This day began with rain. It was wet for the first time on our Camino. Out came the rainwear we'd carried with us from Edmonton before we shipped out suitcases to our next stop. Breakfast was in a cafeteria about a block from the hotel - actually more of a bakery. It was full with pilgrims beginning their day. And breakfast here consisted of toast, coffee and orange juice - not great options for someone who is suppose to manage without gluten. I've maybe overdone my cheating a bit too much and have been struggling with an unsettled stomach since Vila Praia de Ancora - although I'm not sure if it's gluten, or sea food, or eggs and bacon at breakfast cooked in Olive oil. Either way, the diet has been good as I was down five kilograms in Vila Praia and the 20 Euros we spent on candy in Redondela has been a treat.
We'd crashed at about 8 pm the evening before. We had two rooms and beds for four in the apartment hotel where we stayed in Redondela. It was luxurious to have the space even though it was only for one night. An opportunity to make sure that everything that needed to be charged was charged. We knew that the coming couple of days held some substantial hills. From Porto we'd been following the coast and normally between sea level and 50 meters of altitude. We'd cross a couple of mountain ranges to reach Santiago where the altitude is around 250-300 meters above sea level. Our days would have between 700 and 1000 meters of climbing and I knew Sandy was resigned to dealing with the hills. Our of the gate at Redondela we'd climb to about 250 meters before returning to seaside in Arcade then follow the inlet to Pontevedra before climbing towards Caldas de Reis. At least that was the plan.
The climb from Redondela was painful. About 5 kilometers averaging around 4 percent. I've learned that if the average is 4 percent in Portugal or Spain it's likely the hill will top out with slopes of around 13-15 %. We'd adopted a system that I'd move ahead to a place where a stop for water or to catch breath was an option. Sandy would swear her way up the hill and then we'd enjoy the downhill that inevitably followed. We were off to a strong start on this particular day despite the wet weather. We climbed up and coasted down coming to Arcade on the other side of the mountain. Arcade was lovely and we'd joined the Camino route in a way that we hadn't really done often this trip. It was full of pilgrims. We didn't run into the Americans from the pizza place in Redondela, but there was a group of about 20 German roofers walking in traditional garb - black outfits with white shirts. The outfits were corduroy and no doubt warm. But they were a sight to behold. We stopped to take pictures of a Roman bridge where another pilgrim stood in front of Sandy admiring the bridge unaware of the picture being shot behind her.
We were passing groups of pilgrims bunched along the road when...snap...Sandy's bike came to a sudden halt. The drop post/ hanger that was straightened way back in Tomar broke completely. The chain twisted in the derailleur and the bike was not going any where fast. A consultation with google and there appeared to be a bike shop about 1/2 a miles away. We unloaded the pannier from Sandy's bike and draped it over my pannier. Sandy pushed the bike holding the rear wheel off the ground and we turned around to find the bike store.
It was relatively slow going but we were making progress in the right direction and hoping that a quick solution could be found. A spanish gentleman caught up to us from behind and acknowledged our plight telling us he didn't speak any English. Nonetheless he spoke enough to help. He called the bike shop to discover that, being a Monday, they were closed - at least I think it was a Monday that was the issue; it might be the store was just...closed. Our options then were to return to Redondela (how?) or move forward to Pontevedra - again, how? Either way we needed to keep moving in the direction of the bike shop. The train station was in the same area of town and we could investigate the issue of the where we needed to go, and how to get there. On to the highway and across the bridge - this one considerably busy with traffic that the Roman bridge we'd just passed. Before that happened though the kind gentleman had an inspiration. Taking us to his home he pulled out a tool kit and we removed the derailleur from the bike - Sandy could now push, even coast, the bike along. In town we got to the train station where, as I purchased tickets for the train on the internet Sandy and a woman from the U.S. got to visiting. The woman was hosting a tour of older single women travelling the Camino. One of those, walk a bit, bus a bit, and get to know a new part of the world. The commiserated over the challenges of travelling as a single woman, dealing with men (in general), and age - the rules for this woman's groups were single woman over 60 on her tours - men and children created problems. I got the tickets for Sandy and I praying that there would be room on the train for the bikes. It was an eight minute trip from Arcade to Pontevedra and then we'd figure out what they tarnation was going to happen from there.
Whatsapp has been a great help dealing with the bike issues we've faced this trip. We've messaged back and forth with the bike company and found solutions along the way. They've been gracious in the face of my anxiety wondering what might happen next. In Pontevedra we were told a replacement bike would be brought to us - although the bike that was coming did not have a pannier rack - could we combine our belongings? We managed and Sandy discovered the weight that I'd been carrying in my panniers along the way.
The bike arrived and we set off to Caldas de Reis having jumped about 10 kilometers up our route on the train. The pathway that followed was lovely. Running parallel to the train tracks through the woods it was quiet and pastoral. There were a few other pilgrims along the way and we passed with wishes of Buen Camino to and from them.
With about 8 kilometers to Caldas de Rei our route turned east and we began to climb. I'd relied on the RidewithGPS app to plan our route and it had done a decent job of finding a relatively direct track. I played around a bit to ensure our climbs were at least equivalent, if not less than other less direct routes. The two things that I didn't know were that the hotels address and it's actual location were about 2 kilometers apart; and that we were cutting cross country to get there. RidewithGPS showed that the roads were paved - another reassuring sign. But, they weren't! We climbed a significant mountain - perhaps more significant than the one we'd gone over from Redondela to Arcade; passing farms and barnyards with a few cows, sheep and other animals. At the top - at least I hoped it was the top; Sandy was less optimistic we turned passed a farm and the road changed from pavement to rough gravel. There was really no option but to keep going. The road became rougher and became apparent that it was actually a logging road. For about four kilometers we moved along the road dealing with the groves and leaves and broken branches littering the ground. Finally, an intersection and we were back to pavement. A downhill and we were coming close to the hotel. The GPS guided us into a side road, around a corner and told us we'd come to the end of our route. The house beside the road was comfortable looking enough - a bed and breakfast, perhaps? A consultation with google maps to understand and we realized we had some more riding to go. It wasn't bad - couple miles of highway with little traffic, and downhill to boot. We got to the gate of the hotel about 4 pm; only about an hour and a half off our preconceived schedule. The hotel was something else.
In a remote spot, alongside a small river, the hotel was in another recarnation an old flour mill. There was some irony, or something, to this. On our previous Camino journey, on our penultimate day of the trip, we'd travelled cross country over farmer's fields to find ourselves at a similar inn east of Santiago. This time the inn was more crowded - in 2019 we'd been one of two guests at the inn. In 2022 there were several groups of travelers staying. The sign on the gate indicated the restaurant had been listed in the Michelin guide in 2018. The setting alongside the river with landscaping around rock outcrops was simply lovely. The kitchen was closed until dinner, but they managed to rustle up some snacks and a drink - a bottle of white wine, and some potato chips would have to suffice for the first food I'd eaten since breakfast - Sandy had eaten a sandwich while waiting for the bike.
No comments:
Post a Comment