Finesterre & Muxia (May 25 - 27)

Our bus to Finesterre left at 10:00 a.m. and we arrived just and hour and a half later. Walking down to the square we were surprisingly greeted by Chris, the young guitar player. It was so fun to see him. He was camping on the westernmost beach Cabo do Roca and invited us to join him to watch the sunset.

Finesterre Lighthouse

After a quick bite to eat, our next task was to locate an albergue for the night. We found one close to the main square, got settled and then made walking to what is "officially" the end of the ancient Camino path at the lighthouse our next order of business. This is where the zero marker for the Camino is located. We had purchased a dessert pastry from the panaderia shop that was owned/managed by our albergue hospitalero so sat on the rocks there and enjoyed our tasty treat. A tradition started by the medieval pilgrim of burning the clothes from their journey, signifying a new life (and probably because they smelled so bad there was no possible way to remove the odor), is still followed by some today. So, we found not only clothes burned but phones, walking sticks and other items as well. Actually at this point in time, it seemed a little more like pollution than ritual.

Finesterre Beach Sunset

Eating dinner down by the wharf, we had another pleasant surprise when Christiane and two of the other German ladies greeted us. So happy to see them. Tom also staggered in totally exhaused, after getting lost on his third walking day from Santiago, and sat down to have something to eat before he called it a day. He did not like Finesterre and was going to continue on to Muxia the next morning rather than stay in Finesterre.

We barely made it to the beach to see the sunset which was actually quite lackluster. We saw Chris's little camp with a campfire started and debated whether to join him as the campfire was surrounded by only young people. But, being fond of the young, we ambled over. Boy where we glad we did as who walked up to us but Joanina, the young German girl with all the blisters. We learned that her blisters resolved, she felt because she had also resolved some emotional decisions, and looked truly radiant. Such a warm and wonderful girl, she seemed to have found a young man along the way. We hope he is the right person for her and that she has a wonderful life.

Longostiera Beach

Although we decided to stay another day in Finesterre so we could walk the Longostiera Beach to find some scallop shells, we decded we concurred with Tom and were not terribly fond of this little town at the end of the world. We did indeed enjoy walking the beach and did find several small scallop shells but we did not find the people friendly or the food good. We were looking forward to Muxia the next day

The next morning before heading off to Muxia, Regina, a pilgrim from Switzerland who was unable to finish her Camino due to extreme tendonitis, asked if she could draw portraits of each of us. We consented. We felt bad that she wasn't able to complete her journey and also because she seemed to be quite lonely.

We had hoped to walk to Muxia but Fred had developed severe tendonitis in his ankle on the last day of our Camino while walking into Santiago and there was not any way we would be able to walk the 29K there. We took a taxi instead and found ourselves in this wonderful but extremely blustery little village in a mere 30 minutes.

We loved Muxia. From the start, looking for the albergue, we had help when a local man walked us all the way there. The albergue was the nicest one on the whole camino with poster art depicting the Camino on the walls. Additionally, each bunk had it's own little cubby with an electrical connection and light. And the showers actually had a little bench to set things on!

Muxia Cathedral

We ran into several of our fellow peregrinos - Tom, Diane, and Deb and Bruce - so had some nice mini-visits with them.

The best part of Muxia, however were the views. A short 10 minute walk from the village center found us at the cathedral teetering on the edge next to the ocean. The wind here was incredibly strong, reminiscent of the winds in the Pyrenees, literally capable of knocking you off your feet if not careful. Also there was a massive rock sculpture with a final Camino marker in front of it.

The rocks between the cathedral and the ocean were well worn, a result of the constant pounding of the waves. This made them very easy to walk on and our explore actually brought us to a point where we were protected from the winds. We must have stayed in this spot for two to three hours just watching and taking pictures of the aqua blue waves splashing and splaying white against the rocks. Mesmerizing.

