My Camino with Maria Walsh Day 7: Time for reflection as our journey comes to an end

"It’s a surreal moment acknowledging the journey you have overcome".

Maria Walsh is a newly-elected MEP. From Shrule, Co Mayo, she was crowned Rose of Tralee in 2014. This week, she is walking a stretch of the Camino De Santiago and chronicling the experience for Her. On day seven Maria and her friend Mary reflect on their Camino path this far...

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We arrived at the information centre at 9:00 am to collect our Compostella, certificates for completion of the Camino, after successfully walking close to 54 miles. It’s a surreal moment acknowledging the journey you have overcome ahead of walking to the final destination of Muxia. For those visiting Fisterra, we recommend a visit to Etel & Pan, a coffee hotspot conveniently located beside the centre. As we waited to collect our Compostela certificates, Mary and I sat in silence collecting our thoughts, reflecting on our Faro de Fisterra visit the night previous and our personal journeys along the way. We congratulated fellow pilgrims who received their Compostella. A special time for a pilgrim. A special time for us. Mary and I then headed north to Lires, making tracks before the sun intensified. Today’s path was a combination of road and forest. Strolling into people’s back yards, farms and worksites made me wonder how our Spanish friends feel about pilgrims arriving every day in droves. Towns and villages can be difficult to find on this route, but the greenery and seascapes here are truly stunning. We met many pilgrims journeying back towards Fisterra from Muxia, which can seem like a difficult walk if you’ve already conquered a voyage to the end of the world. Our route was short in comparison to others with just a 16 km walk to achieve. Today has been the only overcast day we’ve seen since starting our Camino in Santiago de Compostela. After walking to Lires, we were driven 15 minutes west to a family-run rustic hotel, in Casa Fontequeiroso just outside Muxia. Meeting Anxo, a young boy who had just finished an English camp was a highlight, particularly seeing his joy at practising a new language. Over our first home-cooked meal since arriving in Spain, we listened to him play the Galician bagpipes. A gorgeous moment. As we close our eyes and rest for our final 15km walk tomorrow, we are grateful for this evening, a home away from home, a sincere and genuine welcome in a Spanish casa. Maria Maria is travelling with Camino Ways. Click the links to read Maria's entries from days one, two, three ,four, five and six of her Camino.