Secretos Galicia - Tapas Tour
5/27/2019

Started off my morning breakfast with a great surprise - my Canadian Compostela couples, Alf and Marg and Frank and Maureen, were still around. Over breakfast we compared notes on the wonderful day tour we took separately to Finisterre and Muxia yesterday, and very briefly (before the coffee kicked in) considered coming back to walk those last 100 miles to the lighthouse. (Must be those long-lasting endorphins kicking in). They are taking the same Aer Lingus flight as I am back to North America - I'll just be a day behind since I was longing to try this tapas tour tonight.

So glad Alf had his phone so we could get a quick pic of the ladies. I cropped out our feet because the toenails are X-rated and 2 of us can only stand to wear flip flops at this point...

Nice relaxing morning wandering around being a tourist. So easy to get lost in this country since it's a real challenge locating the name of the street (usually on only one of the buildings every corner - sometimes the same color as the building), let alone non-existent numbers. Makes me wonder how they ever get their mail.

Musicians this morning included an opera singer, more bagpipes and two harpists.

After getting lost several times trying to find our meeting place for tonight's tapas tour, I decided to grab a sandwich and some tinto, take a short nap and try again - this time with Google maps since our directions were extremely poor. Turns out it should have only taken me 13 minutes to walk the 1 km.

I arrived to Secretos Galicia about 20 minutes early and was glad I did - what a Mecado Gastronomico (a gastronomic marketplace)! Would have been great to discover this 9-month old converted factory a couple of days ago because I would have definitely hung out here for several meals. 

There were 16 small shops with artisan cheeses and charcuterie, gelato, wines, craft beers, a coffee truck, churras, liqueurs, pastries, vegetarian specialties, olive oils, gourmet hamburgers, tortuffas and more.

The young woman who met me when I entered showed me her favorite part of the renovation - this long wall with the Camino shells. It was beautiful and difficult to convey in a single photo.

I must say I was quite impressed with this wall, which listed all the wines available for tasting.

Soon the 5 of us taking the tour - Jim and Leslie from San Francisco; Jeff and his daughter Stephanie from Canada; and me - met our tour guide for the evening, Juan Segade.

What a great time! It was just like a progressive dinner focused around the gastronomic specialties of the area with some history in between. Our first course, served at La Cueva del tigre rabioso (the cave bar where the university students hang out), consisted of spicy mussels and regular mussels (both fantastic).

Some walking to historic landmarks...

The founder of the university.

A Kodak moment of all the Cathedral spires 

from inside the University Square.

The clock tower with 3 different bells ringing in succession every hour.

The star that led a single farmer to the area 

believed to hold the remains of St. James the Apostle.

Juan's favorite corner in Santiago - symbolizing and summarizing the death of St. James and the origin of the Camino shell.

The first church erected in Santiago, where apparently the strongest energy has been registered electronically. This is why so many couples (including Juan's parents) choose to get married here instead of in the cathedral.

One last look at Cathedral Square.

The next course - no surprise here - was a potato onion tortilla, served at Restaurante Marte. 

Then to Restaurante Abella for our pulpo (octopus) and false claims of crocodile (which really was thinly sliced pork served on top of potato chips (not worth a photo). Spaniards love their paprika and it goes so well with pulpo.

Last stop, back at the Secretos Galicia (3 hours later), was dessert. Of course it could only be Tarta De Santiago - the heavenly Camino cake - made from Mediterranean premium quality almonds, refined sugar, lemon zest, powdered sugar, 2 eggs and a liqueur.

Final touches were supplied by home-grown liqueurs. Fantastic evening!

Finisterre Day Tour
5/26/2019

Even though most pilgrims end their Camino in Santiago there are the brave, intrepid, crazy ones that push on for about another 100 miles to Finisterre and Muxia, beautiful seaside towns at the end of the world, by the Atlantic Ocean and home to many of the 192 beaches of almost 600 along Spain's 5000 miles of coastline. 

Our first stop is Pontemaceira, a village with a natural area formed by the passage of the waters of river Tambre, with a medieval bridge and two stone mills and granaries.

Then we stop at the charming fishing village of Muros and its historic, picturesque center.

St. Peter's Church in Muros.

Muros Town Hall.

Muros Marinas

From Muros we traveled to the Ezaro Waterfall - the only river in Europe that reaches the sea as a waterfall - and it is pretty spectacular! While following the boardwalk to the water I ran across some of the Arcadia University group and finally met their professor, Jojo, at the water's edge.

Our last stop before lunch was Cape Fisterra - the end of the world - where the pilgrims ran out of real estate (hence the name). Here we pay homage to the Camino marker that honors this location with 
km 0,000. Note the iconic lighthouse and the beauty and serenity of the Atlantic Ocean.

At this point we were starving - it was almost 2 PM so no wonder. So Anna gave us about 1.5 hours to grab lunch. Albert, my new friend born in Singapore during the British occupation in the 50's and named after Prince Albert, but now living in Los Angeles, asked if I wanted to join him for lunch. I told him I would love to so we checked out Anna's recommendation (our tour guide), and shared amazing pulpo (octopus), padrones (roasted green peppers - which I had 2 days in a row because they were fantastic, and garlic prawns. Fantastic meal and quite healthy - not one potato in sight. 

We shared a bottle of tinto (red wine) and thought we finished with a coffee, but a waiter approached our table with three decorative bottles that reminded me of limoncello and grappa. But the one we chose for a shot was so very smooth with tastes of coconut, chocolate and coffee. I could kick myself for not getting the name of it.

We were so caught up in eating, drinking and laughing that we had to be dragged away by Anna because everyone else was already on the bus.

Finally back to Muxia to where the final scenes of The Way, starring Martin Sheen, were shot. What a beautiful ending to a fantastic day!

 

A few last shots of the amazing sculptures topping the spires (I am obsessed with them), while walking back to my hotel - which it turns out used to be a monastery. Forgot to mention that I invited Catherine, a British retiree, volunteering at the Compostela for a 2-week stint and also staying at our hotel, to join me for breakfast, just before my Canadian friends Marg and Alf came down. She is a source of incredible information, and she encouraged us to remember if we ever returned to this hotel, we should book a room on the 4th floor because they were 1/2 price (not renovated like the first 3 floors and pretty spartan, but who cares)?