day 4 arrival in Finisterre and return bus to Santiago

I loved this short walk from Cee Its January and the weather is beautiful. 

 We took a long walk out of town following the arrows that took us in a horseshoe loop. 

 We should instead have cut across the car park/ bus station. 

 The irony was we were in the nice red cafe having breakfast and the pavement walking was very difficult with pot holes and sudden kerb drops which do the 9am ankles no good, ha ha. 

 Quickly you are in Concubion again taking a wee fetour for a church and then climbing up and out of town over through the forest and down into the first views of Finisterre for the day. 

 The sun was making the lighting so easy. We stopped all the time to take photos. The truth is I put the camera away and just stared. Once we found the first open cafe we sat and stared a bit more. This beach, the boardwalk, stunning. January, and we expected rain and it is all sunshine and disrobing into shorts. 

 We walked round the house and up into the forest again above the town and then down over the road into the beach. Then across the road and back down to the beach. Its simply stunning and we look like our wee short walk is getting us to arrive for 2pm no problem. 

 Finisterre is pretty much closed so we did a small pub crawl. There was one stand out pub. We'll visit the Italian in his pirate ship pub again. Last pub was not serving but we found another and got a quick half before the 3 hour bus. 

 The best strategy is to get the bus to Cee or even an hour down the road. In fact, I'd say we should make the bus tour back part of the camino. There are 4 great looking pub stops so you just get off the bus, go to the pub, sit there and wait for the next bus. Instead of a 3 hour journey you can make it a 4 drink 6 hour journey. The bus takes you into Santiago bus station so always book somewhere like the Alda which is nearby and also on the road to the airport. The 6B bus stop is right outside the hotel.

Day 3 a short walk to Cee - aye that'll be duck in flight

We left pinnochio's at 9.33am after breakfast telling them how superb the flat was and how much we enjoyed having two bathrooms and two bedrooms. 

The enormous lounge kitchen is wasted when you arrive late and leave early but next time I will stay longer! One was a twin room and the other a double bed.

Breakfast for us is usually just coffee as we like to stop further up the trail but we had a bit of sandwich bread toast and the coffee was lovely 

We ventured down the road back towards Oliveiroa.

We were on the road for 10 minutes and as it was January the low sun at my back blinded the drivers. We changed sides and before long we were ofd the road and walking towards Ponte.

No cafe but no worries as we were good for another 30 minutes and we soon arrived for our second breakfast. The town had three cafes and restaurants but we got diverted to the one that was open as they clearly share the duties off season.

The route had been effortless as it's all very flat but that would change.

The bridge at Ponte Olveiroa was a bit tricky getting over as it's a main road and not exactly room for two cars never mind a pilgrim but we survived to see the cartoon mosaic at 10:21.

One more bollard with km information arrow randomly placed offered my favourite reminder that we were on the right lines.

After arriving at 11 and leaving our cafe at 11.33, we started climbing into wolf land.

Climbing and climbing but what goes up does come down.

As you climb that view just gets so good.

The countryside is beautifully woody, great views of the water all around and we just keep walking.

Suddenly we arrive at a pueblo, its 12.25 but no cafe as it aint a town.

Well it was more a cafe restaurant albergue O'lagasa. I'm just looking at the O again and I'm thinking O'logoso now!

This walk is just so stunning. The stretch from Olveiroa to O'Lagasa has been 90 minutes of sheer joy. 10 minutes further up the road we arrive at another closed cafe.

 It might've been closed but the bronze boots looked too good to ignore. 

 Climb the hill a bit further and finally you arrive at the last cafe for 15km before Cee. 

Stock up at O'Castelino, you'll be glad. It was 1.15pm when we arrived and 1.30pm when we left. 

 When we thought about it we were a bit confused as we thought we had already walked a long way and it was still 15km. 

 We strolled over up and down the road, left at the roundabout, crossed over and out into a field again away from the three cars. This is what is so amazing on the way to Finisterre, the lack of traffic. Its beautifully remote and yet still connected. 

 

 We arrived at a cross then a wolverine after 45 minutes. This where you can split for Muxia or Cee and Finisterre. 

 We took the path to Cee and the views are superb. 

The walking is pines and so effortless. It was now 2 hours since we left the last bar before Cee so we took a rest looking at the water and the trees. 

