Padrón

Padron may be the most important small town on any Camino. This is where, according to the Translatio legend, the stone boat carrying Santiago's body came to rest — the pedron (mooring stone) from which the town takes its name sits beneath the altar of the Iglesia de Santiago on the riverfront. Ask the sacristan to show you; it's in the crypt.

Santiago is said to have preached here during his lifetime, making his posthumous return a homecoming of sorts. The Convento del Carmen, on the hill above town, offers views over the valley.

Padron is also the birthplace of Rosalia de Castro, the 19th-century poet who is to Galicia what Pessoa is to Portugal — the voice of a people and a language. Her house on the edge of town is now a museum. Camilo Jose Cela, the 1989 Nobel laureate, was also born here.

And then there are the peppers. The Pimientos de Padron — small green peppers fried in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt — originate from the monastery gardens at nearby Herbon. The famous saying holds: uns pican e outros non (some are hot and some are not). Between May and September they're at their peak. Out of season, you'll still find them, but the Russian roulette is less thrilling.

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