Last night I stayed in a “Pensión”, which is basically renting a room in a house. I think they are usually advertised as such and have some loose regulations of what they’ll provide, but I have also had people ask me in cities if I’m looking for a room to rent and in some of the smaller more rural pueblos I think you could come across some personal homes that would just rent you a room for the night. That certainly would have been the case in the days of old.
The house was small and eclectic, it was fun to stay in this different setting though albergues seem to be better equipped for all the “pilgrim needs”. This house didn’t have wifi, nor laundry facilities or a kitchen guests could use. Just a room and access to a nice bathroom with a shower. Oh, and real towels which is kind of a treat! I have a medium-sized towel that is made out of quick-drying material that I use for drying off after showers but it’s no where near as comfy as a real cotton towel. Another example of how it’s refreshing to be happy about small things!
My Camino-friend Bacchus and I had walked the whole way together again today, kind of to my surprise. I have enjoyed my solo-time so much and had not intended to walk an entire day with someone else, let alone two days, though I was not against it. We had a similar pace and there were so many less people on the trail/route that it was kind of nice to stick with someone to ensure staying on track. I have said, he is not talkative unless I ask him questions, so we could each still comfortably walk in silence amidst our own thoughts. Before coming to the Camino, he has been a high school teacher of English, Spanish, and other electives in a very progressive, creative high school in Washington state, and he has done a lot of traveling. I learned a lot by asking him questions about the Spanish language, travel, and food and drink (he is very into cooking and cuisine). I think at this point in the journey I was simply ready for a little company, though if it was someone who talked my ear off I probably would have found a way out!
The route today was beautiful…are you tired of hearing that? Many lush groves of pine and eucalyptus. Just upon leaving Muxia, I saw quite few a men logging – working in several stages of harvesting trees for lumber. Later we came upon a lumber yard that was not commercial feeling at all, it was very raw and natural and smelled pleasantly of freshly-cut wood. Some of the eucalyptus groves we walked by had been planted specifically for lumber because they are a fast-growing hardwood. For pilgrims, they are nice shade from the sun or a little protection from rain, and smell great to walk underneath.
It was rainy off and on today. I think we got really lucky to be able to start with only a partly cloudy sky and no rain. It’s so hard to start off in the rain; once you get caught in it, it’s easier to accept that stepping out into the wet world immediately. The sky was like a watercolor painting; the clouds were artistically placed by the grand Creator and I wished I had a better camera to capture their unassuming beauty over the sea this morning.
We stopped for coffee and a snack once along the way, about 17k in, at a cafe that had several other pilgrims at it. One was Sam, who I had met a few days ago along with Victor (he was not there now) on the way in to Negreira. Sam had walked a little different route in order to visit Finisterre first and Muxia second. I believe more people choose that route than the one I took; it can take up to a day less of walking. It was fun to see him again, we greeted one another and exchanged a few words about how things were going and what to look for in the next town.
Soon after leaving that cafe, it began raining pretty hard. We stopped along the side of the road and changed into rain gear impressively quickly. Of course I had packed my rain stuff to be pretty accessible because I knew rain would be inevitable today, but as the rain drops fell hard and fast, it felt very urgent to get covered up fast!
Walking into Finisterre was peaceful and enjoyable. It has felt so nice to see, hear, and smell the ocean. I was born in California and used to have lots of opportunities to be near the sea. Living in Colorado for many years now, that has obviously been limited. I’m much more of a mountains-girl than an ocean-girl, but occasionally it feeds my soul to be near the ocean and hear the waves. Walking all the way here on my own two feet feels really special, I think even more so because I got all the way to the ocean. I have experienced such a wide range of climates and topography on this trip; ending at the sea, at Finnis Terre (End of Earth/Ground), feels very appropriate and like a huge accomplishment on a much different (deeper) level than any Ironman or race I have done.
Note – I have worn this blue rain jacket almost every day since the warm/hot days in the middle of the trip in the area called the “Meseta“; it’s been so versatile in keeping me warm against wind, rain, and chill without being too hot. It’s amazing how just a few pieces of versatile clothing will keep you going through a whole month of various weather!
