Stage 32 – the day I started a new Camino.

Start: 8:20, 18 ºC, sunny, some rain

End: 17:20

Distance: 28/796.0 Km

Stayed at Albergue Rectoral de San Mamede da Pena

OST: Mare Nostrum, Fiorello

Today was the first stage of my Fisterrana, which is a separate Camino from the Camino Frances: it’s between SdC and Fisterra, Finis Terrae, kissing the Atlantic Ocean.

Having paid a lot for my hotel in SdC, I decided to wake up later and wait 8am to enjoy the breakfast buffet.
Huge mistake. Starting this late messed up my rhythm, and schedule, this was not a 9 hours walk.

In general, I was just grateful to be walking again, outside of the Black Friday Experience and back on The Way. It was a “shift” of 20-30 peregrinos at most. I walked with familiar faces for these three short days. Many couples. It makes sense: la Fisterrana is a self-contained camino in a lovely area, and not particularly arduous.

I was late and tired when I arrived at the albergue. I tried my best to enjoy my salad while an Australian peregrina detailed the effects of the Camino on her menstrual cycle, loudly and in public. I guess in my 20s I would have been even dumber, so…

I wanted to get quickly to the ocean and enjoy Fisterra.

In hidnsight, I regret not joining the group dinner on this first stage: I would have seen the same faces again and again in the following days. Even if it’s just a 48 hours rapport, it would have been nice to make friends.

Efficiency was my top priority, and I think next time I might try a more balanced approach – keeping in mind that the top priority it’s still making it to the end.
OK, I think I know how this is going to end next time… the same way.

I decided to skip Muxia, as I wanted an extra rest day and didn’t want to rush my return to SdC on the very last day. Apparently there’s a popular church, and the movie “The Way” with Martin Sheen reaches its climax there… but I just wanted the ocean.

In the end, I traded Muxia with a rest day in Fisterra, best decision ever.

Next stage: Stage 33: Negreira – Logoso