Distance: 32.6km (64.4km / 1084.7km).
Weather: Nice in the beginning, the more clouds later.
Pilgrims usually goes to the cape for the sunset, but what about the sunrise? A part of me wants to go out again in the morning, bring with me some breakfast and watch the sun rise above the mainland to the east. This would in turn mean another possibly late start. I leave it be and instead leaves the albergue to find a place for breakfast. It is quiet on the seafront. I find an open place next to the busstop and municipal albergue, where a long line of pilgrims are already in place waiting for the bus.
Finisterre in the morning, Castelo de San Carlos.
I must say that it does feel a little bit strange to be sitting here before I start on the next leg of my Camino towards Santiago, with the knowledge that most of the others here are now finished. Stating the obvious, I am happy that I am not finished yet. Today, I will go to Olveiroa, despite that I most of all wants to go to Logoso instead. The reason is simple, I have not stayed in Olveiroa on any of my prevous outings to Finisterre or Muxía.
Early morning outside Finisterre.
Praia de Langosteira in the morning.
It is not easy to walk away from the end of the world, but it has to be done. Dawn is still in its early stage when I leave Finisterre and walk towards the Praia de Langosteira. Down at the beach, the light is beautiful, but not entirely awake. A pale pearly blue silhouetted against the cape and the lighthouse. I do not walk on the beach, finding it hard, but I have to go down to it at intervals to watch the progress of the light on the sky. On a path next to the beach are small lamps illuminating the way with a warm atmosphere.
The sun rising behind Monte Pindu.
The first pilgrims walking on their last kilometres, I meet at the entrance to Sardiñeiro de Abaixo. My guess is that they walked to Cee or Corcubión yesterday. I have always found this place a little bit peculiar, but then again, I have only been here off-season. Now it is like an empty beach resort village. From here on, I expect to meet pilgrims quite frequently.
Path to Sardiñeiro de Abaixo.
Encrucijada de San Roque is also one of those strange places, maybe due to the derelict building with sorrowful murals on or the gate to the cemetery that frames in Capo Finisterre. More so because of the albergue de peregrinos here, which always looks empty, abandonded and closed (it's not). In the distance, the sun has now awoken from its slumber, but so has the clouds. Starting the descent to Corcubión, I have a pleasant conversation with two other pilgrims.
San Roque, with Capo Finisterre framed by the cemetery gate.
On the way down, I also face one of the problems of going in the opposite direction, but it is all my own fault. I miss a small waymarker and heads off on a wrong road, only getting aware of my error sometimes later. I remember this part from before, it is a short, but splendid walk on a narrow path between stone walls. The walk to Corcubión from Finisterre has been a good walk, but truth is, it is much better the other way. You miss out on the moment of seeing the cape and lighthouse materialize out across the bay this way. Thankfully, I have experience it before.
Corcubión, the Igrexa parroquial de San Marcos.
Corcubión seafront through the windows of a tiled bench.
Corcubión is a beautiful village, and the Camino through it is nice, but there is some roadworks in the village centre, temporarily marring the scene. It is time for a coffee, definitely time for a café con leche, and I seek coffee shelter in one of the bars near the seaside. I do not remember the tiled art here the last time I passed through, so I reckon they are a newer addition. Low tide, so the green sea bottom has surfaced next to the little bay. From Corcubión there is a short and lovely walk next to it to Cee.
Corcubión.
Finding the route through Cee, the correct route that is, I have given up. On the other hand, I know where the Way enters Cee, so there will be no problem finding the route out. Before that I venture off into the centre of the small town for a place to have lunch, after getting a stamp in the Igrexa de Nosa Señora da Xunqueira.
Artful tiles in Cee.
Given the currently nice weather, it is the part after Cee that I have anticipated the most today, the walk over the Montes de Buxantes towards Hospital. I have not walked far up on the ascent from Cee until I become aware of the difference from the last time I went here. Then it was foggy and low clouds, no visibility, now I can still see the lighthouse at the end of the world. It must be a wondrous sight for the pilgrims coming down on their way out there. In fact, it makes me turn several times just to check that it is still there.
