Camino Santiago Portuguese, 6: Caldas De Reis To Padron

Our 6th stage took us to Padron, normally the last stop before Santiago on the Portugese Camino. The 33k from Padron to Santiago seemed to us a bit much, especially for (nearly) 70-year-old bodies, so we decided we would divide the last official stage into two days. More anon.

Another early morning departure, another Roman/Medieval bridge

Nice watering feature; granite, of course

Well-wishing residents

Ah, wilderness!

How to make a retaining wall from granite blocks, 21st century style; not the old-
fashioned way; the guy bent over is working a power saw that cuts the granite

Red and yellow fuschias

Another pilgrim rest area, vending machines, tables, chairs, shade, historical
exhibits, restrooms

Sponsored, very smartly, by the local history museum; nicest
such on the Camino

We have seen and documented shoe-trees, shoe-fences, bra-fences (New Zealand,
of course), all over, but this is our first pants-tree; since it's merely a single instance,
perhaps it is not yet a full-fledged pants-tree

Incipient shoe-tree

Considering the traffic it gets, most of the Camino Portuguese
is fairly litter-free; not so in a few places, however

Some people leave their biz cards...

Interesting old parish church

Part of adjoining cemetery

Someone's back yard

Revealing scene, approaching Padron...the river, the church spires, the concrete
plant

Today's thrill

It was going pretty slowly

Aire de camping-cars in Padron; we miss our normal blister-free life-style

In the Padron cathedral, some relic having to do with the finding of St. James'
body; or, possibly, an early proto-typical toilet

Padron cathedral

Heading out, next morning, a parish church remarkable for its cemetery

90% of the flowers here are real...amazing care

Oh, in Padron we stayed over-night at the Chef Rivera hotel