Today was our shortest walk. With an early start, we were at our new hotel by noon. So, for the first time since staring our trip, we actually walked around the city a bit after finishing our hike.

Leaving Arcade

We had an early start this morning, which is what we like.

After a nice breakfast, we left Arcade and had some serious elevation. Hiking through the city was quite interesting.

We stopped at a small store on the way out of town to pick up a few things. Angela was asked by the store owner to help translate for a passing pilgrim.

Crossing an Old Roman Bridge

As we were leaving Arcade, we came to the Ponte Medieval de Pontesampaio, an old bridge with a lot of history. It was built in the 10th century on top of Roman ruins, so it’s been around a very long and still looks solid with its stone arches.

This bridge became well known in 1809 during the Battle of Ponte Sampaio, when Spanish troops beat Napoleon’s army.

As we walked across the bridge, Verdugo River below, you can’t help picturing how much this bridge has seen.

Hitting the Hills

After finally getting out of Arcade, we hit the hills and got our hearts pumping.

I even took a moment to say hi to a friend!

We also saw some cute homes and more pilgrim signs.

Along the River

We came to split in the El Camino. Left or right?

Right took into the small towns and villages, but the left path took us along a wooded river section. So, we decided to stay in the woods!

Once we cleared the woods, we came to this old tunnel and then quickly entered into our home for the night, PointeVerde!

Since we arrived at our hotel early, we got checked in and decided to walk around the city.

Then, we had some Paella—a traditional Spanish rice dish that originated in the Valencia region in the 14th century. It’s known for its saffron-infused rice, rich flavors, and colorful presentation. It was yummy!

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