We had a wonderful hike to Lires.  The ocean view was spectacular.

We were so lucky to pass a horreo that was actually being used.

We walked through forests.

The yellow arrows and shells we passed showed both ways because some pilgrims walk to Muxia first.

The views of the ocean and the cliffs along the ocean were wonderful.

We stooped along the way for fresh roasted chestnuts.

The purple flowers were delightful.

The local people always greeted us with friendliness.

We stopped along the way to eat fresh roasted chestnuts at a locals place.

Mary, Maureen, and I took a lovely walk along a path to the beach.  We saw several  rookeries of cranes along the way, but I couldn’t get a good photo of them.

The shore line was spectacular.  We spend a couple of hours just watching the waves crashing into the rocks.

And just relaxing by the shore.

We spent hours just watching the waves.  I know we have a fabulous coastline in Oregon.  I guess having walked 600 miles made this one really special.

Our sunset in Lires was pretty spectacular.

 

Our walk to Muxia was only 15 km. The path was a bit confusing and we first ended up on a ridge along the shore.  It was such a beautiful spot.

I was actually able to take this next photo with the timer on the camera.

We walked around town trying to decide which albergue we liked the best.  Finally we decided on Delphin which is on the rúa Marina on the seafront.  This is where they stayed in the movie, “The Way.”

We got our Muxiana which is the special certificate for people who walk all the way to Muxia.

The name Muxia comes from Mongia land of monks from the nearby 12th Century Romanesque monastice church San Xulián de Moraine.  These monks came here in 1105 in an effort ot suppress the pagan rituals that were being practised at that time.  Muxiá’s main claim to fame and the reason why it is so intimately connected to the Santaigo story is in the legend of Nosa Señora da Barca in Galician which is located in a very unique spot, right by the ocean, and believed to have been a sacred place of cult for villagers since pre-Christian times. It seems the locals weren’t an easy crowd to convince and convert to Christianity, as pagan rituals were deeply rooted and widespread.

 

It may also be called  Santuario da Virxe de Barca which stands on a rocky ridge above the surf.

Legend has it Muxía was the landing place of the stone boat that carried Virgin Mary when she arrived in Galicia to help Saint James convert the locals. The granite stones you will find near the sanctuary are said to be the remains of the Virgin Mary’s stone boat: the sail, the helm and the boat itself. Since the 12th century, pilgrims on theCamino de Santiago have travelled further on after reaching Santiago de Compostela to pay tribute to Our Lady of the Boat in Muxía.

The ‘remains’ of Our Lady’s boat are also known by other more popular names, and believed to have special curative powers (quite possibly dating back to before the Christianization of the area). The sail is the so-called ‘pedra dos cadrís’ believed to cure back ailments, rheumatic pains and even helping with fertility issues if walking under the stone nine times. The stone boat itself is the ‘pedra de abalar’, a rocking stone also believed to predict catastrophes and have healing powers.

I can’t remember the story of this stone.   I think it was cracked during a storm and has something to do with two lovers.

This entire trip has been so inspiring.  Much of the time I was walking over the past few days I have been flooded with thoughts about all the things for which I will always be grateful.  I have much to process when I return home.

We had views of the town below us.

On our way back down we met a man who was picking Kale for his pigs.  We couldn’t resist taking photos with him.

We went to dinner, did our laundry and had a lovely sunset.

Rose had to leave in the morning on the early bus.  Mary, Maureen and I  had one more day to spend in the Muxía area so we decided to take one more hike (sans backpacks) to another town outside of Muxía.  It was a very enjoyable hike.  Here are some of the photos from the day.

We had a wonderful last day in Muxía.  In the morning we had to catch the 6:30 bus back to Santiago de Compostela.  Mary, Maureen checked into the Last Stamp Albergue and I left my backpack there.  We wandered around Santiago for most of the day and then I had to catch the bus to the airport.