Day 73 Cee - Finisterre - The end of the world

Today has been a funny sort of day.  We set off from Cee this morning knowing that later that day we would reach the end of our planned charity walk of over 900 miles.  As we walked we kept thinking that it was truly incredible that we had managed to walk so far.

The weather was once again on our side and we had brilliant sunshine all the way.  After the obligatory climb early in the morning the path levelled off and we had a pleasant few miles before reaching Sardineiro where we stopped at a "chiringuito" on the beach for a coffee.  Beautiful white sands and we were almost tempted to go for a swim!

After another steep climb we had our first sight of Finisterre and its lighthouse in the distance.  What a thrill that was! We quickened our step as the path wound round the coastline getting ever closer to Finisterre.  The path eventually led to a paved walkway which took us right into town.

We had arrived!.........well, almost........the medieval legendary "end of the world" is at the lighthouse in Cape Finisterre, another two miles away.....uphill, naturally!

Reaching the zero marker of the Camino was an incredibly emotional moment.  It had taken us some two and a half months and a few aches and pains to get here!

It is difficult to adequately describe how we feel.  It has been an incredible journey. To walk over 900 miles seemed an impossible task weeks ago and all throughout the walk we have agonised as to whether we would make it or if we would let people down.  Many were the times when we thought our feet would carry us no further but somehow we always seemed to find the strength to continue, supporting each other as required.

Now that we have finally arrived we can think back to Gibraltar and where it all started.  Our initial journey in torrential rain along the coast to Tarifa, walking on the beach,  the beautiful sand dunes of Bolonia and Barbate, sipping sherry in Jerez, the flooded paths everywhere, joining the Via de la Plata in Seville, coming into contact with other "pilgrims" for the first time, forging close friendships with some of them, climbing the steepest, rockiest, most awful goat-track aptly named "Cuesta del Calvario", writing the blog each day, chatting with villagers about their way of life, "talking" with the animals, washing our clothes in cold water, sleeping in bunk-beds in Albergues, arriving in Salamanca where many of our friends finished their camino, getting to Puebla de Sanabria to collect a new pair of boots, having the odd cold shower, blisters, more blisters, even more blisters, the frustration of lack of telephone or internet connections, the amazing sight of the Puente Quinto, climbing the two highest mountain passes in Galicia in torrential rain, more floods, sleeping in very basic mountain huts,

more blisters, dodgy feet, lots and lots of laughter, walking "on top of the world" along mountain crests, getting to know "new" pilgrims, giving and receiving words of encouragement, showing the newcomers how to tend to their blisters, getting lost, having our mobile phones run out of battery or credit or both at crucial moments, the odd row, more blisters, more laughter, arriving in Santiago and its amazing Cathedral, the Pilgrims Mass there and witnessing the swinging of the "Botafumeiro", being told to rest my feet for two or three months, getting ill, both of us getting ill, feeling miserable, getting back on our feet, determined to carry on, more aches and pains, lots more laughter and eventually arriving in Finisterre.  WOW!

One day we may be able to communicate more cogently exactly how we feel today.  For now let us say that we are tremendously proud of what we have achieved so far.  Our only regret is that our fundraising efforts have not yielded the desired results.  That said, this was never just about raising funds for charity.  It was more about remembering friends and family who are no longer with us and sharing our experiences with loads of people in many parts of the world.

We thank you for your support and if you think you have now got rid of us you have another thing coming!  Tomorrow morning we continue our walk towards Muxia and hopefully La Coruna which we hope to reach in about a week's time.  If we achieve that we will have crossed the whole of Spain, something which very few people can claim to have done!  Who knows,  maybe we will be the first! We will continue to post our blog until we finish so please watch this space!

We have drawn our inspiration from our parents, all of whom have always encouraged us to believe that all things are possible.  Also from people like Cristabel Watson who walked from Gibraltar to La Coruna a few years ago via a shorter but arguably more difficult route, in the amazing time of 42 days.  From Frank Gardner, the BBC security correspondent whose fighting spirit in the face of huge adversity shows my "feet" episodes as somewhat unimportant and irrelevant and Rosie Swales whose book " A little run across the world" set us thinking if we could try and do a mini-version.