This area was also host to a "pedra de abalar" or rocking stone, a large stone that rests on a point and can be moved by a person or the wind. A short walk to hilltop and you could see from one side of Muxia to the other, water on both sides.

That evening we had the best meal we have had on the Camino at Hotel Restaurant Lolo. A peregrino meal of prawns wrapped in angel hair pasta, deep fried and drizzled in balsamic reduction sauce followed by the best paella was simple fabulous.

To say we loved Muxia would be an understatement.

Muxia Beach

 

 

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Pentecost Sunday - Day 41 (May 24)

Although our walk was over, our Camino was not and today was a really instrumental part of our journey. Since it was Pentecost Sunday, we decided we would go to mass, I must admit in part to see the botafumeria again. But it became so much more than that.

Believing the service to be at noon, we entered the church at 10:30 to see what the seating was like only to discover that there was a service that had just started. With ample seats, we sat down and enjoyed the singing and entire service. The botafumeria ceremony did take place again and although we were in a good place to witness it, capturing it was very difficult as it flew directly over our heads at an amazing speed. Botafumeria aside, it was once again the music in that large space that we most enjoyed. Enjoyed enough that we decided to stay for the following service.

Pentecost Procession

We didn't make this decision however until there were no longer any seats so we found ourselves standing near a pillar facing the front of the sanctuary. There was a woman standing in front of me and I decided I would go around her so I could lean against the pillar without blocking her view. When I turned around to say something to Fred, I discovered the woman to be Marie Josie who started the Camino with us in St. Jean but we had not seen since Leon. It was such an emotional moment for all of us. Such a special place to run into such a special fellow sojourner.

With emotions raw from the surprising encounter with Marie Josie, it was during this mass that my journey moved to a place of tranquility. This was a special service that started with a shortened version of the botafumeria followed by a procession of priests, a cardinal and a bishop and other church clery carrying the relics of St. James; all during which music was being sung from what seemed all around completely filling the area within it's walls. Closing my eyes, I felt like my soul was lifted on their notes and brought back to me all cleansed and at peace. Tranquility. I hope that I can recapture the essence of that moment again and again in the days and months ahead, especially once we return home.

Departure from Mass

The service over and our souls filled, we found our bodies to be quite hungry. On the way to a restaurant, we ran into Char and Barry. They told us about a cathedral rooftop tour that started at 4 o'clock which seemed interesting to us so decided we would join them after lunch (pasta with rich mushroom sauce and pasta with seafood sauce).

Standing atop the cathedral in the wind was actually a bit unnerving, especially when I had my camera to my eye causing me to struggle with my sense of balance. It was really an interesting tour, however, with our tour guide being very knowledgeable about the building architecture and history of the Camino. We asked how they could be certain the bones were actually those of St. James and she indicated that tomb said it was the "Son of Thunder" and his neck had been broken.

From Cathedral Rooftop

After our tour, we enjoyed a glass of wine with Barry and Char on the patio of the Parador Hotel. Char discovered a leather belt with camino shell buckle that she fell in love with and purchased. She was so pleased with her purchase, not because it was pretty, but mostly because it would serve as a memory to her of her Camino experience every time she wore it. I am hoping to also find at item that will serve as an emotional reminder of our Camino.

It was now time to consider dinner and we all went back to the Tapas bar that Jim and Marilyn introduced us to - El Bispo. We had several items, all of which were wonderful, especially the honey glazed cod. And the dessert, cheesecake with creme brulee on top was to die for.

Today felt like the perfect end to our Camino journey. Tomorrow we will take a bus to Finesterre, considered the end of the world when the world was still thought to be flat, From there we hope to walk the 29K to Muxia where the movie "They Way", which was responsible for initiating the desire in us to make this journey, ends on the rocks by the cathedral that perches above the ocean.

 

 

 

 

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Day After - Day 40 (May 23)

Today was a bit of a blur. Our minds and bodies weary from our 39 day journey, we kind of just wandered around aimlessly for much of the day, always with an eye out for peregrinos we had met along the way.

