Distance: 21.3km (638.8km), time spent: 7:32.
Weather: Clear blue sky.
Like Porto, Pontevedra presents itself with a choice of routes for the pilgrims. Continue on the central route on familiar paths, or leave it for the spiritual variant. A route that not only is rumored to be lovely, but also includes an option to take a boat ride at the end. If choosing to take the boat, you will follow what is said to be the same route as the boat carrying the body of St James took.
Praza de Ferraria in Pontevedra in the morning.
Yesterday I had 'persuaded' Ciaran to also go this route, but we are not very synchronised in the morning. While waiting, having breakfast, I get to see the astonishing amount of pilgrims accumulated here, there is a steady flow of them walking through the streets. Joy is in the eyes that sees, and waiting lets me see more of this great city. Ciaran arrives, hungry for breakfast too. Despite my early morning, I am late away. The first spiritual day is not a long walk, however.
Ponte do Burgo.
Crossing the Ponte do Burgo, we cross out of Pontevedra, two pilgrims in the line of many others. When leaving the central Camino, the number of pilgrims diminish, becoming none. The sudden absence of other pilgrims is strange. Yielding a relaxed feeling, but of someting missing. While the line of pilgrims moves away on the central, most likely heading towards Caldas de Reis, Ciaran and I heads uphill through small hamlets and past grape arbors.
No Pilgrim No Cry.
The espiritual variante is usually done in three days or stages. On the first day, Armenteira is the endpoint, as it is for me today. It is not a long walk, a mere 20k, but it offer one of the steepest climbs of any of the stages of the Camino Portugués, although seasoned hikers would not claim it to be truly steep. The second day goes to Vilanova de Arousa and includes one of the most scenic paths on the Portuguese way. At last comes the third day, where you either go by foot or by boat. Every day on the spiritual seems to provide something unique to the Camino.
Grape arbor view of Pontevedra.
The solitude of two does not last though. Eventually, Ciaran and I sees the unmistakably view of other pilgrims. Having left the Central, the spiritual route is undeniably pleasant, going past a mixture of fields, hamlets, arbors and the occasional view of the valley below. Although, we are not very high up. A sole petroglyph is found on a stone in a playground in Campañó, Petróglifo das Forcadas. Without any pressure on us today, we stop for a coffee at a local rural hotel.
Footpath on the spiritual variant towards Campañó.
Monasteries seems to be a focal point of the walk today, as the walk ends at the monastery in Armenteira, Monasterio de Santa María. Before that, we arrive at the Monasterio de San Xoán de Poio (in Poio), which is boasting that it is having one of the longest hórreos (granary) in Galicia in its backyard (33m long). Ciaran is sporty, or patient, enough to wait for me while I go and visit the monastery. Seeing a lot of monasteries on the way will make you see the likeness they have to each other, eventually feeling you have seen one before. This one is no exception, but although similar to other, I do enjoy this one too. The cloister garden is really nice, but the true gem is the rather incredible wall of mosaics. This tiled wall takes you on the Camino Frances from the start at St Jean Pied de Port to the end at Santiago de Compostela, with major landmarks you pass by in tiled details. Ciaran should have visited it.
The 33m long horreo in Monasterio de San Xoán de Poio.
From the monastery and the memories of my Camino Frances, there is a short walk to Combarro. A group of young school kids stops us on our way, giving us fruits and stamps in our credentials. And a little survey to take, probably a school assignment. Combarro is reached after a splendid walk next to the estuary, it is low tide and the water is long out, leaving behind a surprisingly green seabed.
Monasterio de San Xoán de Poio.
The cloister garden in Monasterio de San Xoán.
Combarro looks like a little gem too, but as with all other places that starts to receive a considerable amount of tourists, the usual result is somewhat certain. Whatever was a pleasant village turns into a trinket and souvenir shop, and restaurants with inflated prices. The original village is then lost in the transition. Combarro is best viewed from outside of it.
A section of the wonderful tiled wall depicting scenery from the Camino Frances.
Lunch is however needed, as there are no other places to eat at until Armenteira, but I do not feel particularly tempted to eat at any of the cafés and restaurants here. All too touristy and overpriced. We settle for a place that accepts making some baguettes for us. The location is of course nice, but not worth the price. Walking out of the village after our lunch, we have to push through the throng of tourists and souvenir shops selling the usual trinkets. I wish we had pushed through in the other end instead at first, maybe we had come to the places where the locals go to. Trying to remove the tourists and the souvenir shops from my inner eye, I can see a beautiful village.
Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.
The big climb starts when walking out of the village. It is steepest at its start. Further up the houses yields way for fields, in between offering views of the village and estuary. A pilgrim on a bike passes us by, but later we overtake him as he has started to roll the bike instead. Higher up, after entering the woods, we come to a viewpoint. Exposing all of the estuary below and the land further back. the biker poses with his bike, I feel that it smells a little bit of 'cheating', but he did get the bike up. Taking your time, this should should not be intimating at all.
View of the estuary on the walk towards Combarro.
Being back walking with Ciaran feels like before. Him walking just ahead, and me trailing behind. And he has definitely got his speed up. As I look around in my usualy way, he gets ahead of me. I lose him altogether when I go into the trees to look at the Petróglifos de Outeiro do Cribo. Interesting, but barely visible. Vague shapes of deers and other animals, and some spiral labyrinthine patterns. Peaceful woods, I take a short stroll further in beyond the petroglyphs.
Combarro.
The final walk to Armenteira is a descent down through the woods and then on a lovely path through cultivated farmland. Ciaran is waiting down at the café next to the monastery. Nice temperature, sun, a nice walk, seems perfect for a cold beer before heading towards the albergue. After our arrival beer, Ciaran heads for the albergue and I for the monastery. Although I will only go for a short look at it, checking if I should return to it later for a proper visit.
On the way up from Combarro.
Looking out over the estuary and land beyond from the viewpoint above Combarro.
Armenteira has an albergue that is quite new by the looks of it. Everything is neat and clean. With a good place to sit down in, next to some vending machines selling everything from beers to pastries. I like it here. There are more pilgrims here than I had expected, but not overly crowded either.
Petróglifos de Outeiro do Cribo.
Before dinner, I go to the Monasterio de Santa María, having deemed it worth a visit. On my short visit earlier, I just took a quick look inside the church. Now, I take a closer look at the cloister garden and monastery buildings, but I wonder if I got to see everything that is available to see of it. Maybe I was too late, I did not have to pay anything, so there might be some sections not open.
Footpath down to Armenteira.
Our dinner company is an interesting one, and a nice one also. We eat together with a girl from England walking the Way with here mother, and then there is the Polish couple. They are walking with a very young baby, who of course becomes the centre of everybodys attention. Even the host of the café comes over. And the British girl and I takes time to sit down on the floor with the baby. Which makes me think that walking a Camino with a baby should not be a problem at all. The baby will have more 'uncles' and 'aunts' than it wilh have as real ones. On a sidenote, the food was quite good too.
The cloister garden of the monastery in Armenteira.
Back at the albergue, the hospitalero informs us that there is a code yellow regarding the weather tomorrow. It is gonna rain heavily and she advises us to start later. In fact, it has already begun to blow heavily outside, so we all strive to get our laundry inside. I guess it is all spiritual, it has been a great day.
Monasterio de Santa María de Armenteira.
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