I'm not sure that we have succeeded, but we have certainly had a lot of fun trying!  We very much hope that our footsteps may serve to guide the many that will undoubtedly follow.

Day 72 Lagos - Cee

We are slowly getting back into our stride and the walk today of 25 kms proved less exhausting than yesterday. The sun shone again and it was very hot but thankfully less humid.  The countryside was just as beautiful.  After a few stiff climbs we found ourselves "on top of the world" with the valleys below.

On a day like today it is great to be alive and out in the countryside.  It was very peaceful with only the sounds of the birds and the river below to disturb it.  Today in contrast to other days we saw very few villages and those that we saw were dotted with splendid "Horreos" the old granaries so typical of this part of Spain.

In the village of Hospital the road split into two with one going in the direction of Finisterre, which we followed, whilst the other took a short cut to Muxia.  The path led us to the sites of two shrines both which supposedly have springs which in the past have cured ailing feet!

We couldn't resist the temptation and dunked our feet in the running water which was freezing!  It was good fun and a welcome respite from the heat of the day.  So far I cannot report any miracle cure as my foot still hurts a lot!

The final approach to Cee was down one of the steepest and longest rocky paths we have experienced.  By the time we got down to sea level our legs were like jelly -  I really must stop drinking the local wine!  The good news is that today we reached the Atlantic Ocean, a welcome sight after almost two and a half months!

Once in the Albergue I realised I had left my towel in Negreira so it was off to the centre of town, where much to my surprise I found a splendid sports shop complete with a selection of sports towels.

We are now sitting down in a local bar waiting to watch the Spain Portugal match, which should be a cracker!

Day 71 Negreira - Lagos

A long tiring walk of 27 kms today, 28th June 2010, my 65th birthday!  For a birthday treat Ana Maria arranged for a car to collect us from the Camino and take us to a nice hotel in a nearby town, complete with jacuzzi!  Such luxury for a poor old peregrino!  Such a devoted wife!

There have been thousands of birthday greetings from all over the world (well, a handful at least!) and it´s been a very nice day.  Many thanks to the many who did phone or text or sent emails - it´s good to know so many people care.

The weather was rather hot and humid today with temperatures of around 28 degrees with the result that even the excellent wicking properties of our "technical" shirts failed to make the grade!

Still, the scenery was once more delightful, although a few very steep hills had us gasping for breath at times!  Photos will need to wait for another day as we have experienced some "technical difficulties" and no- I am not drunk! (photos now posted!)

There are now some 40 kms to Finisterre, the end of our charity walk.  All being well we will be there in two days.  After that we will decide whether or not to carry on to Muxia and La Coruña.

How does it feel to be 65?  Only my left foot feels 65, the rest of me is still in the mid forties!

Does this mean I am entitled to a state pension now - fantastic.  The drinks are on me!

Day 70 Santiago de Compostela - Negreira

This morning we both woke up feeling a little bit groggy, looked at each other and said "today we leave no matter what!"  It was a good decision.  14 miles and six and a half hours later we arrived in Negreira with only another 50 miles or so left to go to Finisterre.  It has been an exhausting day, due mainly to our poor physical state following being bedridden for a few days!

At the same time it was great to be walking the grreat outdoors and breathing fresh air again.  As we left Santiago via its great Obradoiro square a troup of horseriders were arriving.  The streets were otherwise deserted.  The first marker we saw informed us that there were 88 kms left for Finisterre!


The path soon took us through parks and leafy suburbs of Santiago.  This became a pattern for the day as we travelled through beautiful woodland and rolling countryside going through numerous villages and hamlets on the way, including the picturesque village of Ponte Maceira.



The village is divided in two parts with a stone bridge straddling the river Tambre.  The bridge is late 15th century but was restored in medieval style in the 18th century.

The day, which had been cloudy to start with, soon became sunny with a light cool breeze, making walking very pleasant.

