After a quick breakfast in the room, we headed back to the train station to pick up of our rent-a-car. Tom knew it was going to be a tough walk because we had to pass a nautical club that had a 50-meter pool and Janet has been missing smelling of chlorine. By the way… for those who have followed blogs in the past… this is only the second time in 44 years we have traveled when Janet did not pack a bathing suit.
The folks at Enterprise were great! Very helpful, and when Tom said we would be heading to Ribeira Sacra they immediately went back to the computer to give us a car with more power. However, with power comes size. Big cars in old cities do not usually get along, but it will be nice to have the power and clearance on some of our adventures.
Paperwork done and surviving on Google Maps offline, we head towards Pontevedra in the big blue beast. The weather was still less than ideal, but the roads in Spain are wonderful and we had no problems finding a parking lot in Pontevedra. The rain had begun to pick up, but it would not slow us down.
Weaving through a maze of streets we arrived at a small square where the Chapel of the Pilgrim Virgin can be found. This small church is where hikers of the El Camino de Santiago and El Camino Portugués cross paths. Together they will walk the last legs to Compostela de Santiago. As their books were stamped you could see it in their faces, they knew they were now officially on the home stretch!
Pontevedra is a very old city and is the capital of the region where Vigo resides. The rock and cobblestone streets were a little slippery with the rain as we meandered looking at all the historic points.
This church, Iglesia de Santa María la Mayor, goes back to the 16th century and now sits quietly on the hill and appears no longer in use. The gates to the doors were locked and lots of repair was needed.
As the rain came down harder, we decided to take a break for a coffee. The real treat is with your coffee a treat is provided. In this part of the world, it would be a piece of Tarta de Santiago, which is an almond cake to die for. Maybe even walk 500 kms for a piece… or maybe not. We enjoyed the treat and the warm beverage while the statue of a violin player entertained us.
We made the command decision to head on to Cambados, a small town not far from Pontevedra. The town is on the sea and is the home the Consejo Regulador for Rías Baixas. The sign in the picture is in Galician, also known as Galego, which is one of the five legal languages of Spain.
“CAUTION – A Wine Geek Ahead”
The Consejo Regulador sets the guidelines for the region, in this case Rías Baixas. A few of the guidelines include Grape Varieties Authorized, Production Levels, Winemaking Methods, and Aging Times. What this means is that you cannot decide you want to bottle any grape you want, how you want, how much you want and put Rías Baixas on the label. In Rías Baixas there are 5 subzones, Val do Salnés, O Rosal, Condado do Tea, Soutomaior and Ribeira do Ulla. The town of Cambados is in Val do Salnés.
Because of the high moisture in this area of Spain the grape vines are trained on pergolas or known here as “Parral”. Very cool to see fields and fields of these vines which allow the wind to blow through them drying the grapes to avoid mildew. However, they are very labor intensive and it takes more years until the first harvest is realized.
Wine Geek Completed… For now!
Cambados has a nice walk along the sea and on Mondays it is a pretty sleepy place. We enjoyed just chatting as we walked along the sea.
Hunger pains were cured immediately at a little taberna at the gate of El Parador de Cambados. We enjoyed a plate of fried calamari that is the best we had ever had. We are still early in our trip, but that is the dish to beat. Of course, a copa of the local Albariño paired well.
Heading to Vigo, the rains began again, but we made it back safely to Vigo. The apartment did not come with parking, but a public lot was a couple hundred yards away. Parking the blue beast in an European spot underground was challenging, but we did it!
It was good to be back in our temporary home. Staying in an apartment vice a hotel affords us the opportunity to do a little wash while we relaxed with a glass of wine. The sky began to clear and an orange glow appeared outside. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will be better.
Restaurants do not open for dinner until 8:30. The hunger pains had returned so we walked up the hill to a restaurant called La Centrale. The night air had a chill, so we opted to be inside and got a seat at the window so we could see Vigo come alive.
The waiter let us try a piece of the regional cheese called Tetilla, which is seasonal in Galicia. Janet went with a Sea Bass Ceviche that provided an explosion of flavors! Tom chose an octopus rice dish that was full of cheese. The dish was amazing and warmed the soul. We paired the meal with a wine we had never had. It was 100% Caíño Blanco that was unbelievable! (Rita… If you are following the blog – please check the availability of this one 😊)
A great meal was finished with a small plate of Tetilla, another regional cheese called San Simon and small pieces of quince. A wonderful day! Totally stuffed, we waddled down the hill. Sleep came fast!
Tomorrow is Santiago de Compostela!
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