Cée - Finisterre, 16 kms

Heart, Head and Feet

We've been enjoying some lovely walking this past week, though today it was cool and wet. An unusually cool, windy start to our summer. However this week we had a really nice walk along the ocean, probably one of my favourite local routes. It seemed an appropriate walk as our virtual camino also crosses headlands along the Atlantic coast on the final stage to Finisterre. 

There was heavy fog out in the straights which managed to find its way onto the headlands from time to time.

I thought these poppies were appropriate as they often line the borders of the Spanish country roads in the spring and early summer. I've witnessed fields of poppies on some walks that took my breath away. One wonders why I don't have some in my garden? I'll have to correct that.



I guess if I have to be stuck somewhere during this pandemic that there are few places quite as nice. Just a little more heat please!!

The open Pacific lurks just around the far point.

The distant ship kept blowing its fog horn even though most of the ship was clearly visible. Only the very top of the tower where the bridge is located continued to be in the fog for quite a while and I guess the officer of the watch concluded that the whole ship must still be in the fog. Funny to watch!

Flowering succulents for my faithful blog follower Caitlin.

I call this Dragon Fly On Lettuce. I took this with my phone when visiting my parents this week.

We've been on a camino of sorts these past many weeks during turbulent, and some have called unprecedented times. Certainly unusual enough to force me to stay home and away from walking a planned camino across central Europe this year. In 2017 when walking the 88 Temple route in Japan I confirmed for myself that I didn't actually need to be in Europe to 'be on camino', and I've carried that knowledge on many walks and travels since.  I've learned that in its purest form a camino is simply wherever my heart, head and feet take me. It's personal no matter where a walk might lead me to. It's been no different in that regard this time. Well, maybe a little different. Would I prefer to be walking across Europe right now? Absolutely. And I'll admit there have been a few tough moments along the way during these past couple of months. But isn't dealing with our problems and the challenges in front of us also part of walking a camino? Just look at this trail, it doesn't get much better. It's where my heart, head and feet took me this week. Annemarie too!


On our virtual camino we are heading out of Cée along the beautiful bay on the final etapa. It was a warm, stunning spring morning. One I'll never forget.

So excited after walking solo from Seville, knowing that this was the completion of an amazing personal journey and an awakening from all the years of work.

This is such a beautiful way to start a morning. Ken was coming down with a bug as he crossed here in 2013 in the rain and Neil and Sarah experienced high winds and huge amounts of rain, but I had the warm sun on my back in 2014. That's all that mattered in that moment. I smiled the whole way across that day. It was amazing!

Looking back from the promenade.

Then heading inland and past the church before beginning to climb the first headland.



Another small village at the head of a small protected bay.

The first sighting of Finisterre and the famous faro (light house). The point at Finistere, perhaps one of the highlights of the Camino.

As close as it seems from that first view point, it does take a surprisingly long time to get there as you follow the coast and climb the numerous small headlands.



Then quite suddenly I found myself at 'that beach'. That well trodden long strand of sand that leads the pilgrim into town and onwards to the end of the ancient world.

I took home a small scallop shell from here.

Ken's thoughts on arriving;

Finisterre:

It’s another gorgeous day here and I think I’ll try to find the piedras santas again. I have lots of time to fill today. It would be interesting to tour the castle as well. I think the apartment has only cold water but I’m not dying for a shower and can wait until Muxía. The sand on my feet from walking at the beach yesterday will eventually fall off now that I’m wearing sandals.

Probably walked 25 km yesterday, up to the lighthouse and getting lost coming back from the beach. Glad to have Brierley and hope his directions out of Finisterre to the Muxía camino are clear enough.

Muxia:

Exhausted. Today the hardest since the first because I was so sick yesterday for some unknown reason. Fever--wonder how high it was--but it was enough to put me out. When it broke early this morning, I figured I’d be able to walk to Muxía and I was, barely. Just barely. No energy at all. Ate the last Power bar which helped--but whatever it was sucked the life out of me. 

It was a lovely walk through pine and eucalyptus forests but I spent most of the day looking at my feet, telling myself I could do it.

I’d like to see the remains of the stone boat but frankly I’m just too tired. I do not want to walk any more. I am done for a while--until I get my strength back, anyway. 

In 2013 Annemarie and I didn't have time to walk out to Finisterre. We promised each other that one day we would return and walk out to the point together. In 2014 when I arrived into Santiago I called Annemarie and asked her permission to walk to Finisterre. I promised her that I wouldn't walk out to the light house. And I didn't.

In 2016 after walking the Camino Dos Faros together, that moment finally arrived for us.

The light house.















And finally we each reached the last marker at 0.00 K.M.

Our virtual camino now formally comes to an end. We will keep on walking throughout this covid time and hope that next year will see a timely finish to the pandemic so that we and others are free to continue the passion for distance walking and everything that a camino provides.

A Happy Birthday to my mother as she celebrates her 91st! Amazing!

From our walk today.

Buen Camino!