The Camino de Santiago part 3 is about our experience walking the Camino itself in Galicia. As mentioned in part 1 of the Camino series, we wanted to walk 100 Km, leading us to start from the city of Vigo.
Day 1: Arrival in Vigo
From the airport to the accommodation
In Vigo city centre
We flew from Barcelona and landed at Vigo Airport on a Saturday afternoon. A sweet and short flight. We took the intercity bus from the airport to the city centre for 1.35 Euros fare each. This is quite cheap! While sitting on the bus, I reflected upon our luck. It was not warm, but the sky was blue. Far from the rainy days and dark clouds, everyone predicted because I was going to Galicia. AND we were in October. Believe it or not, the weather stayed this way for most of our trip.
The bus left us at the edge of the city. Because of COVID, it could not go further inside. We, then, started to walk to our accommodation which – of course – was situated at the other end of Vigo. And guess what? Vigo is a long city, even longer when it is your first time walking with a 7 kgs backpack.
Our accommodation and a little existential crisis
We finally made it to Hostal Agra, where we would spend the night. The official Albergue recommended it because they themselves were closed. We paid 20 euros in cash (not so COVID friendly but ok) for a double bedroom with a bathroom without breakfast. It was clean, basic, and decent, yet in these COVID times, I wondered if I should sleep in those sheets? After a little reflection, the main question switched from “should I sleep in those sheets” to “why am I asking myself these questions”. Once we have decided to make this trip, those worries were useless…For the record, I did not get COVID by sleeping in that bed.
Hostal Agra: Praza Eugenio Fadrique, 1, 36208 Vigo, Pontevedra
Vigo
Vigo old town buildings
That afternoon was our first real contact with the Camino. Our priority mission was to get our first stamp for the credential. On the way to the Cathedral of Vigo, we had a better look at the city. Like most old towns in Spain, the centre of Vigo is charming. It features cool bars and restaurants, and there is a nice relaxing vibe about the city. It is a bit empty, though. I suppose because of COVID. We walked around until the ongoing mass in the cathedral was over. Then we got our stamp from the priest.
That night we had a spontaneous plan with a friend from the area. He happened to be in the city at the moment and took us for dinner to Baiona, a fishermen village 40 minutes away by car from Vigo. Baiona was in the opposite direction to Santiago but still on the Portuguese Coastal Way. We arrived while the sun was setting. The handsomeness of the port struck me with the peaceful sea, the colours of the sunset…I promised myself I would come back again and take more time to explore then.
Dinner in Baiona
Zamburiñas
Paved streets and terraces characterised the centre of Baiona. That evening was quite cold, but there was a friendly atmosphere going on. I can imagine this place during the summer, vibrant with life, laughter and conversations from patrons sitting outdoors. In most bars we went to, in Galicia, they served us a tapa with the drink. And a good one. We had a beer before dinner at a bar called La Micro Cerveza Natural y Pinchos de Mercado, and our craft beer came with a bikini tapa. Pretty cool.
Then we went to a restaurant serving traditional food. It looked more like an English pub with a decor made of football scarves. Here, we had our first introduction to the legendary Galician food with amazing seafood dishes: mouth-watering gambas, delicious zamburiñas (shellfish similar to scallop although smaller and tastier and mainly found in Galicia) and melting octopus.
Taperia Acuarela was a tasty seafood paradise. We also tried a typical Galician dish, the zorza, which is pork meat marinated in paprika served with potatoes. I was not too fond of it. I am not big into pork and paprika. And the seafood was way too good to consider any meat dishes. Then we left. Tomorrow was a big day. Tomorrow was an exciting day. Tomorrow was our first day walking the Camino.
La Micro Cerveza Natural y Pinchos de Mercado Rúa Carabela a Pinta, 11, 36300 Baiona
Taperia Acuarela: Ventura Misa, 53 – 36300 – Baiona
Day 2: Vigo to Redondela (16Km)
Exiting Vigo and starting the Camino de Santiago
Oysters in Vigo
That morning, we did not hurry to leave Vigo. 16 km to walk was not that challenging a distance for us. Little did I know… After breakfast in a bakery, we got our second stamp from the church of Santiago de Vigo. We needed at least two stamps per stop to use the credential right. A mass was on. We joined it. Why not start the Camino de Santiago with a blessing? Believer or not, it cannot hurt.
