Camino Portuguese Day 7

---

Last night I slept better than I have since I left home, waking up easily before 7am. After a cup of hot cappuccino from the vending machine and one of the package of pastries I bought last night, I was on my way to Vigo, leaving my backpack at reception for TuiTrans to transport for me. Leaving Ramallosas, by skirting up and around the main streets of course, I passed a group of 6 middle-age female pilgrims, taking a sitdown together. After I passed them, I realized why they were resting… the first wonderful (sarcastically of course) climb of the day, but not the last. Just past the outskirts of town, I had to cross a major highway. Apparently there are two or three ways to do it, all marked with the yellow arrows, so it was a bit confusing. I assume the underpass route(s) were used until they put in the overpass walkway shown in a photo below. Feeling pretty certain, I used the overpass, found more arrows and continued on my way. Skirting around the next town, as usual, the path started to climb steeply. Near the crest, and just below a forest park (Parque Forestal something), I spotted the sign in the photo below telling us pilgrims it was only 115 kilometers to go to Santiago. I don’t know how I could have missed any arrows after that, but following the same road out of the park, I didn’t spot another arrow or indicator for so long I was sure I’d missed something. At the park, I asked a cyclist about the Camino and he assured me it was back down the hill I’d just come up. Ignoring him (and there may have been a turn somewhere soon after the sign, but not all the way back), I continued on the gravel road from the park, not feeling too lost since I could occasionally see the coast and towns down below.

When I’d been following the gravel road for at least 2 or 3 kilometers, it seemed to be heading away from the coast, so I took the next even rougher path down towards the coast. I eventually came out in the outskirts of I think the little town of A Luz, turned onto the main road and thankfully found my first rest stop of the day, after 3 ½ hours of walking. I sat down at the Cafeteria Atenea for a coffee and to take my shoes off, and a middle-aged pilgrim from The Netherlands showed up and joined me. She’d made the same mistake on the path as I did, so I didn’t feel so bad. Continuing down the Camino from that point, apparently I missed a turn somewhere again, but wasn’t too worried since I knew I was heading in the right direction to arrive at Vigo. A good many kilometers later, and a couple of hours, I hadn’t reconnected with the Camino, so I started asking directions. Nobody was sure of where the Camino was, but one nice lady in a café was willing to get our her phone and look up my lodging for the night, Kaps Hostel. It turned out I was a good ways below the Camino, closer to the ocean. After seeing her map and the route shown, I was able to find my way to the hostel.

Kaps Hostel is very large and modern. Again, my bed is in a private room, except no lavatory, but a table and chairs in the front room. The bathrooms are right across the hall from my room, but the showers are upstairs. They have a large, well-equipped kitchen, several vending machines with coffee, snacks, soda, water and even an assortment of premade sandwiches. At first I didn’t think my backpack had made it, but after checking again, they found it in a storage room. After settling in, I had a delicious BBQ Chicken and mayonnaise sandwich for lunch, then went out walking to see what was nearby. I stopped in a supermarket and bought a small cold cappuccino, an interesting looking microwaveable paella seafood dish, a package of four flans for dessert, another mango (this time only 1.63 Euros), and a box of bandaids for my toes, that are getting a little blistered.

Since its still pretty early, I’m going to try to watch some shows on Hulu to pass time, then eat my dinner before going to bed. Tomorrow I am walking to Arcade, just over 20 kilometers, and I already have reservations at the Albergue Lameirinas. I still need to set up my backpack transfer again as soon as the front desk quiets down.

---