Day 1 - Santiago to Vilaserio (35 km)

Hola mis amigos - those of you still hanging in there with what you must think is the never-ending blog. The end is almost in sight!

As you see, Nina and I did not follow the recommended first stage of 22 kms towards Finisterre, but walked on from Negreira to Vilaserio instead - a strategy to make 'way' while the sun shines (or at least while it wasn't raining the whole day). The way to Finisterre is notoriously wet and wild so our idea was that we would stop in Negreira for a late lunch and if the weather was on our side we may continue the additional 13 kms to Vilaserio (pop. 40) the next village with accommodation.

When we left Santiago it was almost 9am, wet and still dark thanks to the ominous cloud cover. We were very soon in a rainforest which could have been in far north Queensland and the rain was coming down. Thankfully, as the guidebook suggested, though we were navigating running streams underfoot, the dense forest provided some protection from above.

But we were lucky. As the day progressed there were patches of clear sky and only intermittent rain. When we arrived in Negreira, this was still the pattern and the hospitalero told us that storms were predicted for tomorrow. So our decision was made and we walked on, finally arriving in our Albergue at around 6pm. The Camino again rewarded our effort and Nina and I are the only two in a community room that sleeps 16. In fact we have the whole building to ourselves. It's modern, clean, comfortable and cosy. Just as well as it's cold outside!

Tomorrow will definitely be a shorter walk as there are not many options for accommodation - at 22 kms or 40+ kms. We won't be doing the latter. We will have to play it by ear. Neither of us is prepared to walk through the storm - with head held high or not - so we may take the bus part or all of the way if things turn ugly.

We saw just 5 other pilgrims today and no-one since we decided to walk the extra 13 kms to this tiny village. Nina and I were discussing that neither of us would like to be walking the Camino Finisterre on our own, at least at this time of year. Though we had both walked many days alone on the Camino Frances and often saw no-one for many hours at a time, you know that there are others not far ahead or behind. Not so here. I count my blessings I found a Finisterre walking buddy in Nina.

As I walked today I thought about how kind and generous my family and friends have been with your encouragement as I walked the Camino (the big one) and your congratulations when I arrived in Santiago just two days ago. It also occurred to me that it's been a long road not just for me but for all of you, hanging in there with me for a month.

I wondered whether you might feel as though you were at one of those events that, while enjoyable, seems to never end. Like a concert that you've enjoyed, with genuine enthusiasm, but just goes on that bit too long! You know what I mean. It's all over (or so you think), you have clapped generously, the 'big finish' song has been sung (a long drawn out version), the stage lights have dimmed, you're just about out of your seat, ready to head to the nearest exit ... when the overture starts up again and suddenly they're back on stage. Enough's enough! It's getting late. Not an encore, please.

Well, I completely understand and sympathise if you're a bit 'over' this blog now. So feel free to 'slip away'. But I'll keep writing updates until 'the end' or until this Spanish sim expires. (I've tried to recharge on the website but no luck so far. So if updates stop abruptly, don't be concerned that I'm lost in the Galician wilderness.) This is my journal of my Camino experience so I can't stop now. But you've already been a great audience, for a very long time, so head for the exits at will!

Thank you and goodnight! J x