My Camino: Redondela to Pontevedra Day 3

This post was first published during Summer 2023.

 

Day 3, September 17, 2022: 

Life has a way of throwing you off track, and then it takes a superhuman effort to get back into the flow. I went through a major downsizing during which I realised how much junk we’d accumulated. We sold our house, bought and renovated a condo apartment, and then moved in, all between November 2022 and February 2023. My new place is starting to feel like home, and I’m also re-establishing my routine. I won’t deny how hard it is to resume writing once you break the habit.

A few weeks ago, my Spanish Camino experience came flooding back to me when I met a pilgrim at the airport in Barcelona. She had cut short her 800-kilometre walk because of blood clot complications. The Camino energy hit me like it hadn’t since I completed my 128-km walk. I relived day 3 outside Alvear Suites in Redondela at 9 AM, the place where my last blog post ended. Six walking buddies and a selfie… it’s time to start another day.

Today’s trek of 20.6 km took us into the heart of Galicia. This region is known for its rolling hills and verdant forests, and the route from Redondela to Pontevedra showcases the best of what Galicia has to offer. No sooner had we left town, then I saw roadside vendors offering El Camino paraphernalia. My friends and I couldn’t resist buying a shell each. Although a trip as memorable as this one needs no reminder, the sights and sounds of the trails sharpen just a bit more these days, each time I see the shell hanging over my lamp.

Now that we were getting closer to Santiago de Compostela, still a few days away, the number of pilgrims multiplied many times over. At one point, I met two women from Scotland. I’ll call them Shannon and Mary. They had started their walk from Porto, Portugal and expected to cover 260 km to 280 km by the time they finished. Shannon had walked the St. James Way a few years ago, a 500-mile/800-kilometre hike. She wanted to try a different route this time but didn’t have 30 plus vacation days to complete the full Camino. Even so, I admired her courage and stamina for trekking for two weeks with her entire luggage on her back.

Shannon shared with us a recent harrowing experience. Caught in a deluge by the roadside, she and Mary knocked on many doors hoping to find a room for that night. They finally gave up and called a major hotel. When they arrived completely drenched, their backpacks didn’t fare any better. They spent the evening soaking in the bathtub and washing their clothes. Apparently, they became quite intimate with the hotel’s hair dryer the next morning—their clothes didn’t dry on time, but at least they were clean.

Shannon also shared another story, this one from her St. James Camino. A pilgrim’s nightmare is getting blisters on one’s feet, and she developed the mother of all blisters. At one point, she couldn’t walk anymore and sat down on the roadside bursting into tears. Two passing pilgrims stopped and asked if she needed help. Bawling, she explained her predicament. Luckily, one of the guys had been an army medic. He proceeded to puncture her blisters with a needle, drained and then threaded them. Who knew a needle and thread could work like a charm in the first aid department!

After we parted ways with Shannon and Mary, we came to the ancient bridge spanning Rio Verdugo where the water is a stunning shade of green. As I crossed the bridge I imagined horse-drawn carriages clopping by and towns folks from the past wheeling their carts. Colourful fishing boats moored along the coast added to the picturesque scene. Here I have to mention how grateful I am to John who snapped a lot of pictures of the bridge and the river, without which my memory would have failed.

Along the way, we saw many raised structures that puzzled us. Built with wood and/or stone, they were too small to be chapels and yet they seemed to have some kind of religious significance. Soon enough Carla, with her unquenchable curiosity, solved the mystery of the granary called hórreo. These storehouses are built on top of pillars to prevent rodents from getting in. I never found out why they have a cross on top, but I guess it’s tied to Catholicism, the predominant religion in Spain.

As we got closer to Pontevedra, the Camino signs pointed to two routes: the main road and the forest. Someone told us the two would eventually merge. It didn’t even come to a vote… John, Giulia, Carla and I unanimously opted for the forest route. We’d lost sight of Tom and Karen a while back as they had kept up a brisk pace, and we thought we’d probably meet up with them inside. We didn’t, and I hoped they did walk through this way too because this was one of the best sections. We passed quaint little chapels, walked through a mysterious tunnel and posed for pictures in front of a massive tree.

When we emerged from the forest onto the road, we still didn’t see our missing buddies. No matter, there were many other pilgrims and Tom and Karen knew where they were going. And sure enough, they arrived at the hotel shortly after we did.

Later, we explored Pontevedra, a charming town full of history and culture. It is home to historic churches built in magnificent architectural styles, a testament to its rich past. Based on personal experience, I believe it also offers some of the finest seafood. That night when we finally ate dinner at one of the squares, I tasted the best grilled snapper ever! What a fitting end to a lovely day.