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

Camino Santiago Portuguese, 5: Pontevedra To Caldas De Reis

The next day's stage was Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis, a shorter stage for us, hoping to break the final long days into more manageable bits. We had tried this earlier but missed the hotel and ended up with the longer day. Not all the auberges, pensiones, hosterias, hostels, hotels, etc., are right on the Camino. Sometimes you have to side-track to find something. Nonetheless, we got to Caldas de Reis in good order, found the desired pensione, and took the afternoon off.

Stream-side moment

So I think my photos are giving a very false impression of the Camino as we
experienced it; about 60% of it is on pavement...concrete, asphalt, stone, tarmac,
whatever...who wants a picture of that? But that's what it was, despite the pix...

Northern Spain is covered in mostly wild eucalyptus--not a native--and ever more
is being planted

The day's excitement

Lunch: sausage, ham, cheese bocadillo

At a nice place on the trail

So the hot spot has gone to being a full-fledged blister; but
who's complaining?

Rec area in someone's backyard; aargh!

I think we may have seen this ride in Seville

What you're not seeing here is the Train of Modest Velocity whooshing by overhead

Sometimes, fellow pilgrims will leave notes on the signposts, profound thoughts,
uplifting quotes, etc.

For example...Winston Churchill?!

Ever onward

Warmer temps, more water

Approaching Caldas, one is confronted with a variety of peregrino
bill-boards

Another political message

Color-coded Temptation

Color-coded florals

A kind of bill-board, don't you think?

Beautiful granite house

Vineyards everywhere

And more billboards

We opted finally for this one

Great scenery here and there

Potato sandwich the owner of La Moderna
gave us

So our pensione was on the other side of the church; on this
side, much Sunday afternoon music and dancing was going
on

Never did figure out what it was all about, but it stopped abruptly about 5PM

And everything returned to weekend quiet