Travels to the Edge

After Santiago there was one more place to go- Finisterre- the ‘finish’ of the ‘land’ - to travel to the edge. Finisterre is the most westerly point of Spain - in ancient times, if you sailed too far toward the horizon it was thought you might fall off. Yikes! I left the spires of Santiago Cathedral behind three days ago. It was good to get out and walk again. The weather was mostly fine and the path was green -   and muddy at times. It was familiar territory as I had walked this way in the past. I knew the albergues. It felt good to know where I was going for a change! I made it back to the coast yesterday.  Next stop - the beach at Finisterre. The hospitalera at Cabo do Vilar hostel thought she recognised me and insisted I take the top floor apartment - with this beautiful view overlooking the village. Lovely! For one more time, I took my pack and headed out to Cape Finisterre about 3kms away- ground zero- I had traveled to the edge. Only a couple of days left before heading home- I

I arrived in Santiago de Compostela early this afternoon, five weeks after leaving Bayonne.. Flooded pathways, covered with mud, blustery wind, and constant rain made this final stage a fitting conclusion to my Camino del Norte. It’s been tough at times- and today was certainly top three. Santiago seemed a long way away this morning. While it wasn’t a long stage, it was cold dark and wet, very wet. Head light on again! To complicate things, I had rough night with a tummy bug that’s been doing the rounds - plus last night’s ‘Ubereats delivery’ from a nearby bar was horrible- what I did manage to eat, came back in the early hours- which was a relief. Anyway I felt a little tired and weak when I shuffled off into the gloom around 7.30am.  At the breakfast stop at O’ Pedrouzo, I had orange juice, camomile tea and a nurofen - what a combination - anyway it worked and my pace and energy began to come back.   Eric had a similar night (and breakfast) and we.walked the rest of the Way together.

We walked and walked today- the sky was clear for the first time in days and we were energised to go to where we would have a morning walk into Santiago the next day.  We left Sobrado monastery and went to breakfast  Plans being made and changed and possible goodbyes and ‘see you in Santiago’ wishes at the local bar - where the only attendant was overwhelmed by the numbers and burnt the toast 🙄 oh well- it’s the Camino- don’t worry, be happy  The walk out of Sobrado was smooth and scenic. I walked with Eric and Ruth  All the leaves really were brown  Around five hours later we wandered into Arzua and officially merged with the Camino Frances. By then we had caught up with Josiane, and decided to stop for lunch. The afternoon walk evolved into evening. A medieval fountain face that’s been pouring water for centuries  Trinkets mixed with meaningful mementos. The differences between the Norte and the Frances Camino routes soon became apparent, so many albergues and bars (most of which we

In two days I plan to arrive in Santiago. Just two stages left - tomorrow it’s on to Arzua where the Camino del Norte merges with the Camino Frances, and from there it’s on to Santiago. The albergue at A Lagoa was home style- comfortable and family run.. Good memories as I left to walk into the Galician mist. It drizzled all day - the landscape was filled with water. And slate - just above and below the surface. I had lunch with Eric at a bus shelter. The destination today was the monastery at Sobrado. There is a lake nearby.  The path was flat and well marked. The grandeur of the monastery was apparent from a distance. We passed through the archway and checked in. It was still raining but it was possible to take some shots in the evening light. Here’s something you haven’t seen before- my transient bedroom!  Things to note: bottom bunk is the way to go; if the top is free- great - use it for temporary storage; put anything resembling a hook to good user; plug your phone in asap to rec