Day 46

Finnesterre

Diary 12 May 2012

Day 46

 

 

 

Our walking wasn't quite over we still had to get out to the lighthouse at the point, Cape Finisterre. Moira made sandwiches and I filled the flask with coffee, we would have lunch out there. It was 10:30am when we started and the weather was great, it was very warm and when walking up the long climb out to the point we realised how lucky we had been with the colder conditions, even very cold at times, when on the Camino, it would have been a lot worse struggling in the excessive heat that was beginning now all over Spain. It was a nice easy stroll for us especially not having a heavy pack on our backs. It only took about 45 minutes to get to the end of the peninsula and we sat on the rocks below the lighthouse where we enjoyed the view out over the ocean to the 'ends of the earth'. As traditional, there were lots of abandoned boots and shoes scattered over the rocks, and the remains of fires where again obeying tradition perigrinos had burned their clothing.

 

It was still too early for our picnic so we made our way back to have it beside the harbour in town. On the way the little church on the hill before the town was open for a bus load of tourist that were heading for the cape. We took advantage and went in for a look around. It was just a small church but had a couple of nice small stained-glass windows, we also were lucky and got a stamp on our credentials which are now nearly full with the reminders of our various stopping points. At the harbour we found a bench and watched the boats in the marina while enjoying our sandwiches and coffee in the now very hot sunshine.

 

It was after 1:00pm when we headed up to the hostel again. Moira collected the iPad and went in search of a bar with a WiFi link, while I made my way with a cup of coffee to the albergue gardens where I stripped off and did some work on my tan. When Moira got back she said there was a message on Facebook from Dave Calaghan, a guy we met when we previously did the Camino Frances. He was doing it again and was now halfway to Santiago. Moira told him on email that we had just finished and where we were. By this time I had been lying in the sun for nearly an hour and getting a little burnt and hot, I decided I wanted a swim to cool off. We went over the hill to the beach and Moira paddled her feet while I slowly made my way into the very cold Atlantic. As usual once I got under it wasn't so bad and I managed to stay in for about fifteen minutes. I felt the benefit of the refreshing and invigorating cold salt water and the fun diving under the breaking surf.

 

It wasn't long until dinner when we got back, and it was a pizza with salad tonight, followed again by strawberries but this time with ice cream. Once the washing up was done we went through to the lounge to read. The intention was to go out later to watch the sunset but I feel asleep on the chair and decided to get to bed early. I should have forced myself to stay up as now after my snooze I wasn't tired and didn't sleep very well, and the noise later on from the bar nearby didn't help either.