Caldas de Reis to Padron Day 5

 This post was first published in 2023

Day 5, September 19, 2022:

More than a year has passed since my Camino in Spain from Baiona to Santiago de Compostela (part of the Portuguese route). Since then my fingers have rested well even if my feet remain active. Now that I’m planning to walk the last 150 kilometres of the St James Way in September 2024, I’m urging my fingers to write faster before my next Camino catches up.

On day 5 of the walk, John, Giulia, Carla and I left our hotel in Caldas de Reis at 8 AM, leaving Tom and Karen to catch up later—and catch up they did, with time to spare! The daytime temperatures had been unusually high at 30+ degrees Celsius, and we thought we could beat the heat with an early start. Today’s distance was under 20 km, and we expected to reach Pensión Jardin, our hotel in Padrón shortly after noon.

This part of the Camino was one of the most scenic. We passed by charming villages with lush landscapes and grapevines overflowing with grapes. At one point Giulia plucked a handful and offered them to us over John’s protest. He felt squeamish about his wife pilfering—too strong a word?—sampling some unknown farmer’s crop. When I popped one in my mouth and tasted a burst of sweetness, I gave Giulia the thumbs up. Some of the grapes were already harvested into big bins. I let my imagination run a bit, envisioning the farmer and his family stomping the grapes in a communal tub. Would the kids wash their feet before entering, I wondered. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

As the trail meandered deeper into the countryside we walked at a leisurely pace. Palm-sized porcini mushrooms grew wild by the sides. We stopped sometimes to admire them, regretting that we couldn’t pick them for our dinner. They are not only delicious but also expensive, and here they were growing wild everywhere, and we just had to let them go for lack of a place to cook.

Later as we entered Padrón, we passed some locals offering souvenirs for sale. A vendor looking like she needed to make a sale kept pushing little pilgrim dolls at us, the three women—I guess she knew that John would unlikely gush over a doll, an ugly cute one at that. Of course we couldn’t resist and bought one each. Mine now hangs over my table lamp where I’m reminded of my trip every time I sit at my desk.

Soon after arriving at Padrón, we found Pensión Jardin, a quaint old establishment that the 21st century and some of its modern amenities have overlooked. I lugged my suitcase up a few flights of stairs, slightly winded and feeling a trickle of sweat down my back. As I started to unpack I heard a racket from a nearby window. John said later that he was wrestling with the window to let in some air, but lost that battle. A maintenance person was sent to help. The outcome was pretty much the same.

Since it was still early and hot I didn’t bother to shower. Instead I left to explore the area. Nearby I entered ‎⁨Jardín Botánico de Padrón⁩, ⁨an oasis of tranquillity. After a short walk in the garden, I ventured into the cobblestoned part of Padrón. The town is legendary for having received the body of Saint James on arrival from Jerusalem. This event was memorialised in the Church of Santiago nearby, which we visited later after dinner. At this point my main mission was to find fruits, water and snacks for the next day. Since it was siesta time, I was lucky to find a convenience store that was open and bought my supplies.

Later that evening during dinner, I tasted octopus for the first time. It was delicious. I shouldn’t have been surprised because up to this point, the food hadn’t disappointed. Afterwards the six of us walked along the river admiring the scenery and the local outdoor cafes and restaurants. Carla bought souvenirs… did I mention before that she loves to shop.

Before we headed back to the pensión, we visited the Church of Santiago where pictures depict the arrival of the body of the Apostle Santiago. The church exudes a special sense of spirituality and historical significance. We also checked out the little café where we would eat breakfast the next morning. 

That night I went to sleep with a sense of anticipation for the final stretch to our destination, Santiago de Compostela.