We enjoyed the cool morning air as we made our way out of Arcade across the medieval Pontesampaio bridge, climbing through the neighborhood and into the woods again.
This was a particularly gorgeous section of the Camino, a gradual climb through the trees. Our reward at the top was a coffee/snack cart!
A church built in 1617 and more gorgeous scenery on the final 4 kilometers into Pontevedra.
Our first stop, after the bathroom in the train station, was for lunch. We found a wonderful cafe just outside the old part of town and got scrumptious ‘tostas’ with Brie and pimento jelly. That paired with coffee gave us the energy we needed to look around the ancient center of the city. We explored the pilgrims church, including walking up the tower.
The grand final of the international triathlon series is taking place in Pontevedra so there are elite athletes and their supporters everywhere.
After a busy day of walking the Camino and around Pontevedra we were ready to get to our hotel. Because of the triathlon we were booked into a hotel a few miles out of the city in a relaxed coastal town. We took our first ride in a car in almost two weeks! It felt really weird to not be getting there on our own two feet, though it was relaxing.
We’ve got a view of the Pontevedra River and after dinner went for a walk on the waterfront, though at that point the tide had gone way out. Tomorrow we will be exploring the area on our final day off from the Camino. After that we only have 3 more days and about 40 miles to walk. Wow!
