January 15: Day 19. Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis (21.6 kms):
I awake a little apprehensive about today. Each day seems harder than the last. I wondered if ,I could manage the day and whether it would be best to have a break or just you half a day.
At breakfast I put the ham and cheese and 2 oranges aside to have during the day. It was about 9.30am when I left, and I resigned myself to just 'enjoy the moment' and see what eventuates.
The walk through Pontevrdre was quite long and made me realise what a large town it is. Everyone was busy about their business. The sky was blue, not a cloud in the sky. I came across a fish market (today was Friday) and then over a bridge and I began the slow journey out of the town.
Eventually I was in woodland forest, just beautiful to walk in. It's quite an isolated area with no cafe's or bars, a word the Spanish have for a place that serves coffee and beer. After a while I found a place to rest and have the ham and cheese and an orange. I really enjoyed it. The track was beautiful as it confined up hill. A man Anh his dog passed me, as did 2 young guys and their dog. They seemed to know the area well and were not put off by water across the track at times. I enjoyed trying to keep pace with them.
Finally I reached the top, called San Amoro. It is just a small college hamlet but I am sure the coffee shop there does a roaring trade as everyone would want to stop and chat. The staff were very helpful to me and I gave them a Boy Scout badge I had been given. They took me I was half way there and the rest was downhill.
On the way down I did meet a woman doing the Portuguese Camino in reverse. She told me she had walked 3000 kms, so I think she must have started deep within Europe.
In spite that it was hard going. Everything seemed to take longer than expected. I went to another cafe when it appeared. I tried a beer instead of a coffee. From there it was a long hard slog to Caldez de Reis. It was a relief when it finally appeared.
I made my way into the town. Finally I found a cheap hotel. These are a bargain in comparison with other means of accommodation but they do have their problems. The one 2 nights had the lift break, and this one has no hot water.m so much for a bath!.
Caldez de Reis has a hot spring, which has made it a health resort since Roman times. I was a little too tired to check it out. The hotel is in a rather poor area so there's not much to see. I quick to a Supermarket and a bite to eat and then back to this blog.
I realised after the event that the sheet I was given was to cover the mattress. A reasonably good nights sleep. I was packing and away about 8.20am, while it was still dark. It was hard to find the yellow arrows on the way out.
Eventually the path lead in the countryside on really nice tracks. They had a lot of silt on them, which made for easier travelling. There are 2 big hills today. The 1st was really heavy going and I was exhausted when I finally made the top. That took me into the little town of Arcade, and we were alongside the sea. The Camino snaked its way through this village and over a famous bridge where the Galicians had held the bridge against part of Napoleon's army in the 18th century.
The 2nd hill was really tough and never seemed to end. Up on the mountain I did hear a folly of shots and hoped they weren't aimed in my direction. A more important problem was that the flood waters were still high as as I went up the track I was wadding through water coming down in torrents. The water was so cold it was like standing in ice!
Finally I went downhill and eventually to level ground. Brierley suggests that a way of breaking the monotony of going along the motorway into town, was to go an alternative route along a quiet river. I took this option but with disastrous consequences. The river had overflowed the track in many places and again I was wading through water up to my knees. Finally there was a chance to get out of this situation and I began to trudge along the highway into town once more.
Eventually I did make it, arriving about 5pm, I found cheap accommodation in a hotel close to the Camino route. I had a bit to eat and began to work on this blog.
Reflection point: The way-markers are very good coming into and going out of towns. They don't just say cross, but lead you to the zebra crossing, where it is safe to cross. If we do the little things correctly. The rest will follow.
I awake a little apprehensive about today. Each day seems harder than the last. I wondered if ,I could manage the day and whether it would be best to have a break or just you half a day.
At breakfast I put the ham and cheese and 2 oranges aside to have during the day. It was about 9.30am when I left, and I resigned myself to just 'enjoy the moment' and see what eventuates.
The walk through Pontevrdre was quite long and made me realise what a large town it is. Everyone was busy about their business. The sky was blue, not a cloud in the sky. I came across a fish market (today was Friday) and then over a bridge and I began the slow journey out of the town.
Eventually I was in woodland forest, just beautiful to walk in. It's quite an isolated area with no cafe's or bars, a word the Spanish have for a place that serves coffee and beer. After a while I found a place to rest and have the ham and cheese and an orange. I really enjoyed it. The track was beautiful as it confined up hill. A man Anh his dog passed me, as did 2 young guys and their dog. They seemed to know the area well and were not put off by water across the track at times. I enjoyed trying to keep pace with them.
Finally I reached the top, called San Amoro. It is just a small college hamlet but I am sure the coffee shop there does a roaring trade as everyone would want to stop and chat. The staff were very helpful to me and I gave them a Boy Scout badge I had been given. They took me I was half way there and the rest was downhill.
On the way down I did meet a woman doing the Portuguese Camino in reverse. She told me she had walked 3000 kms, so I think she must have started deep within Europe.
In spite that it was hard going. Everything seemed to take longer than expected. I went to another cafe when it appeared. I tried a beer instead of a coffee. From there it was a long hard slog to Caldez de Reis. It was a relief when it finally appeared.
I made my way into the town. Finally I found a cheap hotel. These are a bargain in comparison with other means of accommodation but they do have their problems. The one 2 nights had the lift break, and this one has no hot water.m so much for a bath!.
Caldez de Reis has a hot spring, which has made it a health resort since Roman times. I was a little too tired to check it out. The hotel is in a rather poor area so there's not much to see. I quick to a Supermarket and a bite to eat and then back to this blog.
I realised after the event that the sheet I was given was to cover the mattress. A reasonably good nights sleep. I was packing and away about 8.20am, while it was still dark. It was hard to find the yellow arrows on the way out.
Eventually the path lead in the countryside on really nice tracks. They had a lot of silt on them, which made for easier travelling. There are 2 big hills today. The 1st was really heavy going and I was exhausted when I finally made the top. That took me into the little town of Arcade, and we were alongside the sea. The Camino snaked its way through this village and over a famous bridge where the Galicians had held the bridge against part of Napoleon's army in the 18th century.
The 2nd hill was really tough and never seemed to end. Up on the mountain I did hear a folly of shots and hoped they weren't aimed in my direction. A more important problem was that the flood waters were still high as as I went up the track I was wadding through water coming down in torrents. The water was so cold it was like standing in ice!
Finally I went downhill and eventually to level ground. Brierley suggests that a way of breaking the monotony of going along the motorway into town, was to go an alternative route along a quiet river. I took this option but with disastrous consequences. The river had overflowed the track in many places and again I was wading through water up to my knees. Finally there was a chance to get out of this situation and I began to trudge along the highway into town once more.
Eventually I did make it, arriving about 5pm, I found cheap accommodation in a hotel close to the Camino route. I had a bit to eat and began to work on this blog.
Reflection point: The way-markers are very good coming into and going out of towns. They don't just say cross, but lead you to the zebra crossing, where it is safe to cross. If we do the little things correctly. The rest will follow.
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