Our first agenda item was to find a new place to stay for a couple of nights. At stop at the Santiago information center provided us with a suggestion for the pensione next door to them. Luckily, they had a room for us so we were quickly settled for the next couple of days.

Hugging Statue of St. James

Having only a quick visit to the cathedral the day before, we went back today to look again and take some pictures of this cathedral with such incredible significance for the Christian pilgrim, in particular.

We had arranged the day before to meet Christine, one of the German ladies we had come to know quite well from the first part of the Camino. We enjoying visiting and having lunch with her before she had to head off to the airport. She shared a pretty funny story about her trekking poles. It seems that when she went to retrieve them from where the albergue required they be stored for the night, they were not there. So.. after walking for a day without them, she purchased another pair in the next larger town. As she was walking with those new sticks, she came upon a pilgrim who was using poles just like the ones she lost. When she inquired, the girl said she found them - at the same place Christine lost hers! It seems that she thought they were an item that a pilgrim left behind because they no longer wanted them. In the end, when she arrived in Santiago she brought them back to the hotel where Christine was staying. We are quite certain we will stay in touch with Christine as she was an important part of our Camino experience.

After lunch with Christine, we walked around checking out several of the shops, in part to find another top for me but also to find gifts for people back home. We were not going to purchase anything until we returned to Santiago after our visit to Finisterre because we didn't want anything extra to carry until we were ready to head to Porto. But we figured it would be a time saver when we returned.

Santiago Cathedral

We also found out that in addition to the regular Compostela, we could also get another Compostela that showed the number of miles we walked. So... after lunch we went back to get our mileage Compostela.

A stop at a restaurant for dinner of wonderful fish soup and beef steak turned into more than dinner when two ladies who were co-workers from London captured us in conversation as we were about to leave. Marie and Sonia had walked the Camino from two days out of Sarria. They were full of questions about walking the entire St. Frances route as although the trip from Sarria was very momentous to them and they, especially Marie, were considering coming back and starting in St. Jean. We appreciated this conversation as it confirmed our feelings from the day before when instead of being irritated with those who started at Sarria to be sad for what they missed. An hour and a half later, we headed back to our room ready for a good night's sleep.

 

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Arrival in Santiago - Day 39 (May 22)

What an emotional day! All morning we had very mixed feelings about it being what we thought was our second to the last day on the Camino. Our bodies were tired but our souls wanted to continue. We were so sad that this unbelievable experience was about to end.

My feelings of frustration with the "tourist peregrino" was replaced with feelings of sadness that they missed so much of the journey. I am not sure how to adequately describe a peregrino but generally, I think it is a person who is searching and open to the beauty of the world around them from the plants to the birds to the people who share the path with them. The more time putting your feet to the ground, the greater opportunity to see and feel that beauty.

Much of the path today ran alongside the busy highway so I opted for only the third time in nearly 40 days to listen to my music. When my playlist came to the instrumental song "Memories" by Ryan Stewart, so many images of the Camino came to life - images of mountains, flowers, people, butterflies. I set the song to repeat and let the joyful but also sad emotions coming spilling from my heart and my eyes.

My Fence Cross

We once again came upon a chain link fence where previous pilgrims had placed within the links crosses made from sticks. I added my own to this display of Christian belief. Felt good to leave a little mark of my passing behind.

Thankfully, after some time we moved away from the highway so we could once again enjoy the song of the birds. Previously, their song seemed incongruous with the sounds of the cars that had been whizzing by.

Further down the road I received a sign, if you can call it that. We stumbled upon just four dairy cows in a field all in a row. One was black and white, one tan and two were black. It made me think of my three sisters and how they want to do the Camino in a few years. I'm sure this was a message that I will be back with them. Crazy, I know, but they will understand.

