Camino Frances: Morgade to Portomarin

One of our shorter days today at 11kms, but with lots of downhills which were quite tough on the knees. I spent a lot of the day blessing my hiking poles for their very existence!

We had breakfast at the albergue this morning (just putting it out there...Spain has the BEST orange juice ever!) before setting off on our walk. Another cool morning - ideal walking conditions.

It was a lovely walk from the word go, quite up-and-down, with lots of interesting things to look at.

We stopped at a little cafe mid-walk, where we met an adorable dog that is 100% living her best life, greeting all the patrons and getting cuddles all day long by the look of it. This was in stark contrast to some of the other sad, neglected dogs we have unfortunately seen.

Later we walked through a village that had an abandoned house (okay, more of a ruin really) for sale - I tried to persuade Grant to buy it for me… a fixer-upper project for him to enjoy… but he was having none of it!

Towards the end of the walk there were 2 options: the “dangerous route” and the “safe route” you can guess how that went......  of course Grant, Glynt, Calvin and Paula opted for the adrenaline rush and the rest of us were more sedate as we made our way down, down, down (quite steeply!) to the long bridge that took us to the foot of the steep stairs leading into Portomarin.

Portomarin is a charming little town bordering the Minho River, very pretty with lots of restaurants and cafes, mainly catering to Camino walkers.

Interestingly, the whole village of Portomarin was moved in the 60s, to make way for the building of a dam. Historic buildings were moved, piece by piece, to higher ground, to allow for the flooding of the older village when the dam was constructed. In the Summer, when water levels are low, it is still possible to see some of the older village buildings exposed in the water.

We opted for a picnic for lunch, before checking into our pension this afternoon. This evening we attended a concert of flute, harmonium and Gregorian chant in the local church, put on specifically for Camino-walkers.  It was really lovely and well-attended too, definitely worth going to. Afterwards we had supper at a street-side cafe, before stopping for what is becoming our regular evening gelato.

Our accommodation tonight is Casa San Nicolas

Casa San Nicholas is a great place to stay, the location couldn't be better - right in the centre of Portomarin.  The amenities are excellent and I particularly appreciated the little touches - like a kettle and a variety of teabags in the room.  There is a lovely private terrace with  seating and a washline too.  Highly recommend.