CAMINO DE MUXÍA, ETAPA 5/6, MUXÍA to LIRES to FINISTERRE, 28.1 KILOMETERS*

*There are a few reasons I record these journeys in this blog: 1) It’s a really good place to share and store pictures from the journey, 2) It’s a good practice to help me process my thoughts from pilgrimage, 3) to provide some useful information (but definitely not a guidebook!!) for people considering pilgrimage, and most importantly, 4) to help people understand that it is an amazing experience that is not reserved for super-saints or Olympic-conditioned athletes. The Caminos de Santiago is an experience that is open to regular people, and you should do it…

The 28.1 kilometer walk from Muxía to Finisterre is a solid one-day walk. But remember that little scratch in my throat that appeared on that soggy night in Hospital de Bruma? Well, this morning it felt like it was turning into a full-blown cold, and I decided to stop in Lires for a good rest. It was a good choice; I didn’t really have a schedule and I needed the rest.

The walk out of Muxía climbs steadily for about 5 kilometers before turning downhill to Lires. I’m sure it’s a beautiful walk, but it was hard to me to say this morning…it was drizzling when I left Muxía, and the drizzle turned to fog higher up the mountain. The fog lifted coming down the hill. All of the data I collected for this walk claimed there were no resources (i.e. coffee) between Muxía and Lires. Imagine my joy when I saw this sign while walking down the main street of Morquintián! As is normal, the lady at Bar O Camiño Marisol treated me like I was the most important person in Spain at that moment, even though it was just a cup of coffee. Hospitality is an attitude.

It was smooth sailing down into Lires. I stopped at the first open bar for coffee and logistics, needing to find a place in town to sleep. The boring details of the late morning/early afternoon – I drank the coffee, found a place to sleep, walked up to my lodging, checked-in, and took a nap. After a solid two-hour nap, I walked down the street to the all-inclusive As Eiras Lires Hotel-Restaurante-Albergue for a good meal and wine, integral components to my recovery plan. This was a Saturday, and as is normal on a Spanish weekend, there was a little fiesta right off the patio of As Eiras Lires.

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man wealthy, healthy, and wise…well, at least I was healthy when I awoke the next morning. Two hours of napping in the afternoon and ten hours of sleep overnight kept my developing cold at bay. I was ready to walk again.

I was gifted a sunny day to finish out my coastal loop from Santiago. By the end of the day, I will have walked from Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre (2023), and now Santiago de Compostela to Muxía to Finisterre. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, walking in this part of Galicia might be my favorite part (it’s tied with the Meseta, Navarra, La Rioja, the mountains of Castile y León, and most of the Portuguese, except for that suburban slog into Porto from the south). And these last 13 kilometers from Lires to the end of the earth were excellent!

Three kilometers from my destination, I stopped at the La Razón Bar outside of Hermedesuxo, because – a) it was still morning, b) I was way ahead of schedule, and c) coffee. While enjoying my coffee on the patio, my hostess brought out a legume-based tapa. Up until this instant, lentejas were my favorite tapa-meal-dessert in all of Spain. This bowl had a larger bean, similar to a Lima, but not as big. Also, there was chorizo, diced carrots, and probably some onion. The blended flavor and substance of this dish was perfect. Before leaving I went inside to learn the name of the dish – Fabada Asturiana. Wow, I could live on that stuff.

After discovering my new favorite food, I decided to go “off trail” into Finisterre. From Hermedesuxo, I took the back roads to the Praia Da Langosteira, the pretty beach that enters town from the northeast. It’s a fine way to stroll into town.

First order of business in Finisterre was to go to the Tourism office. Second, find a place to sleep. Last year, I swore allegiance to the Albergue Arasolis because of their incredible hospitality (and good ice cream!), so they were my first option. They had a bed, search over. I dropped my backpack, filled my water bottle, and walked out to Cabo Finisterre. The end of the earth.

After taking care of business at the end, I straggled back into town. When I passed through Finisterre earlier in the day, I noticed a cool bar, A Galería Bibliotaberna, on Rúa Real street. My plan was to stop for a beer and figure out where to eat. I found a table near the front and positioned by the big screen TV. By the time my cervexa arrived, the bar was standing room only and I had the prime seat. A Dutchman asked to join me at my table. He explained that a soccer match between the A Coruña FC and Barcelona was about to start, the A Coruña team was the local favorite (much like someone from San Antonio liking (or rabidly following) the Dallas Cowboys). My table mate, about the same age as me, had just finished walking the Camino Portuguese. We had a great visit, and the environment was a blast! Deportivo La Coruña won the match, 1-0.

On the way home, I stopped for pizza at La Locanda del Pellegrino, good food and an interesting story from the Italian pilgrim that owns the place. He’s been around the block; you should stop and talk to him if you’re in Finisterre. After dinner, I hustled back to Arasolis before the 10:00 pm curfew, made it by 2 minutes.

The only question remaining – do I walk back to Santiago de Compostela as originally planned? Or not? Rain was in the forecast beginning early tomorrow morning and continuing all week…