Corcubión and Capo Finisterre from Monte de Armada.
I pass by a cruceiro overlooking the ocean, but there is another cruceiro further in shortly later, reached by a short detour off the Camino. The old Cruceiro de Armada. A short signpost points the way as a punto de interes, someone has scratched the words "not interesting, just a cross" on the signpost. I do not really like these scriblings and tagging on signposts, but I must confess that I laughed a little bit of the words. The cross, or cruceiro, is however a beautiful old one.
Old Cruceiro de Armada.
It is so strange walking over here now, and I cannot help laughing a little bit of my past passage over. Then I could not see anything from the path, except the very close trees. I had no idea what was behind those clouds. It could be an endless line of more trees, a sheer drop, a desert (of course not, but imagination goes a long way in fog) or high mountains. It is neither. In the distance I can see a hill with a huge billboard kind of structure on top, I had no idea that it was there. Below is an undulating forested hilly landscape, with very few buildings scattered around. At the back in the distance due south there are some mountains, Monte Pindo. The walk across the Montes de Buxantes is now an entirely different experience, and I love it.
Walking over the Montes des Buxantes.
On the sky there is a change of scenery though, clouds are rolling in and the wind has picked up. It makes the two small sanctuaries you pass by appear more melancholic. There were some other pilgrims going past me at the top of Monte de Armada (after the ascent from Cee), but now there are only a solitary few. One of the few stops me on the way and asks me why I am going in the opposite direction. I warrant pilgrims finds it strange meeting other pilgrims coming towards them and not walking in the same direction as they do. Far away, I can still see the lighthouse. I notice that the milestone at the split where one route goes to Finisterre and the other goes to Muxía, has been replaced by a new one, or actually two.
Ermita de San Pedro Martir with its sacred fountain.
View from Montes des Buxantes, Monte Pindu at the back.
Logoso has always been a favorite of mine, ever since I arrived here in rain in 2015 after a walk through what felt like a desolate area. I just had a great time here sitting inside and resting while it was raining outside. Now, I need to stop, just to have been here, but will move on. It is quiet here, I guess most pilgrims are at my destination for today too, Olveiroa.
Pilgrim mural at O Logoso albergue.
Outside Logoso, but not on the Camino, lies a wonderful rock formation called Pedra Cabalgada. This is a huge rock balancing on top of another huge rock, with another rock on top of that again. To get there, you have to leave the Camino on a gravel track just before you get to Logoso, and follow that track around the small hill above. Scattered around are several other rocks, and the view of the landscape towards Monte Pindo is great.
View from Pedra Cabalgada.
The rest of the walk to Olveiroa is through the same area that felt desolate when I walked it the first time. It is of course not desolate, but it was the melancholic weather at that time that imposed such a feeling on the landscape. I still love those few kilometres between Logoso and Olveiroa. Olveiroa is also a nice village, especially the part around the albergue with its stone houses. There are no hospitaleros at the albergue when I arrive, but a note telling me to just find a bed and then meet up when she returns to pay and get my stamp. So, I head for a shower and afterwards a cold cerveza at the nearby bar.
Pedra Cabalgada.
I like the albergue with its stony buildings, but the smell is agricultural. I have dinner at the more modern looking Casa Loncho and notice that several other options has emerged here too. Back at the albergue, I notice that someone has unhooked my charger (for my camera) to use for him- or herself, and I know it would not have been finished charging. Irritating. Well, I guess that is a common thing now that everybody uses a smartphone, with their extremely limited battery lifetime.
A sunray through the clouds on the way to Olveiroa.
A better Camino day than yesterday. Highlights of the day was the Pedra Cabalgada and the walk across the Montes des Buxantes, seeing the landscape I before had no clues how looked like.
Horreos and the old chapel in Olveiroa.
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