The End of the Earth is within grasp

Today I slept in, I was feeling sore, and I slipped in defending the goal by a bunch of kids. (They ran over and expressed concern for my fall, and nothing was missing from my pockets! (I have felt quite safe in Spain, the Spanish seem to look out for the Peregrinos, we are an economic powerhouse rather than hiker trash walking the trail.) (Auberges provide bathing and clothes washing facilities.)

So I hit the snooze and was awoken around 9 by a TXT, the Kiwis were pushing on for the town of Finisterra, dropping packs and making the 4km walk to Finsterre.

It was cloudy and grey, not raining, but the roads were wet. I checked the weather report, I was looking at two days of rain to break the 9 day streak of cloudless skies, but the weather gods said that I would have random showers with partly cloudy by noon.

When I got up I felt a lot better than the 2 AM bano wake up call.

I was thinking of getting a taxi and then walking backwards, but switched to just continuing and skipping the 0 day. I striped all but rain grear and water out of my pack and hit the trail at a quick pace.

Climbing out of the old city was steep, and a bit of trail magic with a thermos of water and some snacks as the gradient went back to level. I took a cup of water and dropped some coins.

The trail rose in the highlands and dove to the beaches. Back roads, gravel paths and flagstone path along some very nice beaches. I stumbled upon the office that offers certificates for reaching Finsterre, and many coffee shops, but no Kiwis. After town it was a steady climb for 4km, never really steep, but not down.

I hit the 1km left and there was no sign of the end. Relatively little traffic along the dead end road.

Then the parking lot, and then the Lighthouse came into sight. I found the 0.00km marker, and waited for my turn.

There was a guy providing a last stamp, and taxi cards. I wandered past the hotel and the lighthouse. (Try to stay at that hotel, they have a great terrance)

Blue skies appeared. I walked farther down to see the descent to the ocean. Made It!

There was a Cafe, I got a grande crevasse and a ham, tomato and cheese sandwich, I went to the terrace, found a spot out of the wind and enjoyed my lunch, it was well earned.

The young woman at the Cafe gave me a card for the taxi. I called and Pedro would arrive in 5 minutes. I burn Persius’s offering to the spirit of the Cameno and waited. The ride back seem like light speed. I saw the Kiwi’s on the last .5 km.

Being I still had a room, Pedro agreed to pick me up at 10AM, so he got paid in both directions.

Shower, foot ritual, and then the rain started again. I’ve been sitting in the Cafe for the last 5 hours as I wrote all of the updates. Finished for today, but who knows what will happen next.

Nations today:

Italy
Korea
Holland

Stats:

10.4 miles

Photos:

That’s Finsterre centered in the gate.

Yes, that is a granite mailbox. Nothing is built from wood or plastic.