Walking 334 km was so intoxicating, I couldn’t stop!

A small percentage of Camino pilgrims opt to continue on from Santiago to Finisterre: the “end of the world”. Ancient Romans believed the world ended at the tip of this peninsula jutting south off the west coast of Spain. To me, walking until the trail drops off into the sea seems a lot more final than reaching an ornate cathedral. 🙂

Julia and I had anticipated our hike would take 15-16 days, so when we were on track to finish in 13, I began planning to head further west. It is possible to reach Finisterre in 3 days, plus a possible additional day to reach the seaside town of Muxia. Then, a bus to Santiago to catch a bus to Portugal, to catch a plane to Germany. Whew. Lots of catching to do. 😊

I am joined on this trip west by Ivy, the third of the Three Camigas. Julia has opted to head to the coast by bus in order to spend more time on the beach. I am not much of a beachgoer, so my hiking boots are back in business!

Ivy and I began today with a short walk to the cathedral before dawn to “embrace the apostle”. One of our Spanish friends told us to wait until early morning to avoid the line; we weren’t entirely sure what we’d be waiting for. Turns out the path led behind the brilliant golden facade at the front of the cathedral, including a bejeweled likeness of St James. You walked behind the golden wall, crept up behind the head and shoulders, and peeked around the head to see the parishioners as you strangled the statue from behind. I enjoyed the view, but sure didn’t touch the statue. Cringe.

We then headed to the plaza to await the sunrise behind the Cathedral. This, for me, was the Cathedral experience I was anticipating yesterday. The plaza was initially empty, save for a bus; then, a handful of biking pilgrims, then small groups of hikers. My very favorite was a solo hiker who limped circles around the giant plaza, videoing and grinning and unable to contain his joy. After waiting 2 hours and watching the sky slowly change hues, we finally gave up on seeing the sun peek over the 5-6 story church.

After a hostel breakfast with Julia and some brief farewells, Ivy and I headed off toward the yellow arrows once more. Shortly down the trail, we encountered another hiker who asked to join us. Yagha is from Israel, near Tel Aviv. She also has the exact same pack as I do. She also worked in WEBSTER last summer, at Camp Herzl.

What??!! She is the first person I’ve met here that has been to WI, even among the Americans I’ve encountered. Crazy!!

I’ve now met people from Spain, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, UK, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Israel. Amazing.

My favorite point of today’s hike was Ponte Maceira and the bridge over a lovely river. I’m so spoiled by the scenery here!