Day 10-Arcade to Pontevedra
Day 11-Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis
Day12-Caldas de Reis to Padron
I can’t believe that this time tomorrow I’ll be in Santiago de Compostella. This has been an adventure of highs and lows, of laughter and tears, of sunshine and rain. Lots and lots and lots of rain. To the point where being dry actually felt weird!
See? SO.MUCH.WATER!
It’s also meant having to detour to walking on the main roads from Arcade to Pontevedra and onwards to Caldas de Reis due to flooding. Being on the Camino alone has many advantages, but safety also becomes a major issue, as the forested trails are far away from roads or areas where you can easily call for help or have someone come along and find you. Today was actually the first time I crossed paths with someone, an elderly gentleman who was out for a Sunday walk when we met on opposite sides of a stream that was flooded.
He watched me with amusement as I took my shoes off and put on a pair of sandals and picked me way through the water. Once over to his side, we had a conversation in broken Spanish and English about how much water there is and that probably more will come. We walked together for a few minutes and he gave me a piece of paper with his name and phone number on it in case I needed any help. Then he insisted we take a selfie. His name is Juan and he is the only interaction I’ve had on the Camino.
As I went onwards, I found I was becoming less irritated by the rain, and in fact, it became just part of the routine. Rain starts, I stop for a few seconds to determine if it’s going to start chucking it down or not by looking up at the clouds, then either just put my hood of my red waterproof up, or pull on the big waterproof over my backpack. Then when the rain stops, take the big one off and eventually the other one, and hang it through my backpack to dry. A process repeated every 20 minutes or so. Then I realised that I’d not put my jacket on in nearly an hour. Then I saw it. Something I’d not seen in nearly 10 days…
MY SHADOW! That could only mean one thing…Sun! Glorious, bright, warm, SUN! I stood there basking in it for a few minutes before laughing and walking even faster towards Padron. As the markers started counting down, I started thinking a lot about how just a few days ago I was thinking ‘only 5 more days to Santiago, I don’t know if I am going to make it’ and now, now that the sun had come out, I couldn’t help but think ‘I don’t want this to end tomorrow, how did it get to be almost the last day so quickly?’.
Now I’m here in Padron (which, btw, if you’re a chili pepper addict like I am, know that the season for Padron peppers is only late summer…something I was disappointed to find out as I was really looking forward to having some!), with less than 25km to Santiago. I’ve been over the road in the launderette, washed all my trekking gear, taken a long bath, and now going to bed so I can have an early start tomorrow.
As I think back on the last couple of weeks, I can’t remember the order of the towns I was in, I’ve often lost track of what day and date it is. What I do remember though, are moments. The moment I saw the yellow arrow for the first time. The smell of the eucalyptus in the forests. Placing my first stone of sorrow. The moment that I realised what the Camino is about. So many moments are etched into my head and heart forever. So many more moments to come long after I’ve said goodbye to the Camino.
It’s fitting that today is Valentine’s day, because this moment, and the ones that will be to come, are so full of love.
Notes about Arcade-Pontevedra-Caldas de Reis-Padron
-If you’re doing the camino in winter, be prepared to stick to main roads if there is a lot of rain. The trails get flooded and the drainage is not suitable to handle heavy rainfall. The water, even where not terribly deep, moves very fast and the stones are slippy, making it easy to lose your balance and fall.
-Most cafes are closed between the major towns. Either take extra water or fill up at every drinking font you find.
-Many of the churches and monuments will also be closed.
-Waymarks in the towns can be difficult to find.
-The Camino Portugues is a very solitary journey in winter. Every hotel and guest house I have stayed in aside from Porto and Pontevedra, I have either been the only guest or one of very few. For me, this is exactly as I wanted it, but f0r those seeking to meet people, you might want to wait until it gets busier.
camino de uchuujin 