Caldas de Reis to Padron August 1st

1. I left Caldas de Reis before dawn – and with a night of rest, keeping well away from any healing thermal waters, my feet were less swollen. The day’s walk had a nice rhythm – even though there were now many pilgrims on the way, everyone’s pace was different and so one could walk alone, occasionally passing or being passed by others.

    And then, stopping at a cafe, you would be greeted by someone you had passed on the road yesterday – and even though you knew nothing about them, except that you were both on the Camino together, it felt like meeting an old friend.

   Below – photos from the walk.  First the Roman bridge out of town and then a wayside chapel. Next walking through the woods and a view of the countryside. And lastly one of the iconic grain storage structures.

 As always, I arrived at the albergue, checked in, collapsed for an hour or two, showered, washed my clothes and then set out to find a cafe and explore the town. Padron has many historical connections with Saint James – whose tomb in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela is the end point of the pilgrimage – and I was looking forward to explore the town.
The photos below show the first view of the town across the river – with the Convento do Carme standing guard over the town. The second photo shows the convent in the background while in the foreground is the Fonte do Carme showing the arrival of the sarcophagus of St. James with his disciples, and above that, the conversion and baptism of the pagan Queen Lupa.

Below is the church of St. James – the Igrexa de Santiago. The legend is that this is where the boat carrying the body of James the Apostle was moored by the river bank. The church was built over the site and the stone underneath the altar is supposedly the mooring post to which was boat was tied. It was also this stone (O Pedron) from which the town took its name.

The altar with the sacred stone underneath.

What was most evocative for me was Monte Santiaguino – where, legend has it, St. James first preached the gospel message. The place is difficult to find – the entrance is between two houses and easily missed.  Then the steps continue steeply up a hill – to the top, where a cross and a statue of St. James mark the place where he supposedly first preached to the people of Padron.

Tomorrow I plan to walk to Faramello – and the next day to Santiago!