Fifty-Eight Steps

Of the 30,000 or so steps we took today to arrive in Portomarín, these 58 were probably the most difficult, coming as they did at the end of the day.

The Camino climbs these steps into the town. They are made from the remaining stones of the ancient Roman bridge that used to cross the river here.

Speaking of bridges, we got a chance to see the old medieval bridge as well. This summer, Spain has suffered a heat wave and a drought, and the water levels of the reservoir here are remarkably low.

So low, in fact, that you could see the foundations of the old town and the entirety of the medieval bridge next to the modern one. Normally these are under several meters of water.