Four Sisters

Our original plan was to stop at an albergue 5K outside of Santiago and then walk in the next morning all fresh. But it was earlier than we expected when we arrived at this point and we decided that we would rather arrive sweaty and spent as it seemed more akin to our journey. At this point in the path, there was a giant monument to the Camino and it's pilgrims. We were greeted there by Pia who was also going to continue on to the city.

Pilgrim Monument

Walking the last kilometres was quite emotional. Once we saw the cathedral, it was hard to contain them. To reach the cathedral, you go through a tunnel and just on the other side we heard someone say, "Welcome to Santiago" - it was Greg, the young man from Georgia. What a great way to be greeted as we came to the end of our journey.

It was important to us to go inside the cathedral and follow the traditions of the pilgrim - to hug the statue of St. James at the altar and to visit the crypt where his body lies. The other tradition is to pass by the Tree of Jesse and touch your head to the head of Maestro Mateo but that portion of the church was under renovation so we would not be able to do that.

We were not allowed to go into the cathedral with our backpacks but fortunately for us, Jim & Marilyn were there and Jim said he would watch our packs while Marilyn guided us inside. We followed the tradition of hugging the statue of St. James and went down to the crypt where we were able to kneel and pray a prayer of thanks for a safe journey.

After that it was necessary to find a place to stay so we could get showered and go back to the church for the 7:30 mass where they would also be lighting the botafumeria. We asked at one hotel close to the cathedral but it was 110 euros for the night and after paying typically only 10 - 20 euros for a bed, this seemed way too much. Luckily a woman approached us about a room she had in her pensione and in the interest of time, we took it. We were led to believe it was a private suite but learned we were actually sharing it with another room. We would find something else for the next evenings.

We got back to the church at 6:30 but already all the seats that were reserved for pilgrims were filled so we found a perch on a column toward the front and off to the side. This was when the emotions of our journey really took hold as the nun who was singing had such a beautiful voice and in the large vacancy of the cathedral walls, it reverberated and fell down all around us. Simply beautiful. Tears.

As it turned out, we were perfectly positioned to view and take pictures of the botafumeria as it swung past. It was so hard to comprehend that this ritual that was started to essentially fumigate the smells from the pilgrims of old (bota = boot + fumeria = perfume) was still taking place. Although the modern day pilgrim probably does not have the odors of the medieval pilgrim, this ritual had a way of creating a link between the souls of today and the many that passed before.

Botafumeria

Having been spirit-filled, it was now time to fill our bodies as we had not eaten since very early in the day. As we were walking to find a place, we walked past the Pilgrim office where we could get our Compostela and saw there was no line so went in to be one of the last pilgrims to get their Compostela for the day. From there we stumbled upon Jim & Marilyn who invited us to join them for tapas. We went to a couple places, the last one with quite a wait that gave us an opportunity to meet some new pilgrims - Joan and Thelma from England.

Exhausted but fulfilled by the day, we found our way back to our room and slept deeply knowing there would be no early morning wake-up as we were now peregrinos who had completed their journey to Santiag

Lesson of the Day: Some things are worth seeing through till the end.

 

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The Up and Down Day - Day 38 (May 21)

I am certain that if anyone is reading these posts, they are growing weary of doing so. We are definitely weary ourselves. Our bodies are tired of the constant pounding on the feet, the joints, the muscles. Our emotions are becoming raw. Our minds were feeble to begin with but seem to have dwindled even more. We can't remember where we were when, only where we are going. This section of the Camino is supposed to be one of rebirth - I am hopeful for that.

50K to Santiago

Today's terrain has been reflective of our mood - up and down. There have been no mountains to climb. No vistas so see. Just up and down hills sharing time between forest paths and paths along the highway. We are equally up and down. We are so ready to be done with the wear and tear on our bodies from walking each day but at the same time sad to think our journey is nearly at an end. Conflict.

