Fisterra

Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos, kill nothing but time.
–Unknown

Fisterra – June 25

E: We had a relaxing breakfast at our hotel in Santiago and then we walked a mile to the bus stop, a 2-hour bus ride, bound for Fisterra, the end of the world!

Gary had bought tickets the day before for himself, Ninke, our 18-year-old young lady from the Netherlands and I. We thought we were all set with what bay/parking spot the bus is going to be located. We got there about an hour early. We were first in line. On previous trips, we realized that you had to put your pack under the bus and then get in line so you often cannot get a front seat (I am not great on busses, I get nauseous). So, I got in line and Gary took the packs to place under the bus.

When the bus arrived and the driver scanned our tickets, none of our barcodes worked so the driver motioned for us to get out of line. He started boarding everyone else in front of us. Bummer. A rapid lesson in breathing and relaxing… saying to myself, “It will all work out.” The bus became almost full and several of the other passengers were then “pushed” aside as well, their tickets did not scan either. I suggested to Gary to get our backpacks out of the bin under the bus as it looked that we might not get on. The bus driver was speaking Galician so anyone in the group who spoke Spanish and English were having trouble translating what he was trying to tell us. No one knew what to do next.

Breathe Elizabeth, breathe.

Ninke asked someone at the bus stop info desk inside why our tickets were not working. He said that there were 2 buses to Fisterra at 9AM and we should go to bay 8. We were at bay 2 where we were told to go to yesterday. Gary grabbed our backpacks and we dashed down to bay 8. The driver took our tickets, we loaded the backpacks, hopped on and the bus was half full. We even left the bus station before the first bus we thought we were supposed to get on. The Camino provides. 

While we traveled on the bus and crossed over the Camino, several times, watching walker’s head to the end of the world, I surprised myself when I began to be sad that we did walk out here again this year. It takes an additional three days. Oh well, we are heading to the ocean, all is well!

As we deboarded the motorcoach, we saw Steve and Jessie awaiting their bus trip back to Santiago and then home to the state of Georgia. We had dinner with them on day one and have been reconnecting for 5 weeks off and on our individual Caminos. Ninke found an Albergue and planned her return trip back to the Netherlands. We all ate outdoors (as we always do) this time by the marina in Fisterra. We were joined by another pilgrim, Julius from Germany, whom we have traveled with off and on for a few weeks and reconnected out here. After agreeing we would all meet up later that night (10PM-ish), 2.5 miles from our hotel at the Camino 0.00 marker for sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, we parted ways. We headed to our hotel room ½ mile from town. Mar de Fisterra, is where we stayed in 2015 and 2016. 2019 we stayed in a different hotel in town.

After walking the beautiful beach, we took a nap, worked on the journal and then headed up the hill to the lighthouse, Faro de Fisterra where the 0.00-mile marker stands. We ran into Ninke fairly quickly and Gary and she went to look for a geocache which Ninke does with her dad back home. Unfortunately, we never did see Julius again. We witnessed the sun melting into the ocean. A bit cloudy, so an average sunset for Fisterra but an emotional one for Ninke, Gary and I. When the sun set, we needed to say good bye to her. She was heading to Madrid in the morning. Side Note: Previously today, Ninke was on the phone with her mom and we thanked her mom for sharing her daughter with us. She is independent, well-traveled, has a good heart and very gracious. We all hugged and Gary and I walked away leaving Ninke with her paper journal. Her solemn but grateful face watched our every step until we disappeared from sight. A wonderful and everlasting memory for us all.

It was tradition in the past to burn your clothes when you got to the ocean but “they” are trying to discourage that due to being a litter challenge. We washed our clothes regularly and have always taken the hike clothes back home with us.

As we passed an open restaurant, at 11:15PM on this Sunday evening after the walk down the 2 mile hill from the lighthouse, I suggested Gary and I stop for a postre/dessert. We smiled and agreed, why not!? After a slice of cheese cake and another local slice of what remined us of a sort of flan made with a liquor we silently walked the additional 3/4 mile to our hotel, feeling tired, grateful, full and content. A “coming down” of sorts.

