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Palas de Rei 572 m Leboreiro 450 m Mélide 445 m Ribadiso da Baixo 305 m Arzúa 330 m a legend attached. Apparently a statue of Santa María inside the church would go missing each night, only to be found next morning alongside a fountain in the village from which scented water flowed. Each morning the villagers returned the statue to the church. is went on for some years and it was not until a local sculp- tor carved an image of Santa María on the tympanum (above the entrance) of the church that the statue finally remained inside. From Leboreiro the Camino crosses the Río Seco via an attractive stone bridge, the Puente María Magda- lena, and tracks through Disecabo before working its way back towards the main road which it follows from a safe distance through an industrial precinct to a rest area with water and a cross monument erected by the Knights of Santiago. Soon the route veers away from the road to cross a lovely arched medieval bridge, the Ponte Velha, which leads into Furelos, an outlying suburb of Mélide. ere is a distinctive church in Furelos, the Iglesia de San Juan, which retains some its original 12th- century attributes and where a sello (stamp) is available. From here it is an uphill walk into the Rúa Lavadoiro and to the main street of Mélide, the Avenida de Lugo and past a pulpería on the corner. Turn left here into the main street. e large and bustling town of Mélide is blessed with numerous cafés and bars, and some pilgrims break the journey to Arzúa here as there are hotels/ hostels in the town, some good eating and drinking options, supermarkets and a choice of farmacias. Pass Galicia’s oldest stone cross, the 14th-century Cruzeiro Mélide which stands next to the Iglesia San Roque, on the right hand side of the Avenue du Lugo and on the route of the Camino. Continue past the park on your left and turn right at the large intersection with the tiny roundabout that has a street lamp at its centre. Cross the road at the first pedestrian crossing and take a left turn at the first street on the left, the Rúa San Pedro/ Calle Principal. Follow this street past shops and stone houses, walking straight ahead then up the hill past the Ca- pilla del Carmen and a walled cemetery, the highest point in the town. 258 Camino. Guide. CMYK.indd 258 6/10/12 5:05 PM
