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Camino Francés 2022
  • Laura's Adventures
  • Laura's Adventures

Camino Francés 2022

41-päiväinen seikkaillu — Laura's Adventures Lue lisää
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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja
    1

    Last leg to Finisterre

    28. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Yesterday afternoon was so hot, I didn't want to get caught out again. So, this morning I started walking in the dark, on my own. I was the first one to leave the albergue.
    It was foggy, "I can see the air", I thought! I like the fog, it makes great pictures 🙂

    The landscape kept changing. There was a long stretch without any villages, and about halfway to the destination there was a town called Cee.
    After the first 7k or so, with some daylight already, I found a picnic area and stopped there for a self catered breakfast.
    Jan caught up with me about 4k before Cee. and we were keen to get there and go to a cafe.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Cee

    28. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Cee was larger than I expected. Being Sunday, there was a 'mercadillo' and we headed there thinking it was a food market, but it was a clothes market 🤷🏻‍♀️
    However, there were shops all around, including a confitería. We bought some cake and pastries, and took them with us to a place that served coffee.
    When I was almost finished with my morning tea, another German guy turned up. I saw him before. He started to speak in German with Jan, completely ignoring me. Even after I said hello, he didn't acknowledge me. I found him very rude. To top it off, he pulled out a cigarette. I was out of there before he could light it.
    No idea wtf was wrong with this guy, I didn't get that kind of attitude from anyone else in the whole trip.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    At the end of the world

    28. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Finisterre means end of the world, and it was the end of the known world until just over 500 years ago.
    The first photo has the lighthouse in the distance - the end point of the world.
    The fog persisted all day and it was very, very dense.
    My photo at Km 0 is very near the lighthouse.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Formalities

    28. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Walking to Finisterre (Fisterra in Galician) gives entitlement to a Fisterrana - similar to the Compostela in Santiago, it's an official record of completion of the pilgrimage.
    It is tradition here to go to the lighthouse to watch the sunset, which I duly did.Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Was I the last one?

    29. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Pilgrims who come to Finisterre and Muxia do it in any order. I chose to do Finisterre first.
    On my way towards Muxía I didn't see any other pilgrims for the first 7k or so. Then, I started to see some coming in the opposite direction.
    The full walk was 28k. At the halfway point, in a village called Lires, I stopped at a cafe and I saw Jan there, who was ahead of me.
    No one passed me on the walk up to there, that's why I think I was probably the last one to leave Finisterre today 😂
    I joined Jan for brekky and we walked the rest of the way together.
    I liked the silence in the first part of the walk, and chatting in the last part was a good distraction: before I knew it, we were only 4k from Muxia.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Closing the triangle

    30. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we walked from Muxía back to O Logoso, completing the triangle in the map I posted the other day.
    The straight line back to Santiago will take 2 more days.
    We are staying at the same albergues we used on the way to Finisterre, as they were quite good.
    Today I walked alone. It felt like my slowest day so far: feet were a bit sore and tired; the backpack felt heavier than ever. Most of the day was cloudy and not very hot, but it was humid.
    The walk was physically tiring but easy on the eyes: a lot of ups and downs, several scattered villages, tall forests and a delightful smell of eucalyptus in the air.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Off-track adventure

    30. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Until today, following markers on the road has been easy. The yellow arrows are frequent and placed in very visible positions. This applies to the whole Camino Francés to Santiago, to the routes from Santiago to Finisterre and Santiago to Muxía, and the route between Finisterre and Muxía, in both directions. But going from Muxía TO Santiago is not well marked at all.
    For that reason, today I missed a turn. I was following a busy road for a few hundred metres without any arrows (the arrows pointing to Muxía were still useful to confirm I was on the right track), so I checked the map in the Buen Camino app and I saw the missed turn. I could have walked back to follow the route correctly, but where I was standing there was a dirt track going left (dotted red line in the first map) and I decided to follow it, guessing that it might join the Camino. But no. The track just disappeared in the bush.
    Again, I could have walked back, but in the spirit of Ultreia, I kept moving forward,. I checked the All Trails app, where I could see the dead-end track that I took, and could also see another track that would lead me to the Camino. I bush-bashed my way to the second track, between trees, tall ferns and some thorny berry plants. The last map shows the route I walked, effectively taking a shortcut on the Camino, but one that probably contributed to my being so tired by the end.
    I have walked off-track many times in Australia, and the idea of it doesn't concern me at all. I have walked in more difficult conditions too (planned and unplanned 🤣). But I must admit, I got a little nervous when I remembered that there could be wild pigs or hunters 😬. Fortunately, I found neither 😅    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    The fog

