Coda: day trip to Fisterra

After reaching Santiago de Compostela, some pilgrims choose to continue their camino to Fisterra, meaning End of the Earth, as it's almost the westernmost point of Galicia and hence peninsular Spain. I suppose it gives the pilgrimage a feel of closure.

However this would have involved an extra 3 days walk of about 90 km, and there is no official recognition of this stretch, except maybe some extra stamps in the credencial.

So I decided to visit it by guided tour. I had also considered a sojourn in a town like Muxía, but it would have added a couple of days to my itinerary as connections are not frequent and I would still have to make my own way to the cape.

Ok, I confess. These are not photos of Fisterra. Yet. We visited a few places before there, and they were quite picturesque, so this will be a long post, as it's hard to exclude great photos. This is the harbour of Muros. We are actually facing east and that hill is inland.

Here's a panorama in all its glory.

As you can see, this coast is prone to mist.

A sandy beach of sorts. I seem to remember reading that Galicia is popular as a place to get away from the hot summers elsewhere in Spain.

Another panorama.

Looking back at the marina. That's our tour bus at the left of the photo.

Very calm water, mirror-like.

One more panorama.

About an hour later. A marina on a river? Yes, this is Ézaro, on the Xallas River.

Looking upstream.

Hydroelectric plant.

You saw this coming, the waterfall of Fervenza de Ézaro.

A bit closer.

Without any obstruction.

In a panorama.

Parting shots of the marina.

With the mirror-like water.

After an hour more travelling we arrived at the lighthouse.

You can see that the mist still hung around the coast which is called Costa da Morte because of the many shipwrecks the often bad weather and low visibility have caused.

Looking out to sea.

Here I bumped into one of the older members of the Swedish pilgrims. We greeted like we had known each other a long time. But we also knew that it would probably be the last time we would meet. That's travel, you meet wonderful people and then you have to part.

This volunteer was stamping credencials for pilgrims.

How far are you from home? Distances like these would have been unimaginable for medieval pilgrims.

A last look at the lighthouse.

Lunch was taken in the nearby town of this commune of Fisterra. Its harbour is also east facing because it's on the eastern side of a peninsula dangling south, the better for protection from the ocean.

There is a sculpture honouring the emigrant. Many Galicians emigrated to other lands. In Argentina, Gallego is a generic term for Spaniards.

A panorama.

It's a rather touristy town and there are lots of pleasure craft.

Not to mention several good restaurants doing a roaring trade from the visitors. And a good cafe I can attest to.

A panorama.

For the next sight we headed north to the lighthouse of Muxía.

You can walk out on the cracked rock.

The sun was harsh, but the breeze was cool and pleasant. I took shelter in the shadow of this big rock for a while.

I waited for the crashing wave for this shot.

The scene looked like this.

There is a small church nearby. Some pilgrims head here for the final destination.

The sculpture A Ferida stands here. It's a tribute to the volunteers who came to assist Galicia with the cleanup of the Prestige oil spill.

A view from the back and an omnipresent pilgrim marker.

An overview of the area.

The final spectacle for the trip was to Ponte Maceira, an ancient bridge from Roman times.

We could walk on, over, under and around the bridge.

I went downstream a little.

Then I reapproached the bridge close to the water.

Getting closer. One person on top and others under.

Emerging on the other side.

After this the bus took us back to Santiago de Compostela and dropped us off at the square where we had started in the morning.

And that was the end of the Camino stage of my round the world journey. What happened next will be recounted in another blog.

As pilgrims wish each other on the journey, ¡Buen Camino! The camino you are on is your life. Give it your best.

Day 10: arrival at Santiago de Compostela

Last day of the Camino. There were a few couples at the breakfast table. Concern was expressed at the drizzle outside. I said I would go anyway since it was my last day and I had a rain poncho. As it turned out we had occasional showers, not enough to deter me. I enjoyed a coffee at a roadside cafe when the rain got a bit heavier. It came in bursts.

In this part of Galicia the Camino gains altitude to reach Santiago.

Forest paths were pleasant and also provided some shade from the rain.

Unfortunately I didn't note down this place where there were murals of famous women from Galician history. Fortunately my phone recorded the coordinates and it's the area of Rúa de Francos.

In the park Caballeira de Francos is this statue.

An overhead crossing of the main train line, probably near Osebe.

At the Capilla da Magdalena at O Milladoiro, I took the opportunity to have my credencial stamped.

A mural on a nearby wall celebrates the diversity of pilgrims on the Camino.

The path dodged highways and flyovers often with underpasses, until I reached this spot where I was faced with a dilemma. A Danish woman consulted her app and thought the left was better. I agreed, because the left sign is newer and probably a more recent route.

As it turned out this was a gentle slope along a main street of Santiago full of people going about their everyday business, and avoided the steep climb in the final stretch mentioned in guides. As mentioned, I didn't dress like a pilgrim but I suppose any stranger is likely to be one.

I didn't even see the front of cathedral but I had been here before so I didn't miss that. After some wandering of back streets, I happened upon the pilgrim office. I had heard that the procedure was slow and the queues were long so I was considering not bothering getting my compostela (certificate) but it looked manageable.

The current procedure, very much using technology, is you scan a QR code on a poster. This takes you to a web form where you fill in the particulars of yourself and your walk. This generates another QR code which you then show to the door guard. A colleague issues you witl a numbered ticket. Here I'm in the queue, watching the current number on the screen.

In the main room there are about a dozen staffed positions. The staff member will look at your credencial to verify you have done the distance, then command the computer to print an impressive looking compostela in Latin with your name on it. In short, the text certifies that you have completed 100 km on foot (200 km if by bicycle). I asked if they could issue me with a secular compostela. After a moment's puzzlement they said there is only one type these days. In fact it notes that there are various reasons for doing the Camino.

And that was it! I had finished walking nearly 200 km, which I was a bit unsure I could. I actually immensely enjoyed setting out each morning into the fresh air with all mundane concerns, except to put one foot ahead of the other repeatedly and rest when warranted, set aside.

To celebrate I picked a local restaurant and had a late splurge lunch of a pot of mussels.

And a side of Padrón peppers which are a specialty from that area. They are small peppers that have been grilled and are a little sweet and piquant.

Santiago de Compostela is a busy city. It seemed like the visitors outnumbered the residents. The narrow streets make the city (at least the old part) more bustling. I found my hotel and took a late siesta before venturing out in the evening.

This is a flower bed outside an Italian restaurant that I was considering. In the end I had some takeout pizza slices from a well reviewed place.

Did I receive a great revelation upon completing the Camino? No, but perhaps the wonderful days have induced a subtle shift in attitude. I am now more aware to be grateful for every day. If you are alive you are very lucky. The odds were that you simply would not exist; the past may not have resulted in you being born. If you are in good health and living in a peaceful land, then you are multiply blessed. So make good use of your time in the world.