Tag 40 - Muxia nach Finisterre

Finisterre, the end of the world. Just having that in my head really boosts my motivation in the morning. But I'm still a little sleepy at first.
After walking slightly uphill for about 20 minutes along the shore, there was a steep climb of several kilometers. The worst of the day. It goes up through the forest and it rains briefly every now and then.
Once you reach the plateau, you will have a short break before the long downhill stretch begins again.
The Camino is unbelievably beautiful again today and from midday onwards the sun finally comes out. After half the route we don't continue on the normal route but take a detour along a short stretch of coast, making the route a little longer. Kilometer after kilometer towards the goal. The motivation is huge, the mood is very good. But the legs are getting heavier and heavier and the pain is slowly starting to set in.
The route is long and very demanding again today. The fact that the last few days have been incredibly strenuous is starting to really take its toll. And we take a break in a Donativo Oasis, a place where you can get everything for a donation.

Then we finally arrive in Finisterre. But before we go to the hostel, we want to go to the end of the world.
There are two options again. We decide to take the detour first and then the more direct route later. However, none of us had planned to walk these 4-5km to the lighthouse.

With our legs now really at their limit, we went into the forest on the right and up a very steep hill. My comment that at least we were walking in the shade meant that after less than 50m we were only walking in the blazing sun from here on. Steeper than steep, definitely in the top 3 climbs on the entire route through Spain, we continued higher and higher. Until the "holy rocks" were in front of us. The plateau on the rock, from which we could see a good part of the route we had covered (almost in a line with the town in the valley in the picture) and had a wonderful view of the entire region. We continued on the plateau.

Then we arrived on the other side and saw the lighthouse. The end of the world, as we used to believe. Then it was a little more relaxed as we walked the last few meters of the Camino over asphalt to the kilometer marker that showed 0.000km.

I did it. I really did walk to the end of the world.

After sitting on the rocks for a while, I continued on for another 6km. First to Finisterre to receive the final certificate for arrival and then to the accommodation. My feet and legs are definitely worn out and need a break now. Creams and painkillers will be with me for a few more days and after today I think it would be better if I wore the compression stockings for the next few days.
Since the accommodation is a bit out of town, we took a taxi to have dinner and then back to the lighthouse to watch the sunset. There I met a few familiar faces and had nice conversations and said a warm goodbye.

There are two important farewells tomorrow. Evi, who I only met on the way to Santiago earlier today, is taking a bus to Porto immediately after arriving tomorrow. And then Vicky, who is taking the train home on Saturday. I met her on the first day. We walked together for many days, or rather, we walked together again and again, then not for a few days. We met again briefly in Ponferrada, then walked in different rhythms again, then arrived together in Santiago and for the last four days, three or four of us walked the route from Santiago to Finisterre. We had fun together, were sometimes sad, sometimes happy, were there for each other. We exchanged thoughts and experiences and motivated and supported each other. Many people asked whether we were siblings. For me she is my Camino sister and I wish her only the very best for the future and that she will be happy again and have lots of energy for the rest of her life. You can do it and I firmly believe in it.

Tomorrow at noon I will be taking the bus back to Santiago de Compostela and during the course of the day I will write my last post for now, in which I will write about dates, figures, materials and perhaps one or two other things about the Way of St. James.