Onward to the "Ends of the Earth"

On Monday, the day after I arrived in Santiago, I went with a couple of friends, Dave from San Diego and Danny from Manchester, England, to visit a seaside community called Finisterre, which is about ninety kilometers from Santiago.  Many pilgrims choose to travel to Finisterre, some hike, and some - like me - take the bus!  For hundreds of years, people believed that Finisterre was the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula.  The name of Cape Finisterre, in fact, derives from the Latin, finis terrae, meaning "end of the earth".

It is tradition for pilgrims to travel to Finisterre, throw their walking sticks into the Atlantic Ocean and then burn their clothes to rid themselves of lice, bed bugs, or other such unwelcome creatures. We tried to burn some of Danny´s socks, but the wind was too strong and the flame from the cigarette lighter was too weak. So, on this particular day, our efforts to follow tradition were blocked.

Our joy at seeing the turbulent waters crashing against the rocks below and the majestic landforms above, however, was not blocked.  This site has a mystical feel about it, and I can only hope that the millions of pilgrims who have come here over the last thousand years and who have beseeched the Lord´s blessing and guidance contributes to this experience.  I would like to have stayed at this site for several hours, to sit and ponder and pray, but our return to Santiago beckoned, as well as the bus that was waiting to take us back!

After I returned to my room (in a former stone monastery near the Cathedral) in the evening, I was reading Isaiah 62, starting at verse 11.  While this text was originally intended for the people of Israel, I discovered it rather unexpectedly last night, and the subsequent verses seemed to speak directly to me.  Some of these verses exclaim,

     The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth..."Say to Daughter Zion, ´See your Savior
     comes...you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.´"

This is all part of God´s encouragement that He has bestowed upon me in the last few days, things that are not meant for a public blog, but which I attribute to the prayers that many of you have offered on my behalf during this pilgrimage.  I am grateful to you.  I pray also that my rejoicing extends to you and onward to the ends of the earth, whatever that truly means.

Finisterre

The stones placed on the cross are a symbol of people laying their burdens down

The horizon from the "end of the earth"

Dave and Danny with me

Site where clothes are burned

The lighthouse on the point in Finisterra

The coastline along the bay in Finisterra

The last way marker, which says, "0.0 K.M." (0.00 kilometers)!  (Note, the scallop shell is the symbol for the Camino. It has its origins in the myths and traditions about St. James-who in the Spanish is called "Santiago".)

 

Days 35-36: Arrival in Santiago!

On Saturday (Day 35), I only hiked fifteen kilometers because I wanted to walk the final five kilometers and enter Santiago on Sunday morning when I was fresh and able to attend the worship service. That night, I stayed in a hostel that reminded me and my friends of the concentration camps from WWII.  There were about thirty stone block buildings with numerous small rooms that provided beds for eight people in each room.  This albergue (hostel) can house five hundred pilgrims at one time! I was thrilled on Sunday morning not only to leave this albergue behind, but to FINALLY arrive in Santiago!

Thus, having started The Camino Frances on September 23rd in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and after walking eight hundred kilometers (which is five hundred miles), I entered the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain on October 28 (Day 36) to pay homage to this saint but most especially to give glory and praise to God for His watchcare over me during these challenging weeks. I thank Him for walking with me through beautiful sunshine; I thank Him for keeping me strong through torrential rain storms; I praise him for keeping me cool during blistering heat; and I am grateful for his warmth during the mornings when it was freezing cold.  I stayed in a different place every single night except one, and that place didn´t even have a sheet, blanket or paper mattress cover for the bed.  I fought off painful blisters and possibly even a Morton´s neuroma (my toes are numb on one foot!) to the point where I finally got rid of my hiking shoes and started wearing sandles and wool socks that I had bought in Leon to complete the journey.  The truth is that I was actually one of the lucky ones...I know people who were hospitalized for GI problems, several who saw the doctor for infected blisters, others who were hospitalized for dehydration and kidney problems, numerous others who were almost incapacited by tendonitis, and one person who saw the doctor for veritgo (dizzy spells).

I finally arrived around 10:15am at the Cathedral in the center of Santiago.  I bumped into three women from Maine-Roberta, Deb and Holly-as I entered the city, and we walked to the Cathedral together.  It was sweet to move towards the culmination of my journey with people I had met along the Way.  Upon our arrival, we learned that the priests were going to swing the botafumeiro during this service, not the later service like we had originally heard.  Incense is sometimes used in worship services to symbolize the worshippers´prayers rising forth to heaven. The botafumeiro is a large incense burner that was also used in historic times to fumigate the sweaty and sometimes disease-ridden pilgrims who had just arrived in the city.  Eight attendants swing long ropes that are connected to the transepts at the very top of the vaulted cathedral ceiling.  These long ropes control the large, incense burner with it´s burning coals inside.  As the botafumeiro swings back and forth, back and forth like a trapese artist across the horizontal crossbeams of the sanctuary, the scented incense streams out and leisurely wafts to and fro - some rising towards the heavens and some falling gently like autumn leaves to the ground.  

 

 

 

More photos

The Famous Yellow Arrow

Remember I shared that pilgrims are guided primarily to Santiago by a simple yellow arrow that is painted on walls, buildings, signs, bridges, trees and any place that will help us know which direction to walk.  Here are a few yellow arrows for you to appreciate. As you see, these are not necessarily "professionally" painted...but they accomplish their purpose, and that is what counts, at least for the pilgrim!

