Home, sweet home...

Aaaahhh... home! I flew in last night and made it safe and sound. Long day of travel and waiting in airports - which to me is always the hardest part.  I flew from Madrid to Amsterdam then to Toronto.  Now my time zones are all wonky so up very early doing laundry and sorting mail - yep the bills still come even if I'm not here...  It is a bit strange to click on the radio to hear English and familiar voices - not sure if I am ready for all this reality ;)  or for the rather cool temperatures - I need to find my warm woollies! I am home for a bit but I am planning a weekend in Ottawa to observe the Remembrance Day ceremonies and renew my acquaintance with our capital city. Then I am looking at a possible adventure in South America in December - the adventures never stop...

Madrid is cool

Literally... it is cool - around 13 degrees and raining but I can't complain as I was told that this is the first rain in 137 days.  Spain has had a serious drought situation and this rain is greatly appreciated.  I am here for a couple of days and the forecast for Tuesday is no rain so I hope to have pictures to share. 
This is my last stop before heading home to Toronto on Wednesday - wow the 2 months have flown by.  Some stats:
- 10 flights
- 14 train trips
- numerous bus and subway trips
- one completed Camino de Santiago (111 kms)
- 21 hotels
- hundreds and hundreds of photos
- memories - unlimited...
whew!!!

I am so very fortunate to have this opportunity to travel and see a part of this fabulous world.  I must admit I was really ignorant of the long and great history of this area.  Those Romans certainly got around in Spain.  There are two great things about travel - one is the opportunity to learn and the other is the greater appreciation I have for my own country.  Everyone should travel - it broadens your horizons and makes you appreciate what you have. 

We made it!!!

We made it all the way and received our official certificates (in latin) - while it was only 111 kms, we are all very proud of ourselves.  We walked through many, many small villages, past hundreds of farms, dodged around many a cow patty, wished hundreds of pilgrims Buen Camino - some several times as we passed them and they passed us and enjoyed the beauty of the countryside.  We arrived in Santiago de Compostela around 3:30 p.m. and quickly made our way to the Catherdral and then to the official office of records to request our certificates.  We needed to present our pilgrims passport - the requirement is to have at least 2 stamps per day of your walk.  Stamps can be obtained at hotels, pensions, aubergues, hostels, bars, cafes and churches along the route.  We had no problem, in fact the gentleman who assisted us had visited Toronto last year and told us several times how much he loved Toronto - such a small world...

our first view of Santiago de Compostela though still 3 kms to go...

The Catherdral of Santiago de Compostela

Four Canadian Pilgrims - weary but happy.

the view from our hotel room - you can see the top of the Catherdral.

We then visited the museum and stopped in at the Catherdral again and happened on a mass - we think it was the pilgrim's mass.  The surprise for us was that they launched the botafumeiro.  Here is some information that I found on the botafumeiro:
A dome above the crossing contains the pulley mechanism to swing the botafumeiro, which is a famous thurible found in this church. This thurible was created by the goldsmith José Losada in 1851. The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is the largest censer in the world, weighing 80 kg and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is normally on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but during certain important religious high days it is attached to the pulley mechanism, filled with 40 kg of charcoal and incense. In the Jubilee Years, whenever St James's Day falls on a Sunday, the Botafumeiro is also attached in all the Pilgrims' Masses. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes and bring it into a swinging motion almost to the roof of the transept, reaching speeds of 60 km/h and dispensing thick clouds of incense. One explanation of this custom, which originated more than 700 years ago—although incense has been used in Catholic ritual from the earliest times—is that it assisted in masking the stench emanating from hundreds of unwashed pilgrims.  (Wikipidea)

Just want to note that we did not smell!  but we feel very lucky to have seen the botafumeiro in action.

19 kms to go!!!

We have made it to day 5 and have walked 92 kms - no blisters, sprains or strains in friendships - we are all still talking to each other.  We are currently settled into a lovely old hotel in Rua (a very small village outside of Santiago, Spain) enjoying a cervesa in the sunshine.  The days seem easier - we head out about 9 am (it does not get light until 8:30!) take a late morning coffee break and lunch around 1:30 or so and them make our way to our lodging anytime after 3:30 to 4:30 - depending on the ups and downs of the camino.  What seemed so daunting on Monday seems quite easy today - 1 more day and 19 kms to go.  We aim to arrive in Santiago mid-afternoon on Saturday and hope to obtain our certificate that day as well.  In Sarria we picked up our passport and you must obtain 2 stamps per day and travel at least 100 kms by foot or 200 km by cycle in order to receive the certificate so we have been searching for the stamps along the way.  They are at each hotel, most churches and many cafes along the camino.  It is fascinating to see some of the other people's books with many, many stamps.  We met a couple from Nanaino, BC who have been on the camino since Sept 26.  We asked if they would do it again and the man said you would have to be crazy to do it again and the woman said you are crazy to do it once (hmmm...).  I am glad we are just doing the last stretch of the walk and we have been told by a couple of groups that this part is the prettiest - whew!!

Here are some photos...

