Day 41 Finsterre - menos dos (dias)
Day 41 Oct 19 Destination = Logroso / 48 km to go. El objetivo final: Finsterre.
“Push on! ( Ultreia ! )
You can sleep when you’re dead”
-Hector Barbossa (pirates of the Caribbean)
As I said before I’m kind of running out of gas and new aches and pains appeareth so I’ve added an extra day to my itinerary to get to Fisterra. I am adding a stop at the town called Cee. It is on or near the water in a bay noted for their seafood so I guess that will work out in my favor. I called the place I was going to stay Wednesday (Fisterra) and they graciously changed my first night to the next night Thursday - it is a nonrefundable 85€ night (I splurged) and I want to take full advantage of the property since it’s on the ocean! (I stayed there I had a fabulous second story double sliding door looking west toward the sunset- One of the nicest places I’ve stayed my entire Camino. I also met the owner Andrea and we spent about an hour talking while I chowed down on the complementary appertivos. We talked about our families and what it’s like to be a business owner. She also clued me in on exactly how to make authentic Galician kale soup)
Sidebar: there are multiple spellings for Finsterre. I’m gonna stick with one I’ve been using. Also can be referred to as Fisterra. And there’s a third spelling as well.
Good early start to the day as my right sciatic nerve is still in bed sleeping and I snuck out and left town leaving it behind before anyone was none the wiser.
Such icons are always crossing my mind
Walking through one farmstead / hamlet I saw an elderly woman carrying a bushel of kale under her arms. I paused, she smiled, and I asked her in my limited Spanish if she was going to make Galician soup. She looked at me quizzically but once she understood I knew what I was asking she smiled and said “yes a big batch”.
In my rear view mirror this morning
Stream crossing before slog up a big hill. Bumped into my Swedish friend Ola here. We’ll see each other again in Finisterre
Most of the summits of all of these hills are topped with wind turbines - you can hear the whoosh whoosh whoosh as you walk… and hear an electric buzz as you walk under the high-voltage lines 😵 I did the simple calculation that they spin at 15 r.p.m. And produce over one megawatt each !
Joaquin (from Valencia) gets the award for most Caminos walked! 16 ! He wished me the classic Pilgrim greeting “Ultreia” - keep going - as he sped on down the hill.
Joaquin and I cross paths coming down from Mount Aro. We chatted and I knew enough Spanish to have a conversation which was kind of fun -he told me about how beautiful Valencia is and this is like the third time I’ve heard that. Since it’s on the sea that will definitely be on our bucket list to visit and stay for several days based on how it has been described to me. He is a retired college instructor in physical education - no surprise then when he told me this was his 16th Camino. My ja w dropped to the ground in awe. I said Camino must really be in your sangre (blood). He said that often times he’s walking Camino for a couple of months at a time. I think he said something about promoting the Camino in the EU. This is his 16th and I think he said he is finishing the Primitivo. He said it’s fantastic because it’s through the mountains and can be completed in about two weeks. He also agreed that the Portuguese Camino along the coast is fantastic.
Sixteen…I just can’t believe it and he was moving fast.
Saying goodbye to Ola. Much faster walker than me. He’s going to share the best places to visit in Sweden, Friday, when I see him again. He’s walking the Muxia Finsterre loop (adds 35 km more)
A rough calculation this morning after sunrise suggests that I have less than 100,000 steps to go - I’m going to miss them all. Good news: Some people say that when you get home you are still always on Camino. I like this thought.
These little fellas are wandering the property (tonight’s albergue) looking for handouts. Stella I’d like to bring one home for you but they won’t let him on the airplane
