Day 9 - 17.03 km Vigo to Redondela Sept 25

Hola - Today was the best journey by far - we walked a bit in the city to get out of Vigo - then we walked in the forest - - we saw many spectacular views again - the beautiful blue water, the houses with red clay tiles and bridges - it was amazing! We had a steep incline to get into the countryside, but once we got there, we walked on a plateau - a dirt pathway that wound above the villages and towns below, giving us those spectacular views. One downfall of today's journey - no bathrooms or cafes once we left Vigo. On the trail - we had no real traffic to speak of - there were no cars, very few bikes coming towards us and just a few pilgrims. One of the gals in the group had to use the washroom - her partner assured her that it was a good place to go - so off she went. All of a sudden, out of now where, a group of pilgrims appeared, several bikers and then off course a car which had to slow down right where she was, as it was a narrow pathway! The good thing is, no one saw her face, she did not look up until she could hear NO ONE!!!! We had a steep descent into Redondela and with the help of Gerry's GPS, we were able to find our accommodations. We had arrived early as we only walked just over 17 kms, so we could not get into our apartments, so set out to find a place to have our big meal of the day (menu Del dia) - it was 12:45 pm. We asked if we could have the meal - and guess what - you cannot order until 1:00 pm! We learned several things these past few days. If you want your big meal during the day, you need to order before 4:00 pm and now we learned it was only offered after 1:00 pm...small window, but better than waiting until 8:30pm to start your meal. The food we had was delicious again. For 9 euro - we had a 3 course meal! The service was great and the people were friendly. Today, our accommodations consisted of 2 apartments (3 people in each (one for the males, and one for the females). When we were finally able to get in, it was great place - lots of room and a washing machine. Our clothes smell wonderful again. We went to the local market and picked up some baguette, cheese, olives, meat, wine and other snacks including an ice cream treats, for our evening gathering at the end of the day. Some went to rest early, and others when to a pilgrim mass - what a well kept church - on the inside. Friendly priest and nuns and it was by far the fastest mass I have ever been too - I think it was 30 minutes from start to finish - but very nice in Spanish. The highlight for us was the peaceful walk we had today, not as long as other days, and so, so picturesque and quiet - off the main roadways. For me, the highlight was to talk to family members back home - we really miss sharing with them he adventures as they happen. We are all so thankful for the ability to be here, in this wonderful friendly country, with beautiful scenery and history. The religious tone to the journey and of course the temperature add special value - especially in comparison to back home (rain and cool temperatures), yes we are pretty fortunate. Another estupendo day! Gracias.