LP and VQT

 Posted by VT FINISTERRE! 12km to go.   Finisterre has attracted mystics and seekers to its shores for thousands of years.  It’s been our goal since we planned to walk our first Camino in spring 2020 - rescheduled for fall 2020 - rescheduled for spring 2021 - in 2023 when we completed the French Way (800km or 500 miles) we ran out of time to make it to Finisterre.  Today we get there!    The Romans named it finis terrae, “the end of the earth”.   View of Cee.  Cemetery overlooking the cove.   LP sitting on wall at Cee’s beach area.  If Cee was more accessible this beach would be filled with people.  

Posted by VT What!?!?  You haven’t asked us the ultimate question!   When we reach Finisterre we will have walked 260 miles over 18 days (with 2 days off) which averages 14.4 miles a day (that’s longer than a half marathon).  We will get our 3rd Compostela for walking to Finisterre.   We were entertained by many things.  We met the most amazing people.  Saw sights that we’ll never forget.  Pushed our selves through many miles - thankful even on a long hard day that we can go on.   LP and VQT in Porto at the start of this adventure     A column of road signs and distances.    And that question, you haven’t asked:   Will we do another Camino or long walk? HELL YES!   Because there’s always another road or adventure and as long as we can we will!      

 Posted by LP The plan is that we walk into Finisterre tomorrow - in the meantime we have to get there! - 14 beautiful miles today, much of it up then downhill into the coastal town of Cee - here are a few photos to illustrate our day: We crossed this river not long after we left yesterday’s accommodation at 8.30am…. ….then we passed this attractive green gate There were lots of these wind power generators along our route, which indicates how high we climbed as they are along the ridge of the high ground (shall we say mountains?) - they sound like aircraft  A sculpture of a pair of boots - footwear and feet in general are a very common topic of conversation….. …….in fact we met M and E (from the Italian Dolomites) when they asked about our hiking sandals - M described her feet like feeling they were “on fire!” - note the wonderful blue sky, it was sunny and breezy for the whole of our walking day VQT and LP at the split of the Camino…..to Muxia or to Finisterre, we are pointin...

 Posted by VT The guidebook - written by people much younger than the 2 of us has today as another 30km day.  Ha!  We are stopping at 20km in a town named Cee.  Cee is the largest town along the Finisterre route.   Yesterday the terrain and vegetation started looking more coastal - low lying brush and pine trees.  It was also very agricultural - small fields, dairy and racing huge tractors on the roads.   Our new Romanian friend told us about a new long distance walking route - Via Transilvanica.  A 1,000+ kilometer walk across Romania.  (Google translate would definitely be needed on this route.)    A photo of the lovely Lithuanian ladies - they arrived home safely.   Plowed fields.  Only natural fertilizers used here.  We call it the Camino perfume.   Dairy cow.   Huge tractor roaring down the road.  We quickly step out of the way.   Map of Finisterre route.

 Posted by LP Today is a public holiday here, May 17 is Galician Literature Day - it was a tough day for us, but we did it = over 20 miles/32 kilometers, and (I do not exaggerate) lots of it was uphill! - the path was alongside the road in several places, but we saw more tractors than cars - we were so happy (and grateful) to reach our accommodation this evening - here are a few photos from our non-holiday: VQT walking along the path (we walked a lot today!) Windmills on the ridge of the hill (so you know it was uphill and breezy!) VQT walking along the path (we did a lot of walking today!) We walked past the 45 kilometers marker to Finisterre (we walked a further 7 kilometers, so we are now over half way from Santiago to Finisterre) LP’s shadow as we walked along a paved part of the path (we did a lot of walking today!) LP next to a cow advertising a hostel/bar - we stopped for ice cream (we did a lot of walking today!)  Purple foxgloves next to yellow forsythia (according to...

 Posted by VT Today is a long distance day.  30km - that’s 10km more than we like to walk in a day.   It’s 49 degrees - great temperature to start our long walking day.   Yellow & purple “native” flowers in a field of green.   LP walking across the old stone bridge.   Cute little donkey out in a field.  

 Posted by LP There is much to appreciate about the Camino: The walking (VQT walking along a path, in dappled sunshine) The beauty (rhododendron shrub in a garden we passed today) The wildlife (small dog in the middle of the road) The architecture (crumbling and overgrown building - an old mill I think) The adventure - the first distance marker we passed today, it says almost 90 kilometers to Finisterre) The people - this is S sending us a lovely video message from Muxia on the Galacian coast