Camino Finisterre 2016 – Day 4 – O Logoso to Finisterre (Escaselas)

Camino 2016 – Day 4 – O Logoso to Escaselas – September 5th
So close…yet so far away!

Day 4 started out in the dark yet again. My dorm was sound asleep when my Fitbit alarm buzzed at 6.30am. My plan was to walk to Cee which was just over 16km away. I would then have 12km left to walk into Finisterre. As such, I was in no great hurry so I decided to get up, take my time and enjoy the few days I had left on this Camino. That being said, the temperatures were due to rise over the next few days, so I aimed to finish up between midday and 1pm. I gathered my rucksack and headed out for my penultimate day of walking. I was getting closer to the sea and was getting eager to see the Altantic Ocean from this side of the world.

It wasn’t long before I arrived at Hospital and a large cafe at the side of the road. It made great effort to let pilgrims know that the next stop off point was in 15kms in Cee. I had enough in my bag to keep me going for that long and I actually looked forward to chilling out by the coast in Cee with some snacks. At that stage, the Camino brings you along a main road and it is a little dangerous at parts. A rush of adrenaline ran through me when I saw the concrete milestone in an island in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, it was too dark to take a picture but using the light on my phone I knew which direction to take. Looking back, I saw a number of people behind me walk towards Muxia and now I was alone. I didn’t mind that however.

Today’s walk is different to yesterday’s or the day before. On arriving at Hospital,  the terrain was predominantly flat for about 10 km. There are no towns, hamlets or villages but I enjoyed this emptiness. I kept looking for distance-markers however, just to be sure I was going in the right way. I also had been told from a Camino friend that I would see the ocean after 2 hours or so and then, I would start on a rather steep descent into the town of Cee. You must remember that I was at just over 1000 feet above sea level and some how I needed to get down to Cee in a 10kms. Let’s hope these knees hold up!

The sun had risen and I was about 5km from the coast. I met a French group who recognised me from Albergue Casa Pepa in Santa Marina. They shouted at me “Hey Irishman, why do you hurry?, are you chasing the girl?”..I was a little stunned at this point and didn’t know what to say! I said I wanted to see the water and the ocean, and wished them a Buen Camino! Other than this group, I only saw one other person until Cee – someone snoozing in a sleeping bag in a picnic area.

I saw a sign for Albergue Moreira around about this point and decided I would aim for here. My day was done, I thought. But I had a descent to find first! Descent first, cold beer second!

And there is was..A green distance-marker, with the words “To the End” written on it, pointed the way to the ocean! It was a beautiful sight. I stopped for a few moments and took a few pictures. It was quiet save for the sound of business in Cee’s port. “Ok…the descent..”, I thought to myself. It started all the way to the town which we could see down. It was very hard for me to concentrate on what my feet were doing as the view was breathtaking. However, I forced myself to, and soon, I was at sea-level. I saw the albergue and sat outside waiting for it to open. Cee is a fab coastal village located in a cove, and it was very different from the villages I had walked through so far. As such, I wanted to stay here. I would have only 12km to Finisterre tomorrow.

It was 9.30am, still very early and I could easily walk on to the next town. But I wanted to spend some time here…gah!..my mind was torn! I walked over to the albergue’s door and see that it was not open until midday. I could kick myself! I grab my backpack and pole and move on. I would walk to the next town, Corcubion. Looking back, I was incredibly hard on myself. I probably should have found a bar and chilled in Cee and then come back to the albergue. Oh well…

I walked along the coastline, taking in the breeze. Oh it was nice to feel that. I meet a young German guy who was looking for a bar. I walk with him for while. Our pace was non-existent at this stage, we were both in “looking for bar” mode, that most pilgrims can understand. My legs had just recovered from the descent into Cee, however, boom! we turned a corner and started to climb up intensely. The German guy said “Ah yes I remember now..”, he must have walked this before. But, hey, no pain, no gain! The trail was made of boulder-sized rocks and I needed to watch my step as I walked. After the climb, I needed to stop and rest for a while. He continued on, looking for his bar. I would never see him again.

Soon after I was out of Cee and the next town, Corcubion, I saw a wide deserted beach and immediately left the road. The weather was almost too hot, and it was great to see the ocean as I walked closer to Finisterre. I spent the next 2 hours walking between the main road, villages and beach. The heat became very uncomfortable and I decided that I would check in at the next place that had a bed, whether it be an albergue, hostal or casa rural. I saw Hotel Playa Langosteira in Escaselas. It is 2 minutes walk from the beach and 2kms walk from Finisterre. Maybe I could see the sun rise the next day? I hope so… Now, I just wanted to sleep.