Started our walk today at a momentous spot - 50 kilometres from Santiago! Deciding to wait to eat until the first available stop 6 kilometres in, we were quite hungry by the time we arrived and devoured a plate of eggs, bacon and toast.

As on previous days, we continue through farm and pasture land with cows dotting the hillsides. One cow found a way to get into a plastic-wrapped bale of hay and was enjoying the morsels he found there. We finally saw one of the unique structures for drying corn in use, many cobs of corn stacked inside. Also, once more we witnessed a field being fertilizd with manure. This time he ran out of the "rich stuff" before it overcame us.

We had a picnic lunch of chorizo sausage, banana, carrots and a chocolate croissant in a pasture area surrounded by dried up cowpies. Just like when I was a kid - picnic in the pasture!

One of the downs we experienced that was not related to the terrain, was a tour bus that picked up and deposited a medium-sized group of oriental quasi-moto pilgrims. They were really more akin to tourists with the tour guide providing snacks and lunch along the way. We are trying not to be critical because everyone has their own journey and they certainly were a happy group.

Gentle Path

With very few albergues on this stretch, we made a reservation yesterday at one in Salceda. They had only one room left and we took it. On our arrival, we discovered it was really more of a hotel room which cost 45 euros, significantly more than the 10-20 euros we were spending for our bunks in the albergues. But even more importantly, we didn't feel we were quite ready to embrace the world of hotels. We are definitely going to stay in an albergue our last night of the Camino, in a 500 bed one, to be exact! Although many people would choose to not stay in these shared rooms, for us it has been a part of the Camino culture and added to the experience.

I keep forgetting to mention what I have termed my Camino (or Peregrino) tan. It is basically a farmer's tan with white strips across the top of the hands (from the trekking pole handles) thrown in. If it had been warmer, you could have added white feet and ankles. Very fashionable, I think!

I also keep forgetting to talk about "softies" and "suckies".

We have affectionately given the name "softies" to the tips for our trekking poles. We could not have done this walk without the use of trekking poles. In addition to helping take the load off our bodies, they have saved us from falling several times. They also helped develop a walking rhythm and kept our hands from swelling. The thing is, the path keeps changing from hard surface to dirt surface. On hard surface the clicking sound of the metal tips drives us crazy but on dirt these same tips help grab the ground so.... they go on, they go off. Sometimes many times a day. Because putting the tips on muffles the clicking sound, we started calling our tips "softies".

As for "suckies", this is what we called the organic energy chews I brought. They helped keep our mouths moist when we were panting for breath as we climbed hills. Theoretically, they also gave us a little energy boost. Unfortunately, I think we needed more energy than these little guys could provide so didn't really notice any help in that regard.

At the end of tomorrow we will be just 5 Kilometres from Santiago. Not sure if we are prepared for how we will feel when we arrive. My understanding is that people had a host of emotion from disappointment to joy. I have no way of knowing what my response will be. Not sure I am ready to find out.

Lesson for the Day: Life has it's ups and downs, but just like a roller coaster, it adds to the ride.

 

 

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Only Three Days Left - Day 37 (May 20)

What?? It is only 5 in the morning and I am hearing a shower? Yesterday our roommates didn't awake until 7 and this morning nearly everyone in the large room of beds was awake and about ready to head out the door by 5:30. So that is when we gave up and joined the throng. We were out of the door at 6:30, before the sun even came up.

This change is largely an outcome, I believe, of the new pilgrim on the path. They seem to be in a hurry to get out and head to their destination to beat others to the available rooms. As it turned out, we were glad to start our day early as we had planned our longest day yet, 30 kilometres. This was so we would stand a better chance of a short day into Santiago. And we did not worry about a room as our destination, Melide, seemed to have several albergues with a number of beds.

Painted Mushrooms

This section of the Camino path was the least scenic with much of it running along the highway. Additionally, because we are no longer climbing mountains, there were no real vistas to thrill the eyes. In fact, one of the more interesting sights were some rocks that someone had painted and placed on stumps to make them look like mushrooms.