Once our credential stamped, we went for…oysters. Vigo had an “oyster street” called very originally “Calle de las Ostras”. While walking to find the street, I clearly realised for the first time that walking with a backpack will be a challenge for me. I have walked for 30 minutes, and I was already tired and sweaty. Thank God we could sit down for our oysters. Super tasty, by the way. Since it was nearly lunchtime, I also had a caldo gallego (typical Galician soup made of vegetables and pork) to warm me up. Then time to really go.
Exiting Vigo was not that easy. We could not find the official Camino. There were not many signposts in the city for it. I believe we walked a parallel road to the official one until we finally found a yellow arrow towards the main route. These yellow arrows will be everywhere along the way once we left Vigo to indicate the Camino. We were about to follow that sign when a resident told us to continue on the same street. “It is easier,” he said with a wink. We don’t necessarily look for an easier way, but we listened to him. We finally reached a roundabout from which we merged with the principal Camino. Bye-bye Vigo! I will come back here also for you and the Cies Islands.
The route to Redondela
Scenic route on the Camino de Santiago
We went through the scenic route of Senda da Traida das Augas crossing forests and getting panoramic views of the river from here on. The road was most of the time empty, which was quite relaxing. I finally got used to my backpack and started to get the rhythm of the walk. As a fun activity, I was trying to guess the names of the fruits and vegetables growing along the road: figs, oranges, pomegranate, lemon and so on…
That first stage of the walk was easy and challenging at the same time. Easy because of the distance. But challenging because of the weight. Walking 16 km is not the same as walking 16 km with a 7 kgs backpack. However, once in the zone, I almost forgot about it. Almost… during the last couple of kilometres, I felt tiredness and pain in my feet. And was counting the minutes until rest time in our hostel, A casa da herba, in Redondela.
A casa da herba was a privately owned hostel. I booked it the night before and bombarded the owner with safety questions before finalising the reservation: how many people per room were we? How are the duvets washed? Are they washed after each use? She obliged, citing legal obligations. I found out later that she was a lawyer, so I trusted her even more. She took our temperature, collected 12 euros per person, asked us to leave our shoes outside before entering the room (widespread anti-COVID measure nowadays) and stamped our credential.
A casa da herba: Rúa Isidoro Queimaliños, 35, 36800 Redondela
Day 3: Redondela to Pontevedra (19.6 Km)
First pilgrim encounters
A casa da herba hostel in Redondela
We met our first pilgrims at the hostel. As expected, everyone was friendly. Most people are travelling in pairs or alone, there were also different age groups. One man from Catalunya, a senior in excellent shape – it became clear later that we will meet many walkers from Catalunya on route to Santiago – told us he had done the Camino upside down and inside out. Now he is doing a reverse Camino walking from Santiago to Vigo. If you want to do this, check the blue arrows because they are backwards arrows.
Ah…I never thought about doing it the reverse way. I thought the Camino was only one way towards Santiago. But people do it in many different ways: continuing to Finisterre or Muxia, walking to Santiago and back, starting somewhere else like France and finishing in Portugal…Some of them are recidivists, have done a good number of Caminos and are still planning to do more. The number of possibilities is astonishing. I might turn into one of them…
Redondela
We took possession of our bunk beds and then went for tea in the common room. We could not make food, prohibited by COVID rules but could boil the kettle. The cups I brought came in handy. I did not have to use the common utensils. We were too tired to explore Redondela and killed time before the restaurant’s opening with a drink at the local Irish pub, Celtic Luada. It was funny and quite “un-Irish” to get a tapa with our pints. The staff was nice to us being pilgrims and offered to stamp our credential. Most locals we met were amiable and welcoming towards pilgrims on the Camino. It was heart-warming.
