Paderne

Camino Ingles, Day 2: Pontedeumo to Betanzos


There was still plenty of hill to start the day with but at least we’d already tackled the very steep bit at the bottom the previous day. After that there was a long slow meander through a valley beneath the motorway overpasses before we stopped in Mino for coffee, a very funky iron bridge over the railway and brief stop at the beach – there was even a statue of a cross set atop a rather grumpy looking pig. After that there was a particularly atmospheric stretch where the distant booms of the passing traffic overhead punctuated the sound of birdsong to give a distinctly ‘Lost World’ vibe to the proceedings. To top things off, we emerged onto a busy road feeling hungry and stumbled almost magically across a front-room bakery selling excellent tuna empanada to set us up for the final stretch into Betanzos. After checking into our hotel we even found the energy to explore – visiting the church, with its mad grotto depicting the miracle at Lourdes, and the equally deranged Parque El Pasatiempos, an ornamental wonderland of statues and ponds built by two brothers who went to Argentina to make their fortunes at the turn of the Century and then came back to endow their hometown with attractions both practical and entertaining. The latter is closed for restoration but that didn’t stop us circling round and peering through the gates. After that there was still time for Gintonic in the square and tortilla and salad in the restaurant next to the hotel…