Aggressively officious is how I’d describe the staff at Eurostar Paris. “I am a member of staff. If you don’t let me through you won’t travel,” (in French, using the ‘tu’ form even though she was much younger than us – very rude!). “Excusez-moi,” would have been fine.
Shouting “Get it off. Get it off!” (in English). Referring, it turns out, to my bag that had barely cleared the exit of the scanning machine and was behind a row of others. “Pourriez-vous retirer votre sac, s’il vous plaît, monsieur ?” would have been better.
But… the Channel Tunnel is still amazing , and it’s still a treat to wake up in Paris to a french petit déjeuner and be in London for lunch.
For future reference, it takes just 8 minutes to get from the Eurostar platform in St Pancras to Platform A – to the south coast. So we made our connection with no problem. Thanks to neighbour Helen for picking us up from the station and for the warm scones, milk, butter and grapes. Very thoughtful. They were the best scones I’ve ever tasted.
No one had tidied my workshop while we were away, and, despite the best efforts of our weekly gardener, the Box Tree Caterpillar has been ravaging the topiary! First world problems!
Trip summary
| 10/4/26 | Pulborough to Lyon (via Paris) | Train | ||
| 11/4/26 | Lyon to Barcelona | Train | ||
| 12/4/26 | Barcelona to Santiago (via Madrid) | Train | ||
| 13/4/26 | Santiago to Porto (via Vigo) | Train | ||
| 14/4/26 | Day in Porto | |||
| 15/4/26 | Porto (Matosinhos) to Angeiras | Walking | 12.8km | 1 |
| 16/4/26 | Angeiras to Pávoa do Varzim | Walking | 17.7km | 2 |
| 17/4/26 | Pávoa do Varzim to Esposende | Walking | 21.6km | 3 |
| 18/4/26 | Esposende to Viana do Castelo | Walking | 25.0km | 4 |
| 19/4/26 | Viana do Castelo to Caminha | Train | ||
| Caminha to A Guarda | Walking | 6.9km | 5 | |
| 20/4/26 | A Guarda to Oia | Walking | 18.0km | 6 |
| 21/4/26 | Oia to Baiona | Walking | 17.5km | 7 |
| 22/4/26 | Day in Baiona | |||
| 23/4/26 | Baiona to Vigo | Bus | ||
| Vigo to Redondela | Walking | 16.39km | 8 | |
| 24/4/26 | Redondela to Pontevedra | Walking | 22.49km | 9 |
| 25/4/26 | Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis | Walking | 23.59km | 10 |
| 26/4/26 | Caldas de Reis to Padrón | Walking | 19.39km | 11 |
| 27/4/26 | Padrón to Santiago | Walking | 25.39km | 12 |
| 28/4/26 | Day in Santiago | |||
| 29/4/26 | Santiago to Astorga (via Ourense) | Train | ||
| 30/4/26 | Astorga to Burgos | Train | ||
| 1/5/26 | Burgos to San Sebastián | Train | ||
| 2/5/26 | San Sebastián to Hendaye | Train | ||
| 3/5/26 | Hendaye to Paris | Train | ||
| 4/5/26 | Paris to Pulborough | Train |
Key statistics
10 travel days
4 outbound
6 inbound (included a wonderful diversion to see friends in Astorga)
3 sightseeing days
– Porto
– Baiona
– Santiago
12 walking days
25 days total
Kilometres walked
– total 226km
– continuous into Santiago 107km
Kilometres where we ‘followed’ the Camino route by public transport
– total 49km