We had dinner at Casa Consejo, recommended by our landlady. They served good Galician food that was also quite cheap. I ordered a chuleton (a T-bone steak). It probably weighed 500 grams and only cost 11 euros. In Barcelona, I would have paid at least 25 euros for this dish. That dinner was our reward after all the efforts of the day. Once the bill paid, we went straight to bed.
Celtic Luada: Rúa José Regojo, 8, 36800 Redondela
Casa Consejo: Rúa Isidoro Queimaliños, 41, 36800 Redondela
Sleeping in a dorm
Sleep finally. I was exhausted, and I could feel the day in my legs. My feet were hurting from frictions in my shoes, my shoulders also from carrying the backpack. I was happy to be under the blankets. We were the first ones to sleep, but the other 4 beds were occupied. The room was for 12. Only half of the capacity was used, though, you know already, COVID rules.
This was going to be interesting. I have not slept in a dorm in a very long time. I dreaded in the following order: people going to bed late and making a lot of noise (it happened that night), not enough obscurity (it happened), and people snoring (of course, it also happened). You cannot really do anything in those cases, except for the obscurity bit for which an eye mask solved it all. I did not sleep most of the night, completely frustrated at the situation and wanting to scream at the snorer.
Morning arrived. I woke up tired from yesterday’s walk and a sleepless night. What kind of walk will I have now? We had breakfast in another bakery shooting ourselves up with sugar and carbs (aka doughnuts and coffee with milk). They also gave us a free sweet tapa in the bakery. Or was it a special pilgrim treat? Whatever it was, I love Galicia! We got water and bananas from a local supermarket before leaving town. We did not eat much on the entire road because we were never really hungry or were too tired to eat.
As a note, the Portuguese Coastal Camino and the Portuguese Central Camino merged at Redondela. From now on, we will go inland instead of following the coast.
Seafood platter in Arcade
The way to Pontevedra was partly through woods and nature and partly urbanised. We started to meet pilgrims on the road. Probably because we started to walk at a “pilgrim hour” – 8 am. During the first stage of the route, we stopped in Arcade, a town famous for its oysters (yes, again). We had a birthday to celebrate that day, so we stopped for lunch at Marisqueria Arcade. We shared a huge seafood platter and a bottle of local Galician white wine, one Albariño. Everything was delicious and fresh. The service was also very agreeable. Lunch over, we resumed our trip. If you are on a budget, factor in 75 euros for the platter for two.
On the way, we crossed the river Verdugo on a beautiful roman bridge in Sampaio. Here we really had to pay attention to the yellow arrow, not always visible. Then we walked through an urbanised area. Now and then, a strange and antique-looking stone building would pop up. One resident explained that they used to be granaries. Ok. Thanks for the clarifications. My wild imagination already thought about small torturing chambers or houses for Galician Leprechauns…
Marisqueria Arcade: Avenida Alfonso Rodriguez Castelao, 51, Bajo, 36690 Soutomaior
On the way to Pontevedra
This step of the Camino was also crossing woods. Beds of wild mint were growing along the path filling the air with their fragrance. Here I wondered how I would do walking solo. There was no one apart from us. Mr E being a fast walker, was much ahead. I was alone for a while. I found the silence and the lack of people a bit frightening. Every woman who did the Camino I spoke with said it was very safe. But I did not feel so comfortable. Were they ok because they met a lot of people on the road? There were no souls around here.
Closer to Pontevedra, one of the guys from the dorm caught up with us. We started up a conversation. This is how we met our first Camino friend. He would be on and off part of our trip from then on (check part 4 in the coming weeks). On the way, there is a scarecrow that looks like a heavy metal singer escaped from hell. It was quite scary and gave me goosebumps. Brrr… If you meet it, don’t get too close.
In Pontevedra
We finally arrived at our hostel: Albergue Virxe Peregrina, around 3 pm. It had not been difficult to book a place. You are guessing, why don’t you? I read it could be hard to get a dorm bed in normal times. We never had any issues because of…COVID.
