Distance: 25.5km (54,5km), time spent: 8:41 (17:22).
Weather: Overcast in the day, sunny in the afternoon and evening.
The stage between Pontedeume and Betanzos is the shortest on the Camino Ingles (if you use the stages that the pilgrims usually go and guidebooks as reference), consisting of barely 20 kilometres. Yesterday showed that both my cousin and I were ready to walk long stages and as such, a distance of just 20 kilometres could maybe feel somewhat short. To remedy that, we planned to visit the church of San Miguel de Breamo, which according to my Cicerone guidebook is recommended detour. This would add about 6 kilometres to the day.
View of Pontedeume from the Camino on the way up from the town.
In the morning, it is overcast and the weather is grey outside the albergue. I slept fairly well and feel that the small albergue has its own peculiar charm. We have bought food for breakfast and lunch, as for yesterday, and sit down on one of the benches outside to eat. This provides us with a much better and bigger breakfast than we would get at a bar. Solvor has already gone.
From the albergue, the Camino goes steeply up through the narrow streets of Pontedeume, this is perhaps one of the steepest sections on the English way, otherwise the route is relatively flat. The pennants hanging above our heads are waving us off. The ascent brings us to a nice view of the town, the river below and over towards where we came down from yesterday.
On the way to San Miguel de Breamo. Below lies the ruins of a former big house. Praia de Magdalena is below to the left. The bridge leading to Pontedeume just visible to the right.
We arrive at the junction where the road to San Miguel de Breamo goes from; it leads us on an asphalt road all the way to the small church beneath a tiny veil of drizzle. On the way, we pass viewpoints over Pontedeume and the river, as well as a large abandoned farm in ruins. A man is airing or exercising his dog by driving his car next to it.
San Miguel de Breamo, the church from the 12th century is surrounded by quiet woods.
The small church is situated in a lovely isolated spot at the end of the road, surrounded by silent forests and a picnic area that bears resemblance of little use. The church dates from the 12th century. We are the only ones here. The sounds from the forest are quiet around us, grey clouds drifts above the trees. Sitting outside the church, having a fruit break. If asked, the detour is recommended. On the map, we see that for the walk back we can take a path through the woods, which leads us back on the road again (there is a yellow arrow on a tree at the start of the path), so we get a round trip and do not have to go the same way back again.
Here the Camino goes underneath a grape arbor, the leaves and branches forms a roof that the pilgrims walks beneath.
Back on the Camino, the route continues through more rural surroundings. We pass by elderly people sitting along the road, waiting for the food delivery cars to come. Remains of empty houses long since abandoned, which I have been used to see in Spain. Long sections where eucalyptus trees dominates the forest, but also where there are elements of spruce. At one point, the route goes right under a grape arbor, with grape leaves and branches hanging like a roof over the path. Underway to Miño we meet the first other pilgrims we have seen so far, a family of three that I recognizes from the dinner yesterday (they were passing by us and probably had arrived in Pontedeume too late to be accommodated in the albergue).
Ponte Baxoi, we took a break at one of the tables at the picnic area next to this beautiful old bridge.
In Miño, we go down to the seafront and the promenade that follows along the beach, here we have lunch and relaxes; the clouds show signs of dispersing. Miño is otherwise not very exciting, so I am confident that it was a good thing that we stayed in Pontedeume last night. Before we continues, we take a coffee (I have missed the cafe con leches that they make down here) and I goes for a cold beer as well.
Inside a gate in an enclosured garden stands a huge eucalyptus tree that we here sees the trunk of.
The outlet of the Rio Lambre that you reach shortly after leaving Miño is a small and nice area. Inside a confined and almost overgrown garden stand a huge eucalyptus tree, perhaps the largest one I have ever seen. The wall next to the garden, which the trail passes close by, bears the mark of having been in a stately splendour once. At the inlet, there is a small park with boardwalks leading out to the beach (Praia do Pedrido), a man rows a small sailboat with red sails downriver. The river is crossed on the Ponte do Porco before the route disappears up into the forest. I manage too drop my camera on the ground and fears that another camera-crisis is imminent, but fortunately is seems to be averted.
What little of blue sky that appeared above Miño has disappeared now, and after the church of San Pantaleon das Vinas, we seek shelter from the rain in a small bar in Trasmil. Though, not so much for shelter from the rain really, which is insignificant, but we have plenty of time and a cold cerveza is really tempting at the time. The rest of the walk to Betanzos is pleasant enough, alternating between rural hamlets and sections of forest with the occasional view of the Ria de Betanzos.
Rio Lambre outside Miño, a man rowing a small sailboat with red sails downriver.
We arrive in Betanzos at about the same time as we arrived in Pontedeume yesterday and has spent about as much time, we have taken us good time today in other words. The albergue here is wonderful and completely new, furnished in an old building where both walls and old decorations like the fireplace is intact. The number of pilgrims has increased significantly in a way, at the end of the day there is around 13 pilgrims staying at the albergue. Solvor is in place, she had arrived in Betanzos a few hours ago already.
Camino waymarker in one of the forest walks on the Camino between Miño and Betanzos.
The houses of Betanzos is not like Pontedeume situated up towards a hill, but instead spreads over a small knoll. The buildings themselves are however relatively similar to the ones in Pontedeume, with old and narrow streets lined up with beautiful buildings. In the middle of the town, there is a large open place. I fell almost in love almost instant at the moment I put my feet in the town. There is a quiet and pleasant atmosphere in the small town.
Kjetil had asked someone he met on the street for tips about where to eat and had received some good recommendations, but the places are not open when we go there. So, we go for a walk in the town and sit down at a bar right next to the large open place for a beer first. I think this is one of the most pleasant town that I have visited in any one of my Caminos ever. The sun is breaking through the clouds when we sit at the bar, a sign of a perfect evening.
Praza de Constitucion in Betanzos, medieval banners and pennants also hanging between the buildings here.
When we return to the restaurant, Casa Miranda, it has opened. The restaurant lies in a typical tapas street, which is narrow and contains small restaurants that you walk between and taste the different specialties offered. We get a table inside and enjoy a lovely tapas meal consisting of serrano ham (jamon serrano), the house specialty that is omelet (tortilla) and more.
The walk was pleasant today, but where the highlight still was San Miguel de Breamo that is not situated on the Camino itself. Betanzos is a small jewel of a town.
Iglesia de San Francisco, Betanzos.
<- PontedeumeHospital de Bruma ->
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