Pilgrims Dianne, Barb, John and Jan on our first morning of the walk - heading out...

the long and sometimes lonely road

more of the path

This is one of the markers - (half way for us).  They mark every half km - they were very slow to come on the first day but amazingly much faster by day 5.

a descent... hard on the knees

a lovely home along the camino - many of the homes especially the old ones are made of stone

This is a stand along the trail that had fresh raspberries, figs, walnuts and more - all on the honour system - they even cracked the walnuts.

we share the path with cows coming from barn to the field

one of the views along the camino

Pilgrim Dianne on the trail

Pilgrims on the camino among the eucalyptus trees.

I find it hard to believe how fast the week has gone and how good we feel in the mornings (we feel better in the evening after a shower and adult beverage...).  We also think we don't huff and puff as much on the steep hills - not sure that is true but it feels easier anyway.  Onwards to Santiago...

Buen Camino!

Buen Camino - that is what you say to all other pilgrims as they pass or as you pass them and you will also hear from the locals as you walk along.  We have made it just over half way of our trek - 60 kms of the 110.  We left Sarria on Monday morning - it was a long and hot day and we were very glad to see the sign post for Portomarin, we had travelled 23 kms this day though there was a diversion and we all think it added 2 km so we feel that we went 25 km (at the end of the day every extra step is felt!).  With aching joints and muscles we walked into town to find our hotel, though after a brief rest - me with my feet up against the wall and a shower, we all recovered enough to head out for dinner and then a wander around the town (thankfully a very small town...)

Surprisingly we all woke up refreshed and relatively pain free - ready for the next leg of the journey.  Only 21 kms on Tuesday - we walked through fog for most of the morning and around 11:30 the sun broke through to a beautiful day - not too hot.  We arrived at our hotel in Lestedo - a lovely restore stone house right off the Camino, while it had several rooms, we four were the only guests so it was very, very quiet.  The next day we woke to a light drizzle and fog which we walked through until early afternoon - it really was not too bad and our ponchos and rain jackets kept us dry - thankfully it was a pleasent temperature and not too muddy. We walked through lovely country side and very small villages.  Our destination this day was Melide - only 19 kms.  So, we only have 51 kms to go over 3 days.  So far - no blisters or strains - just lots of aches, moans and groans at the end of the day!  The path is now mostly a dirt path but sometimes quite rocky and sometimes on tarmac - often up or down hill but thankfully usually a slow ascent or descent.  Though there are sections that have us huffing and puffing going up and groaning going down...

We have met people along the way - a lovely Irish couple that we connected with our first night and did not see on Tuesday but did Wed night - pleased to hear that they are doing okay.  Many Germans on the trail and there were two large groups of youth - these tend to trek all together so you can hear them coming...  There are also cyclists on the Camino and you can also do it on horseback - we have not seen any horse and riders but have definitely seen the evidence of horses... always have to watch out for horse and cow poo on the path.

While I am glad that I am doing this but I don't think that I would want to do the whole Camino - over 700 kms. - at least 4 to 5 weeks of walking - whew!!
Okay that is an update for now - we are all still standing (Dianne, Jan, John and me) - well at least we are in the morning - by the end of the day we all can't wait to put our feet up.

Leon, Sarria and then the Camino...

We made it to Leon - nice city - bigger than we thought.  It too has a beautiful cathedral with fabulous stained glass windows. We have seen our first shells, marking the way of the camino.  It is starting to sink in that come Monday we will be among the pilgrims on this journey.  We leave from Sarria to walk the last 100 kms of the Camino de Santiago - I am just a bit concerned if I can do this but as only time will tell - I will see what happens this coming week.  Fingers crossed that our feet and legs will hold us up and we make it to the end safe and sound.  I know that you will have be thinking postive thoughts for me.

I am not sure what access to wifi I may have this coming week so don't worry if no posts until I make it to Santiago or to Madrid on Oct 24.  Wow - time is flying by...

Northern Spain

My friend Dianne from Canada joined me in Bilbao and we are now exploring northern Spain. Spent a great day in Bilbao wandering through the city.  The Guggenheim Museum is fabulous, not only the building which is a work of art itself but the exhibits inside as well.  There is much work by Richard Serra that is fabulous - impressive in scale and size but also the form and shape of his pieces.  Unfortunately no photos of the exhibits - those were not allowed but here are some of the building and art outside.

We then travelled to Burgos by train (internet is wonderful - found the train schedule and hotel with a few clicks...) The country side is rolling hills and we kept going through clouds but arrived in gorgeous sunshine.  Burgos, while similar to Bilbao has a different feel.  We are staying in the old part of the city where most of the streets are limited to pedestrians only so it makes for a great place to walk around.  There is a huge cathedral here that we explored - some of it was built in the 1200s beautiful and impressive architecture.

one of the plazas in Burgos

me with the pilgrim in Burgos...

We are off to Leon today - again by train and then to Sarria (not sure if by train or bus yet - need to figure this one out yet) to meet up with John and Jan and start our trek on the Camino on Monday.

Hola Bilbao!

