We departed Casa Morgade in 0 degrees celcius and despite wearing gloves my hands were frozen.

The countryside is spectacular, and the colours of the grass and flowers are so vibrant. The paths are sometimes quite rough, which can make for slow progress. There was more slow and steady uphill for the first part of the day.  We stopped along the way to take in the scenery, breathe in the mountain air and take photos.

The first view of Portomarin looking down into a valley and across the fields was magnificent.  The all white houses were such a contrast to the stone houses we had been encountering up to now. 

Coming into Portomarin on the last leg of the day was a mix of emotions. Firstly, descending down a narrow roadway and then having the river Minho providing a great chasm between you and your destination on the other side. By the time I got to the flat section of the path, my knees were screaming at me, and my legs were like jelly. It was definitely a physical challenge for me. As I got to the bridge, I realised I had to throw my leg over a rail to cross to the other side. My Aussie friends and family will understand this gives a whole new meaning to ‘THROWING YOUR LEG OVER’. 😂 I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. On the other side was the Liberty Bell. This is a relic of the Roman era when a visitor had to ring the bell in order to be let through the city gates. We all had a turn at ringing the bell just for luck. I could hardly stand and now I had to ring a bloody bell too.