To Martin Sheen's End (LOL) - day 1 Lires

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This was a day that included most everything. I got to sleep in as I was only walking 14k today. I went half way to Muxia (Martin Sheen's ending in The Way where he comes to the ocean) to Lires.Just for background - Muxia is also supposedly where the "vrigin Mary" can ashore to meet John I think it was to provide him encouragement. I am not sure as I have heard some conflicting stories. So the day started well - with an easy morning and then a wonderful farewell breakfast with friends. We went to this awesome cafe where the dear fraulein fixed me a real German brutwerst for breakfast. It was amazing.

Of course breakfast had to end and bittersweet goodbyes ensued. I was heading out for Muxia. My dear Camino Angels (Chanelle and Emilly) and their Wales ying and yang shadows (Mark and Alex) would be bussing back to Santiago later in the day. I also had to say goodbye to my dear young ladies from Vermont - Erin and Kirsten. They are my heroes. These two are fresh out of high school and we started together on the Pyrenees. There was worry they might not make it and look they made it to world's end. They are amazing. Shed a few tears after leaving them. I also said goobye to my coolness indicator Roxanne from Sacremento. If Roxanne was there the place was COOL! I will miss her face showing up at amazing places!

Leaving Santiago was no small chore. After saying goodbye I went back to the albergue and got my gear and then headed out to find the Camino to Muxia. This proved to be no small task. Got lots of directions - all essentially correct but given mostly in Spanish which you know I don't speak so my interpretations were less than adequate. Made for an hour or so of lost time and extra couple of kilometers (well maybe about 4) and some cussing, tears, laughing and more goodbyes. God had a hand in this one for sure. Because of my uncertain wandering on the boardwalk along the beach and a brief conversation with some Camino acquaintences I was delayed enough that I got to see Vicky and Dano (coolest couple on the Camino) coming into Finisterre from Cee! SCORE - so glad I got to see them. I will so be going to their wedding in Santa Barbara next summer, but I was glad I got to seethem again. Then I was off again only to get lost trying to find the Camino once I left the water. A nice old man gave me correct directions, but since they were in Spanish I was looking for a left Y in the road not a left turn. I walked at least 2k and then caught a nice couple coming off the ocean path heading the direction I was. Sure enough I was headed toward Cee and back to Santiago nt toward Lires and Muxia. They helped me figure out where I had gone wrong (I must have been noticeably upset as the nice woman - maybe they were German - kept patting my arm and saying it wasn't far and it was okay). So I marched back down the hill and took the right turn on the road the nice man had earlier told me to trun left on -lol.

Now getting lost and walking extra distance is frustrating but I had to laugh at myself and thank God for sending me help - even when I didn't always understand it! Plus the first time it gave me a chance to see Dano and Vicky again and this time guess what?! Yup - this time on the correct path I ran into two more friends, Jenn and Cameron from Minnesota - who I may or may not have seen otherwise! But from that point I pretty much walked alone (as my daughter Meg pointed out your are never alone - let's just say I walked a good 10-11k and only saw 4 people. All pilgrims headed to Finisterre from Muxia.

So God gave me another day of gifts and miracles despite (or because of perhaps) the trials. It was a beautiful walk. I was close to the coast most of the walk. Even though I couldn't always see it I could hear the breakers and the wind was the same coastal wind of Oregon and Washington. The Spanish coast here does remind me a lot of the Oregon coast. It is beautiful. I longed at one point to go walk on the beach when there was one I could see, but I was too tired to walk that far off the Camino. I will have time for beach tomorrow. At one point I felt like I was walking in the woods in Wisconsin (the smell of the pines was one right out of my childhood - we used to go to Wisconsin every year on vacation) except for the sound of the breakers and the occasionally glimpse of the ocean. At another point the ferns were so thick it made me think of Washington forests. Also rain threatened all day, but the cool breezes from the clouds were welcomed! Overall it was a beautiful walk. Because of my earlier mishaps I arrived in Lires a bit after 4 instead of after 3, but all was good. I will take a good rest tonight and get into Muxia late morning/early afternoon. Then I can enjoy the beaches there. I hear it is beautiful. Plus I have been told to visit the monestary and also go to the ocean where Mary (you know Jesus' mother) came into Muxia. Then Wednesday I will do the 16k to Tracy's Foxy House and spend my final three days in Spain. I still haven't confirmed my plans for getting to Paris to fly home, but all in good time. Thanks to my Spanish/San Fransican wonder woman I have ticket alternatives lined up - just have to buy them!

More tomorrow I am sure as I head to Martin Sheen's end.

Dias te bendiga!

Linda

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