I am currently in Bilbao in northern Spain - very different from Andalucia.  First it is about 10 degrees cooler - which makes it around 24 - 25 degrees during the day.  The first day was rainy (my first rainy day of the trip) but yesterday and today are to be lovely - 25 and sunny - aaahhhh...  Secondly, it is much greener than down south, though the trees are starting to lose their leaves.  I wandered the city - yes I got lost again - I can't seem to read the maps or my sense of direction is way off! I usually can find my way in the end and I often walk twice as far - but I see lots.  Though the Guggenheim Muesum was closed on Monday - I walked around it - very impressive - photos will come.  It was designed by the Canadian born architect - Frank Gehry.  I stumbled upon the old part of Bilbao - narrow streets, cafes, small plazas - a perfect way to spend an afternoon. 

Adios Andalucia :(

Wow! this week went by so fast.  I said adios to Andalucia last night and flew to Bilbao in northern Spain.  I really enjoyed Andalucia and southern Spain - the whole region is what I thought Spain would be like - beautiful rolling hills, olive trees as far as the eye can see, glorious blue sky, welcoming people and yummy food - oh my we did eat!!

On Thursday, we headed to Jerez to view the Andalucian horse show - dancing horses - beautiful and wonderfully trained horses though some of us were just a bit uncomfortable and wondered if this was a good thing for the horses - but they seemed to be in very good shape and for the most part seemed to enjoy performing.  We were not allowed to take photos of the performance but there was a horse and rider on view outside the venue.

We then went to Sandeman Sherry for a tour and tasting. While Sandeman originated in Scotland it has been in Spain and Portugal for over 200 years.  The hat represents Spain and the cape - Portugal.

I learned that I prefer the moderate or sweeter sherry - the dry was too dry for me.

On Friday we headed to Seville - which is one of the prettiest citys in Spain - unfortunately I had some camera problems but did manage a few shots. 

 (the blog today is not letting me upload photos easily so I will try to send some later)

We tried to toured the Plaza Espanole or the semi-circle square as Ali - our leader called it but there was some kind of an official ceremony taking place so we were not able to wander about too much.  Then we headed to the Alcazar palace and gardens and then to the Cathedral - both very impressive.  Christopher Columbus is supposed to be buried in the cathedral though there is much speculation that it is not really him but perhaps a relative - though of his DNA - We speculated that perhaps it is just his toothbrush ;)

Cortijo Rosario

I am currently in the Andalucia region of southern Spain surrounded by olive trees as far as the eye can see.  I joined an Exodus tour in Malaga on Saturday and we travelled together by van to Cortijo Rosario – a lovely small resort just up the hill from the small town of Algamitas.  Yes – up a very steep hill.  I am now sitting by the pool in the shade after a quick dip.  It is 30 degrees here today but is our free day and while a few of us trekked down to the town that was our big excursion this morning and this afternoon we are sitting by the pool…  Yes I know a hard day...

Andalucia is what I pictured of rural Spain – rolling hills and olive trees as far as the eye can see.  It quite dry here - there has been no rain for months. The harvest of the green olives is happening - these are the eating olives - the harvest of the black olives will happen in January and Feb - these olives will be made into olive oil.  We were told that 30 percent of the world’s olive oil comes from this region.  I can personally tell you that it is delicious!

We started our week here on Sunday morning with a trek then a tapas lunch in the town, then the hike of the steep hill and then a jump in the pool.  On Monday we went to Olvera and Sentinel – 2 of the ‘white’ villages – quaint small towns that all the buildings are painted white.  On Tuesday – a day trip to Cordoba where the must see is La Mezquita de Cordoba – very impressive.

We have all eaten well and enjoyed local delicacies – jamon (ham), queso (cheese), chorizo olive oil, vinho tinto and drink of red wine and lemonade – I know does not sound great but is served with ice and is very refreshing.

The people we have met have all be very friendly, the staff at the resort are wonderful and the other members of the tour are good fun – lots of laughs and chatter.

Gaudi, Gaudi, Gaudi

Antoni Gaudi, architech - designer is fabulous in Barcelona. I went to the Sacreda Familia and wow!! truly impressive and inspiriational and it is not even finished. Expected completion is 2020 to 2040... Here are some photos but you really should go to Barcelona to see it yourself.  
1.The first one is of the passion facade which tells the story of Jesus' death- the current entrance for tourists.
2. Beautiful stained glass windows with streams of colours when the sun shines through.
3. The columns inside reminisent of tree trunks
4. the area above the alter
5. the nativity facade which tells the story of Jesus' birth
6. one of the to scale models used in the building of the building

I then went off to Casa Batilo (not sure on the spelling and I am not near my notes but it is something like that)  A private home designed and lived in by Antoni Gaudi.  It too is amazing - no straight lines, curves walls, stained glass, ergonomic door handles, hand railings and banisters. Truly exceptional.

As you can see I really enjoyed Gaudi architecture.

Friday evening I headed off to a recital of spanish guitar.  It was in an old church and was lovely.  The performer explained each piece in spanish and english which just added to the evening.  He played traditional catalonia pieces as well as music used for flamenco.

Not a great photo but here is the performance

Thats it for Barcelona - I have had just a taste or perhaps a sip of this city - but perhaps I will come back.  Off to Malaga in southern Spain...