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Santiago (3) - a tour in Galicia

I'd booked a half day tour of Fistera and Muxia, but then had a phone call from the organiser saying that as few people had booked the half day I'd been transferred to a full-day version (at the same price).  This meant getting on the move a little earlier, but it was well worth it.  

The tour started at 9 on the other side of the centre of Santiago.  Arrived, registered just after a lady who had had to leave the queue to get phone signal to retrieve her ticket.  I kept her place for her, and then found mine wouldn't reload either - but it turned out not to matter as they had the list of people and didn't check the tickets anyway.

Everyone else was in twos or fours - so I ended up talking to her (she was Mantina, from Prague, and had walked the Camino Portuguese from Porto) while we waited for the coach and we stayed together for the day.  Which was really nice.

The tour covered the ria at Noia (a ria is the Galician equivalent of a fjord), Muros, up the coast to the Ezero waterfall, Fisterra and its lighthouse, Muxia and Ponte Maceira.  

I think this now just needs a series of pictures...
The harbour at Muros
The unusual font at Muros church; with a serpent in the bottom to symbolise the death of sin
The ria into which the Ezero river falls
The Ezero waterfall 
The cross at Fisterra - the end of the world 
The church and the monument commemorating the 2002 wreck of the Prestige at Muxia

The Atlantic at Muxia 
The mediaeval bridge at Ponte Maceira

All on all an excellent tour, and I have dozens more pictures with which to bore the family when I'm home.

One thing didn't go to plan.  I had intended to take the last stone to Fisterra and leave it in the sea there.   But it was in the rucksack, and I forgot to transfer it to my little day bag.  So it remains with me - and perhaps, after all, that is fitting: a different meaning from the expected one, but one I can embrace.

Comments

  1. Sally3 October 2025 at 13:37

    Congratulations David, on completing your pilgrimage! What a journey - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I will send you some more reflections in due course. I have just been away walking one of the Northern Saints Trails, so have not yet pondered on your more recent blogs. I lit a candle for Louise in St Paul's Monastery, Jarrow on 30th Sept. It seemed so fitting for her, where the polymath, the Venerable Bede, lived and worshipped and worked.
    Congratulations again! And how very lovely that Ben joined you for the last few days, and then Mary and Simon.

    ReplyDelete

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