Day forty three El Camino

562.71 miles from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, we arrive at The End of the Earth!!





These last miles were beautiful walking, and finally seeing the Atlantic was a thrill!





That we had gorgeous weather was a surprise because what comes from clouds like these was predicted:





Tan and Ian make their way across the beach:




And so do I!




A "Camino shell" among the bird footprints:





Even the dolphins rejoice!








After arriving in Finisterre, we still have to go to the OFFICIAL end, which is the lighthouse, some two miles, uphill from town.

Tan and Ian... as the lighthouse finally comes into view, and we know we have made it:




And here we are, Los Tres Amigos:




These are the boots that walked every step!




The westernmost cross in Spain:




The westernmost tchotchke shop:




Tanya taking a photo of the VERY LAST YELLOW ARROW:





We get the very last stamp in our camino passports:




And it is a little bit sad that there are





left to go:





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Location:FINISTERRE

Day forty two, El Camino

12.75 miles in the P O U R I N G rain. The walk from Olveiroa to Cee was probably the prettiest and through the wildest country we have experienced, but that beauty could not be enjoyed to the fullest as we tried, in vain, to fight off the pelting, windy, blowing, hard rain. It blew from the front and from the side and from the back. It blew in your face and up your arms. You plod on. Tanya's boots are soaked. Ian's pack cover is full of water. Water is trickling through the water proof pants. It is a heavy, heavy rain, and the path is stony and tricky to navigate.

We arrive at Hotel Larry dripping and drenched. Everything is wet--not only clothes, but train and plane tickets, and other papers, everything right into the deepest sections of the pack. The question is, "Will it all dry by tomorrow?"

Fortunately, our suitcases beat us here, so we change into dry things and go to the hotel's restaurant for lunch--it is now almost 2:00. After a large bowl of hot and surprisingly tasty chicken vegetable soup, the wet clothes and papers get their due attention. Stuff the boots with toilet paper, borrow Tanya's hair dryer to dry the papers (it works to that end), roll everything in towels that can be rolled in towels and stomp on them to get out as much water as possible. Search for the plastic bags, which should have been used, but weren't, to keep the necessities dry for tomorrow's walk. NEVER AGAIN will I go without dry sacks for everything in the pack!

But you know what? Despite the weather, it was great to be out in it! And at least it wasn't freezing out; that makes a huge difference.

Only one photo today, taken just as we set out at 8:15 a.m.:



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Location:Olveiroa to Cee

Day forty one El Camino

Another day of decision, not so much mine, but Ian and Tan's. To take the taxi pre-arranged by our booking company so that we would have 21 kilometers to walk rather than the full distance of 33, or bag the cab and walk the whole way. I was eager to walk the distance and since it is well way-marked, and we had figured out where the path led out of town, I was willing to go alone, though walking with mis dos amigos was by far the more attractive option. In the end, since good weather was predicted, they decided to walk the whole way, as well. What we did not know was that the 33 K was really 36 or 22.44 miles, and that a good deal of it was up hill.

The predicted fair weather turned out to be less than fabulous, but luckily, not terrible, meaning rain, not pelting rain and not freezing rain, and much of the day no rain at all. It could have been way worse! We made good time, too--leaving rather late, 8:30, and arriving before 5:00. We even took time for photos. I say, yeah for us!

Moses with his staff? No:





Mr. spider is not home:





Seven skinny cows clomp through town.....




and I think......Behold! Seven lean years are coming!

This naturally leads to intense observations of corn, not a variety people eat, but maize---but maybe that does not matter.

Corn just before harvest:





Corn stalks just after harvest:




And after after harvest:





Fallen off the truck, lying by the side of the road corn:





Corn being dried:





Husks laid out for some purpose:





And of course, an excuse for another photo of one of those great looking, maize storage structures:




It is now time for a coffee stop. We choose only the poshest places:





Cat lovers, you are not forgotten:





These hens were strangely quiet. Maybe, if they make no noise, they will not end up as dinner:





Where tires go to die:




How happy we were to be welcomed into a charming, refurbished old farm house for the night. Rooms with stone walls, lovely windows, good view; it is just what we needed after our 22+ mile, up hill day. However, dinner was so bad as to be inedible except for the ice cream, which, truth be told, might not make the cut for a Good Humor truck! The brought-from-home peanut butter, snitched-from-breakfast jam, leftover roll, and purchased chocolate covered nuts, were a lifesaver!

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Location:Negreria to Olveiroa

Day forty ElCamino

Santiago Cathedral as seen from across the square in the pouring rain, the morning of our departure:





It was a gloomy start to a 14.69 mile day, but by late morning we could shed the rain gear. We are on our way to, Fisterra or Finisterre, depending on what map you consult.





After we leave the city, the niceness of the walk improves greatly. OK, so the paths were muddy, but not your-boots-stick-in-the-mud-and-you-can't-get-them out kind of muddy. And there were lots of trees:




The ferns are especially beautiful:





Messes of chestnuts lie on the ground:




Closer up:





Some critters have not fared well, like this lizard, por ejemplo:




or this headless snake:




There were many barking dogs behind fences, but this cocker wanted so badly to come out and join us. I know he did!





Fish is delivered (as is bread) in small towns by truck. It works like this: the driver starts leaning on his horn, set to a shrill, horrendous pitch, and as he approaches his customer's house, he beeps and beeps and beeps and beeps the horn. The customer eventually emerges and the transaction takes place:





As we move away from Santiago, the houses and gardens become more prosperous-looking.

Wisteria:





Palms---note the stone bridge in the background:



Ivy covered turrets:



Dunno:




Entrance to an estate:





Tanya snitches some grapes, but truth be told, they were a bit too tart to eat:





Our hotel advertises A LOT as we approach Negreira:





Our expectations are, fortunately, low, as opposed to the shopping center where they were high and unmet! The room boasts a TV:





And, in case one needs a fill-up, a gas station is right across the busy street:





But the beer dispenser is a definite draw:




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Location:Santiago to Negreira