CAMINO INGLÉS – Day 3
The one with a glass-bottom bridge, a coffee nobody wanted & a thunderstorm sprint finish
📍 Location: Miño to Betanzos
🥾 Distance: 7 miles (a well-earned “easy” day!)
🌞 Weather: Warm, muggy, and topped off with a cheeky thunderstorm
Summary:
Shorter distance, big laughs, and an unexpectedly fancy Italian feast. From singing childhood songs in the forest to tiptoeing over a glass bridge, today’s Camino delivers character, carbs, and just the right dose of chaos. Betanzos welcomed us with fiestas, thunder, and a card game showdown to end all showdowns.
⸻
🍽️ 8:00 am – For €5, breakfast at our hotel was a total win: unlimited coffee, toast, fruit, yoghurt etc. The whole group slept well, and with the trail right outside the door, this one’s officially on my “repeat in September” list.
👣 8:30 am – We gathered outside for a quick walkers’ briefing and hit the trail. Today’s walk may be short, but it’s got plenty packed in – including a brush with Spanish pig history! The area we’re walking through is known for its porky past, especially around Ponte do Porco (literally: Pig Bridge). Legend has it that the name goes back to medieval times when farmers would herd pigs across the bridge to markets in Betanzos. It’s said that one poor pig once slipped off into the river and inspired a local tale of luck, loss, and livestock.
🌉 This area is also home to the famed “Seven Bridges” – ancient stone crossings scattered through forest and farmland. The most nerve-jangling? A modern walkway with a glass section in the middle. If you’re not great with heights, this bit’s a “Nope!” Two of our group politely declined and waited on solid ground while the rest of us tiptoed over like we were walking on lava.
🎶 9:20 am – High on bridge-crossing adrenaline (and possibly still a bit sleepy), led by Alison, we broke into a spontaneous rendition of “Throw Grandma off the bus” – think “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain” but with more gusto and less logic. That snowballed into a medley of school assembly classics and various hymns. The hills were alive, and so were our childhood memories.
☕ 9:48 am – First coffee con leche stop, just 2.6 miles in. Because… why not? Hayley somehow ordered an extra coffee, then spent the next 10 minutes trying to gift it to strangers who didn’t speak a word of English and were understandably suspicious of the overly smiley lady offering them a mystery beverage. A slice of pineapple cake accompanied the coffee, and if Spain wants to keep this tradition of free cake going, we’re fully on board.
⛈️ 11:00 am – What’s that distant rumble? Oh, just a thunderstorm rolling in. Cue that “uh oh” feeling. With less than a mile to go, we went into power-walk mode. Umbrellas popped open, jackets zipped, ponchos deployed, and the pace… increased. The Camino gods were clearly in our favour today.
🏰 11:30 am – We just dodged the storm as we crossed the stone bridge into Betanzos, a gem of a Galician town once the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Galicia. Cobbled streets, crooked buildings, and enough churches to make your head spin – this place oozes medieval charm. Betanzos is especially famous for its tortilla española, although today we have traded it for pasta (more on that shortly).
🥁 Since we couldn’t check in until 1 pm, we parked ourselves at a café on the main plaza, where a fiesta was in full swing. Drummers drummed, TV cameras rolled, and none of us had a clue what was going on!
⛪ We wandered through town, watched a christening at the Cathedral, and popped into one of the many stunning churches. At 1 pm, we made our way to Hotel Villa Betanzos, where we were checked in by a charming receptionist named Thomas, who was as helpful as he was patient.
🍝 Thomas helped me book a lunch spot, and we landed on an amazing Italian restaurant that could seat all ten of us (no small task as there was a fiesta happening and most places were fully booked). The atmosphere at the restaurant was lively, the waiter’s English attempts were adorable, and the food? Next level. I had the best carbonara of my life, followed by a dreamy abuela mousse. At this point, I was approximately 60% pasta and could barely move.
🃏 After a siesta, we reconvened in the lobby for a raucous round of Spoons (played with cups, because… we couldn’t find any spoons?). It got LOUD. Phyllis dominated the game like a silent assassin, then we moved on to Uno, where the shuffle card created chaos and broke hearts.
🛏️ 8:30 pm – Absolutely done in. My bed is calling, my feet are grateful, and my heart is full.
⸻
Until tomorrow… Buen Camino, amigos.