Days 31-34: Entering Galicia

I am now walking through the region in Spain called Galicia.  Galicia is the region where Santiago de Compostela is located. The guidebook I have been using (A Pilgrim´s Guide to the Camino de Santiago by John Brierley) says, "The mountains of Galicia are the first object in 5000 km that the westerly winds coming across the Atlantic hit, so you can expect an immediate change in weather with frequent rain showers...and thick fog all feeding a maze of mountain streams and deep river beds" (p. 235).  Brierley writes that this land is similar to Celtic lands with small fields and lush pastures grazed by sheep, cows, pigs, geese, and chickens.  Actually, this land reminds me quite a lot of the Appalachian Mountains where my sister lives.  There are times I almost think I will see my sister Sara coming up on her bicycle, ready to go biking with me!

As the book relates, the weather does change a lot here, but I have mostly been amazingly fortunate.  Four days ago, it could not have been more beautiful.  I even say a rainbow (though there was no rain). On that night, I stayed at an albergue (hostel) where I had dinner with an American man from San Diego and a dear couple from Ontario.  It was a perfect evening, as we reflected on our respective Camino experiences.  I came up with the idea that we should make a Camino board game and that opened up all sorts of funny possibilities for what the game could be like.  You know, things like "you have three blisters, go back three spaces".  Most of our jokes can only be appreciated if you have walked the Camino, so I won´t bore you with more details. But for us, it was a halarious night with much laughter and special reflections from all of us about our experiences along the Way.

The very next day couldn´t have had worse weather.  I slogged through rain and rain and more rain.  I slogged through cow poop, cow poop and more cow poop.  I slogged through mud, mud and more mud.  I walked for almost eight hours and most of that time was pouring rain. When I arrived at the albergue, I could hardly hold a pen to sign my name because I was so soaked and cold.  Later that evening, I had some very interesting conversation with a woman from England.  I will not share that experience here, at least not now, but it was one of the highlights of my Camino experience...sort of like that note I found under the rock!  So, despite all the rain, and my weary efforts to trudge a few extra kilometers to the next albergue, it was all worth it!

For the last three days, I have walked a total of sixty-two miles.  Today, I walked the farthrest I have ever walked in one day - thirty-three kilometers - which equals almost twenty-one miles.  I am now only 20 kilometers away from Santiago!!  Tomorrow, I will walk just fifteen kilometers and will stay in an albergue that has spaces for five hundred pilgrims!  Then, Sunday morning, I will walk the final five kilometers to the city and will attend the "Pilgrim Mass" at 12 noon at the Cathedral church. Of course, it will all be in Spanish, but I figure God knows English too!  When I arrive, I will be praying for you, my dear friends, and especially thanking God for your encouragement and love for me over these five hundred miles/eight hundred kilometers!  I couldn´t have done it without you.

Days 28-30: Reaching for the Stars

I am now 96.4 miles (155.2 kilometers) from Santiago de Compostela!  I entitled this post "Reaching for the Stars" for two reasons.  First, the last few days, and yesterday in particular, have been filled with climbing and climbing and more climbing.  Yesterday, the last 6-7 miles of my hike were like walking straight uphill, really like reaching for the stars.  I was clambering over slate surfaces, gravel rocks, tree roots and large stones. I was dodging cow patties, listening to cow bells on woolly sheep, and today, met several cows face to face along the trail! Early yesterday, it was cold (37.5 degrees F), and the wind and whisps of fog danced around the mountain as I made my way closer and closer to the more intense climb nearer the top.  A beautiful river/brook bubbled along the trail to my left, and the yellows, reds and oranges of fall foliage accented the water´s mossy banks and dark blue and black reflection. 

I also called this post, "Reaching for the Stars", because the name, "Santiago de Compostela" ("compost terra"), means in the original Spanish, "field of stars".  I am inching closer to Santiago de Compostela every day, and I couldn´t be more excited and determined to reach my goal.  Some share that "Santiago calls them closer every day."  I am sure that is true for some, but for me, the thought of reaching my goal and then coming home is what calls me.  For me, reaching for the stars is really about reaching the heights of love and life, and that means, at least for me, being reunited with my family and friends.

Hope you will enjoy and appreciate these photos:

Day 27: Mountains Adorned with Snow

When I wrote yesterday evening, the weather outside was cold, foggy and rainy.  I couldn´t imagine waking up to a beautiful new day.  When I was just preparing to leave early this morning, the manager of the hostel exitedly called me to the window and exclaimed in Spanish, "Look at the snow!"  As it turns out, it had snowed in the night on the mountains towering majestically along the horizon!  During my walk this morning, I could see these mountains and they were so beautiful.  I walked for over two hours with this incredible scene around me.  See photos below:

 
Regarding my request for songs about rain, I was amazed at the number of songs that you all came up with.  I thought of a couple of these last night when I was going to sleep!  I have thought of others, but won´t bore you with them here. Thanks for your participation.  You are great sports!

I am so grateful to share that the rest of the day has been filled with a brilliant sun. It is still chilly, but the clouds have disappeared for now and I am basking in the brightness of the sun´s warmth and light.  I walked an additional 27 kilometers (17 miles) today and now have 150 miles to go!  Santiago is beckoning me (and coming home is too!).  I miss you, special friends and family!