El Camino Day 5/39, Day 6/40 & Day 7/41 -Why is it STILL raining??? Goodbyes and Tradition

Finnisterre ➡ Muxia

At 7.30am on Sunday the 3rd of November 2019 Royce and I got up out of our hotel bed and started walking for the last time on our El Camino journey. We waved a sad farewell to the coastal town of Finnisterre and once again with backpacks slung onto our backs put trainers to pavement and walked. We walked till roughly 10.30am before we came across a couple of friendly dogs who led us up to a pilgrim stop, a small ramshackle house with breakfast laid out. A lovely Spanish lady made us coffee and we chatted with her and petted the dogs and the cat while we had a bite of toast. we were sluggish to go unwillingly to end the trip

the weather held for most of the day and the view were breath taking. the path was all but empty leaving Royce and I to each other company. The sea crashed against rocks and the sound soothed my soul. We lapsed in and out of conversation as we walked musing and lost in thought. the weather broke 2 hours out of Muxia and the last 7km was another wet trudge. We arrived at our Albergue dripping too wet puddles onto the floor. The Small hostel Muxia Mare was quiet but nice with a full length window view out onto the beach. the wind howled and the waves crashed with the pelting rain. it was a pretty spectacular view for a 12 Euro hostel bed.

The following day after another sleep in. (catching up on the past month of lost sleep). We found our way to the very last stamp, and the very last church. Muxia’s coast was far more wild and untamed then Finnisterre, I could feel the raw power of mother nature all around me as the wind ripped through on all sides and the rocks were pelted with waves. the church sat on the rocks a withstanding timeless structure against the blue backdrop. we climbed to the top of Muxia’s hill and took in the 360 degree view that was the very end of our journey. There was nowhere left to go.

A heavy shower ran us off the coast and back into the narrow streets of the town where we found our last certificate and a late lunch. That evening we had drinks with fellow pilgrims Patrick and Mei an adventure tourism guide couple based in Singapore. then went back to the hostel to catch up with Chris our Canadian friend and another of his friends for more vino. We talked of philosophy and history all our minds turned inward in contemplation at the glaring reality of the ending of this path.

Our last day in Muxia we planned to get up early and see sunrise. my bed proved to be too inviting and i saw the back of my pillow instead. We had also planned to go back to Santiago on the bus but cancelled that plan as well when we found out Bar and Sonja our Camino friends from Burgos were arriving that afternoon. Instead we caught up on some photo editing until the rain cleared and then went out and took more photos. We saw our friend Chris of onto his bus with promises to see each other again when we made it to Canada.

We had one more thing to tick off here in Muxia. A pilgrim tradition for those that walked all the way to Muxia would come in through the archway, clamber out to the coast line, strip off, burn their clothes and jump into the ocean to wash away their sins. They would come back onto land cleansed ready for the next leg of their journey. Royce and I had made the call we were going skinny dipping!

After some searching we found a more secluded patch of beach to brave the water. I sent Royce in first and he confirmed it wasn’t that bad, thankfully he wasn’t lieing the water was surprisingly warm for the beginning of November. We may have severely scarred a local fisherman as we made the bare bum run from the sand into the water but it was worth it. We had in our own minds finally completed our pilgrimage.

We celebrated that night with Sonja, Bar and Sabrina at a local restaurant with burgers and drinks. A toast to Spain, to Santiago, to Muxia and our El Camino Journey. To the friends we made and the memories I will forever Cherish.

Thank you so very much for joining us on this journey. It has been a pleasure retelling this journey for you. I hope you have gained something from it. I would urge each and everyone of you no matter your age or ability to attempt this trail. Even with all the words I have written in the past months I have barely touched the experience I have had. What I gained was so much more then this blog can retell. I am a different person to the one that left France all those months ago. How could I not be? This is a journey like no other and its all about change and growth. I challenge you all to find the growth and change within yourselves during our current experience. The world is on lock down and that may not be a 780 kilometer walk, but its no less a challenge.

This is the last Camino journey post. There’s nothing left to tell you. We went home, back to England, Back to reality. But reality changes, because I have changed. I would never take back this experience and even with all the struggles I endured I would do it again. I will continue to elaborate a little on our journey. A packing list and all the places we stayed. Thanks Again and I hope you continue to follow us The Travelling Shepherds and our on going adventures. Stay safe everyone.