Pontedeume

 Pontedeume 

After a great night's sleep only spoiled by the sound of waves lapping at the stones walls and steps down to the beach, I rejoined El Camino, with the typical uphill start to the day. To rejoin the main route, I walked up from the shore, over the railway line and up to the main road. El Camino takes the backroads, so it was anotehr climb up to reach the back road that runs parallel to the main N651.

And there was a new sign, still blue and yellow but with the words Ultreia et Suseia, meaning Onward and Upward. I passed a young couple and wished them a Buen Camino. They had a long weekend to walk half of El Camino Ingles with a plan to do the second half on another long weekend in a few weeks time. 

I passed a bus stop with a bus parked there where the furtherest extent of its route finshed before returning to Pontedeume. I had only just left the young couple but looking around as I crossed the road, they were nowhere to be seen. I can only imagine that the lure of the bus to skip ahead was too tempting and they had caught the bus. 

A mural on a building in Fene. 

Another sign for a pilgrim with a difference, made from scallop shells. 

I had seen the Banco Peregrino sponsored bench before but the drinking fountain to the left with its concrete sculptured scallop shell was a new twist on a theme.

A chain link fence where pilgrims had weaved twigs into the mesh to represent crosses.  

A view of the bridge into Pontedeume across the Rio Eume and the original site of an ancient bridge that boasted 78 arches to get the road across the estuary...

...and a view of the estuary and out to sea.