Camino Finisterre - Day 3 Finisterre

After our final night in an albergue, we hoped for a day with better weather so we could truly walk the last few kilometers from the little fishing town of Finisterre to the lighthouse on the Cape.
Breakfast was included at the albergue and the weather looked better but there were still threatening clouds. We were on our way at about 7:30 and we set off through the town and up the hill on the road heading southwest. It only took is about 45 minutes with views over the ocean on our left before we reached the few buildings and the lighthouse on the rock that people in earlier times believed to be the end of the earth. It was only 4 km but was the final few steps of our more than 800 km (500 mile) journey from France and across Spain.

There were very few people around and it is certainly a lonely place. I still had the stone I had brought with me, selected from the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Pilgrims have traditionally taken a stone from their home with them on their journey to leave at a significant place on their journey. Many chose to leave it at the Cruzo de Ferro, Iron Cross. However although I remembered having it when I packed my backpack before leaving home, I had not been able to find it until a few days before the end of the journey. I came across it in the first aid kit which I, thankfully, had not had a reason to go to until I needed a band aid to clean and cover a scratch on my arm from a fall a few days earlier. When I tipped out the contents of the bag, the stone appeared with the antiseptic cream, blister covers and the other contents.
For many the stone represents the burdens of life that they wish to leave behind before returning home, but I could not think of any burdens that I carry with me so I had not felt bad about not finding the stone earlier. When it appeared I decided that I would leave it at the end of the earth so now I was there I took the opportunity of throwing it off the cliff and down to the waves crashing on the rocks below.

Soon after, Christa and Ute arrived. We took more photos showing we had reached the end of our journey with 0.00 km left to go. A significant moment. The rain had held off and our journey was truly ended. The sun broke through at that moment and made amazing patterns on the ocean.

We returned to the car together and set off for a final stop in Muxia. This is a small town at the northern end of the same peninsular and is a site where a tradition says The Virgin Mary appeared to St. James after traveling there in a stone ship. There is a church of Nuestra Señora de la Barca on a headland just north of the little town which contains pieces of the stone boat but when we got there the church was closed so we were not able to visit it but only to take a photo through the little window in the door.

Soon after we had left the church and climbed to the top of the headland it started to rain so we hurried back to the car and set off for the apartment in Cormé. Christa and Ute wanted to stop in Camariñas on the way for some special items and Werner and I did some grocery (beer, wine, bread and tea) shopping in the local supermarket there. Then back to the apartment for a light lunch and showers for Werner and me before a relaxing afternoon. The pilgrimage, journey, adventure, were finally completed. An incredible experience of a lifetime.

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