Distance: 35.8km (617.5km), time spent: 9:39.
Weather: Sunny.
My hotelroom is nice, but has no proper windows, instead it has a dropdown with a picture of a lighthouse on. Looking behind the dropdown, I see through a window to the hall outside, weird. After breakfast I have the long walk back up to the Camino again to fill up the dark morning hours with, I got up early again.
Leaving Vigo, looking over a horreo, the Capela da Guía visible.
Today, I have a long walk ahead of me, skipping what may be the normal terminus of the Camino stage from Vigo, Redondela. Where the coastal route joins the central route. On that route I will go to Pontevedra.
Senda da Auga, road with waves.
To Redondela, the name of the game or the walk is surely Senda da Auga. This walk symbolizes the way the water took from the Eiras dam to Vigo. In addition to the scallops, milestones and yellow arrows, I can now follow the green, yellow and grey wave patterns on the tarmac to find the easy way. Until it leaves the road. When walking on the road, I find my eyes mostly drawn towards the Vigo estuary, with its barges. On the way, I briefly encounter the Czech couple again.
Senda da Augu, forest path with a fountain, waterfall and a forgotten mill.
Fish on a rock.
Senda da Auga might be the water route, but it mostly emerges as a lovely walk through verdant woods with a nice surface to walk on. Old houses, probably mills, tries to hide from my view, escaping into the embrace of the vegetation. Small fountains and waterfalls. Even a large fish on a rock. When the sun finally passes over the crest to my right, beautiful sunlight illuminates the route and trees. The route circles around the hill, then views opens up, revealing Redondela below.
Sun shines on the Senda da Auga.
Convento de Vilavella in Redondela.
Descending towards Redondela, I meet two women from the Czech Republic, who walks the Camino with an eight month old girl. They camp out sometimes, yesterday having to walk to about 11 o'clock in the evening to find a place to camp. Many would probably not approve of taking so young children along on a walk like this, but I am unsure if that is really a big problem. I feel it is important to separate a Camino from a mountainous hike for instance, you are never far from civilization.
Igrexa de Santiago in Redondela.
What first strikes me with Redondela, is the large bridge that crosses over on top of the town, and then there is the line of backpacks outside the albergue. I always gets just as surprised when I observe this, the clock is twelve in the middle of the day. To me this is truly strange, too early to stop walking and the albergue will not even be open until later. It is not very long though, unlike the line outside the public albergue in Arzua when I walked the Camino Primitivo a couple of years ago, but still. Then again, Redondela is within the 100k mark of the Camino and the numbers of pilgrims will have soared, being afraid of not getting a bed might have gotten hold of some. Redondela might be a nice place to stay for the night at, but I do not stay for that long. Just for lunch and a short lookaround.
Which shoe to take? Yellew to Santiago, blue to Fatima.
The numbers of backpacks outside the albergue told me that I can expect to meet more pilgrims, now that I am on the central route. With the exception of the Czechs, I have not met any others so far today. Leaving Redondela, there is a lot more. This troubles me not, and nevertheless, the biggest problem I have is still restraining myself from walking to all the things I see off-route. Like the top of a hill in the distance I see with a sanctuary on top of.
Ponte Sampaio.
After a woodland path that is pleasant enough, I meet two pilgrims, a boy from Japan and a girl from Germany. We go together to Arcade, and talks about meeting up later in Pontevedra. In Arcade they need to eat, but I only crave my usual coffee and leaves before them. We forgot to exchange contact details, and so we do not meet again.
Illuminated forest path after Ponte Sampaia.
Alto de Canicouva.
From Arcade there is just a short walk to the wonderful Ponte Sampaio, warranting an extra look at the bridge crossing over the Río Verdugo from a park next to the bridge. On the other side of the bridge there is a café with a lot of smiling pilgrims having a rest. After winding through the village, another forest awaits. Gladdened by the scenic walking, I pass by a small little makeshift stall in the process of being taken down. I get a stamp and some refreshments as the last pilgrim customer of the da. Autumn colors are now more and more pressing forth from the vegetation.
Senda Fluvial do Río Dos Gafos.
I have so far felt that I have been walking at a good pace and in good shape, in a good steam you might say, but after coming down from the Alto de Canicouva everything feels like it is taking a long time. Weight of the distance is making its mark. It even gets more apparent when I take the alternative route instead of the Camino, the Senda Fluvial do Río Dos Gafos. I feel the walk takes ages, but of course it does not. And it is a pretty nice walk to. Should be far calmer than the proper alternative, going on roads to the outskirts of Pontevedra where the two routes converges.
Capela da Virxe Peregrina in Pontevedra.
That I find myself in a significant larger amount of pilgrims than before is obvious. Nowhere near as many has I met before. In front of me on the small river path, I quickly catch up with a pilgrim group, all wearing the same t-shirt. In Pontevedra, both the albergues are full, and they have both more than fifty beds. No matter, as I would like to stay closer to the city centre anyway, but I fear that I have to a spend a long time finding a place to stay. Especially since I arrived rather late pilgrim-wise. Deciding to go straight to the tourist information office to get myself quicker help. A successful move as they secure a place for me not far away from the main square. They tell me that it is difficult finding places today, as there is a crayfish festival nearby.
Looking up at the chandelier in Capela da Virxe Peregrina.
Convento de San Francisco.
I rue that I got here so late and has less time to look at the city. This appear to be a city all to my liking. I keep thinking that it would have been better to have walked straight to Redondela yesterday instead of Vigo, but done is done and regretting it will not help.
Interior of the Capela da Virxe Peregrina from the dome.
First on my list to see in Pontevedra is definitely the 18th century Capela da Virxe Peregrina, which took all my attention when I walked into the Praza da Peregrina square upon arriving. I love the slightly different style of the church, tall and round, special. Time enough to visit it too, see the round interior of the church and climb up to the dome. Before I go to meet Ciaran again, I have just enough time for a quick visit to the Convento de San Francisco before it closes its doors. Insides are all rough stone.
a Santiago.
It is so great to see Ciaran again, as we did not meet in Porto, I had not expected us to see each other again. He is with Sophie from London at a place behind the Capela da Virxe Peregrina. They let me have a beer and sit down to rest my legs before we set out in search for dinner. We end up eating at an Indian place. Good food, but not the biggest portions I have had. Ciaran was very satisfied with the central route, so it appear that I have an excuse to travel back for the Camino Portugués again later.
Inside the Convento de San Francisco.
Ruinas de Santo Domingo.
When Ciaran and Sophie has to return to their albergue for the night, I continue my sightseeing trip in the city. Given my late arrival, I have to do it in the evening instead. The ruins of the Santo Domingo church may look even more ghostly in the dark with illuminated ruined arches and windows. The figures decorating the facade of the Basilica de Santa Maria looks kind of grotesque in the dim light. Sitting down for my favorite Camino cerveza, 1906, I suddenly meet the two guys I briefly met after walking through the smoke over the boardwalk several days ago. The Camino always has some unexpected surprises in store.
Front of the Basilica de Santa Maria.
Pontevedra the definite highlight of the day, despite the limited time at my disposal here. The walk was nice, and the route after Redondela might have been an indication of how the central route is. Santiago draws nigh.
Capela da Virxe Peregrina (slight return in the evening).
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