Today was a planned shorter day, since I walked longer yesterday in the sunshine. It rained a lot last night – I heard it – but I awoke to a partly cloudy/sunny morning. I eased into the morning, no rush needed. Bacchus, the only other pilgrim who stayed in the albergue last night, was getting ready to go about when I was, so we walked together. We have a similar pace, and there are not many people out on the coastal trail (it’s really nice!)
Around 11am, we were passing through a very small town and decided to stop for coffee and a late breakfast/early lunch. It was divine timing because about 10-15 min after we were stopped and ordering food, the sky opened up for an absolute down-pour! A couple other wet pilgrims entered the cafe, and we all stayed nearly an hour waiting for the heavy rain to subside. During that time, the owners of the cafe treated us like guests – offering us special foods, giving us great service, and seeming very excited that we had stopped in. I don’t think they get a lot of business at this point in the season, so I think in part they were just excited to have “company” – haha! We all ordered a Spanish tortilla, made-to-order, and cafes con leches (coffee with milk, it’s delicious here; a rich dark coffee with steamed local milk). They also brought us some homemade sweet bread that was very much like Challah bread with sugar on top, and then after we ate they brought us “orgullo“, which is a strong liquor (sometimes flavored, sometimes not) made from re-pressed grape skins that are then distilled. Very strong!
Around 12:30 we headed back out. The rain was not going to stop any time soon, but it had lightened up considerably.
We walked for a few hours in on/off rain. Now that I’ve experienced that one day of full rain and wind, it has been helpful to me so that “some rain” doesn’t scare me off. In this part of the country, in this season, it IS going to rain at times. There is not always a cafe to duck into, and I have a rain jacket, poncho, and umbrella for these reasons. I am getting a little better at accepting the circumstances at hand, and not being afraid to be wet for hours on end. If I’m moving/walking, I tend to stay warm enough that comfort is really not that big of an issue.
Legend has it Muxía (pronounced Moo-SHE-a) was the landing place of the stone boat that carried Virgin Mary when she arrived in Galicia to help Saint James convert the locals. The granite stones that are found near the sanctuary are said to be the remains of the Virgin Mary’s stone boat: the sail, the helm and the boat itself. Since the 12th century, pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago have travelled further on after reaching Santiago de Compostela to pay tribute to Our Lady of the Boat in Muxia (www.caminoways.com)
After dinner, my new Camino-friend Bacchus and I explored the peninsula where the famous rocks and church are located. The rain had let up earlier in the evening, and we actually did get to see the sun set and interesting cloud formations in the dusky-night sky. It was so beautiful to be a the edge of the mainland, looking over ocean waters.
I. Walked. Here. To the coast. From France. …I keep smiling about it.
