Cee to Fisterra – about 13 km
The weather report said there was to be a little rain in the morning, but clearing in the afternoon. It poured during the night. Sunrise was at 8:30. At 8AM there was plenty of light to see it was overcast. Discouraging, based on yesterday’s torrent!
The clothes the Señora had dried for me were outside my door, Yeah!. This meant dry clothes today. A nice way to start since the clothes I had kept in my room were still damp.
After breakfast I headed out on my last day of walking. It was overcast with multiple layers (there were two or three thin layers) and a good breeze blowing the low overcast layers along. For the next 2 hours there were occasional sprinkles, but nothing that required any rain gear (as if I had any) or that even dampened my clothes.
The breeze and light overcast kept it cool, which was perfect walking weather.
I walked past a peregrino about 1/2 mile from the hotel, and said ‘Hola, Buenas dias’ etc. and was ignored. It is ok – is it her Camino also. Ten minutes later my pack was off for a minor adjustment when she walked up and asked where the signs were. She said she thought she was lost because she had not seen any trail markers for awhile. We ended up walking together the whole way to Fisterra. She was from Hungary and was completing the Camino she had done from Leon to Santiago in June with this walk from Santiago to Fisterra.
I think about a lot of things when I walk and am mentally introspective. I try to balance the introspection by constantly changing my focus, for a time, to solid things, like the terrain, the trail, flowers, birds and their songs, and how my body is functioning. This Camino was different as I had tried to find people to associate with through the day. The first day was full of company but no one person longer than an hour. The second was fewer people but some good company. Dinner was quite sociable. The third day was in the rain with little company. This day I had the same person to talk with the whole time I was walking.
It took about 4 hours to reach Fisterre. It actually was refreshing to have a day of outward mental and verbal expression.
The first view of Fisterra was yesterday on the hill dropping into Cee, but it was far away and hard to see due to the haze. Today when we rounded to corner and saw the town and the lighthouse it was emotional. There it was, the end of the journey. The sky was blue, it was sunny and clear with few clouds. A little jewel in the sun. It really is picturesque.
We reached Fisterra about 1pm. The last mile is along the beautiful beach. There is a path for hikers about 100 yds inland, with nice views of the sand, ocean and town. Some walk right on the sand. A stunningly attractive way to reach any destination.
My partner headed for the Auberge run by Hungarians, and I checked into my hotel (Hotel Mariquito – 25 Euros) finding the friends from the previous night in the bar. Nice time and company for a beer!
Nice quiet room, nice bar and attentive people
I picked up the certificate, had lunch, took some photos of the harbor and town and about 5pm headed for the lighthouse (Faro) to watch the sunset and try for more photos.
There were a lot of people walking to the lighthouse – a lot of people has walked all day and were determined to finish. There were many more than I had seen on the trail in the morning. A goodly number of the people walking were in obvious foot ankle or leg pain. The calling to get to the end must be really strong.
Mile Marker 0.00 km
If I had walked from St. Jean, in France to Fisterra, it would have been for me also. But my Camino had ended at the Pilgrim’s Mass (noon) in Santiago back in 2012. At that mass, before mass started, the Cathedral was packed, there were no more seats in the pews nor on the bases of the columns or even a place to stand on the sides, but pilgrims continued to stream into the Cathedral until there barely was enough room to move along the side aisles. The line to climb the steps to give thanks to St. James was 30 minutes long. And on that day they did not even swing the Botifumerio.
There is something about this Cathedral, and the journey that calls to some people. It did to me, but I’m not sure it is easily describable in words. When talking to other pelegrinos, early in the conversation the question arises about ‘Why are you doing this?’, ‘ Why are you doing a Camino, and why this one since there are several routes?’. Everyone has words, but nothing really seems to give an answer that is easily communicated or understood. There is a whole section on this question at http://www.caminoforums.com with the same vague or partial answers.
This Camino for me was a extension to the one I did in 2012, not a continuation. But that doesn’t provide any insight as to why either in 2012 or now in 2015.
The sunset was beautiful. There were a few clouds which made the sky nicely dramatic. The lighthouse was quite photogenic as the light turned golden before the sun slipped into the sea.
The lighthouse at Fisterra in sunset light
About an hour before sunset a light rain storm blew over – just a few drops, but it produced a rainbow that touched the tip of the cross located just below the lighthouse.
Rainbow on Faro Cross
Sunset at Fisterra
The girl from Hungry was there also and we watched the sun slip below the horizon. Both of us had blisters on our feet, and she was really limping, while I just hurt. Sitting around the lighthouse waiting for the light to turn golden had tightened my muscles so it wasn’t just my feet that hurt. As we started back, a taxi drove by us heading for the parking lot by the lighthouse – obviously an enterprising driver – and we hailed him. The 5 Euro cost of the 2 km ride was a great purchase.
We were 6 at my final dinner in Fisterra on this Camino (the two from Pasadena, two from Canada, myself and Anna the girl from Hungry). The two from Pasadena and from Canada were going to walk to Muxia. But I decided to head back having reached Fisterra, one of my goals on this trip.
Bien Camino