Day 7 - from Tui to Redondela

I'll just say this much: Camino 1 - Dani 0🙈😂

Today we covered the longest distance and it really exhausted all of us... Today we walked 27km, sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill, sometimes just along the road, and sometimes through beautiful forest paths during our first (complete) day in Spain. However, the route is not really beautiful, so there are also few pictures...

My backpack feels like it gained 5kg overnight and I also slept too much - a whole 7 hours at a stretch😴😉 Shortly after a heavy rain shower, we start a bit later at 09:00, and initially everything is going well and we make good progress - by 11:00, we have already covered 10km. But after the first break, it really starts to get tough and we are all pretty tired until lunch... We have a good pilgrim menu for €9 and take a 1-hour break before we tackle the last 12km. Apparently, I already look so exhausted at noon that the 3 Frenchmen ask me how I'm going to do it👀🙈😂 I somehow get the impression that they don't (anymore) trust me to do it😮😠 After taking a look at the game, I can understand it well 😜😂 But well, there's no other way if we want to stay together🙃

With some music from the phone, walking gets a bit easier and the occasional dance moves bring some good mood. I just say "nach miad kimmt bläd"🙈😉 So we manage to cover the first 9km more or less, but the remaining 3km seem to never end...😣😵🤔 1km before reaching the accommodation, my bladder on my right foot wants to remind me again and fills up nicely, so I can't go any further for the time being. Dana & Arek stay with me and Andres & Kristof even turn back, we provide first aid for the blister. That is true pilgrim friendship and support - because turning back after 26km to help is truly not a matter of course!😍☺️ Then we quickly go to the accommodation and I think I've never been so relieved to be able to lie down🙈 After a very refreshing shower, Kristof (he's a doctor😉) and his girlfriend Joana (she's a nurse😉) even treat me (the blister will be professionally opened🤭) and we all go for a late and quick dinner.

Based on the brief report, you can already imagine that this day took its toll🤓🤭 But I'm also somewhat proud to have finished today's stage - despite everything and even though the men in our group repeatedly wanted to take some of the burden off me, I actually covered the entire distance with a full backpack💪🏻🤭😊 So there are only 86km left to Santiago - the joy of what has already been accomplished (about 160km) is mixed with something like melancholy about the approaching end of the journey... But two days ago, David told me the following: once a pilgrim - pilgrim forever... we shall see😉

Tomorrow will be a slightly shorter stage - "only" 20km to Pontevedra. Let's see what tomorrow brings...

for now, an exhausted "Good night my loves"😴😘🤗