Finisterre to Muxia – 28.2km, 7.25 hours, Friday, 3 October

I wasn’t sure this final walk was going to happen so I kept it quiet.  We had been told that it was a long and difficult walk without much support like cafes, toilets, water sources, etc.  That was all nonsense. It was a beautiful walk, serene, quiet and with enough services for at least a good weather day that we had.  It was overcast in the morning but by the second half of the day it was bright, sunny and actually fairly hot. 

I will only write a bit today because we are now just enjoying the real finish of our Camino.  I’ll try to make up for that with more photos due to the dry day.

First, we walked several kilometers with a young girl from Hong Kong.  She was lovely to chat with but her Chinese name was just too hard for me to understand. You would think after 38 years in and around east Asia, I would better at that but Melanie couldn’t get it either. When we wanted to get her attention, we just said “hey, you”

In one town early on the walk, an elderly woman stopped us for a chat and to practice her limited English. She asked where we were from and I answered for the group – because I was the first to figure out what she asked – “She is from Hong Kong, my wife is from Singapore and I was originally from the United States. Believe it or not but Melanie’s and Hey You’s countries of origins did not impress her at all but when I mentioned that I was American, her face lit up and she asked which state (though it came out more like “widge stet”.  Being an expert at understanding non-native English speakers, I immediately was able to reply that I grew up in Maryland. WOW!  She was now in seventh heaven.  She said, and I quote, “Ia lib-ed en Newer Shersey por tirdy-feed years.”  She went on to tell me that she loved it there but her husband hated it so when he retired, they came back to Spain to live. She has to daughters still in the US as well as three grandchildren.  She also had a good friend there who had recently moved to Maryland. She goes to the US once a year to visit the daughters and grandchildren.  I think she was about to tell us all their names, ages and grade in school but I motioned that we needed to leave as it was starting to get dark.   We escaped but promised we would come back soon.

In the next town, we were walking past another woman’s house and she was out front putting out a basket of what looked like big, round pears.  I whispered to Melanie and Hey You to tip-toe past the house but it was too late.  The woman spotted us and broke my heart. She simply asked, “Would you like an apple?”  Wow, how lovely.  Now I felt bad that I tried to pass her by.  We gladly accepted her offer and she gave each of us one.  The apples were nothing like I had seen before. The woman didn’t appear to be the type of evil witch who poisons people then eats them so after we found a fountain to wash them, I tested one and they were delicious. My faith in humanity was restored. 

Peace y’all and thanks again for your support.

George and Leo – quit fidgeting and go to sleep!