I went to Finisterra yesterday with Arlene, and the three English people I met on the first day of walking: Rita, Ken and Carmel. We decided to rent a car instead of taking the bus and I think it was a good thing to do in the end. God bless Arlene, the only person who had her drivers license with her, for driving. We had a gps unit (Kate) in the car and even then it was a bit crazy getting out of the city. Once we got out on the highway though, Kate sent us up into the mountains, away from the coast, but it turned out alright in the end as we were rewarded with stunning views of the whole coastline. Again, it was hot, sunny and clear and as we made our way down the mountain and to the coast we were swept up in the beauty of it all. We made it to Finisterra and had a little walk around the town and then went for lunch at one of the many restaurants on the sea front. Afterwards we went up to the lighthouse and took many photos. There is a long tradition of pilgrims going to Finisterra and burning all their clothing so as to cleanse themselves in both body and spirit before turning back and making the long journey home. Now, it is a very touristy place and no burning is allowed! We had to settle for absorbing ourselves in the stunning views of the beautiful coastline - it was blissful being by the sea again, inhaling it´s salty, sweet scent.
Back to Santiago and one last evening with my good friend Arlene. She is so amazing and such a gift from my Camino experience. We laughed, we cried, we shared many moments walking, eating, drinking and sharing as if we´d known each other for years. She is a gem and I am so blessed to have met her. The only thing that prevented me from crying my eyes out is that I know I will see her again in the UK before I go home.
I have decided to go back to Liverpool on Monday. I am feeling a little overwhelmed with my experience and feel the need to re-group before making further travel plans. I feel good about this and even though Barcelona would be amazing, I feel like I have plenty of time to come back to Spain if I want to later. The weather here continues to be sunny and hot - today it was 36 degrees!! Hard to leave this country...
So, two more nights at the Parador (!!!) - I heard someone call me a "Paradonna", which I thought was very fitting. I could have moved to another hotel, or, God forbid the Alburgue, but hey, I´ll only turn 50 once and I might as well milk it for all it´s worth.
Stay tuned, I will continue to write about my journey. I appreciated all the beatiful emails I received for my birthday from all who took the time to email or comment. Thank you.
