The weather overnight had been awful, as I looked out of my window it was bleak, black cloud hammeri g rain and most of the Outdoor pool overflow drains gad been blown out and deposited all around the hotel grounds......
I went for breakfast and on checking the forecast. There was a possibility it might brighten up after 10am.
At 9 I checked out and serviced the bike under the hotels side canopy, I had watched a YouTube video and even managed to register my digital gears !
At 9:30 I went for it as the rain was medium to light.
I had done the route before and its spectacular but I was praying the weather would ease as the road is literally clinging to the edge of the land most of the way with a big old ocean battering in from the left.
Straight forward 15 miles to Campanha where I was forced into a petrol station cafe for coffee as the rain took a heavy turn.
The ferry across the Minho River had been stopped on safety certification grounds so I was forced to cycle 8 miles inland leaning right into the wind, then 8 miles back to the coast leaning heavily left !
At Guarda I tried to see the old town but the streets were cobbled and steep and no view could be found !
I did look in a church and noted the Camino de Santiago signs ... I would pass about 200 people walking the camino before reaching Vigo today.
A squal as I left A Guarda but then I got sinshine and a howling wind which must have been at least 40mph.
I rattled along the coastline which is beautiful, the high mountains are thickly forested but they are away from the sea, they give way to a gentle slope which glides down to the shore. These slopes were rich in little towns and pastures and even looked Alpine in places.
At Redondelino a wide cove with postcard cottages gave way to a huge Monastery perched above a semi circular beach, on my pre oius ride I had stayed on the main road but this time I was exploring the coastal track and ir was beautiful.
I reached the Vigo Estuary which is watched over by the Soleiro Lighthouse, a huge buliding high up above the road on a rocky promontory and surrounded by old gun emplacements which guardex the entry into the estuary back in the day.
I went to the lower lighthouse down a really steep road and I could hardly stand up so strong were the winds, so I cycled back up the road leaning heavily yo he right into the wind.
It was 3 miles to the beautiful town of Baiona, but the rain came before I got there and I managed another coffee stop, almost dry!
Then I had 15 miles to Vigo, sounded easy but I really shoukd have studied my route - I trusted Ridewithgps to route me well but it took me over three 300ft climbs before droppping down to my hotel, if I'd stayed on the coast instead I would have had just one clkmbnof 200ft.
Tomorrow the weather looks hideous, so Im planning to shorten the route and I doubtvthere will be the usual plethora of pictures !