Day 12 - O Porriño to Redondela

We were on the Camino by 0730 just as the day was lightening up. It didn’t take long to reclaim the path. We walked through a tunnel painted with a pilgrim mural, regained our Camino rhythm and began our 12-mile day.

A kilometer marker indicated we were under 100 km (~60 miles) from Santiago.

A morning mist hung over the vineyards and farmlands. Smoke curled out of chimneys. Hay had just been cut. It smelled fresh and earthy. It was quiet and peaceful and a lovely way to start the day.

We reached the small town of Mos. A Pilgrim souvenir store, Bo Camiño, was open and several pilgrims were loading up on souvenirs. Tees, shells, magnets, hats, staffs, badges, pins, patches… you name it, they had it and some folks were buying. We browsed, but the thought of adding more weight to carry in our packs dissuaded us from any purchases.

Mos is known for its handmade bobbin lace, encaixe de bolillos, and on closer inspection, we noticed that the town’s sign had been created in the traditional delicate lace of the area.

Further up the road, we found a cafe for coffee and breakfast. It was mobbed with hungry pilgrims. David selected a ‘tortilla’ from the menu thinking it would be like a tortilla we have in the USA. Instead, it was more like a frittata… a thick egg, onion and potato pie served hot. Delicious and a portion large enough to feed us both.

A huge, rusty iconic Coke can, a sign perhaps from an old bottling plant, wished us a Bo Camiño and we wondered if this was a misspelling, but then that was the name of the souvenir store, too. We learned that it was Galego, the local language of Galicia (Galiza in the Galego language). The story of Galiza/Galicia, an autonomous community in Spain is an interesting one that David will explore in another blog.

As we walked up hill and out of town, we passed the Cruceiro dos cabaleiros, the traditional Galician stone cross that guides pilgrims along their journey.

Further down the path, we encountered an unusual monument dedicated to abused women. It was unusual in that it was unexpected, and certainly not the type of monument we’ve been seeing on the Camino. It did, however, give us and other pilgrims reason to pause and reflect on a universal problem.

Though walking this part of the Camino through the Galician forest is scenic, peaceful and beautiful, the walking here was sometimes a bit intense. We were in and out of the forest, climbing steep, paved roads and then slogging down again only to encounter yet another hill. As usual, arriving at our destination felt like the major accomplishment for the day.

We stopped at a small cafe for a late lunch and ordered the pilgrim menu, realizing after it was served that Pollo Milanesa is not something we particularly like. There was, however, lots of it and we were hungry. So we ate and then took the rest with us for dinner.

Across the street from the cafe was the Convento de Vilavella, a 16th century convent, church and building complex. The church was open and we popped in for a pilgrim stamp and a quiet moment after lunch.

We completed our 12 mile day’s journey, found our accommodation for the night, did a little laundry, ate cold Pollo Milanesa for dinner, wrote a little, read a little, and hit the sack early. Our schedule does not change much (except for the Polla Milanesa!).  Tomorrow, we’re heading to Pontevedra, a lot of up and just a little closer to Santiago. It’s supposed to rain, but you won’t get wet.