When we finally arrived in Negreira we were starving as we have not been eating much these past few days.  After lunch we were told that the Albergue was full so we went to find a private one.  After depositing our rucksacks we hightailed it to the nearest bar to watch the England-Germany game.  We are now paying the price as our German friends on the Camino have now started to phone in and the situation is getting QUITE STRESSFUL!  Katrin, we are never speaking to you again!

Right now we are in another bar watching the Argentina - Mexico game and I hope this also is not going to prove too stressful.  Germans I can handle, Ana Maria is a different proposition!

Tomorrow we have a long day which we are trying to split into two easier stages.  At the moment we cannot figure out where we are going to sleep tomorrow night in order to achieve this, but we keep on trying.

A number of you have been in touch tonight wanting to know about my foot.  I have taken the view that the foot will not stop us getting to our destination.  It may take us longer than planned, but we will get there!......but thanks for asking!

Day 69 Getting ready to depart Santiago

Today we have been preparing to get under way tomorrow.  This is still subject to Ana Maria recovering sufficiently.

Today we went ahead with our live connection with Brooklands FM Radio, which you can listen to by clicking the link on the left.  They have been very supportive all along and we are very encouraged by their continuing enthusiasm in what we are doing.

Our latest plan therefore is to leave for Finisterre tomorrow, reaching there in 4 days.  If we feel up to the task we will continue to Muxia (another 2 days) and then on to La Coruna, a further 5 days.

Wish us luck!

Day 68 - Still "resting" in Santiago de Compostela!

Thank you all so much for all your messages wishing me a speedy recovery and encouraging us to continue our journey.  The latest news is that Ana Maria herself has now fallen ill so we will need to delay our departure for another couple of days!  We are beginning to suspect that we have picked up some sort of bug.

Our hopes of reaching Finisterre in time for my birthday are now dashed but we are determined to carry on as soon as we feel we are able to.

Keep watching this space.

Day 65-67 Days resting in Santiago

They say it never rains but it pours.  Following the bad news about my foot, I contracted a severe case of food poisoning which has left me in bed for the last two days!


Today I am feeling slightly better and we hope to set off for Finisterre tomorrow Friday 25th.  With a bit of luck we will arrive there on the 28th, my 65th birthday.  Once there we will decide if we carry on to La Coruna or if we call it a day.  


These past couple of days have been very trying for us and we are very grateful for all the messages of encouragement we have received from many of you.  

Day 64 Resting in Santiago

POSTED ONE DAY LATE


As agreed I went to the local hospital this morning to have my foot checked out.  It’s all bad news, I’m afraid and the doctor there suggested I stop walking for some time.

The problem continues to be my old ailment “plantar fasciaities” which unfortunately has gotten much worse, due to the high amount of walking we have done and of course the weight we are carrying.

I was not entirely satisfied with the diagnosis so later today we went to see a private podiatrist for a second opinion.    She thought the condition would not improve unless I stopped walking for at least three months!

As you can imagine I have been feeling very depressed tonight and also my foot is hurting like hell after all the manipulation it received today! 

At noon we went to the Cathedral for the traditional "Misa de Peregrinos", which was a very nice service with the attendance of the Archbishop of Santiago and various clergy from all over Spain.  At the end the swinging of the "Botafumeiro" was as exciting as I remembered from our previous visits to the Cathedral!

Ana Maria and I were meant to have diner with Karl, Nina, Paolo, Giovanni and Davide but we have cried off.  I hope they understand that I would not be very good company tonight!

The only glimmer of hope is that if the pain recedes I am assured that continuing to walk will not damage the foot.  I am hoping that resting the foot for another couple of days might do the trick and we might then be able to carry on to Finisterre as planned.  Our plans to carry on to la Coruna are currently on ice.

We have decided to spend an extra day in Santiago and hope to start walking to Finisterre, all being well on Wednesday 23rd June.