“B.E.A.C.H.: Best Escape Anyone Can Have.”
Unknown Author

Fisterra – June 26, 2023

E: As I suspected I would, I slept in until after 8AM. Gary had taken his computer down to the breakfast room to get some work done. I joined him to enjoy my espresso, fresh watermelon, grapes, orange cake, cheese and prosciutto. The initial group of those at breakfast were Americans or English speaking and as the morning hours progressed the non American and mostly Europeans tricked in. A common occurrence as Americans generally awaken earlier. 

Noela was making the fresh ground espressos and cafe con leches for all. She is the wife of the owner of this small, lovely basically ocean front Mar de Fisterra Hotel. We had met her husband and father-in-law in 2015. They now have a beautiful 4 year old daughter we met this morning and is expecting a second this Christmas. Noela having a baby on Christmas…too fun. How time flies. 

We walked the 1/2 mile into town and booked a 1.5 hour boat trip for tomorrow. We stopped at a grocery store and pharmacy, walked around an ancient fort. Castillo de San Carlos and took some pictures. We then walked the beach by our hotel, 1.5 miles one way in the opposite direction of town, to get lunch at a restaurant at the end of the playa/beach but it was not open so… we walked back the 1.5 miles to our hotel; back into town again which is another 1/2 mile and ate on the patio of one of the several restaurants by the marina. I’m sure you can imagine, we were quite hungry by then, about 2PM. I had my favorite appetizer, pimienta de Padrons, roasted small, sweet green peppers cooked in olive oil and sprinkled…ok smothered…in sea salt. I then ordered a seafood platter for one….one hungry girl. Oysters, muscles, tiny lobsters, large shrimp and lots of lemon scented wipes and napkins!! Gary and I had cervesa con limons and did lots of relaxing. Once we pried ourselves from our chairs, we sauntered up the road for a small scoop of homemade ice cream and walked back to the hotel. 

Now the news you’ve been waiting for…just kidding. We have booked the rest of our trip! Finally, after days of pondering what to do with our last vacation days, we have decided…we’re going to walk a bit more! We booked a 4th night here in Fisterra, appreciating the amazing bay windows overlooking the ocean. We’ll don our back packs again on Thursday morning and walk north, about 9 miles, 1/2 way to another ocean front town, Muxia (Moo-see-ah, or some say Moo-she-ah). We will then do the second, roughly 9 miles, into Muxia. Staying two nights on the water exploring that coast and take a cab back to Santiago. Two more nights in Santiago, flight to Madrid, one night in Madrid before flying back to Phoenix on July 5. Gary has been my logistics man and his is quite relieved to not have to get on Booking.com again!! Although we prefer and occasionally call or book directly with places to stay this trip (difficult with the language barrier over the phone and on Spanish websites) Gary is definitely a frequent “flyer” on Booking.com. He has booked 27 times (some multi nights) in 36 days! 

Fisterra – June 27, 2023

E: After early to bed last night, we naturally awakened at 6AM ready to walk the beach and enjoy the sunrise. We were hoping to find Camino shells, oyster shells, as the tide was low. Lots of shells but no “Camino shells”. 

We had breakfast, relaxed and headed over to the other side of the cape to Mar de Fora, less than a mile from our hotel. The waves were crashing, lots of sand and only a few people there. The marina and main town face a bay or inlet, the other side to the west is open ocean. If you could swim a straight line from Mar de Fora for 3,000 miles, you would end up on the shores of Maine 🏊‍♂️🙃 We’ve been to that beach on past visits to Fisterra but the way we approached that side of the cape and the trail we took back to town were new to us.

We booked a 1.5 hour boat ride at 12:30PM so we had some time. We sat at a cafe and met a couple who are sailing around the world. They have been doing so, most of the time, for 7 years! I would say the gentleman was roughly in his 50s from Scotland originally and she, in her 40’s is from Singapore. The stories continued from there! Such a treat to meet other adventures from around the world!

We thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride. There were only 8 of us on a boat that probably holds 50. Not so good for the company’s owner, but for 14 euro each, we made out really well! The boat toured the point where the lighthouse stands and we saw our hotel and beach from a seagull’s perspective. The winds were predicted to be a bit strong but again, we lucked out. The gusts didn’t come a blowin’ till after 2PM. The temps are in the 70’s. 

After a nap we walked back into town for a 4pm meal. Later we will walk the beach again, maybe have a night cap and get a good night’s sleep.

