The next morning the Library bar was still closed, so we just had a quick coffee nearby and decided to go for some light shopping before the shops closed. And as if by magic, inside the hippie clothes store there was a café serving such wondrous things as bacon and eggs, yogurts and avocado toasts! On our way through the shop we met a lovely young lady who wanted to celebrate her camino by getting a new dress – shedding the camino skin, as it were – and asked if we thought the one she had picked suited her. It definitely did – but then, whilst rummaging around the racks, Nanci found a gorgeous coat with a very colourful Frida Kahlo print on it and boom! That was IT. The young lady bought it, tore the tag off to make it final, put it on and had breakfast with us. If she did go up to the restaurant at the lighthouse that evening, she would no doubt have been the best dressed and widest smiling of the lot. Buen camino, peregrina!
After this double fairy godmother act we went and collected our Fisterrana, a Compostela type certificate for walking from Santiago to Fisterra. There is a separate credencial available for this, but you can also just get some more stamps on your regular credencial. Then we practically flew up to the lighthouse in the sunshine, even though I have traumatic memories of getting the Fear up there; I had to tuck myself as close to the rock wall to the right of the lighthouse as I could get and ask a friend to help me over to the bar, where I couldn’t see any edges or drops.
Acrophobia is very unpleasant – if you see someone struggling, please be kind and help them to a place where they feel safe. Their brains are on full alert no matter how safe *you* think they are.
There was a long queue for the (very edgy) 0 km marker; everyone but me wants a photo taken there. Nanci wandered off to explore the area while the queue died down, I once again withdrew to the bar. There are tables and chairs on a small decking area at the back too, overlooking the sea with less of an obvious drop but great long views. I was comfortable there, and it was nice to people watch from a quiet spot. Bus loads rolled in, bus loads rolled out, like the sea itself.
Then as we were leaving, the queue for the 0 km marker had suddenly dwindled, and Nanci asked a random pilgrim to take her photo. I felt like such a useless travelling companion – surely I should be able to take her photo, if I just didn’t look down? But still I hesitated. As the random pilgrim photographed Nanci, I suddenly surprised myself by asking if she could take a photo of both of us? Nanci grabbed the marker to create a safe, solid barrier between me and the drop, and I went carefully over to the edge. And then, finally, awkwardly, I had my photo taken at the End of the World! Thank you, Nanci!
After this minor-but-major victory we raced back down the hill again to find a celebratory glass of albariño, my staple well-done drink, as well as try to order some food before kitchens closed at 3. A little Argentinian steak house did the trick and served both, with spicy potatoes as well. I was really pleased with my tiny achievement, almost more so than having walked there from Porto.
As our rest day in Fisterra was getting on, we went back to the Langosteira beach to look for the perfect camino shell and for Nanci to have a swim in the calm, cool water. Sadly we found no good scallop shells, only pieces of them. Either they get picked as soon as they wash ashore, or this simply isn’t a good place to find them. Nanci did have her dip in the sea though, while I sat in the sand just enjoying the heat of the day, and giggled at the man trying to encourage Nanci to duck under. He had no idea he was talking to a Californian beach lover.
Now what to do? We went back to the room to shower and start packing. All buses from Fisterra were solidly booked well in advance, but we did have seats on the 3 hour stop-everywhere one leaving the square just before ten. Nanci said she might make an executive decision and exercise alternative options, which is one of her many super powers, and splash out on a taxi as a treat for our birthdays. What kind of friend would argue with the lady who had placed herself between me and the abyss a few hours earlier? I wouldn’t dream of it!
In the early evening we went for a wander to find Pilgrim Central, camino speak for wherever pilgrims gather to eat at night. Somehow we ended up in the same place as the day before, though we entered through the door this time. It felt different – even though we had a few nights in Santiago to enjoy still, this was definitely the end of the adventure. Nothing new to see from now on. Nothing left to do but get a good night’s sleep and prepare for departure.
Somewhere Slowly 