I remember the check-in moment very well. They had the most drastic COVID measures I have experienced on the Camino. They were so strict our friend decided to go somewhere else more relaxed. First, there was the temperature check. Then putting the backpack in a bin bag. Then presenting the ID and the credential. You could not stay here without a credential because it is an official albergue. They stamped ours. We paid 8 euros each and then received disposable sheets for our bunk beds. Nothing else. We had to use our sleeping bags. No worries, we were prepared. After last night’s experience, we were looking for a private bedroom, but there were only dorms with more beds than in Redondela. Only half the capacity of the room was used, though.
The place was spotless and a bit austere. Nobody was around even though we could socialise in the common rooms. It felt like COVID killed everyone’s social and party mood.
Albergue Virxe Peregrina: Rúa de Ramón Otero Pedraio, s/n, 36004 Pontevedra
Day 4: Rest in Pontevedra
Party night in Pontevedra
Shots of coffee liquor in Entre Lusco e Fusco
Once installed, we left for the city centre, 20-minutes away by foot from the hostel. Too far. We were tired, so we took a taxi. I know… We got our second stamp from the Church of Peregrina dedicated to the Pilgrim Virgin, who is watching over those walking the Portuguese Camino from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela – like us. Then we met with our new friend S. in a bar. He introduced us to more pilgrims who were also staying at our hostel. There we had our first (and only) pilgrimage party.
We sat at the terrace of the Taberna Almiranta, drinking. They brought us so many free tapas that I did not need dinner anymore (olives, tortilla…). I love Galicia (did I say it already?). Our new friends come from everywhere in Europe: English, German, Italian, Spanish, us… They were all travelling alone. Some kept the masks on. Others maintained social distancing. The only other lady of the group was also travelling solo and walked the French Camino before being here. She mentioned walking 50 Km non-stop and not sleeping for two days, which is kind of badass. People told me I would make great encounters on the Camino, and there would be partying. Because of COVID, I gave up on the idea of socialising, let alone partying with other pilgrims. Well, this is proof that you never know what the Camino brings you, and it was fun!
We moved afterwards to a bar called “Entre Lusco e Fusco“. Another warm welcome from the barman with a round of coffee liquor shots. Just for being pilgrims. The drinks were super cheap – a pitcher of the coffee liquor was 7 euros -, the music was great, the other customers really friendly and the company very entertaining. Dancing was the only thing forbidden to us due to COVID. It was still a good night! That party was probably the only party I had in 2020. We had such a good time. Nobody wanted to go back to the hostel. Eventually, we did. On the way, a police car stopped by because one of us was not wearing his mask. Really…I am a law-abiding citizen, but who was my friend harming not wearing his mask at 3 am in an empty street?
When finally in my sleeping bag, meditating over more snoring, I made a decision: that night would be my last one in a dorm. We had our Camino social moment. Now I wanted more comfort. I bet Mr E would agree, especially when at 8 am the staff woke us up with a bell and kicked us out by 9.
Taberna Almiranta: Rúa Isabel II, 23, 36002 Pontevedra
Entre Lusco e Fusco: Travesía Charino, 17, 36002 Pontevedra
Day in Pontevedra
Pontevedra in the evening
That morning, at breakfast, in the train station bar (next to the albergue), we decided to have a rest day. We were tired from the lack of sleep (for good and bad reasons :)), the weight of the backpacks, eating out and the cold altogether. Our bodies were not used to walk so much with such weight and in such a short term. We are desk workers. A rest day was more than welcome.
We found an apartment and booked it for the night for 43 Euros. This was the second most expensive night we spent on the trip. Until we could check-in (around 12 am), we got a self-guided walking tour map from the tourist office. We checked the first half of the landmarks on it. I particularly liked the views from the roof of the Church of Santa Maria a Maior. But up there, I could feel the biting cold and really wished I had my woollen hat and my gloves. Then we could finally check-in and get warmer.
Once settled, we headed to the Mercado Principal de Pontevedra. The aim was to buy food to cook in the flat, but we ended up eating in one of the food stalls upstairs. A Fervella was serving homemade Spanish and Galician food. We were full with two caldos gallegos (for 2.50 euros each) and some delicious ribs cooked in the oven for 5.50 euros. We still bought some goodies from the market: fantastic bread, fantastic (yes, everything was fantastic!) Galician cheese called O Camiño do Gozo. Its top part had the shape of a shell. That was so appropriate to our trip as the shellfish symbolises the Camino de Santiago.
