Pontevedra to Armteira

I left Pontevedra with what felt like a large crowd on pilgrims, like salmon swimming as a young chap from Ireland described it. After 3 and a bit kilometres we came to the bit where the trail to the Spiritual Variant starts, I was the only one who took it. It was a glorious quite challenging walk over the steep hills to Armenteira famous for its Cistercian monastery. The main blip is the view from Miradouro do Loureiro over the Pontevedra Estuary. Directly below sits Combarro where I spent a couple of hours walking round the old town and having a sandwich lunch. It’s a fascinating place, scattered with Galician stone crosses, raised granary houses (hórreos) and fishers’ houses with steps down to the sea.

It rained a little as I crossed the mountains, I could have done with my fleece. There is just one hotel in Armentiera and it’s one of the nicest I’ve stayed in on this trip. A charming receptionist who took me through the menu of the only café in the village, recommending me not to try the pig ears. Breakfast isn’t served until 8 which is a great excuse to have a later start in the morning.

I went to Vespers and the Pilgrim Blessing, in 5 languages, at the monastery where the singing by the seven Cistercian sisters was soothing and then to the aforementioned café for supper with an interesting Canadian woman prof who is a specialist in immigration policy. An absorbing conversation ensued. She also told me about Jeju Island in Korea which has some of the best hiking trails in the world and good infrastructure including bag transportation.

Extras, Combarro, and the monastery in the early evening sunshine, still chilly though.