It was still dark when we checked out of our albergue to hunt down our hostel. Since we planned early on to spend 2 nights in Santiago, we wanted to be a little more comfortable and chose to book a private room in a hostel. We had no idea where it was though so we had to allot some time to search for it. It could be that it wasn't particularly easy to find it or we were just bad at understanding Google's instructions because it took us awhile to find it. After going up and down the same street for the nth time with our backpacks made heavier by frustration and hunger, we eventually gave up on the technology and decided to get directions the old-fashioned way, by asking random people. By then, the sun was starting to rise and there were more people walking along the streets. So we learned that we and Google were off by at least 3 blocks. Like the previous day when we arrived at our albergue, it was still too early when we got there so we couldn't check in yet. We actually just wanted to be able to leave our packs and walking sticks this morning since leaving them at the albergue was out. After securing our things at the hostel, we were off again for today's trip. We got to the meeting place for the tour about 45 minutes early so we had time to walk the block and look for a place to have breakfast and cafe con leche. 
This was day 28, the day we scheduled a visit to Muxia and Finisterre. Depending on your pace, it takes roughly 3-4 days to walk from Santiago de Compostella to Finisterre, and another 28 km. to get to Muxia from there. That's time and energy we definitely didn't have anymore. But we did take those buses and trains when possible so we could squeeze in these 2 places into our itinerary. So, after 27 days of walking, we
got on a tour bus and looked forward to a comfortable ride to the 0.0 km. marker. It was very touristy and so different from what we've gotten used to on this camino. During the ride, our guide would point out places of interest and kept us entertained by sharing the history of and some tidbits of information about Galicia. Now and then, we would see pilgrims on a hillside or by the side of the road still continuing on with their walk. 
The tour headed to Muxia first, where according to legend, Mother Mary appeared to Santiago in his despair and disappointment to encourage him to continue with the work of conversion that Jesus has appointed to him. A chapel stands there in commemoration, the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de la Barca. Unfortunately, the chapel was closed on that day so we were not able to go inside.
On the highest point on that coast stands a huge sculpture called A Ferida or the Wound. In 2002, the Prestige oil spill happened, a devastating oil spill that ruined thousands of kilometers of Spanish, Portuguese and French beaches and coastline. That spill was cleaned up through the efforts of thousands of volunteers. Now, you wouldn't even know about it from looking at the coastline. That sculpture stands there in commemoration of those volunteers who worked tirelessly to restore it.
Afterwards, we headed to
Finisterre, literally the “end of the land” as dubbed by the Romans. Legend has it that they named it Finisterre because once they got to this point, they were not able to see any land across. This is where the zero kilometer marker is and typically where the pilgrimage ends. At the back of the museum, when you go down the rocky path, you will see a cross made of stone that is attached to a stone altar. On the ground in front of it, there's a small circle of rocks, what you would normally see in a bonfire. This apparently is where in olden days, pilgrims come to burn all their material possessions after their walk to start
life afresh, free from burdens of the past. According to our guide it’s more symbolic now, much like leaving a rock to symbolize the forgiveness of past and future sins at the cross in Cruz
de Ferro. He said that these days, burning things on this site is no longer allowed, That statement however was made a lie when we looked closely and saw newly-burned remnants of brightly colored pieces of cloths and other things that are no longer recognizable lying among the ashes.
We had a couple more stops along the Costa da Morte after that, but I stopped paying attention after these two. I did take a photo op in front of the waterfall of Ezaro since we were already there, but for the most part I was satisfied and I spent the remainder of the bus ride just daydreaming about my next camino. When we got back to Santiago, Anj and I went to Ivar's office to pick up our packages (the stuff we sent ahead from Saint Jean and Pamplona) so we could start sorting out and packing our stuff for the next leg of our journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment