Santiago to Finisterre

Santiago to Finisterre
Ah - Finisterre! In 2006 I walked from Santiago  and at that time the walk was something just over 90 km. but like so many places on the camino the route has been changed somewhat and is shorter now by a few km.  - more like 86 or 87 km.

Since it's still raining we decided to take the bus out to Finisterre  in the hope that we might get a peek at the sunset at the 'end of the earth'. In the past going to Finisterre has always seemed to me to be a more fitting ending to the camino than being in the very touristy city of Santiago de Compostela, lovely as it is. So after my son left Santiago ( what a wonderful experience to have had him walk with me for a few days!) we hopped a bus to Finisterre and stayed at the Hotel Playa Langosteira, which in spite of the name is not actually on the playa (beach) but a block or so away from it. It is a long bus ride to Finisterre in spite of the relatively short distance and took about 3 hours. But the people were kind and helpful and our stay there was enjoyable. The downtown area has developed considerably in the past few years but the statue in honour of the workers in the town centre is the same.

For some reason when I was here before I didn't notice how beautiful the beaches are and how much white sand there is in the whole area. It is really stunning.

This whole area would be a great spot to enjoy a family vacation although I guess the weather can be unpredictable. But as you can see it did clear up for us one day and it was wonderful to be out in it. That was the day we wanted to walk the 4 km up to the lighthouse to see the sunset so we were very grateful. It has been written that this is the spot where the Celts came to dance in the buff for the gods to encourage them to bring the sun up again for the coming days or seasons.  It seemed like a worthwhile purpose and I considered adding strength to it but somehow I couldn't see any self-respecting gods wanting to keep the lights on for my old nude body dancing around and in fact I thought it might risk a blackout until they were sure I had gone home - so I declined. (Eek - try not to even imagine it!)

Quite by happenstance we went to watch the sunset on the summer solstice so as the sun went down, the full moon came up. It was magical sitting where people have come to this same spot, which they believed was the end of the earth, to watch the evening dim and the sun set - with the hope that it would rise again in the morning. It was wonderful and I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. This fine pilgrim was on his way up to the lighthouse at the same time that we were.

The final marker.

It really did look striped like this.

And now the full moon!

Arca O Pedrouzo to Santiago

June 17- Arca O Perouzo to Santiago de Compostela
We did it! Got to Santiago yesterday sometime after lunch. (Didn't think to look at the time). It rained for much of today but not heavily. We walked down onto the main square, Praza do Obradoiro, to the music of a bagpiper who was standing playing just up from the square. Anyone who wasn't already in tears is almost certainly crying after that. Met up with several people we had met during the walk of course. It's always a very emotional scene as people start to realize that it's done and they did it.

The rain has lifted for awhile.

 This picture is from a previous trip. For some reason I didn't take one this year.

The cathedral has been here in one form or another for over 800 years.

One of the things that has been most touching for me, apart from walking with my own wonderful son, has been to be walking with a couple from the Canary Islands and their dog Flynn. The man is blind, his wife gives an running commentary of what they are passing through and she is seeing. He walks with one hand on her shoulder and the other holding Flynn, his most beautiful guide dog. Flynn is a shiny black, flat-coat retriever who loves everyone. I can barely grasp the courage it must have taken for them to make this trip. But that's their story.

As for these two old broads - we did what we did - over 1200 kilometers and as someone else said we walked 'efi' of those 1200+ kilometers - certainly not meeting the original goal but still a grand celebration of fortunate good health. Although I didn't think so while I was walking, I know I will walk again. In a couple of years, when my bank account allows,  I'll tackle the 1000 mile goal again and see if I can actually do it. Otherwise I'll never know.
(For those who don't know the 'efi' expression, it's 'every fricking inch' or something like that).

And what a special treat for me to have my son here as we walked into Santiago. I've always thought that coming into town with someone you love would be really special - and it sure was!

Although the botafumeiro was swung (is that even English?) on two different occasions today. I was feeling quite ill and didn't see it either time.  Clearly not my destiny to see that big incense pot swing. Here's a sample of a street scene in Santiago which is becoming more and more common. While we were there, several of these were always in one place or another around the historic part of the city. Very nicely done actually. Santiago is full of ways to happily part you with any money you have left over!