We did have a nice conversation, at least I think it was nice for the little Spanish I understood, with a farmer who had just milked his cows and was carrying the "leche" in bright blue pails into the house.

A stop for a ham and egg breakfast was not our favorite. Fred's eggs were scorched on the bottom and mine were cold. I did have some fresh orange juice that was great. This is something I am really going to miss when we return home. Most establishments here have a device for making fresh "zumo de naranja naturale". They throw whole oranges into the top and out comes the absolute best orange juice. One wall of this restaurant was decorated with what were likely left behind pilgrim hats and my beloved Tilley Hat nearly became one of them!

Wall of Lost Hats

This was probably the most uneventful and outside of accomplishing a 30K day, our most disappointing day on the Camino. We were pleased with our albergue and the ability to get our clothes washed but otherwise it was not a very exciting day. Not many pictures either. Perhaps some of this stems from the desire to be done walking and arrive in Santiago. We are preparing ourselves for that emotional day - one where we are glad to be done but sad it is over.

Lesson for the Day: Don't leave your hat behind, it might end up on someone's wall.

 

 

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A Push to the End - Day 36 (May 19)

We have come to rely on the stirrings of fellow peregrinos to serve as our alarm each day. They failed us today. I was the first to wake at 7:00 a.m., an entire hour later than usual. Still, we managed to get started on our walk by 8:15 after a quick cup of coffee.

Our walk today Continued on through farming countryside intermingled with sections through forest, a rock wall all along the way. There were some very interesting small structures that we really couldn't determine what they were. They are difficult to even describe. Perched atop a stand, they are very narrow (3-4 feet) and long (12-16 feet), the sides made with bricks containing holes, the top typically adorned with a spire at each end.

Corn Drying Huts

After some distance we made a quick stop for a cup of coffee and erroneously ordered an almond cake when we really wanted a sponge cake. When we told the barista that we really wanted a sponge cake, instead of being frustrated with us, he said if that was the only problem he had today, it would be a good day! Such a great attitude!

We had braced ourselves for what we believed would be a steep decline over rocks into the town of Portomarin but it was not nearly as bad as we had read. On the way down, we saw so much evidence of the small and poor family farm - a shepherd with his flock of sheep including some tiny lambs, a woman washing clothes in a big outdoor basin, and a man who had stopped pushing his wheelbarrow to visit with a neighbor over a rock wall. Most notable was a farmer spreading manure over his field, the odor strong enough it nearly brought tears to the eyes. Even for me who was used to this from growing up on a farm that had this same practice, it was overwhelming. A bicyclist rode by, one hand on the handlebar, one holding his nose!

Beautiful Camino Path

The approach into Portomarin was on a bridge spanning a lake. The wind heavy to our side and the water swirling below made me a bit dizzy. Reaching the other side, we walked up several steps through an arch and found a store to buy some new laces for Fred's boots, a bank for some cash and a restaurant for some nourishment.

We made the decision that we didn't not want to stay with the throngs in Portomarin so risked walking to the next town, 8 kilometres away, in hopes we would get there before our reservation expired at 5:00. We pushed ourselves and made the walk in an hour and forty-five minutes, record time for us.

The albergue, Casa Garcia, was a very nice place to stay with a great dinner. We also met another Irishman, Tom, who has walked from St. Jean 30 - 40 kilometres a day. Simply amazing - I would be dead at a pace like that!

We are challenged with how to proceed in the few days we have left on the Camino. We want to make our day before Santiago a short one, in part so we can arrive in time to attend the noon mass where they will be incorporating the botafumeria into the service and also so we can see Christine before she heads back to Germany. Unfortunately, that means the next three days will be 17-20 mile days. We will see.

Lesson of the Day: Don't count on others to be your alarm clock.

 

 

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