Short summary to my CP: it was hot, it was crowded and it was amazing!
Slightly longer:
The part along the ocean was quieter than imagined, especially the parts near the beaches, after morning fog the sun came out and it was awfully hot on those days.
I called ahead some of the well known albergues in and after A Guarda and all told me that they are booked out, same on the Variante Espiritual! I didn't know before that there will be the catholic World Youth Assembling in Lisbon the weekend after I arrived in SdC, so there were many young people walking in bigger organized groups with matching backpacks and raincoats with the logo on it.
Avoiding the crowds I walked to Tui via Valenca. Tui was packed, so I had to walk to the outskirts of Tui to get an accomodation for the night, walking back to the city to get something to eat. Starting early next morning avoiding the groups after Tui the walking constantly gets more solitary to my delight.
Next stop was Redondela where I got one of the last beds available and seeing many pilgrims arriving on the late afternoon not getting the chance to sleep in town.
From Redondela I walked via Pontevedra to the well known Donativo A Portela, where I met a german couple. As absolute beginners they decided to stay near me, stay in contact and walk to the same Albergues I chose.
We walked to the municipal in O Piño, that was quite a nice surprize, clean, cozy and comfortable (but somehow noisy) beds. But the hospitalera was ultra-grumpy like many comments in Google Maps stated.
Avoiding the mistake I made on my CF I walked as close to SdC as I can do, Milladoiro.
It was a very pleasing stay, big beds, curtains for privacy, nice showers. A youths-project, where I got a real multicolored wax-stamp in my Credential.
The next morning it was just a 8km walk to the Praza d'Obradoiro. As 4 years ago, SdC got me a welcome-shower and as we were very early, we count as #47, 48 and 49 in the Pilgrim's Office that day.
On the afternoon I met two Ex-colleagues that came down the Norte, arriving on the same day as me.
Managing to get a bed was hard, but the desk a the km0, where I stayed last time, was very helpful, organizing a single room for 2 nights. Dinner with the couple at L'Incontro was much fun, as the girl was italian born and spoke fluent Italian and her Spanish was way better than mine.
The next midday after my shopping run I met 2 german girls at the L'Incontro that I spoke to on the Camino in Portugal.
Leaving SdC back to Porto was hard, but the 2,5 days in Porto on the beaches and in the bars gave me some time to reflect.
But I think that this time I will probably take even more time to settle and reflect the Camino before, having in mind what happened the last 4 years.
Photos will follow.
