Vilaboa

We woke today to the sounds of church bells and more rain, actually a torrential rain! So naturally we laced up the boots, threw on our ponchos and took off heading North! As we get closer to Santiago there are more pilgrims and we are really enjoying chatting along the way with some very interesting people. Funny we’ve met a couple of sibling groups traveling the Way of St. James with us and it’s so refreshing to see other families like us having this bonding time. I have been so grateful to make the journey with Richard because he finds the arrows very quickly and navigates the best path and he’s always there around the corner making me laugh when I arrive thinking I can’t breathe or take another step. We both love animals and it was a treat to have had a little doggie escort for about a mile this morning through the first village until he finally had enough of us and ran back down the hill. Our first stop was at an austere little chapel, St Marta, in a tiny farming community. Even so early the door was open and candles were burning. God bless that caretaker because it gave us a chance to give thanks for our morning as well as to reorganize packs, wring out wet socks and catch a breath before marching on.
After the chapel there were supposedly two options for the route (Tomaza Division?) but we only saw one and it turned out to be a very difficult stage. We walked through a forest along the rivers Dos Gafos and Pintos and the path started deteriorating rapidly as we made our way. The river was swollen and fast and the paths were just a series of large puddles. At one alarming point we were knee deep in cold water and we considered turning back but then 4 pilgrims popped up behind us and we all made the joint decision to push forward. We were all so relieved to make it to Pontevedra. It was supposed to be an easy day for us- only 9 miles- but probably a day I won’t forget soon because we worked so hard. We were lucky to arrive in town early enough for the menú del diá and had some lovely pasta with mushrooms, some fish and a pork chop. Delicious and only 10euro! The town here is beautiful, filled with shops and lots of people dressed very stylishly. I look a wet, bedraggled mess but people smile and nod and I guess they are used to pilgrims making their way through town. We were able to get into our hostel, shower and do laundry before going out to explore and lo and behold the rain had let up! Praise the Lord- we saw the sun! This was very encouraging so we strolled around and visited the ruins of the church of San Domingos- dating from 14th century and now a national protected monument. We sampled some Santiago tartas which are little almond cakes flavored with orange and lemon supposedly first baked in 1577 in honor of Saint James. They are yummy and of course I will find a recipe to make some when I get back home! We visited the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Shelter and the Divine Pilgrim- it’s square in the middle of town surrounded by modern buildings but it shines like a star and its architecture is breathtaking- we both stopped in our tracks when we saw it! Tonight we went back for a pilgrim’s Rosary and Mass and all I could think when I saw the church tonight was that it looked like a jewel box. Tomorrow we hope to get an early start, visit the Basilica and be on our way. As I close I hear people outside at the bars and cafés laughing and chatting and I hear the rain hitting the pavement- I think I will sleep good tonight!Okumaya devam et