Finisterre Lighthouse – Kilometer 0.0
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it.” – Andy Rooney
February 5, 2025
Bus back to Santiago
The bus back to Santiago actually went down the coast for a bit. I have never been in this area, so it was fun. Once back in Santiago it was a 1 mile walk back to the cathedral and the hotel. I stayed at the same place and had actually left a few things there instead of carrying everything with me on the bus. At the cathedral I paid for the rooftop tour. In the busy summers these tours sell out in advance. There were 15 in my group, all Spanish speakers. It was very cool seeing all the walkways and staircases. We literally walked across the rooftops and up to the bell level of one of the towers. I did skip the second half of the tour as it was a history of a particular room, and all in Spanish.
As the quote above says about climbing a mountain, I feel relates to this journey across Spain. The goal is to reach Santiago, but the adventure is in each day getting up and walking 15 miles, no matter the weather. I really did enjoy the variety, cold, rain, snow. For me, it added to the overall accomplishment of the walk. I understand it is not for everyone – obviously, the path was very quiet.
I took a train to Madrid. Only 2 stops in the 3 hour ride. At times we were travelling 299 kmh, that is 186 mph. Madrid was very busy, even though it was mid day, mid week. Lots of people out and about. I was told that the locals spend a lot of time outside, partly because their living spaces are so small. They are also a social society.
I stopped at my favorite Dominos Pizza. It has a rating on Google of 4.7 on over 3,000 reviews. I like pizza, but never go to Dominos in the US. Last April I saw the 4.7 rating and figured I had to try it. They have dine in – take out is not popular like in the US. I again enjoyed my BBQ pizza, with a cold beer.
I have done a short YouTube video recap. Here is the link.
Fisterra harbor, an hour before sunrise 
Cathedral rooftop 
The back side of the 2 towers of the cathedral 
Way up, out of sight, but a sheep guarding the cross 
Looking through a window at the top of the main alter 
The main square in front of the cathedral 
An angels view of the main square 
The bells rang while we were here.
What’s next? – I am not too sure. We have two more National Parks to visit in Alaska. (We have visited 61 of the 63 parks.) Elizabeth’s knee is a big question mark at this point, so we are not making any plans until she has a better understanding of what is next for her. I would like to drive the Alaska Highway to Wrangell St Elias. Ideally that would be our last park, and we could bring Rangeley. We plan to fly to Glacier Bay. We will keep you posted.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzue
Gary and Elizabeth's Adventures 