Day 63 Outeiro - Santiago de Compostela

POSTED 2 DAYS LATE

Today was an emotional day for many as it marked the end of their pilgrimage to Santiago.  Such was the case for Karl, our German friend who walked with us all the way.














We had purposely planned it so that we would have a short day – only about 12 miles, enabling us to reach Santiago exactly at noon, after walking for only four and a half hours.

The weather was kind to us and after a cloudy start we had brilliant sunshine all the way.  Once again we could sense we were nearing a major city and the houses along the path were definitely more modern than those we had seen previously up in the mountains.

As we approached the city via the old "Camino Real" we saw the spires of the Cathedral in the far\distance, our cue to stop for some photos!

As soon as we arrived in Santiago we went to queue up with dozens of other pilgrims to obtain our “Compostela”, the official record of our journey.  After that we entered the Cathedral by the "Puerta Santa" which is only opened during the Holy Years, to pay the traditional greeting to St James.

Later we went to find our hotel.  Fortunately the hotel had double booked and offered to put us up in a nearby house, also belonging to the hotel.  It has been recently refurbished to a high standard and offered us a sitting room to boot where we watched some of the football.

In the evening we went to dinner with Karl to celebrate reaching Santiago. My foot which has been troubling me all week, flared up yesterday and it was a struggle getting here. 

I have finally had to face up to the fact that I need to have my foot looked at and we agreed that I would attend the local hospital in the morning.

Day 62 Silleda - Outeiro

Today we woke up a little later and left Silleda at 0745 after (expensive) breakfast at one of the local bars.  Initially we followed the N525 and later the path took us cross-country.  The countryside again was very similar to Surrey and we felt quite at home.

Narrow country lanes, gravel paths, stony paths etc etc., following a similar pattern to the day before.  Some stunning views of rivers, viaducts, the odd cow or two causing a traffic jam, old stone bridges and a new motorway bridge under construction came and went, and still the path went on heading ever closer top Santiago.


There are more villages en route now and one can sense the proximity of a major town nearby by the proliferation of industrial estates and built up areas.  One thing that was very pleasing today was to see dozens of day trippers walking this stretch of the Camino.  When we got to Puente Ulla the coaches were waiting there to take them home.  All right for some!

Another pleasing thing today was meeting up again with our friend Karl, whose foot has recovered sufficiently to allow him to carry on walking.  Tomorrow we hope to reach Santiago together - or as he put it "I only waited for you to catch up so that you can take my picture coming into Santiago! Seriously, he has become a close friend and we will miss him when he leaves for Portugal, where he has a flat, although we have threatened to visit him in Cologne later this year!

Today we were also able to catch up with our weekly live interview with Brooklands FM Radio, which we missed last week because of poor communications problems.  A reminder that you can listen to all the radio interviews by clicking the link on the left of the blog.

Finally a message for Roberto and Lisa - where are you?  We have lost contact and hope to meet up with you in Santiago.  Same goes for Johan and Karin who last we heard were a few days behind us.  We hope that you too will catch up with us in Santiago.  A reminder to all that our email address is look4gomez@gmail.com

Our Albergue tonight is near the village of Outeiro, surrounded by woods.  Very peaceful setting.  It is 8.30p.m. and pilgrims are still arriving!  Some people have emailed us asking if all the people are really pilgrims.  The answer is quite simple. No!  On this blog we tend to call everyone a pilgrim to simplify matters.  We take the view that anyone doing the Camino de Santiago and carrying a pilgrim "Credencial" should rightfully be called a pilgrim.

However, people walk for different reasons; some religious, some spiritual, some because of the physical challenge, some because they simply like walking.  Contrary to popular belief, many of the people walking the Camino are not even Catholic.  For example, the last couple of days we have been meeting two Russian girls one of whom at least is Jewish.  

Tonight we have been booking somewhere to stay in Santiago.  We are told that the city is heaving with pilgrims.  There are 3000 beds available for pilgrims in various Albergues in the city but we have booked ourselves into a nice hotel for a change.


On Monday I have to have my foot looked at as it is becoming very painful at all times, making walking difficult.