Leaving Figueira.

Another fine and sunny day dawned yesterday in Figueira, with rollers crashing in beyond the lighthouse, and we got up, not quite a the crack of dawn but in time to have breakfast, check out and get to the railway station in time for a train at 9.58. We did a fair amount of careful train timetable checking last night to coordinate our journey, hoping to arrive in Vigo before dark. We could have caught a later train from Figueira but we would have arrived at Oporto, after changing at Coimbra B, probably just too late for lunch but with a long wait for the next bus from Oporto to Vigo. 

So we got ourselves organised and marched off to the station with our suitcases. A small amount of confusion ensued at our departure. I thought Phil had persuaded me that we should walk to the station. He thought I had persuaded him to take a taxi. We walked. And we arrived in plenty of time. We had to show our passports at the station so that we could claim a discount for being over 65. As a result our journey from Figueira to Oporto cost us €8.35 each. The bus ride from Oporto to Vigo is more expensive than that. And as for travelling in the Greater Manchester area, well, those who have to pay for their travel around that district would be hard pressed to get from Saddleworth to central Manchester for that price! 


Arriving at Oporto Campanhá station, we briefly contemplated working out the metro system once again (it's quite straightforward when you are used to it but eminently forgettable if you only use it once in a while) in order to get to Avenida Aliados so that we could wait outside the MacDonald's for the bus to Vigo. We chickened out and took a taxi. It may have lacked bravery but it gave us time to have a coffee and a bun before catching the bus, not to mention using the loo at the cafe. 

We discovered that it is no longer possible to buy tickets for the Alsa bus from the lottery sellers on Aliados. Instead we had to keep our fingers crossed that the bus would not be full when it arrived. Just occasionally there are crowds of pilgrims. No problem, although it did fill up somewhat at the airport stop. We succeeded in getting old biddies' discount on the bus too, which to some extent made up for messing around about not being able to buy tickets in advance. 

And so, finally, we made it Vigo in time to see the sun go down. Throughout the summer, the sun went down behind the other side of the estuary, directly opposite our flats. When we left in September it was setting behind the Islas Cíes. Yesterday it was setting behind the Castro park. In fact, slightly to the left of the Castro Park. 

Time marches on unforgivingly!