that between 12,000 and 15,000 of these crosses exist across the region, marking crossroads, churches, cemeteries, and important gathering places.

One particularly beautiful stop was the Real Basílica de Santa María a Maior. Built on high ground overlooking the river, it occupied a strategic position that allowed control of commerce and transportation. The church's elaborate exterior carvings and architectural details were remarkable. As we arrived, a group was performing music outside while parishioners gathered for the noon Mass.

We also visited the ruins of Santo Domingo, admired a monument commemorating the city's independence on June 8–9, 1809, and saw a unique building whose sides were covered with shingles for protection against the weather.

Near the end of the tour, we stopped in Plaza de Méndez Núñez to see the bronze statue of Ramón María del Valle-Inclán, one of Galicia's most celebrated writers. The life-sized sculpture portrays him as a stylish gentleman leaning casually on a cane outside a house whose library he once frequented.

Finally, we learned about the symbolism of the scallop shell, the enduring symbol of the Camino de Santiago. One of the most common interpretations is that the grooves of the shell represent the many pilgrimage routes that converge toward a single destination—Santiago de Compostela.Read more