Camino Day 11 – Caldas de Reis to Padrón

Walked: 19.39km (200.89km) | 3h54m (42h34m)

Followed: 0km|48.7km (1h20m)

Today we hit 200km of walking and it’s taken us about 42.5hours which gives a pace of 4.72km/h, which I think is pretty good for a couple of 69 year olds, one with very short legs. However, the pilgrim’s progress award has to go to ‘the lady with the pram’ who we’ve seen a few times, and who everyone mentions: a young woman pushing her little boy in a pink, all-terrain buggy, all the way to Santiago! She’s quite elusive, and we’ve met no-one who’s spoken with her – but what determination!

Caldas de Reis is a very pretty place, although like many of the towns and villages we have passed through, there are many previously beautiful houses, cafes and businesses that are closed up or literally collapsing. Was it COVID? Or has there been a long slow decline as younger people move to the cities? Either way, one wonders how things would be without the streams of pilgrims and their euros coming through. Perhaps that’s why we’ve been treated so kindly everywhere. But we get the impression that Galicians are just nice! At the river just outside our hotel, a beautiful old mill that had been a taverna stood all forlorn, just outside our hotel.

The morning sun on the river was worth a photo, but I had to take a snap in the other direction as well to catch Jane’s outfit del dia. As you can see, we may be 11 days in but standards are being maintained. We were actually both complimented on our turnout last night, by fellow pilgrims at the next table!

The walk today was pretty straightforward and generally very shaded and pleasant.

We stopped at the Church of Saint Marina of Carracedo. A well-attended Sunday service had just finished, so we went in to get a pilgrims’ stamp. It’s very ornate and well kept for an isolated rural church.

Outside the church, we sat on a nicely cold stone picnic table to have our ‘second breakfast’. We met Lorenzo, from Italy, and his ‘acquired grand-daughter’ Clara. He was well-travelled and his English was impeccable. We got to talking about development in Africa, and the South Downs Way, and after 20 minutes chat, I think we might have invited them to stay with us, if they come to walk that trail. The Camino is a bit like that.

In the same spot, we also met two Canadian cyclists, struggling with their hire bikes; very heavy, without much in the way of gears or saddle adjustment. We passed them a few times, pushing these beasts up the hills, and were very pleased later on to meet them in Padrón.

There weren’t a lot of cafes on the route today and quite a few were shut, as it’s Sunday, but we found one with a comfortable, shady terrace for noon coffee, and bumped into Tony, who we’d met at dinner last night. We stayed for nearly 2 hours to let the hottest part of the day pass.

We set off again and noted that in Galicia they know how to do cemeteries. Soon we were back into vineyards, forest paths and villages.

As we approached Padrón we lost shade and things began to urbanise. It doesn’t really come across in this photo but this industrial complex overwhelmed this suburb both visually and aurally.

After four hours of walking we arrived in Padrón and sat down immediately for a very welcome beer at the bar that manages our accommodation for tonight.

We’re in, and have nearly lost each other and half of our possessions already, as it has three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and terrace! We found one little shop open and are eating in tonight to use the extensive facilities!

Tomorrow is going to be tough. It’s the last stage, it’s long (25km), very hot, and there are significant climbs. The plan is to set off really early.