We rested for a big part of the afternoon to recover from the tiredness and the cold. We also washed all our clothes. We already used them all up. We had one last walk around before bedtime. Pontevedra has the second biggest old town in the entire Galicia. Most of its inner centre is pedestrian and characterised by charming squares, historical places and ancient buildings. In the evening lights, it looked quite romantic too. I found a cooking pot for 8 euros in a vintage store and decided to get it. It was not intended, but it would help us maintain our COVID measures for the rest of the trip.
Day 5: Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis (21.1 Km)
More green, more pilgrims and a tiny bit of rain
Vineyards
On day 5, we were back on the road at 7 am, refreshed. That was a much-needed rest. We easily got out of town and followed a path along the river into the countryside for a while. Part of the way goes through nature and part by asphalt. There were a lot more pilgrims walking. We recognised and smiled at some of them. “Buen Camino!” There were not so many people on the road, but it already felt too crowded. I liked it better when we were alone as we could enjoy the quietness and the solitude.
We met another group of two German on the road. Where are you from? Where did you start the Camino? Why are you doing it? The standard questions on the Camino… We were crossing more countryside and smelling more wild mint. My shoulders were hurting. My new friend advised me to distribute my bag’s weight better by using the straps around my waist. That was a piece of lifesaver advice. Yep, a good backpack with waist straps is essential to a good Camino experience.
There were also many vineyards along the way, and we all stopped to pick up ripe grapes. The most awkward moment of my Camino was when we left the German guys still eating grapes without saying a thing, not knowing how to really part. It was even more awkward because we met them again later. The second time, they were the ones to leave without a word. They just started to walk off fast, and we let them. No hard feelings. Just awkwardness.
We experienced the worst rain of the entire trip at that moment. It started with drops and then rained cats and dogs. The time to grab my poncho from my backpack, it was dry again. Did I just teleport myself to Ireland? We arrived in Caldas de Reis towards noon, exhausted again. I had walked for more than 20 Km with now 8 kgs of weight (including my cooking pot).
Our accommodation
We booked a room in Albergue Timonel, a private hostel for pilgrims only. We were too tired and cold to be picky. It was the first place we found. We had a private room with our own bathroom this time, for 24 euros. It had a lot of vacancies because of… COVID. As I mentioned earlier, it was not difficult to find accommodations during those COVID times. The landlady took our temperature and checked/stamped our credentials. The hostel is a big functional building with basic furniture. I doubted the hygiene of the room. The pillow had hair, and the sheet did not look super clean, so we asked for new ones. The good thing about this place is that we could cook in the kitchen, though. So, I was thrilled with my pot. I did not have to use the common utensils apart from forks and knives we thoroughly cleaned.
Albergue Timonel: Rúa Ovellas, 8, 36650 Caldas de Reis
Caldas de Reis
We planned to relax our bodies in the hot thermal baths the place is so famous for. Alas, because of COVID, they were closed. What a pity! It would have been so agreeable. We needed to soothe our sore muscles. Alternatively, we checked the public thermal fountain, A burga, in the city centre. Its temperature of around 50 degrees Celsius came out of the heads of two lions. It can be drunk, we did not.
Our second stamp was from a bar. A lot of places have a stamp. You just need to ask for it. While walking in the centre, we found a thermal washing place. We met the two German guys we spoke with on the road again and a group of 3 English people. We were chatting amicably when suddenly a drunken guy showed up screaming and insulting the other girl for no reason. We all froze. What do you do in front of someone like this? The girl’s friends tried to calm him down. He undressed, jumped into the hot water in his underwear and started splashing water on them, still insulting her for no reason. Everyone left shocked by his behaviour. I wished I could stay more to soothe my sore feet. I even envied him a bit, but I would never bathe here. I will come back to Caldas de Reis as well to renew the thermal experience.
