2nd Time to Redondela
Today’s trail is a long 32 km, and I expect to arrive in Redondela around five or six o’clock. The weather forecast shows a lot of rain, but only in the early afternoon. I keep walking without taking breaks, as I want to avoid the downpour later, and plan to take a break then.
The Coastal Caminho comes together with the Central in Redondela. In Tui lots of pilgrims start their caminho, and now it gets really busy on the route.
It was during the first caminho I made from Vigo to Santiago, that we walked through Redondela to a little town. I remember, there was nothing much to do there. Now I like to stay in town. I like a town where you have cafes and restaurants and others! because there is some time to spend after walking too!
Pouring in Porrinho
After about 15 km, I pass the nice city of Porrinho. Shortly after, the sky turns dark, and it starts to rain. I still have a long way to go, but I need to find shelter—it’s raining too heavily. At first, I stand under a tree, but it’s not very waterproof. After some time, I continue walking and stop again when the rain pours down heavily. Finally, I find an abandoned house and garage, where I sit on the stairs and take a long break. Thankfully, I packed my lunch—all the leftovers from yesterday’s tapas.
Afterward, it’s still raining, but not as hard, and eventually, it stops. I pass through Mos in the rain and see some fellow pilgrims. They stop here because of the weather. They’re totally soaked. But I keep going to Redondela and, luckily, I finish the last part of the walk dry. I meet up with my Portuguese friends on the final stretch, and it turns out to be a nice, dry ending of today’s stage.
Herbs Hostel
My Portuguese friends stay at a Herbs hostel, so I go with them to see if they have space for me. They have and I ask for a room with fewer beds than the large one where I guess I already see 20 beds. Also the smell is not that of herbs but more a smell of wet clothes and sweat…
Wow, there is space! Upstairs there is a room of only two bunkbeds, I sleep with three other women. Great, I will have a goodnight sleep. But first I will drink something in the café and we will have a nice Spanish tapas dinner. We find a typical Spanish place. A perfect closure of my caminho.
Tomorrow I will walk back to Vigo, where my bus goes to Coimbra.
