Total ascent = 393 feet
Cumulative Finisterre miles = 45.9 miles
Cumulative miles = 536.4 miles
As we left our hotel this morning, the fog hid the windmills on the nearby hills.
We hoped the sun would emerge by the end of today's hike, so we could see the ocean from the mountaintops.
As we trudged up the hill, some of the windmills came into view.
We also had a view of the Rio Xallas.
After about 3 miles we stopped at a cafe to purchase a picnic lunch to eat in the wilderness stretch.
It's the last one for the next 15 kilometers. Our guides told us we are going into a remote area with no services.
Armed with jamon sandwiches, we headed down the road to where the Muxia trail split off.
Some people are now doing a loop Camino from Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre to Muxia back to Santiago de Compostela.
We thought about extending our trip and doing the loop - for about 5 seconds. Nope. We are just about ready to go home. We'll end our hike at "the end of the world" tomorrow.
So we headed out into the moorlands.
It started to rain. We pretty much gave up any hope of good views as we approached Cee, the first village on the ocean, and today's destination, way down the mountain from here.
Just because the route is "remote" doesn't mean the early pilgrims didn't need inspiration. A little over a mile in, we came across an 18th century stone cross.
Another couple of miles, and we stopped for lunch at the Ermita Nosa Señora Das Nieves (a hermitage that is apparently in need of hermit). A small chapel, with an a picnic/rest area for the peregrinos.
We ate lunch in the rain, but it clearly wasn't a desolate as the guide book indicated.
Another couple miles down the road was another ancient chapel, San Pedro Martir.
Next to this chapel there's a pilgrim fuente (spring-fed fountain). The waters here are supposed to heal body aches and rheumatism by placing the diseased part of the body in the water. I put it to the test. Will it cure my plantar fasciitis and arthritis in my toes? It's worth a try. That spring water was pretty cold.
At this point we have to take exception to this route being described as remote. There are small roads to all of the shrines, and small villages are pretty close to the path.
The fog got worse as we climbed and continued to cross the high moorland.
This is our "view" of the ocean from the top of the mountain, where the trail begins to descend.
But about halfway down, the ocean did come into view - we made it across Spain!
Our ocean greeter:
Cee, tonight's stopping point is an industrial seaport. Pretty gritty.
We are staying at Hotel Larry tonight.
Tomorrow we have a 20-kilometer hike with two climbs, to Finisterre, and the end of the Camino. We are looking forward to it, but have had a truly incredible time, an experience of a lifetime, or as David says, "a life experience that will stick with you into your obituary."
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