We did not have dinner that night. Just an apple. Too tired and not hungry enough.
Fountain A burga: Herrería, 1, City center Caldas de Reis
Day 6: Caldas de Reis to Cruces (circa 25K)
Why Cruces and not Padron?
From Caldas de Reis, pilgrims usually choose to go to Padron, the famous Spanish green pepper town. We wanted to arrive in Santiago de Compostela for lunchtime on Friday, so we decided to add some extra kilometres that day and headed to Cruces instead. The landscape here is the least memorable of our walk. It was getting dark when we arrived. Just about time because the dirt road was not lit up. Another reason to start the day early and arrive at the destination early.
This is my Camino
Slug on the Camino de Santiago
I am a slow walker. A friend who lives in the UK told me once that Londoners would really be annoyed with me for walking so slow. I was probably the slowest person on the Camino that period. I blame it on my genes. Joking. People from my country of origin mastered the concept of slow living. In me, it translated into slow-walking, but it has never been a problem in my life. This is my Camino. I am not here to compete on how fast or how far I am going. I am here to do my thing. So it did not bother me that everyone else was passing me by. The only person I need to pay attention to is Mr E, and we have an understanding: we walk together but at our own pace, and we are at peace with it.
I met pilgrims walking 40 Km a day at a fast pace. Sometimes I tried to keep up with them, and I was almost running. I did not enjoy that at all. Do you remember my comment about how I improved my parting ways after the German experience? It was easy because I did not have to part with anyone. I was walking so slow that everyone else would linger a bit to have a chat then walk off. Buen Camino! So yes, walking pace is an important factor to consider when walking with someone else. You don’t want to get frustrated for not keeping up with each other.
The albergue experience in Cruces
I was lucky. I did not get any blisters at all during the 7 days, but my feet hurt because of the frictions. It had been hard and painful to walk to the albergue, Cruces Inn. But we finally made it. This is a private albergue again. The receptionist checked our temperature and stamped our credentials. You know the drill. He only had dorms for 12 euros a bed but thank God, no one else arrived that night.
The decor reminded me of an American barn set up for a party. The living and the dining rooms were in the main room. There was also a music stage, books, armchairs, dining tables and chairs. Outside they have a barbecue set and a swimming pool. This could be the perfect place in the summer to unwind after kilometres of road.
The food was all about potatoes and meat. It was ok. There were no other places to dine in. We won’t be fussy. The room was basic, but at least it was heated. My feet were still hurting badly, and there was not much I could do for them. I had no relieving cream. My solution? A hot shower and 15 mn elevating my legs against the wall, then a little foot massage.
Cruces Inn: Cruces, 5, 15980 Padrón, A Coruña
Day 7: Cruces to Santiago de Compostela (20 Km)
That pain while walking
That morning was an early riser again. I was dreading to put my shoes back on. But for now, they were fine. It was still pitch dark when we left. So dark we got lost in the woods. Alone, I would have never done that. I was deeply grateful there was two of us. When we finally found our way, thanks to the apps, we kept on walking.
We saw more pilgrims again, some with familiar faces. The journey was going through woods and villages. Wild fennel was growing along the roads. Halfway, my legs and feet started to really hurt again. I had muscle and tendon discomfort in addition to the frictions. So Mr E carried my bag with his. I was thankful, but even that way, it was badly hurting to the point I could barely walk.
The ultimate destination: Santiago de Compostela
I entered Santiago in deep pain. I was walking very slowly with half of my shoes off, suffering. On my next walk, I will plan foot care and better socks. But eventually, we entered the city. While getting closer to the Cathedral, I was starting to feel emotional. Tears welled into my eyes. We reached the end. We made it all this way. I made it all this way walking despite the pain.
During the walk, all I thought about was just putting one foot in front of the other one each day to the next stop. I never thought about the ultimate destination: Santiago de Compostela. And out of a sudden, here was the Cathedral in front of our eyes. The sun was shining. Its rays warmed our faces. We were filled with joy and with a great sense of achievement, sitting down on the forecourt facing the Cathedral. We had a Buen Camino!