September 29, 2018
- Route: Santiago de Compestela to Negreira
- Distance: 21.7 kilometers (13.45 miles)
Although yesterday was technically the end of the Camino, it was also a monumental day will lots of feelings. I had a immense difficulty processing all of it while I was in Santiago.
Part of the challenge was that I was just too close to everything. The pilgrims. The cathedral. The tourists. All I wanted was a bit of space to experience everything at my own pace. But I felt like the walls were closing in on me in Santiago. And so, now I begin part two of my journey – walking the Camino Finisterre.
Three more days of fresh air will surely give me distance to come to grips with this epic adventure ending. I’ve been so focused on making it to the physical destination of Santiago that I don’t think I spent enough time considering all the mental aspects of returning to “normal” life again.
Will I get lost?
As I set off this morning, I worried the Camino would be more difficult to follow as I worked my way toward the Atlantic Ocean. I’d read that finding the start of the Camino Finisterre is a bit difficult. And that warning made me worry about the route beyond.
The entire time I was walking on the Camino Frances, I was moving in the direction of Santiago. All the yellow arrows and signs pointed me where I was headed. Now, I was proposing to walk away from Santiago and I wondered whether I’d get completely lost trying to find my way.
Instead of purchasing a book to help me navigate the route, I downloaded the WisePilgrim App for the Camino Finisterre. I’ve decided to rely solely on that guide and following the Camino’s signs, and hope it will be adequate. And with those those tools in hand, I started walking west from the Cathedral de Santiago
After a few short blocks, I made it to the edge of a park. And there, on the corner tucked beside a walking path, was a monument with the distinctive yellow and blue camino markings. It was the official beginning of the Camino Finisterre.
The stone pillar was just like all the other monuments I encountered toward the end of the Camino Frances. Moreover, it even had the distance to my destination listed below. Heck, this might be easier than I initially thought!
Kiwis on the Camino
It didn’t take long to exit Santiago’s western suburbs and my stomach grumbled for second breakfast by mid-morning. To fill the void, I began to search for a cafe where I could to stop and get a cup of coffee and something to eat. That’s when I spied a small patio covered in grapevines outside a tiny cafe in the small town of Aguapesada. What a perfect place to take a break from the sun and savor a little caffeine.
After dropping my pack at the edge of the patio, I went inside to order from the bar. Carrying my cafe con leche back out to a table near my bag, I happened to glance up at the green vines winding their way through the trellis over the covered patio. That’s when I notices something amazing!
As I inspected above me, I noticed the patio wasn’t just a bunch of grapevines woven together. Instead, this extraordinary veranda had grape and kiwi vines interwoven, and the fruit from both plants were hanging overhead!! I’ve never seen anything quite that clever.
I already knew Italy was one of the world’s top producers of kiwifruit. And other Southern European countries grow it too. But seeing it growing in northwest Spain this morning just blew my mind. I guess it goes to show you that life is full of unconventional surprises if you just keep your eyes open!
Río Tambre
After my break, the trail returned to a more rural and quiet surrounding and some forests. This definitely reminded me of the relaxing outdoor solitude of the Camino before I reached the town of Sarria. I could feel my shoulders relaxing and my mind starting to clear already. My decision to continue along the Camino Finisterre is already proving to be a fantastic choice.
After lunch, the Camino’s route climbed up a steeply toward a small village before descending down again. At the bottom, near the hamlet of Ponte Maciera, a long bridge crossed the Río Tambre.
According to my guide, this section of the river tends to be a popular swimming hole on warmer days. There’s a stone dam across it here, with a small spillway creating a waterfall. Consequently, there are a few shallow pools just above and below the dam where people can stop and cool off in the water.
Although my feet could definitely use a good long soak after walking hundred of miles, I didn’t really feel like working my way down to the river banks and then find a trail upstream to the dam. However, I did spy three more adventurous souls sitting down on the dam’s edge as I walked by this afternoon.
Washing up
After crossing the bridge, the Camino followed the river downstream for a few more kilometers toward the moderately sized town of Negreira. The afternoon had warmed up quite a bit by this time, so I was 100% ready to stop at the very first albergue I saw when I got to in town.
Unfortunately, that eagerness meant I was a little bit hasty in my choice of accommodations. Don’t get me wrong, the albergue was nice. But, I didn’t realize it until after I checked in the I was still actually a kilometer east of Negreira. Moreover, I was at the top of a hill just above the town.
So, stopped at the first albergue I saw meant I’d end up walking down (and then back up) that long hill as I made my way into town to grab some snacks. And I’d end up doing it yet again for dinner this evening.
Once I got cleaned up and cooled off, I decided to spend the rest of my afternoon at the albergue taking care of the stinkiest aspect of all my hiking gear. That’s right. My backpack.
I’ve washed my clothes several times along the Camino, but my backpack has been just getting sweatier and stinker this entire time. After 700 kilometers, the shoulder straps and areas that rest against my back were smelling pretty awful. Today was the day to finally take care of that funk!
I was able to dissemble most of the structural pieces from my Gossamer Gear pack. So all that was left was to borrow a scrub brush from the albergue and wash it all with some liquid soap and a large bucket full of water. My efforts seemed to remove most of the dirt and hopefully got rid of that awful, funky smell.
After a sturdy cleaning, I set all the pieces out in the sun to dry in the courtyard while I ate my snacks and looked at tomorrow’s route. I’m so glad I had this additional time to extend my Camino before I head back home. I trust the next two days will be as enjoyable as today.
