- Time of past OR future Camino
- All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
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Must be all those Christmas lights they're famous for.Un ránking convierte a Vigo en la ciudad más feliz de España
El Institute of Quality of Life de Londres sitúa a la urbe olívica en el puesto 58 a nivel mundialwww.lavozdegalicia.es
For what it's worth, of course.
I would take it with a large pinch of salt. Not long ago a survey in the UK named my own small home town - Alloa - as "the most depressing and soul-destroying town in Scotland". The place may perhaps not be the most shining example of Scottish culture but I could name a few other Scottish towns which are far worse without too much effort...For what it's worth, of course.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.I would take it with a large pinch of salt. Not long ago a survey in the UK named my own small home town - Alloa - as "the most depressing and soul-destroying town in Scotland". The place may perhaps not be the most shining example of Scottish culture but I could name a few other Scottish towns which are far worse without too much effort...
Obviously someone who'd never visited New Cumnock."the most depressing and soul-destroying town in Scotland
Metropolitan area of Porto is much larger.I very much enjoyed my brief time in Vigo in February. It got me wondering why a city that's larger than Porto has such a low profile here in the UK (and perhaps other places as well).
I was there last year in November. It was when I was walking in heavy rain just about every day. I did think that the Xunta albergue was really nice and clean. The hospitalaria was really nice too. The location of the Xunta was not great in terms of scenery but I didn't walk around much as it was raining alot. I ended up buying a salad and making a bocadillo in the albergue. The next morning I walked through the city and they were in the process of putting up (I guess they are famous, from what I read here) their Christmas lights. Stopped for a coffee and pan tostada. The guy was nice and we chatted. But overall I have no real fond memory of Vigo. I will return to do the coastal again to finish this year's camino. Going to do the Aragones again and Madrid first, (very excited to do the Aragones again and my first Madrid). Hoping it will be a little dryer this time on the CP coastal. I really enjoyed it the last time even though it was like walking in your shower with a poncho onI very much enjoyed my brief time in Vigo in February. It got me wondering why a city that's larger than Porto has such a low profile here in the UK (and perhaps other places as well).
I think this is mainly because it is resolutely Galician. It has never had the influx of nationalities that a post-colonial city like Porto has experienced. As such it's more like an expanded large town than a city. There's no range of nationalities bringing shops, customs/religions, eateries, ways of living from across the world etc, and the often visible poverty too.
The impression I got, was of a city life lived in a more innocent time where people still bought things made and produced locally (rather than finding the cheapest giant outlets on the internet), came down from their flats for a coffee in the shop below, kept the streets very clean and know and say hello to a lot of the people in their district. My abiding memory, as I walked in to the city on a quiet Sunday afternoon, was seeing some elderly couples each arm in arm, returning slowly to their apartments after Sunday lunch (maybe in a restaurant or with family), carrying a pastry/cake box tied with ribbon, from their local pastelaria. It felt like something that generations might have been doing in the same way for fifty or maybe a hundred years.
In late February as I enjoyed the last of the lazy Kiwi summer in my favourite remote spot to relax in all the world, Waikawau Bay
View attachment 167365 View attachment 167366 View attachment 167368
Sunrise. Looking north. Looking south
I chatted with a young English couple who were touring Aotearoa New Zealand in their camper van and they said "we love NZ but we are not bothering to stay in Auckland, it is just another big city with bad traffic".
I didn't bother to reply to that.
It is easy to be critical when you don't know a place and have never been there before.
I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world.
PS. Waikawau Bay is on the East coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, not in Auckland but I won't bore you further with photos of my favourite Auckland spots.
Ah … go on …. do …
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