04. Nov 2025

Lires - Muxia

Video: One of those God moments in the making... I was walking across this pilgrim bridge and filming the scene at the same time. I wanted you to get a feel for all the rain that had fallen in Galacia these days. All of a sudden this man appears in the camera window with his arms wide open. He smiles and says "Steve"! On the other edge of the bridge I can see another face I recognize... Lee and Dora from Canada. I had met them about two months ago in France. A couple times we stayed at the same hostel, had the communal meal together, bumped into each other here and there on the trail, talked and prayed together. Then I took the North route of the Camino and they went south on the French route. We had not seen each other for about six weeks. Lee said that they were hoping that our paths would cross one last time. Today they did. It was their last hike and mine. I was coming from the direction of Finisterre going north to Muxia, and they were coming from Muxia going south to Finisterre. There on the last rock pilgrim bridge our paths crossed. One last time we could look each other in the eyes, give a hug and say a final prayer of blessing. This is life on the Camino. Now, there is another side story to this. The late afternoon before at the restaurant where I had an early dinner, I was given my bill with a smooth round white rock on the little tablet. The owner of the restaurant said something and I undetstood that the rock was a piece of white chocolate that they had made. He was actually referring to a piece of chocolate cake that he offered me. In any case I wrapped up the rock, thinking it was white chocolate, to take with me and to eat later with a cup of tea at the place where I was staying. I quickly realized that the "piece of chocolate" was really hard and had no flavor. I then thought: "This guy at the restaurant probably thinks that I stole his rock!" So this morning before I moved on, I went by the restaurant, returned the little white rock, ordered some orange juice to take with me... and had a great talk about Jesus with him and another Frenchman that was also there and whom I had briefly met yesterday. If it was not for the rock incident, the bridge encounter with Lee and Dora would never had happened. I would have missed that exact moment in time. That is God at work even when one does not know it.

Photo 1: Today was my last hike. It was not a very long one, just about 15 kilometers. Most of it went through the woods until I hit the coast right before Muxia.

Photo 2: Once I came out if the woods and started walking along the coast, the wind blew so hard I had to break myself with my walking sticks in front of me. A tailwind was thusting me forward.

Photos 3-4: Once on the Muxia penisula, I could walk on the back side of town and the hill to find wind protection and take these pictures.

Photo 5: Once on the tip of the penisula I had to croach down or hold on to something to not be blown away. It was very impressive watching the wind and waves show their power. This was the endpoint of the Snail-Trail. When I turned around, I took my first step towards home. My foot journey from my home in Germany to the west coast of Spain may have ended, but my walk with Jesus continues...

FINAL MILESTONES:

Total days on the Snail-Trail: 130 days

Total days of rest: 14 days

Total kilometers walked: 3268.17 kilometers

Average kilometers per hike: 28.17 kilometers

Total altimeters: 82907 altimeters / 9.37 x Mt. Everest

Average altimeters per hike: 714.72 altimeters

Total weight of backpack when I left home: 17.5 kilos

Total weight of backpack when I got back home: 14 kilos (...lost a few things on the path and sent my tent back at Comillas, Spain)

Total body weight when I left home: 72 kilos

Total body weigth when I got back home: 64 kilos

Total socks used: 6 pair

Total number of hiking shoes used: ONE!!!

Number of people I met, talked with and prayed for: Beyound numbers...

Amount of grace needed: 130 daily portions... God's grace is new every morning and enough to take one through the whole day!