Ponte de Lima

After the storms on our day in Barcelos we were meant to have a follow up day (really a week!) of more rain.  However, we were very fortunate that, apart from a few short showers it was fine for our entire day of walking,  and allowed us to stop for a leisurely lunch in an old mill.  

It was an interesting day, meeting, really for the first time, the trail of pilgrims heading for Santiago de Compostela, negotiating roadworks, and stopping regularly (for me) to take photos.  We arrived early at our lodgings, well before check-in time, and so we went a few hundred metres down the road to a restaurant which had once been an old mill, the river roaring past, and under, the building, and much of the old machinery incorporated into the decoration.

Walls and cobbles continue 

When I was here in January I was unable to cross this bridge because the river had flooded several hundred metres before I reached and I had to detour out to the road. 

The path took us past this lovely Romanesque church

The river cascading through the rocks at the old mill restaurant. 

However - that was yesterday, and today is very different. Yesterday I received a text message warning of torrential rain, possible thunderstorms, and strong winds and that it was prudent to follow the advice of locals.   Pilgrims we met along the way kept showing us the same message we had received, as did our hostess.  We had only just settled into our accomodation when the rain started,  and continued  - all night!

Starting the day in the rain

The Church in Vitorino dos Piães 

Filling a water bottle.

many interesting fences on the way

Blue sky at last

Across the Rio Lima

We set off today in more torrential rain, but, unexpectedly, by the time we got to our destination, Ponte de Lima, we had patches of blue sky.  This lasted long enough for us to explore the town, before the rain started again.  Ponte de Lima is a lovely town.   The entrance via the Camino takes us down an avenue of Plane trees, with a view of the river the entire way, along with the old bridge.  There are some lovely old church buildings, but only one was open.  There are also some interesting sculptures, and, across the river, a very large and interesting botanical type garden. 

the avenue of Plane trees entering Ponte de Lima 

The pillory, the bridge, and one of the old churches (closed)

One of the sculptures ......

...... and another.

the wisteria trellis in the gardens.