Day 7 on the Caminho – Valenca to Pontevedra
M’s counselors had recommended hopping around Tui to begin the “Spritual Variant” of the Camino just beyond Ponteverda. So instead of taking the pilgrim route across the International Bridge over the Rio Minho, we walked further downhill to the bus depot and hopped the bus to Yigo. The bus took us around the natural harbor at the mouth of the Minho.
B and M had familiarized themselves with the route on an earlier trip, so when the bus stopped at Vigo for a two-hour layover, we hopped off and into the Mega Mall adjoining the bus station.Quite a change from the cathedrals and chapels with their gilded icons and bleeding martyrs!
We found a burger bar with quick service and delicious burgers – we were all a bit tired of the standard lunch fare of Iberian ham and fresh cheese on a bun, even with the wonderful Galician bread.
From here we swept along the main road parallelling railroad tracks on one side and the Rio de Vigo on the other, avoiding the industrial town of Porrino. We come to rest in a three-star pilgim shelter, the Hotel Virgen de Camino, which we expected to find near the Plaza of the medieval center, but instead is located in the center of a bustling downtown. The rooms, as you see, were unpretentious, but comfortable, and the breakfast included was ample.