HikeAcrossSpain

Day 37 Cee to Finisterre Miles today:  12.8 to lighthouse and back to Finisterre Elevation gain:  1238’ Descent. 1062’ Walking miles:  454.6 Total Camino miles:  567.9.  The people that live the longest are those who don’t run out of things to do.   Unknown Spain is very green, at least at this time of the year. Once again today we experience the rains of Spain! We start out late again today as our walking day is short mileage-wise. It is raining lightly as we start, walking along the bay at Cee before climbing up village streets and finally onto a dirt path through the woods. The wind and rain increase as we go. We enter an area of brilliantly yellow bushes, somewhat different than the ones we say previously. A local tell us these are the Retama bush, also known as “bridal bloom or bridal veil bloom”. Time passes quickly with one short morning coffee stop. We begin to get wonderful ocean views. As we approach the...

Day 36. Olveiroa to Cee Miles today: 12.8 Elevation gain:  648’ Descent:  1528’ Walking miles:  441.3 Total Camino miles:  555.1 To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries – Aldous Huxley This morning we sleep in a bit and have a late breakfast at 8 am. We are sitting in the cafe at the hotel next to a large window looking out onto the street which is also the Camino path. What looks like a light rain soon turns into a full on downpour with heavy winds. We eat slowly, discussing our options. Very few pilgrims pass by and those few who do look miserable in the horizontal rain.  By 9:15 the rains have almost stopped so we gather our backpacks and rain gear and start on our way. The small village is quickly left behind and we cross a bridge over a small rushing stream and turn onto a dirt and gravel path. We always marvel at how crystal clear all of the streams and rivers have been in Spain. While the rains ha...

Day 35 Negreira to Olveiroa Miles today:  21.9 Elevation gain:  1741’ Descent:  1383’ Walking miles:  428.5 Total Camino miles:  542.3 Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul – Jaime Lyn Beatty Blaze and I start out early this morning. It is 7 am and just barely light enough to see due to the heavy dark cloud layer. We eat some fruit as we walk but we are traveling without coffee on board. We start out along a gorgeous rushing and cascading river on a nice gravel path. After a mile or so along the river, we veer off and begin to climb along a narrow dirt path through the woods. It is lush and green and the vegetation is wet and the overhead trees drip on us. It rained heavily overnight. We climb on and off through ferns and dense trees. We have miles to walk before we rest.  We push onward without stopping for almost 3 hours and 8.5 miles to meet Judy and Eileen at a cafe in Vilaserio. They have taken a taxi here t...

Day 34  Santiago to Negreira Miles today:  13.5 Elevation gain:  1313’ Descent:  1611’ Walking miles:  406.6 Total Camino miles:  521.4 Moving speed:  2.7 mph Live your life by a compass, not a clock.                Steven Covey The Camino de Santiago is finished and today we start the Camino Finisterre, which goes from Santiago west to the town of Finisterre on the coast and then north up to Muxia. This is a short Camino, only about 75 miles in length and we will do it in 5 days. The forecast is not looking great....it looks like some heavy rains starting tomorrow, but we are hoping for mostly nighttime rains and cloudy days...we shall see. Our hike today is wonderful, just like the Camino of past weeks before we reached Sarria. The number of walkers is nice and small and the terrain is gorgeous. The smaller number of pilgrims is like going back in the past to our early Camino da...