Hike Day 9-Pontevedre to Caldas de Reis

Last night, we watched Spanish children joyfully playing in the town square, engaging in all kinds of active games. The parents seemed to be keeping a comfortable distance until one little girl fell and scraped her knees. In an instant, her father, mother, and grandmother rushed to her side. It was heartwarming to witness families gathering together to socialize and enjoy each other's company.

Adapting to the Spanish eating schedule has been a bit of a challenge. We arrived in town around 4:00 p.m., hoping to rest and grab dinner by 6:00. However, we quickly realized that most restaurants close at 4:00 and don’t reopen until 8:00. While the locals socialize and enjoy drinks and snacks during this time, dinner isn't served until much later, which felt difficult after a long day of hiking.

As we walk the Camino, we often encounter the same people each day, creating a sense of a Camino "family." Instead of using names, we tend to call people by their country of origin—“Hello China, Ireland, Alberta," and so on. We often hear “Hello Pennsylvania”. Some have ties to Philadelphia, and Marian Caroselli has been handing out Philadelphia pins as a small connection to home. Her Spanish has been invaluable, helping us navigate conversations with locals who don’t speak English.

Today’s 13 mile hike took us through stunning forests and steep hills. At times, we saw as many as 25 hikers ahead of us, while other stretches of the trail felt completely solitary. As we approach Santiago, the number of fellow pilgrims has noticeably increased.

Dale found a natural hot spring where we soaked our tired feet along with other hikers. It was a much-needed relief after a long day on the trail.

Today’s post by Debbie Mink.Read more