Primeras impresiones

Praza de España "Los Caballos" y Rúa Urzáiz

Fist impressions set the tone of how you will view the rest your experience. Or at least that is what my new friend, Noe, told me over a cold Cola-Cola and tapas last night in old-town Vigo.

After arriving in Vigo por avión, the owner of the flat I had been in communication with for the past three weeks suddenly stopped returning my messages and phone calls...mierda. Currently, I am staying at Kaps Hostel which is located about a 25 minute walk from the coast while I hunt for another piso. Vigo is a popular resting place for peregrinos on the Camino de Santiago. Many of the people I have met in the hostel have been hiking for weeks on the Camino. Some of whom I have had the chance to meet are from the Czech Republic, Holland, and the south of Spain. Noe, along with other peregrinas, shared our room for my first night. Later that evening, Noe invited me to explore the city where we walked down Rúa Urzáiz to look at the shops and grab a late night snack.

Our walk reminded me a lot of my recent time in San Francisco--meaning that the city is VERY hilly. It seems to be that whichever direction you go, it's an uphill battle for my glutes. Throughout my pretending that I wasn't sweating as much as I had been, I was captured by the arquitectura antigua of Vigo and the incorporation of modern shops alongside it all. For example, on one side of the street is a Sephora while the on the other side features La Iglesia Santa María built during the 1800s.

Least I forget, but the fashion was something that caught my eye. While in the EEUU walking around the city or grabbing a bite to eat is a casual affair, everyone here dresses as if they were headed to a summer wedding. The women all wear flowy dresses, skirts and blouses, and nice sandals to top it off. I believe this is a sign to step up my style game.

During drinks and tapas Noe told me about her past three times on the Camino and her home in Málaga. Until it got dark, we shared our pastimes and our hopes of what is yet to come. Now, I have a second home in the south if I ever come to need it. Noe was truly a special person to get to know and she made my first impression of Spain and of Vigo an incredible one. I can't wait to create more friendships and explore more of this wonderful city in the upcoming days. I'd have to say that if day one in Vigo will reflect the rest of my experience in Spain I would be one lucky chica.