Ponte Sampaio to San Antoninio 23 kms.
Today Danielle joined me for a pretty walk through the tiny steep streets and old Roman roads of the villages, through vineyards and small holdings, to the beautiful city of Pontevedra. We called in at our Lady of the Camino sanctuary,the Shrine of the Virgin Peregrina, again full of beautiful flowers. When the churches are open, they look as though as wedding is about to happen.
My afternoon was solo again, and was meant to be an easy walk.
It was only a little panic- the sun was setting behind the hill, the village I was heading for was nowhere to be seen, and there was no-one around to try out my Spanish on. around the corner, I saw some builders still at work on a house. The conversation went like this.
Donde San Antonino?
You want an alberge for pilgrim?
No, I want the cafe Praza in san Antonino (because I am meeting my amiga there, but I can’t say that in Spanish or even Galician)
You want the pilgrim hostel. It is a long way, there..
No! Donde el Cafe Praza?
Finally the foreman came to the rescue, pointed out the lights over the valley and I dragged my sore leg and tired body down a winding road, up a steep lane, past the locked chapel, then up the N550 to the cafe where Rosemary waited.It was still not qhite dark, but I was glad she realised the panicky phone call was just to give my GPS position if I did not turn up!
