Day 76 / Muxía - Finisterre / 28.8 + 3.26 km

Today is my last day running. From Muxía to Finisterre. I have been told that it is a beautiful path running along the coast, through forests and fields. Some climbs. I wake up relatively late as the distance to cover is only around 28 k. After packing I have a small breakfast at the hotel and shut the door of the hotel behind me around 8.00. The weather will be warm and blue. 

The first kilometres I run along the coastline. My right feet is nagging as usual.It will require some weeks of rest before it will stop nagging. I focus on the running and scenery. 

The path, with some steep ascents, is as beautiful as expected.As the morning progresses it’s getting warmer. Every now and then I pass other pilgrims. Some are going in the direction of. Finisterre, others towards Muxía. After some 15 K I enter a small village with a bar. From the village my plan is to follow the coastline to Finisterre. The official Camino runs a kilometre of 2 in the hinterland. To get to the coast I follow a estuary, full of birds. The road I follow is some meters above water level and I can see a lot of fish swimming in the clear water.  

The path along the coast is not well way marked. I follow a small path full with plant wit thorns. The views over the sea are superb. A lot of steep climbing. I try to follow the path as good as possible but suddenly it disappears. I walk through some bushes and end up on a bigger path. My gps indicates I’m back on the official Camino.  Bummer. I try to find the coastal path again but I can’t find it. The only option is to continue on the Camino. Strangely I’m alone. 

When I enter a small village an olde man and a young woman are sitting in the shade of a busstop.  The man asks me if I’m from Belgium. I acknowledged. The is called Luc, Luc from Hasselt. Besides the couple I met some weeks ago it’s the only Belgian which I encounter in Spain. Luc rom Hasselt is doing his 11th Camino. This time the Camino Inglés, which goes from Ferrol to Santiago.  Luc is a 75 and a passionate walker. The woman which is walking with him is from Moscow. They met a couple of day’s ago and like each other company. Al this I learn when walking a couple of km together. After a drink I say goodbye. I run the last 8k to Finisterre.

Along the way someone has left, I assume a broken, treadmill. Maybe someone like me, who thinks they have run enough. Since I decided to end my journey in Finisterre my body has been starting giving signals that it have ran enough. All the small pains I have are becoming bigger. I assume it’s a psychological phenomenon and that now I reached my goal it’s less required to mentally block, filter out, the pains I had anyway. If anyone needs a treadmill you can find one at the entrance of the last village before Finisterre. Not sure it still works....

Finisterre is quite different from Muxía. Where Muxía is some what laidback with some restaurants, Finisterre is much more orientated towards pilgrims and tourists. The small boulevard at the harber is lined with fish restaurants all selling the same menu’s, at the same prices. More English, French and German seems to be used then Spanish. The weather is great so the terraces are full tourists and pilgrims increasing the probability of getting skin cancer. To busy for me. I start walking away from the busy part of town and find at a big road a restaurant with a menu in Spanish only. When I enter the restaurant most customers seem to be locals, or at a minimum Spanish. I order food and drinks as lunch. The food is great, the peas although definitely frozen.

After lunch It’s time for my siesta. When I wake up it’s almost 19.00. In order to clear my head I head to the Faro Finisterre, or the end of the known world, which is some 3.5 k from the center. I’m not the only person who want’s see the end of the know world. A lot of pilgrims along the way, a lot of cars and motor homes on the road. I had imagined the place to be somewhat remote, secluded and empty. When I arrive the parking is full of cars.A big tourist shop, bar and restaurant are in operation. At least my run to Santiago has not taken away my naivety. The views are great. I’m not alone to think so.I order a beer in the bar and look for sometime at the sunset but it’s to busy and the clouds are not cooperating to deliver a scenery sunset. Time to walk back to Finisterre. Time to go back home.

Lessons learned :

- I still can be naive.

- It was a good decision to go first to Muxía. I had most of the time a backwind on my last run.

- As touristic restaurants, the best things are not always found at the places with the most people.

- I’m looking forward to go home. Luckily for me my wife has the same idea.

Song of today: Your Love - Daniel Norgren

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