With only 3 more days to go, you kind of want to cover more distance, do it faster, arrive already. On the other hand you want to make more stops, make it last a bit longer. But I had planned my overnights and would stick to them. It was a good thing since the hills of the day before had aggrevated my achilles injury. Some kilometers after Pontevedra a pain came up. And if I put my foot at the wrong angle because of a rock or stick, a quick pain would shoot through. And this made it hard, especially mentally.
Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
I was lucky to meet Helen and Viv again and walked a nice forest section chatting to Helen. It had some ups and downs, but nothing like the day before. Every now and then a little stream of water flowed over the path. A lot of the day our paths were wedged in between the railway and the highway. Some parts were pretty plain, but somehow the camino always found some green bits for us to walk through.
Today also offered some pleasant places to rest. After about 9km I sat down in the garden of A Pousadado Peregrino. They were located at a strategic distance, in a very tiny village and had a well-oiled machine offering drinks, snacks and even meals. Another 6km later I found Oasis, which was someone’s house with a lovely front yard full of little tables and chairs. They served homemade cakes and empanadas. There I sat, massaging my leg. But it helped, because I walked pain-free after that.
The final section of the day was very nice, with a lot of vineyards. Finally, I stopped at an albergue about 2km before Caldas de Reis. They had an incredible garden, filled with decorations, trees and a pool, where they served cheap pilgrim meals. All these stops really broke up the day.
In Caldas de Reis I took a little walk along the river. On my left were hills with vineyards and houses. The houses kept coming closer to the river and at the end small cottages were even built on top of the water. It was really nice to see but hard to capture in a photo. I had to hop over stones in the water to reach the last part. It went around the corner and somewhat up the hill. Here, the river was wide and wild. There was a tiny waterfall and then the water rushed in different directions, around trees and over rocks. After this extra walk, I made a stop at the public hot springs, something this town is known for. It looks like the places where people do their laundry, a rectanglular pool with a roof over it. But this water was 38 degrees and feet really enjoy this finisher.
Caldas de Reis to Padrón
It’s still very fresh in the morning, but the afternoon promises to be warm. So I head out in my skirt, long sleeve and scarf. After a bit through the countryside I come through a town. Towards the end of it is a church with a wooden camino sign. Around the corner I see a van of the Guardia Civil with two men in front. The ask if I want a stamp and then we have a little conversation in Spanish. They explain they are out there to keep pilgrims safe. I think they chose the right people for the job!
After my first stop I meet an American couple. The woman likes to talk and her husband claims it makes her walk faster. They are, like many others I’ve met, on their second camino. Walking together, the time flies. Quickly we leave the forest and see the next pit stop. I stayed for about an hour, warming up in the sun, enjoying the music (from System of a down to Red hot chili peppers) that takes me back to teenage years. I also took a delicious tuna empanada.
From here it wasn’t far to Padrón. I expected something bigger, but the town is really quite small and pretty quiet. A café I entered was about to close. I walked through the streets a bit and then entered a quiet restaurant/bar/café. There was hardly anyone there and I asked what kind of food they could serve. The woman started scrolling on her phone and showed me what was possible. I got some pieces of pork, salad and fries, for 6 euros! So I ordered a hot chocolate and got it with some churros for dessert.
After Padrón I had another 5km to go because I was staying in the countryside. I had read good things about this place, especially the shared pilgrim dinners. I meandered through the tiny streets, feeling like I’m in a maze. There were many walls, which then led to beautiful houses with hórreos. I arrived with two American ladies right behind me, but they weren’t staying in the dorm. Eventually one other guy, from Argentina, turned up. I’d expected it to be busier, but I ordered dinner anyway, hoping there would still be a shared meal. We did end up eating all together and it was a great night. Some liquor tastings happened and I stayed up late chatting in Spanish. And, I have a short walk tomorrow.
And on to Santiago de Compostela
As per usual I was awake early. As I was having breakfast I heard some bagpipes. When I left the albergue, I saw the bagpipe player right outside the gate, greeting people on their last day to Santiago. It set the mood for the day. I felt mostly excited to arrive now, to stand in front of the cathedral and watch other people come in from all directions.
In the forest I met the American couple again. The rest of the day was passing and being passed by a bunch of people I didn’t know. Depending on when we had breaks, you still see the same people throughout the day. I had a break on a simple bench in the forest. A girl asked if she could join. She needed a rest too. We watched as people struggled up the hill. Right after that came O Milladoiro, which seemed to belong to Santiago already.
There was a little chapel. A man sat in front of it with a stamp and some souvenirs to sell. I talked to him for a bit and found out he’s Colombian and has biked part of the camino. I bought a stone on which he’d painted a pilgrim. Then he showed me around the corner from the chapel. You could see the spires of the cathedral. I managed to find a café and got a croissant filled with rich chocolate cream. I also oredered tea and got another piece of cake served with that as well. A bit overkill. The croissant provided the necessary energy for the last kilometers.
The last section into Santiago was actually very nice. Much nicer than I remember the French way to be. I met a brother and sister from Valencia. Their home had flooded and they were waiting to hear from their family. The guy seemed to stay optimistic, but their arrival was a bit different than they’d expected. The actual arrival was a mix of feelings. It was super busy in the little streets, which was a bit of a shock. Then there’s the square in front of the gorgeous cathedral. There was a big group in the middle, wearing blue shirts. There were speeching and celebrating. I asked a coincidentally Dutch guy to take a photo of me. Then I sat down for a bit. I didn’t see anyone I knew, which brought about a bit of loneliness. I searched for people I’d met along the way. First the American couple came in. Then I saw an unexpected face, Ellie from the Netherlands. I hadn’t seen her in days!
But where were all those other people? I was sad I hadn’t seen Helen and Vivian in the last 2 days. They were sort of my constant. A reassuring sight each time. It’s strange how that works. I dropped my bag at the hostel and went to the pilgrim’s office to pick up my Compostela. The system was super efficient now. On my way back I saw Lucas from Argentina. We hugged and congratulated each other. I needed this. A warm person to share my victory with!
