Stage 8: San Pedro de Ramallosa - Vigo

This morning I started at 7 - it was still dark, which highlighted the lights on the beach particularly well. I chose the coastal path, so I walked almost the whole time along the sea. 

Fairly quickly I noticed my left foot, but not the ankle, rather the inside/bottom of the arch... something new every day 🤷‍♀️😅

The bandage neither worsened nor improved it, so after a few kilometers I decided to take a painkiller (this time I had a banana beforehand!😁). The pain didn’t completely go away, but it was bearable (and I didn’t feel like I was making it worse by continuing to walk). Good music in my ears and on we go :)

Unfortunately, today’s route didn’t come without elevation, there were constant ups and downs through the streets of Panxón and Patos. I didn’t feel quite fit today, my body just wouldn’t get into gear. Just before Oya, I considered taking a bus for a stretch, but then decided against it and wanted to at least walk to Oya.

There, after 12 km, was the first café, where I could satisfy my now quite substantial hunger and regain some energy. Just as I was about to leave, Arturo and Bernat came around the corner with a few other Spaniards. So, I joined them for a moment - a longer break wouldn’t hurt my feet anyway :)

After a while, I set off again, now walking along the promenade for several kilometers. Along the way, I ran into Natalia again and chatted briefly with her. 

The heat really got to me today - there was hardly any shade on the promenade, so I took several short breaks to set down my backpack and, above all, to drink something. 

It was also very tempting to see all the swimmers and sunbathers while walking past. But since I have a few blister plasters on my feet, I decided not to dip them in the water...

In Alcabre, Natalia caught up with me again and we walked the last part (about 5 km) together. Through the industrial area of Vigo, it felt like it dragged on forever - surrounded by traffic noise, the smell of fish or construction, and warm, stagnant air, we (and some other pilgrims) were really relieved when the albergue finally came into sight after 22 km. 

Once there, the ritual almost took care of itself: making the bed, showering, stretching, and applying cream to my legs.

However, before I could take care of my legs, Arturo informed me that they (Arturo, Bernat, the three other Spaniards whose names I still don’t know 🙈, and Carina from Fürstenfeldbruck) were now looking for something to eat. I then joined them, and together we faced the challenge of finding something to eat around 4 PM. A local finally pointed us in the right direction and sent us towards the old town (more walking and more elevation - yay!). We were quite amazed at how beautiful the city of Vigo is when you don't have to walk through the industrial area.

Ultimately, we found something at 'Luces de Bohemia', where I ordered a salad and calamari - very tasty! 

After we finished eating and paid, Sophie from Regensburg joined us (I had met her a few days earlier). Together we then made our way back to the albergue, but with a little (or bigger) detour, since we couldn’t find the bakery we had seen on the way out. The detour was worth it, and everyone picked up a sweet treat for the evening or the next day. 

Back at the accommodation, I first applied cream to my legs and feet and now I'm lying pretty exhausted in bed. Thankfully, tomorrow is a short stage - 16.5 km to Redondela.

If all goes according to plan, there are only 5 days left, meaning I will be in Santiago de Compostela on Sunday 🤩

I can hardly believe that I have been on the road for over a week... I’m really glad I decided to write this blog, as I probably wouldn't remember the smaller details and especially all the names so easily 😅

I won’t be doing much more today - just refill my water, prepare my backpack for tomorrow, and then relax 🙂