Day 43 - Finsterre !
Day 43 Oct 21 Destination = Finsterre / 15 km to go.
El objetivo final: Finsterre, hoy!
“Though here at journey’s end I lie in darkness buried deep, beyond all towers strong and high, beyond all mountains steep, above all shadows rides the sun and stars forever dwell: I will not say the day is done, nor bid the stars farewell”
-Samwise Gamgee
Wow! Today is the day - the day that I come to the walking end of the journey -the end of my Camino! 900 kilometers - 559 miles (this includes all of the walking at the end of the day ( and trip ), sight seeing, shopping, and going to dinner etc. etc… A lot of steps.
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The Camino Finisterre or Camino de Fisterra is a unique route from Santiago to Cape Fisterra - believed to be the “Edge of the World”. This is the only trail starting in Santiago de Compostela and takes pilgrims West to the stunning Atlantic coast of Galicia over the course of 4 days. Once in Fisterra, I will enjoy a well-earned swim in the sea. Submerging underwater will constitute my official end to the trip. ( I will probably shed some tears underwater )
I can’t wait!
This Camino route pre-dates Christianity, as pagans would head to mythical Cape Fisterra on the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) where they believed the sun died and the worlds of the dead and the living became closer. Three things I plan to do at Finsterre and neighboring Muxia
Simply stand on top of the cliffs at Cape Fisterra like pilgrims have done for over 5000 years and take in the ocean view
Meditate for a bit at the Santuario in Muxia and express gratitude and thanksgiving to the One who held my body together
Take several walks barefoot on the beach and anticipate returning home to my family as quickly as possible
Fisterra was believed to be the most westerly point in Europe by the Romans (but what did they know); the place where the sun disappeared into the ocean and they named it accordingly: Finis Terrae or land’s end.
This was the place also believed to be the final destination of a route marked in the sky by the Milky Way. (so this explains why I walked it !)
A Camino tradition once you have arrived: pilgrims often burn the clothes (specifically socks and or underwear) they had walked in for so many days, as an act of closure and purification (wine involved I’m sure). I personally like this idea and can’t wait to get rid of the shorts that I wore most of the trip that we’re too big when I came and now they don’t fit by a country mile. In fact I’m not even sure I washed this pair of shorts a single time -all the more reason to burn them. When I got there I observed remnants of many little fires in the rocks but I did not participate.
Many also go for a swim in the sea, which I will absolutely do the minute I get to the beach! Sin duda!
Ay Carumba!
Consequently, after tomorrow’s posts I will simply update the blog and website with Credits, and call it a ‘wrap’.
I will sight see and have a vacation day on Friday. I take an early bus ride back to Santiago on Saturday. I’ll shop for a few gifts, attempt to get a haircut, and find a place close to the train station to sleep. I take a 6:30 am train to Madrid on Sunday to get my 2 pm Covid antigen test at the airport and I catch the 11:30 am Iberia /AA flight on Monday. Since we follow the Sun I arrive home Monday night.
It’s always enjoyable to leave a town going up a hill on a path like this like - kind of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ rabbit hole thing
I gave the award of the official spice of the Camino to fennel! Intermittently it’s been with me trailside on and off for the whole walk! Sometimes you can catch the scent of it without rubbing it between your hands always beautiful to see it - one of my favorite flavors.
At last! A wonderful site for sorry eyes as I came around the corner on trail - there is the ocean again the sound of the crashing waves and Finisterre off in the distance. Yay, at last! Only 5 km to go to the ‘end’
The very instant I could I headed to the beach -probably not the official Camino trail -but who cares- I walked barefoot all the way on the beach into Finisterre. It was delightful !
Nuff said, even with a limp I know I had a spring in my step
0.00 km to go ! Once in Finsterre, I had a quick lunch and kept walking with my pack. I reached the end of my world ! Notice that there is no yellow arrow indicating which way to go on this last marker. Just over my shoulder and beyond the lighthouse is the ocean. This officially end to the walking portion of my Camino. I am elated and could not wait to tell my family ! Yay- Mission Accomplished !
Tonight after the complementary appertivos at my lodge / spa and a sunset drink next-door I went up to my room to call it a night at nine. Half the restaurants in town don’t even open until nine for dinner but this hombre is dog tired. This is the view to my left from bed thru the double doors. I’ve got the door open halfway and I’m listening to the sound of the wild surf a quarter of a kilometer away. It will be awesome night music.
