Santiago + 1 - Friday 21/6/2002:
Finisterre

Caught the 9:30 bus from Santiago to Finisterre - the mediaeval "end of the world", the westernmost point of continental Europe. There is speculation that the camino is itself merely a Christianised version of an ancient pagan route to the end of the world. I thought it might be good to be sitting at the edge of the world on the longest day of the year (or near enough to it.)

Many pilgrims made the journey to Finisterre on foot - it takes about three days, but I was caught for time as I had to be in Madrid on the Tuesday. Hence the bus. I realised with a little shock that this was the first vehicle I'd been on since the train to St. Jean Pied-de-Port twenty-six days ago...

The village itself is very quaint, it reminded me of Baltimore in West Cork in the seventies. There were morning mists obscuring the distant mountains on the other side of the bay; it was all very Celtic-twilighty; I was half expecting some Enya/Clannad or diddly-eye style music to start up in the background.


Mists

Finisterre (30K)

Harbour

Finisterre (51K)

Cue: diddly-eye music

Finisterre (55K)

Lighthouse

at the end of the world (35K)

I booked myself into the el-cheapo Hotel Finisterre, had lunch (a delicious tortilla de patatas, pan, y cerveza for the princely sum of cinco euros), and set off to explore. It's a very small village, so I headed out west to the headland, a journey of 4 km or so. More walking for my poor feet!


Westernmost Rollo

Finisterre (35K)

Burning boots

Finisterre (86K)

Lighthouse

Finisterre (96K)

Westernmost peninsula

Finisterre (57K)
On the peninsula, beneath the lighthouse, there's a little area where pilgrims who made it this far traditionally burned their boots and hiking gear. Alas, I had accidentally (honest!) left my boots back in Santiago, but had I known of this I would happily have brought them here along with a litre or so of petrol.

I sat down on a suitable rock and called Mar. "Sitting at the edge of the world, Talking with my friend, watching the sun turn round below us..." Shame about the overcast:


Sitting at the edge of the world

Note the redneck (33K)

Dinner was in El restaurante fin de camino - I had pulpos and very tasty fresh bread. Pulpos were slices of squid or octopus tentacle fried and garnished with a blend of spices. This, two beers and a café solo came to nine euros. Yum yum pigs bum.

And so to bed.


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