Finisterra Twenty Years On

 Yesterday Graham walked up to the headland at Finisterra while I waited in the van. The reason I didn’t go with him? It was absolutely chucking it down and I preferred to stay warm and dry with just the quickest foray to the Chinese bazaar to see if I could purchase anything totally useless but mildly fun. I didn’t.

Graham's walk in the rain

A sunnier day to be there with Hugo

He returned in usual drowned rat style with a few pictures and lots of memories of when he walked there 20 years ago. It was a tradition for those who completed the pilgrimage to burn their shoes on the edge of the cliff. This has been stopped for hygiene reasons but there now sits a small statue of a boot at the very edge which was surrounded by several discarded (but unburnt) walking shoes.

Happy and haggard

There is a bird here - really

We returned this morning by van and the weather was glorious. A few small birds bobbed around between the worn out shoes and a couple of peregrinos (pilgrims) who looked happy but haggard sat by the crucifix at the end of the walk.

The soggy view

We’ve now moved on to Noia and consumed some rather gorgeous fish for lunch at Ferrador Restaurant. The van is, once again, parked by a body of water and we may have one more night in Spain before we head in to Portugal.

The End of the World - for the Romans Anyway

 Twenty years ago Graham walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. From St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago is about 780 km but this was not far enough for him. He continued on to Finisterra (named by the Romans as they thought it was the very end of the earth) and then to the village of Muxia where a large Sanctuary to the Virgin of the Barca sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. That’s around an extra 100 Kms.

Always likes to coordinate his clothes with his walking signs

The colour of the water cannot be captured well enough in these photos

Yesterday we drove to Muxia (pronounced Moo-SHE-a) to revisit where Graham had finally finished his walk. After an amazing lunch of arroz de mariscos (rice and seafood) at the restaurant Lonxa D’Alvaro (which we both agreed is probably the best meal we’ve had so far on this trip) we drove up to the sanctuary and spent the night overlooking the lighthouse and a very wild ocean. This coast is known as the ‘Costa del Morte’ or ‘Coast of Death’ as so many ships have gone down in this area. 

Looking at the steeple and some art

The Sanctuary of the Virgin

Cadris stone for healing the back

Local folklore states that the Virgin Mary sailed to this area in a stone boat to hang out with St James and parts of the boat are littered in front of the church. If one walks under the stone sail, known as the cadris stone, nine times then your back pain will be healed. I had a go as did Graham so we shall wait and see if it works.

The morning by lighthouse

We’re now in Finisterra but it has been very wet today so I’ll take some photos tomorrow.

Stunning sky at Muxia