    31. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today it was foggy again. It reminded me of the short chat I had with a lovely young girl a couple of days ago.
    She had been in Finisterre and couldn't see the sunset because of the fog. She then walked to Muxía, but when I met her she was going back to Finisterre hoping for a clearer day.
    She's doing the Camino in an attempt to get some clarity on relationship issues she's going through, and seeing the sunset at Finisterre was important to her.
    "It was all just a big fog, like my life" she said. She was in tears.
    I said that the fog may not let her see the sun now, but the sun is there. And to hang on, because the fog will eventually dissipate and the sun will come out. I think it gave her a little hope.
    It also occurred to me that some things may always be enveloped in fog. For example, the true feelings of another person. But if there is love, it will somehow shine through. Don't you think?    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Second last day

    31. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Another 30k day today, but feeling better than yesterday. There were still some long hills, but the day overall seemed easier.
    There were long stretches on the side of the road, and long straight sections of track. I didn't remember this. Did I take an alternative route before? Or was I distracted? 😂 I will have to check.

    I walked alone most of the day, except a short section I walked with Jan. Since starting the way back, we don't see anyone walking in the same direction - everyone seems to be going the other way.
    We didn't expect to see anyone we knew, as it's been several days since we got to Santiago and people we meet on the way normally make it within a day or two. But, surprise! We saw Svenia!
    She was now walking with her sister. She showed me photos of Milka, when she arrived to Santiago and then Finisterre.
    We're back at the same albergue in A Pena now, waiting for the communal dinner 😋    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    A better ending

    31. elokuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Going to the west end and back to Santiago was definitely a good idea.
    The first arrival at Santiago was too busy, too noisy, too confusing, too many people, all a bit overwhelming.
    What a contrast this time: we're within 30k of Santiago and not seeing anyone going there! The walks are quiet and peaceful again.
    I know Santiago will still be full of people arriving from all directions, but now I know how it all works.
    I also wanted to use all the walking time I had, for walking. It worked out perfectly.
    Very happy with the whole experience, and with only one more day to go, I feel ready to switch to 'normal holidays' for a couple of weeks, before going home.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    My superpower

    1. syyskuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I discovered that I have the power of climate control.
    A couple of times before, there was a little rain. I put on my rain jacket and backpack cover, and the rain stopped.
    This time it also started off with a little rain. I didn't get the rain gear out of the bag. Result: the rain didn't stop. On the contrary, it got heavier!
    The town of Negreira was very wet, just when they are having a few days of medieval fiestas - sorry Negreirians, it was my fault. I should have put the jacket on earlier! 🤣    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Adapting to the conditions

    1. syyskuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The first photo is of the square where I had lunch with Jan on my way to Finisterre, grateful for the shade provided by those trees.
    This time we got there for breakfast,still raining, and we had to find a cafe. As we were approaching, we bumped into a German couple Jan knew, who were walking in the opposite direction. It was a lucky encounter, because they had just had breakfast and recommended a good cafe!
    It was called O Cotón, it was really nice and had a good hot chocolate, which I had with a 'tortita' (like a pile of pancakes with fruit). Believe it or not, it's not easy to find traditional hot chocolate in Spain - most bars just offer Colacao, a powder mix that's far, far from the real thing.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    We made it!

    1. syyskuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Second arrival at the Cathedral, this time with my great Camino buddy.
    I was very selective in my use of stamps throughout the Way, because I wanted the whole trip to fit in a single credential.
    As I arrived in Santiago again having walked more than 100k from Finisterre, I got a second Compostela.

    After that, I went to the post office to pick up the luggage I sent myself from Madrid, and then we checked in again at Albergue Seminario Menor.    Lue lisää

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  • Laura's AdventuresCamino Francés 2022Matkaaja

    Camino now over

    1. syyskuuta 2022, Espanja ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After a shower and organising stuff, we walked back to the city for a celebratory dinner. Now that I had my luggage, I could wear my normal street clothes!

    We added up all the kms walked according to my GPS, and the grand total was 1077, done in 40 days. I reckon the cheesecake and chocolate cake we had for dessert, respectively (do I need to say which one I had? 🤣) were well deserved.

    Now I look forward to the next part of my trip. As I'm writing this, I am at the airport waiting for a flight to Valencia. A friend from school lives there and we haven't seen each other for 12 years. We will have a whole weekend and a bit more to catch up.

    Then I fly to Berlin, where I will see my daughter again after 7 years. Hard to believe it's been so long! We have both been through so much during this time, I can't wait to hug her again ❤

    Thank you for following my adventures!    Lue lisää

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    Matkan lopetus
    1. syyskuuta 2022
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