ROF= Ring of Fire Odyssey
MEF-H = Marine Expeditionary Force- Hargus
CdS = Camino de Santiago journey
Tuesday September 24, 2019
The Camino de Santiago....I've hiked/ backpacked 130 miles from Ponferrada to Santiago; a feat of its own.
I'm in Santiago. been to a pilgrims mass in The iglesia de San Francisco.
now... how can I not go to Fisterra/ Finnesterre... To THE END OF THE WORLD!
Fisterra is the Galician/ Spanish name of the city/town on the peninsula.
On this odyssey, on the journey during a lifetime... backpacking across northern Spain on The Camino de Santiago... The Way of ST James... The route Apostle James took after Jesus was crucified ... and the Apostles set out on their journey... a few reflections on The Camino experience
James is described as one of the first disciples to join Jesus. This was the same path James walked on his pilgrimage to Santiago and is known as the patron Saint of Spain, his remains are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galacia. This journey became an important rite of passage for all true believers.
The peninsula with lighthouse at the end is Cape Finnesterre, the westernmost point on the Iberian/ Spanish peninsula believed to be "The end of the world" in roman times comes from Latin FINIS TERRAE meaning "Lands End".
if you are a masochist you can hike the rest of the 60 mile from Santiago, plan on several more days to hike to the peninsula of Finnesterre.
2,000 years ago... when the earth was flat by general consensus... Finesterre was the end. The end of the Camino... the end of the world.
shipping lanes from the Mediterranean to the Uk for trade had marked had designated as a major point in the route.
Passed by the seaside town of Fisterra.
Then on to Finnesterre, the peninsula.
Then on to Finnesterre, the peninsula.
On out to the peninsula was on the mountain ridge.
Some overcast on the day with some fog.
Come to the end... tourist store. and bathrooms. Pit stop.
On down to the lighthouse.
Trail to the right... climb up and take in the Atlantic ocean.
on down to the left trail... on down to the rocks and the end of the peninsula... the literal end of the world.
many winding paths down. We're 200' below the lighthouse... still 300' above the sea and it's a difficult path to get down to the actual water.
Many artifacts placed here, rock towers placed by many pilgrims, shoes left at the end of the world. a fire from pilgrims burning their clothes. This is the place for your final offering. I left rocks, stones brought from back home, symbolizing my past burdens of life... of my past mistakes, of my past life... and left them here at the end of the world as my offering to leave these past burdens and go on.
I threw a coin to the sea to symbolize giving my wealth away, my down payment for future giving, to divest money, a worthless commodity as a sacrifice on a journey through time.
This was quite an experience. This Camino hike cannot be explained in a few short blog posts.
Thank you for the abundant blessings. I did not waste this time of life!
You never drink twice from the same stream.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
Uncle Hargus: Last of the Independents
Have Bear,
Will Travel
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