Arcade to Pontevedra

I must have my Camino legs now because today's walk was an easy 10 miles. We had one pretty challenging climb but we made it. Most of the day was through forested trails, which are my favorite.

We can tell we're near Santiago since the crowds are getting bigger. The three Portugues trails (Senda Litoral, Coastal, and Central) converged plus many Pilgrims start 100 kilometers from Santiago which is the minimum distance to qualify for a Compostela. This part of the Camino is also more commercialized with people setting up tables to sell trickets to the pilgrims. It was a bit of a parade for most of the day and we ended up meeting some people from Folsom and San Juan Bautista.

We arrived in Pontevedra and went to our respective hotels to rest and clean up. On my way, I found a group of ladies, in a plaza, making bobbin lace. About three months ago, I bought lace bobbins and a book to learn how to make bobbin lace so I was excited to see it in action.

Bob, Sue, and I met up again in the old section of town for a snack and a drink. This is a really lively town with people of all ages out. There are many plazas, each with multiple restaurants and terraces. It's great to sit on a terrace and enjoy the scene (except for the cigarette smoke). Even small alleys become alive with the food scene.

For dinner we wanted to try the local oysters that we keep hearing about. We got a recommendation from my hotel and made a reservation. The owner explained that that they feed off of clams and cockles so they serve them plain so we can taste their pure flavor. The medium size were huge and they were saltier than the oysters I've had from Tomales Bay. I enjoyed the flavor and texture (they were more creamy than slimey) but they're not for everyone. I'm a pretty adventurous eater. We also sampled the percebes (barnacles), which are a delicacy here. They are horribly ugly but they taste pretty good, a bit like a clam.

As I settled into bed, I was serenaded by local, traditional (Celtic-sounding) music outside.Baca lagi