This morning I was struggling. I was feeling physically and psychically exhausted and kept everyone waiting while I forced myself out of bed. The group waited for me at a coffee shop and bought me a cup of coffee to boost my morale.
But then the walk this morning turned out to be one of the most amazing on the Camino.
We walked along the sand – and couldn’t quite believe how beautiful it was.
At least until we reached Vigo! Vigo is the largest city in Galicia and , although there is a historical town center, the somewhat unappealing suburbs stretch for miles. In the end,when we asked a kindly man for directions, he walked us to the bus stop and explained which bus we should take to the city center and exactly where to get off the bus – when he was assured we had the information we needed, he carried on – only to walk back a few minutes later, to check that everyone had enough money for the bus fare!
Once in the city center, I sat down at a cafe – unable to walk another step. Meanwhile, the intrepid Johanna searched for the tourist office to check on the albergue, 3 kilometers further on, where we planned to stay. It turned out that this albergue was now closed to pilgrims. In my present state of exhaustion, I would have been devastated to arrive and be turned away – so I was indebted to Johanna. The tourist office booked some rooms for us, nearby – but when we went to the address, we were sent to a place down the street, and then to a place down another street and finally were taken to a somewhat decrepit apartment building. It definitely was not the Ritz – but we didn’t have to walk any further and we each had a bed. I was definitely not enamoured with Vigo. But on venturing out after a rest and a shower, I began to warm to the place. There were lots of young people and it was actually quite lively. What’s more, the cathedral, which had been closed, was now open. Cristina, knowledgeable from our experience in Baiona, went bravely into the office beside the altar and found the priest – who was happy to stamp our credenciales.
The photos below show the inside of the cathedral and the lively restaurant section where we went afterwards for a grilled fish dinner – quite a treat after the more basic fare of the last few days.
Fatijah's Camino Portugués 2016 