Thursday, April 10, 2014

Day 30: to Negreira

Onwards! After a massively stormy night I left Santiago mid morning, expecting a drenching. Instead the skies cleared and I received an absolute roasting.

Heading west (as ever) I took the extension of the camino towards Finisterre. This continues to be impeccably waymarked but is clearly much less trod - at least as indicated by the lack of cafes en route!

The countryside felt completely tropical, with palms and banana flourishing and even the odd cactus (despite the notoriously high rainfall). The humidity arising from the earlier downpours plus very strong sunshine only added to the impression of being in the Caribbean. The fecundity of Galicia continues to amaze me - the animals are up to their knees in grass (I saw silage being cut today) and the gardens are just dripping with magnolia, camellia, wisteria and azalea blossom.

It was unbelievably beautiful and peaceful walking, even though I was pouring sweat. You could bury me in this bit of north west Spain and I would consider myself lucky.

Due to some slightly complex friend-logistics, I stopped at Negreira and caught a bus back to Santiago. Libby & Rich arrive tonight for a long weekend which I am really looking forward to. And the last section of my camino will resume on Monday morning (..with a bus back to Negreira), this time accompanied by my lovely ex-landlady Teresa. 

Lots of people I know now in Santiago - and rumour has it that at tomorrow evening's mass the incense burner will swing. (Those two things unrelated, I hasten to add).




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