I finally managed to upload my photos, but unfortunately, it was a very time-consuming process.
This is Allesandro, my taxi driver for two days. Yesterday I walked to Coruxo, and he picked me up and took me to Redondela. This morning, he picked me up at my hotel and took me back to Coruxo to continue my walk to Redondela. Nicest fellow. We had a significant language barrier, but I understood that for about ten years, he was a professional footballer (soccer in the U.S.) until he suffered a career-ending ankle injury. He was delightful
I don’t think this sea bird was supposed to be in the city. Maybe he was waiting for his Uber Driver to return.
It didn’t take me too long to reach Vigo. However, Vigo is the third-largest city in Spain, so I spent most of the day walking through Vigo, almost as if I were reaching one side of Jefferson County, and walking to the other. The name of this little shop is Arregos Transformaciones. I liked that name for an alterations business.
Modern art in the Praza Francisco Fernandez dei Riego.
At first, I couldn’t figure out why Vigo would have a snowman in the middle of town, but later, I saw they were putting up Christmas decorations all over town.
Above the tracks, the Vigo-Guixar railway station is home to the most modern shopping mall - truly beautiful. I originally went in because I knew they would have a bathroom. To use the facilities in a bar, you need to purchase something. So, if I buy a Coke Zero, it isn’t too long before I need to use the bathroom and buy another drink, in a never-ending cycle.
The first thing I saw upon entering was a familiar sight: KFC. They are ubiquitous in Spain.
I ended up eating lunch at a food court kiosk. I ordered a jalapeño and cheese empanada. I have never seen the word jalapeño on any menu in Spain. It was gooey in the center and had a light bite of spice. All in all, I enjoyed my lunch. I was diet-coked out, so I got water.
If you look through this tunnel, you can see the chair where Santa is going to sit. I hope they have air traffic controllers, or Santa doesn’t have to come through the U.S. to deliver those toys.
More Christmas decorations.
There were lots of painted buildings in Vigo. I particularly liked this one because it features women in sports. I never saw one with men on it.
In just about every town, you see these outdoor workout parks. I see young kids to super-seniors using them.
This is the only owl I have seen. He looks fierce.
Another painted building and my thumb in the upper left corner. I miss my camera. Boohoo.
I made it to Redondela. Woohoo! This is the Church of Santiago de Redondela, dedicated to the Apostle Santiago or St James. The original construction dates back to the 12th century, and like all of these old churches, it has had many restorations over the years.
It was a parish church, and this is the main altar; not as heavily gilded as most Catholic churches in Spain.
A close-up of the altar, in the most prestigious spot, is Saint James holding his walking staff with the gourd attached at the top. The gourd was used to carry water and is one of the significant symbols of the Caminos. The other symbol is the shell, which was used as a plate. At home, in my busy (over-committed) life, I don’t have (or don’t make) the time for prayers and reflection. Walking the Caminos puts life into perspective, showing what is truly important and what is merely a matter of busyness. I don’t watch TV (except when I am having dinner or a Coke light and the TV is on in the bar.) The sound is usually off. It is refreshing to not be bombarded on all sides by noise.
The rose window is a notable architectural element of the 15th-century church, dedicated to the patron saint of pilgrims, Santiago, and is a popular stop on the Camino Portugués. There is a pilgrim's mass at 8:00 each night.
The papier-mache figures were standing along the main street of Redondela, and I believe they are from the Pilgrim Virgin Celebration. The second Saturday of August marks the start of the Pilgrim Virgin celebrations in honour of Santiago, the patron saint of the province. The celebrations last a week and include concerts, fair rides, and shows that fill the streets and squares of the historic centre with music and fun. In addition, there are sporting and religious events. There is a battle of flowers, a parade of the Pilgrim Virgin, street shows, and fireworks. Sounds like fun.
My kind of place.
I ate in this restaurant and it was terrific. I saw it online and then, as I was wandering around, there it was. It was very lovely inside and had excellent food, service, and atmosphere. What is not to like?
I ordered Abanico, which was described on the menu as a fine cut of Iberian pork cooked twice at a
low temperature for 72 hours and then grilled. Along with fried dollar potatoes and a small seasonal salad. The pork had the most flavor of any pork I have had in Spain. I saved half of the pork for lunch the next day.
OMG! An assault on my taste buds, but in a good way. The bottom layer can only be described as a tart orange cloud, ready to fly away. It was anchored in the bowl by a tangerine sorbet, balancing the tartness with sweet, fresh flavors. The server said the name and description so quick that I couldn’t catch it. It had all the makings of sweet dreams in a bowl.
So I bid you good hight and God bless!
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