Day 11 Pontevedra

Monday 5th May 2025

We have the usual, try and get out quietly, then Robin can’t find his phone so had to go back. It’s always the same!! We give the second bridge n the way out of town then set off for a beautiful sunny days walk. Robins knee is hurting so he takes the walking poles for the first time. They do take a bit of getting used to but he manages to lose the tip of one of them in a grate within 5 minutes!!! But the Camino provides and when I look in the grate I can see something. It’s someone else’s walking pole tip!! Not the same as ours but it will do!! We have beautiful views out of town across the water.

Today there are two hills, and they are much worse than yesterday, we also have 22kms to go. I am so glad we don’t have the backpacks with us, not sure we would have made it. We walk up through the forest, with lovely views snd down to the river where we reach Arcade.

It’s a beautiful day and the river is so clear and still, the reflections are amazing. Right next to this bridge is a small beach with showers, which was in the book so I was prepared. I have walked all this way in my swimming costume so I am getting in. It is lovely and cold, so clear!! The beach is all sand. But I am surprised that I am the only one swimming, but it is 930am on a Monday morning so maybe not so strange!!

Robin. Born to be wild!! It is very wet in Galicia, by that I mean there is lots of running water. We are forever crossing streams and fishing the mud. We also continue to see lots of these wash houses. Some are in better condition than others. Not sure that any would be used for washing clothes now, but it wasn’t that long ago that they were actually used!

The way into Pontevedra is several kilometers walking next to a stream through the wood. On the one hand it is lovely, on the other it is very muddy and there are no places to stop and sit for our lunch until literally the end of the path!! We stop and everyone walks past wishing us ‘Bon appetit!’ Which is strange as we are in Spain!

Lots more street art on the way into Pontevedra. It’s all so well done and beautiful. Wish we had more of this in the uk. At last we reach the centre of the city and find our hostel.

Our hostel had sleeping pods!! And a very large balcony, it is amazing!! Pontevedra is a lovely city, very beautiful and we take a stroll through the old town. The only problem is we want to have dinner and we are in Spain in a Monday!! Lots of cafes and restaurants close in a Monday. Those that are open don’t serve food until at least 7pm!! Very late for us on the Camino!! We find a lovely tapas bar and sit and have a drink and wait for the kitchen to open. Luckily it accent it and the food was delicious. I also liked their shirts so much that I bought one!!