I'm Back!

One of the many wayside crosses that we see. You can see how hot the weather is!

The internet has been difficult to connect to here in Pontevedra, so apologies for the delay in writing this! I have been unable to load on any 'photos, until just now, so I am going to be quick in case I lose it again!

The small bay at Pontesampaio. You can see the hills that we have to cross in the distance.

Our beautiful weather continues, and we are very grateful not to be walking in the cold and rain. Yesterday was a long walk (about 12 miles) in the heat, and involved a couple of climbs. We managed these quite well, so most definitely our fitness has improved. There were a lot of Canadians about yesterday, two of whom, Gina and Bill, walked with us all day, sharing their stories. Another passed us, amusingly singing, "It's a long way to Santiago!" I did find the route rather busy yesterday morning, and presume some people were locals.

The beautiful bridge over the Verdugo River

The route yesterday was varied, as we walked alongside rivers, through forests, along old tracks, and through the streets of Pontevedra. The most beautiful part of the day was walking across the stone bridge over the Verdugo River at Pontesampaio. There were thousands and thousands of fish in the river, some of them the size of a large salmon.

The Brige again, looking landward

The Chapel of St. Martha near Bertola. It is wonderful when these are open for pilgrims, as often they are shut.

The Chapel had it's own stamp, so we were able to stamp our pilgrim passports ourselves.

We have a rest day today, so after Mass at the Basilica, we wandered about exploring. As soon as I can, I will let you have some 'photos, as it is a beautiful city. I hope that we will be able to visit the Convent where Sister Lucia saw the Blessed Virgin Mary this evening. A group of us are making a pilgrimage to Fatima next July, so it would be wonderful to explore this part of the Fatima  Story.

Ave Maria!

Love

Rina