Early start today because this is scheduled to be our second longest walk. Rain theatens.

Left at 8:50am, walked through the old town and crossed via the mediaeval Burgo bridge. According to the Web, the present medieval bridge is the heir to the first Roman bridge over which the Roman road XIX passed. This bridge still existed in the 12th century but was in ruins. It remained for a very long time the only crossing point of the Lerez river. The first references to the current bridge date back to 1165. In the 15th century, the bridge had 15 arches, losing one arch when a new levee was built to increase the depth of the port.

The new town is fairly nondescript and soon we are following other pilgrims north. Today our route is mostly road and forest track; the road walking is harder on the feet and since we are doing more than thirteen miles, our bodies feel it, but there are no injuries. However, by mid-morning the rain starts, a gentle sprinkle at first then a more consistent light rain. Tim resists the urge to put a rain jacket on and regrets it, but the air is humid and so we are damp anyway. Luckily there are no great hills to climb. We stop at a cafe with a lot of other damp walkers and enjoy a soft drink. During a lull in the rain we find a stone bench outside a house and have our sandwiches. Ham and cheese. Late afternoon we stop at another cafe for a stronger libation. And an ice cream.

Major ‘firsts’ today – we cross and railway line and we see a turkey and a donkey.

Motto of the day – ‘no vino, no camino’.

Here is the map for June 5, 2025;