Fisterra – June 28

E: We continue to see people in Fisterra that we crossed paths with these last several weeks on our Camino. A couple from Toronto who also began in SJPdP, like us, continued and walked from Santiago to Muxia and then to Fisterra. Our friend from Bagdad, now living in Austria, who’s wedding is soon!! And a young man, Ben, from the Netherlands who we connected with early on, sitting with two other women we met along The Way. 

Fisterra, roughly 4,700 people, is located on the Costa da Morte, the coast of death, due to the numbers of ship wrecks in the area. Cape Finesterre and Fisterra comes from the latin Fines Terrae or land’s end. It’s the western most point in Spain. Interesting, the population has fluctuated but is now back to what it was in the 1870’s.

We requested a fourth night at Mar de Fisterra Hotel, a couple days ago, so today is the day we needed to change rooms. Our corner room was not available this evening. But they were so kind to allow us to stay in our current room until about 10:30AM and then switch to our next room directly. The second room is a bit smaller but just as beautiful a view!! We think it’s even a better, as we are on the 3rd floor, one floor higher than the previous room. As I have mentioned, I am sure, unlike in the US, the ground floor in Spain is floor “0”. It makes more sense. When you are born you are at “0” and then turn one as you are 12 months older so why not call the ground floor “0” and climb up to floor “1”?? We are now around the corner of the building avoiding the late afternoon sun directly in our room There are two small additional windows and we giggled…it’s like we changed hotels and are back in our “walking in the morning” mode again, for our last two days on the Camino from Fisterra to Muxia beginning tomorrow! I am well rested and we have been walking throughout the day from one end of the town to the other and over to the other side of the peninsula, so I am ready to tackle some hills on a couple of slow moving 9 mile days to Muxia.

The laundromat opened at 9 AM so we went down there after breakfast and washed almost everything we own (let’s just say my new navy dress is heavy enough that I could wear just it alone🙈🤫).  Hand washing is certainly quick and convenient but there comes a time when you’re socks and t-shirts need to be dried with a little bit of heat to get back in to shape. Since we will have been here 4 nights, we have been hanging our backpacks out to air in the breeze through our room as well.

Speaking of heat, in the United States dryers are typically 130°. The laundromat that we were using (less than a1/4 mile from the hotel) had a hot, medium, and a cooler setting, so to go faster and dry everything in 20 minutes I decided to use the hot. I usually use the hot setting in the US hotels when we do our driving travels. It said it was 80°C, I did not translate that to Fahrenheit. It is a darn good thing I checked the dryer after 10 minutes!! The dryer was at a 176 degrees F!!! I literally could not touch the clothes they were so hot. I checked it several times and had to pull items out with my hand in a sock! No question everything was dried…but a few things were shriveled! Luckily, I pulled them out before they were actually damaged. Everyday you need a little excitement in your life, right??

G: After getting the room switch taken care of, Elizabeth was content to read her book. I asked if she had any interest in climbing to the high point of the peninsula (el 783’). Her answer – no! So I headed out on my own, walking across to the beach we went to yesterday and then just followed any trail that went up. There are a few trails that crisscross the hill. It was a great climb, quite steep at one point, with amazing views back over the Atlantic. Once on top there were 360 degree views and being on a narrow peninsula it was mostly of water. I thought about heading back down toward town but decided to continue along the ridge and come down by the lighthouse at the southern end of the peninsula and follow the road down from there.

E: After Gary returned from his adventures we met each other at AS Baleas (Galician for The Whales) Beer and Pizza. We have eaten their twice this trip and love their pastas and pizzas. We found out today that they have another restaurant in Muxia, so we’re definitely all set for one dinner while we are there. I know, I should have had more seafood. But we are continuing to be on the ocean so I am sure I will grace you with more photos of creatures from the deep!

We strolled through the town a bit finding a small park that we had never seen before. That is where the picture of Gary overlooking the marina and town was taken.

We headed back to the room late afternoon. We will post the last three days/four nights that we have been in Fisterra today. We will most likely do a beach walk before we head to bed, get a good night’s rest and we’ll post our time walking to Muxia and our two nights there in a few days.

We hope you are enjoying traveling with us. We are grateful for all the comments and send love and hugs to all our friends and family.

Buen Viajo! – used often here, meaning have a good trip!

We have used this quote before but still appreciate it’s meaning in life:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.”
– Mark Twain