I had hoped rainy days were over. To not have to walk through rain again nor write about it again. But life, just like the Camino, has it’s own ways and does what it wants. I can only adapt although my mind finds it difficult to do so. I will try to not repeat myself in this blog post since I’ve already written a lot about rainy days before and will refrain from using words like ‘rain’, ‘water’ and ‘wet’ any further in this blog posting.

It’s still darkish outside when I open the backdoor of the hostel on the 3rd floor and step onto one of the steep small streets behind the hostel. I am keen on leaving, but not because I feel energized. On the contrary,  I’ve had a restless night in which some Italian guy was snoring immediately after falling asleep and I had a lot of weird dreams. Maybe it had to do something with the busyness of the city and it’s activities. Luckily it’s Sunday and the city quiet now. All of the decorative lights that were shining yesterday evening are now off and the streets are only populated by a handful of people. I take some pictures of the big Christmas tree which I also photographed yesterday when it was turned on. After that i have some breakfast at the café situated on the square where the tree is on.

So, plan for today: getting out of town as smoothly as possible while adapting to weather conditions. While having breakfast I already see people with umbrellas walking by. I was expecting this and might wait a bit untill the worst is over. But I decide to confront conditions anyway and get going. If it gets too bad I might just hop into another which there are plenty of here in Vigo. I have to laugh at an African man who tries to sell me an umbrella while I am already dressed for the occasion. A bit further on I see some tourists hiding outside their hotel probably waiting to be picked up by a bus to be taken somewhere. Only thing taking me are my feet and they are taking me uphill at the moment, up Urzaiz street which should take me back kun route again. Progress seems slow. City walking and especially under current conditions just seems that much slower than walking in nature and in sunny conditions. A police car with sirens on drives past, it’s rather intense. It stops at the corner where a person seems to have been robbed. He has blood running down his face.

I am getting drenched already and hide for a bit to check some radar images. Worst is almost over. I feel a little bit like a homeless person sitting on my bag in front of a closed shop. But soon I am walking again and start to encounter the yellow arrows painted on the sidewalks. Almost there, just a bit more and I will have left the city centre and be in the comfort of the Camino again. A couple of blocks later the view opens up and I see Vigo wrapped in a mist of gray. I try and take some pictures but handling the phone is difficult due to the drops falling onto my phone’s touchscreen and causing it to do things I don’t want.

A bit later I am walking on the familiar backroads of Vigo Alta, a more quiet area, continuously having a good view of the city and the Ria de Vigo behind it – somewhere during this trip someone told me that a Ria is a place where the sea goes inland to encounter itself with a river at some point. Weather conditions are improving slightly and after a while I have another pilgrim in sight who walks in front of me. Maybe it’s the snoring Italian guy from the hostel, I hope not. I am passing a sign saying “Senda da Agua” meaning so much as “Water Path” – broke my promise I know, won’t happen again – and it’s appropriately decorated with a wave like pattern. An accompanying map is showing that it will take me almost all the way to where I need to go. On the path I am greeted by some pilgrims walking in opposite direction. It’s nice to see other people experiencing the same conditions.

Where the paths turns into a more forest like area I finally get close to the man walking in front of me. When I am close enough I greet him. I am in luck, it’s not the Italian guy. In front of me is a Mexican man names Hugo who is walking from Vigo to Santiago. Today is his first day and he is doing this in organises manner through a specialised company who takes care of luggage transportation and hotel bookings. It sounds like a whole different way and am glad with my way of all of my stuff on my back and staying in hostels and albergues. We walk together for a bit and after a short break during which I give him a cookie and a plastic bag to better protect some of the stuff in his backpack I decide to continue alone. The conversation was not really flowing and then it’s just nicer to walk in your own rhythm. 

Luckily the sky is clearing up now. The sand path runs through woodlands – probably plantations of eucalyptus trees – and all the time maintains the same altitude. The views of the bay below only keep getting nicer. Every now and then I see a Camino sign and see that I am getting ever closer to Santiago, only 90 something kilometres to go. My mind begins fantasizing about the distances I can walk and how much days I still have left. I might be able to add some additional stages still to walk another detour called the Spiritual Version. But I decide that I will let the Camino decide and see what happens once I finish today.

The path ends and I have to descend. I see a sign of a bar where you can drink something and get a stamp. I need 2 stamps today since I am now within the last 100 km and to receive the Compostela at the end you need to show at least 2 daily stamps during the last 100 km walked. So this is a good opportunity. 1km at the end of the descent I find the bar which is actually the Cultural Centre of Cedeira. Mainly locals inside but I am being attended ever so friendly. I receive my stamp and order some empanadas and some toast with Spanish ham. Minutes later my toast arrives, it’s a huge sandwich, not what I had expected but welcome anyway. The space I am sitting seems also to ve used as a kinder garden judging by the toys which are stored in a cabinet against the wall. There are some children playing and also some old men drinking wine and eating bocatas. Of course there is also a television displaying images of the World Cup.

It’s only 3 more kilometres to the next town, Redondela, which will probably be my final stop for the day. My left foot has started to hurt now. It’s a similar pain that I have felt a couple of days ago in my right foot. Probably I was a bit too enthusiastic yesterday and this is my body or the Camino telling me to take it easy. Let it happen and don’t anticipate so much, I think to myself. Once in Redondela I decide not to go to the municipal albergue but choose to stay at a hostel in stead. It offers a bit more comfort which may help me and my foot in getting some rest before facing the remaining four stages. A look at the weather forecast is showing a lot of small sun’s for the next few days but also a little bit of…. No need to think a out that now.