Looking down

We were just about the last pilgrims to leave the albergue this morning, which was a wise decision because we avoided getting wet; the night's heavy rain had passed off by just after 9am.

We decided to explore a slightly alternative route, which took us along the coast with no other pilgrims in sight. We then had to walk on a busy main road for a while before leaving it for a lovely forest track and some quiet backroads. At Arcade we were back on the main Camino, joining the trail of walkers and cyclists heading to Pontevedra. I did notice most are now wearing jackets, hats and trousers, whereas we are still in shorts and t-shirt. It still feels warm to me, even in October.

We then suddenly realised that we had walked over 10 miles without even stopping andbi had forgotten that I was wearing a pack. What doesn't kill you must make you stronger, I guess..

After a break to share a pack of nuts by a stream, we followed a tranquil riverside path through forest all the way to Pontevedra, where we are staying in the home of Maria Jesus and her mother.

Maria didn't have a stamp for our credencial, so we had to go out to find a couple in the town. We visited two churches - the Capilla de la Peregrina and the Basilica de Santa Maria. At both, we could pay €1 to go up steep stone spiral stairs to the cupola (the Capilla) and the tower (Santa Maria). My blip shows the view down into the Capilla from the cupola, a dizzying height which made my legs go very weak!

The evening ended nicely at a vegan restaurant :-) Then back for shower, blip and bed. We walked 13.72 Camino miles today, 369 miles so far in total. In 4 days, we will be in Santiago!