Arzúa to Arco O Pedrouzo

June 16th - Arzúa to Arco O Pedrouzo
Down to less than 40 kilometers at the beginning of this day and to less than 20 by the end of the day. OOps - didn't finish this post - will have to go back and look at my handwritten notes.

Melide to Arzúa

June 15 - Melide to Arzúa

What an amazing experience it is for me to have my grown kids spend some time with me on the camino. My daughter spent 10 days  in 2005 and it was so wonderful to have her there with me. Now my son and his wife started this section of the camino with me in Saint Jean Pied-de-Port and my son has come back to end it with me. A really special treat for me to have the three of them here with me. 

Today was a somewhat short but really pleasant day of walking - sometimes out in the hot sun, sometimes in the cool shade of the paths that are like tunnels through the trees. We passed through village after village where we sometimes stopped to eat or drink. The names continue to sound a bit strange - Carballal, Barriero, A Peroxa, Boente, Castañeda and Ribadiso do Baixo.  We are beginning to regularly pass through eucalytus forest plantations which smell wonderful! And as usual, up and up we go and down and down we go.

It is very different walking in this section where there are  so many people who started in Sarria and have only a five or six day journey. It seems a bit sad to me that they have missed out on the camaraderie of the longer journey although I must say they all look so much cleaner and stylish than the longer term walkers look! We regularly run into people we have met earlier on the path and enjoy lunch breaks or pre-dinner breaks with them. Yesterday after the walk we ran into a couple we had met at Orisson. As it happens they are no longer a couple but are still good friends and are finishing the camino together. We sat with them for the evening and had a mixture of silly laughs and more serious camino conversations with them over drinks and small bits of food.

Our lovely albergue lady gave us a small room to ourselves for the same price as the dorm and then folded all of our laundry for us when it was dry. We stayed at the Albergue da Fonte which was just great. The woman in charge was so helpful and kind.

Palas de Rei to Melide

June  14th - Palas de Rei to Melide
Another hot day making our short walk of 13 or 14 kilometers seem much longer. I think now that the end is in sight we are starting to realize that we're tired in a way that one night of sleep is not going to solve. Even though we're past all the large mountains our days still involve a lot of  ups and downs. Our villages today included Sn Juliàn, Outeiro da Ponte, Pontecampaña, Casanova, Mato, O Coto and a lovely little spot just over an old Roman bridge called Furelos. I notice however that I hardly ever take pictures of the towns - just the rocks and trees and weeds and things. You just can't take the country out of the girl it seems.

 I could have looked at this reflection for hours.

 I'm totally in love with the intricate shapes of the old oak trees which never seem to show up as well in my pictures as in real life.

 Clearly I have a thing for rock walls.

 The little bridge at Furelos - which actually looks much better when you can see the beauty of the village on the other side.

 As my son was meeting us today to walk the last three days of the camino with me we decided to stay in the same hotel he had chosen - the Carlos 96. We were happy to see that it was at the beginning of town and it was wonderful to have an elevator take us up two floors instead of the usual walk required in an albergue. Our room was clean with fresh sheets, a bathtub and shower that no one else would use that night and was a welcome relief. After cleaning up we headed to the centre of town to eat some "pulpo" (octopus) for lunch as is the pilgrim tradition in this town of about 7500 people. We also took a look at the little church that has its door on the 10 Euro bill and at the cross which is supposedly the oldest cross on the camino, dating back to the 14th century.

When my son came we sat in the restaurant area of the bar, drinking tea, beer, wine and water according to people's preferences and chatted with a friend we had met earlier. We eventually decided to have lunch at the hotel restaurant which was only 8 Euros for soup, a half chicken and fires and dessert, plus wine, bread and water. At the end of the day the waiter made a queimada, which has a variety of traditions attached, o e of which is that it is a witches brew. It is made from grape skins, apples, oranges and grappa and maybe other alcohols and set on fire for a half hour. It's quite a dramatic sight as he lifts the spoon up high and the fire along with it. i don't know if any witchlike incantations were used. He really wanted us to taste it so we did, and as you might imagine  it is completely disgusting but a fun process to watch.

Tomorrow we will start out on the last 55 kilometers of our journey. We are both REALLY looking forward to getting home.