Ninth stage on the Camino Portugues da Costa from Vigo to Arcade

Yesterday, I took a rest day because it was raining heavily. Some pilgrims decided to brave the rain, but they returned after what felt like 1 minute, and one of them told his wife, 'Darling, we take a taxi' :-)! Well, I was lucky since I hadn't booked another hotel yet, so I could relax for the day :-)!

Today, severe weather was also forecasted around Vigo. So, I stood at the reception of my hotel shortly after 8:00 AM and asked for directions to the Camino. I'm so glad I asked; the hotel staff gave me an amazing tip, so I didn't have to walk through the entire city center. She said there was a lot of traffic there, and this route was quieter and much flatter. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT :-) :-) :-).

Shortly after the city center, there was a very steep road leading up to a small grove, and guess who I saw resting there??? The people from Mainz :-), we ended up walking together to Redondela and chatted and laughed a lot. That felt really good.

We all expected the worst regarding the weather, but it stayed clear until then.

It only started to rain 2 km before Redondela, but it was relatively harmless. We decided to wait out the shower in a bar with a delicious coffee.

Unfortunately, the people from Mainz only walked to Redondela today, so I had to say goodbye to them. Since there won't be another meeting, they were resting in the next village. We exchanged numbers so we could stay in touch!

In Redondela, I wanted to cross the street. As is proper, I stopped at the red light and waited for green. When the light turned green, I started walking and noticed a car approaching the light. The driver seemed to be chatting with his passenger and only braked at the last moment. Since the road was wet from the rain, the car slid almost to my feet. Two other pilgrims and a man from a workshop ran over. They asked me if I was okay. The local guy angrily scolded the driver in Spanish. I can tell you, my heart was racing! Phew, that was close. Totally shaken by the incident, I walked through Redondela. The little town is very beautiful; unfortunately, I couldn't find any accommodation here, so I had to walk another 10 km to Arcade. But I stocked up on supplies in Redondela.

In the tourist center, I picked up my stamp, and that’s where I met Carmen. She mentioned that she had noticed I was walking very quickly. Aha, that may be true. She asked where I was heading today. I said to Arcade. She also had to go to Arcade, so we walked the entire distance together. I don’t want to miss this encounter either. It's amazing what experiences people have had and why they walk the Camino. As I type this, I have to smile, and I am so happy/grateful that I can walk this path.

At Carmen's hostel, we had a delicious lunch. If our bodies allow it, we want to go have a drink tonight.

I am now at my hotel and have done some laundry :-). And what can I say about the weather, 'Daniela, you kind of have a point, I have SOMEONE in my pocket :-)'. Because it only started to rain harder once I arrived at my hotel.

Today, I have a three-person room, I have to laugh; there are really three beds in the room! I can't decide which one to sleep in ;-).

Today was 23 km with many tough inclines!

Best regards, Anke 😀