 Another hour's walk and we were at Cee. 3 hours after leaving the last bar we were walking down to Cee and by 5pm we were in the town. 

 This was a winter's walk at 12 degrees and I cant imagine being out for nearly 8 hours with only 2 breaks in June. It will however be lovely to see the views, wear shorts and feel the heat when we return in April and June. We were on an easy day we'd thought of only 20km and yet we'd been out since 9.30 and even with two half hour breaks it dodn't add up too well, but then we laughed. It was sunny. It was Janaury and we were having it off to be here in Galicia. 

 As we came into town the clock struck 5pm and the locals were watching someone high on a crane clearing a drain. I was thinking how good a day that was. As the birds flew, it probably was only 20km but my legs were saying something else and it was lovely. 

We wandered into town and found our digs. The code worked the key worked and the apartment a Lobeira was a lovely oasis in an otherwise dank local street. We went out and up the stairs past the Larry hotel, along to the main drag for cars then left down past Gadis to the square with bars. We sat in one and got some food and drink. Life's easy as a pilgrim and it doesn't get easier than this. Thanks for another great day.

day 2 learning mode is on

When you walk your mind drifts away from functional to learning or curious mode. 

As soon as you hit a stone you find yourself in both.

I felt in assessment mode today. Talking about how I haven't fallen over for quite a few caminos now.

It's a trait I suffered from until Paul's physio wing switched me into learning mode and taught me loads of simple manageable meritorious habits.

I've been doing them since and in the last 3 years my pain levels have plummeted.

As we walked into town I felt the weight of the long shift but our arrival at our stunning apartment didn't have me exhausted and irritating but rather quite chilled. Shower, siesta and out for 7.

It was a massive day but we had paced ourselves well and when pinnochio's beckoned for dinner we were tired and would've eaten a farmers arse but frozen pizza was fine. 

The surroundings were superb.

This is a great Camino and if you don't have 30 days do this one.

It really is the Camino in miniature.

Day 2 of the route to Fisterra and cape Finisterre

This has been a fantastic if slow and at times torturous day.

We left our accommodation in negreira at sunrise. Judging by the photo it's a bit after sunrise!

Well I tried but we were held up and by the time we passed through the gates it was nearer 9.15am

It was stunning and the only thing missing was the Christmas lights being switched on.

Next up was our usual what goes down must go up and yes we climbed. We were happy as we knew we had breakfast at Zas planned in our little empty heads.

It was our bellies that were empty too as Zas delivered a closed bar. There was more food on the moisture of the clouds below but onwards and upwards we sped, dodging the puddles and last week's rain.

Next up for breakfast was a lovely looking place.

It was lovely until we arrived.

It usually is.

 Like the temperature you just have to wait. It was closed on Mondays and yesterday was Sunday! We walked on and found this albergue - it had no food but it did have a toilet.

It's now 1pm. It could be a while....

it's day 1 on the way to fisterra

It's a lovely walk out of town down to the river over it and on. I enjoyed so much of this I'm already planning a return journey. Whether you leave from the catherdral or walk through the park down past the hospital, its 10 minutes before you find yourself on a very quiet lane and in the countryside. Juxtapose that against coming into Santiago and you get why I'm so hyped. We are doing it in January as the pilgrim count is low. Quite simply the Way has got way too popular and while it's great in some ways for local business I'm sure the contrary view also stands water.

We left town via the park

Stu was just getting ready for his pose

It was simply stunning on the way out of town

Many pilgrims passed us To

It was a stuff climb to cabolla

But we made it and a cafe beckons as we slide down the hill.

Push on we cried...

The river was clearly high

Then we arrived! It probably wasn't as long as it felt but it felt a full day especially when the key for the flat didnt work and our host called their partner. When the partner called the locksmith I went for a drink. Eventually we got in but there was no lavadora after all. I went down stairs to the launderette. PAid my money and washed the clothes. I would later shrink my cashmere as well by not getting it out the drier early enough but that's fine. The wee moth holes disappeared when it got shrunk. This flat had a few selling points that didnt minifest and it never got the usual 5 stars of love. The shower had no hot water and we had to look for turning on the boiler. We succeeded but no notes either on where it was and how to use it. My toilet didn't flush so I had to use the shower. A few other wee things but let's just say it wasn't as billed so no review tells its own story !