Awoke to dark overcast skies with moderate rain. Temperatures were still chilly, but probably ten degrees warmer than yesterday. Today’s adventure called for roughly 12 miles and in excess of 1,000 ft of climb. Not knowing the type of terrain ahead, wet footing was a big question mark as we began.
In order to get back on the Camino trail we had to carefully walk a busy highway with more than its share of speeding truck traffic for about 2 miles. Also started looking for a potential breakfast cafes in the first town we saw. It is becoming increasingly apparent that one of the bigger challenges on this section of the Camino is finding dining spots that are not already overflowing with pilgrims. Very difficult – especially when you are hungry.
As we left our restaurant the skies completely opened up and we were forced to continue in heavy rain. The paths became muddy as we started to climb. The terrain changed to a bed of smooth topped boulders positioned erratically up an increasingly steep path. Careful footing and shortness of breath accompanied us for the next several miles.
The rain stopped for a while and allowed us to shed our rain gear. …. until it didn’t … and made us open our packs and start over! This and the seemingly constant temperature and wind changes made for an interesting day.
We reached the outskirts of the beautiful city of Pontevedra in time for a late lunch and our customary sangria. We have changed our plans a bit since we are a couple days ahead of schedule, and have decided to book an extra night in Pontevedra and spend tomorrow exploring.
BUEN CAMINO
