I'm sitting in the JFK Admirals Club (thanks to my traveling companions Rick and Portia) using a computer that has a normal keyboard that uses engligh letters--we are a mere few hours away from returning to DCA and home. I'm so looking forward to seeing Ken and sleeping in my own little bed. The trip from Spain to JFK was really long. America Airlines did not have their A/V working in the coach cabin. An eight hour plane ride without a movie is long...I will be writing yet another letter to AA tomorrow telling them what sucky service they have. Rick, Portia, Renee and I have been sitting for an hour looking over our pictures and talking about our adventure.
I am so happy to have made the journey. I am grateful and thankful to all of you for your interest and support. Tomorrow I thankfully return to my regular life, sore feet and all.
Sending love...
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Trail of Slugs and Other Interesting Stuff
Thursday, September 22, 2011
We started our journey from caldas de Reis around 8:00am with a lovely path through the wooded areas in the direction of Padron. The path was tree lined with soft pine needles beneath our sore and swollen feet. As we were headed through this particularly dark forest part of the path I see these black long things that, at first look, resembled the after effects of a dog´s dinner. They were instead SLUGS--big ones at that. Most of them were at least five inches long and about a big around as a fat cigar. So gross. There were everywhere for a while--each step was carefully placed as to not step on any of them. Again, GROSS!
The path was winding and tree lined. We saw several people out walking their dogs. We´ve found that the animals here are so well behaved and are treated like a family member. It is so amazing to walk along and encounter a dog that isn´t a sniffer, a barker, or just threatening in general. So refreshing.
As we wound our way over this mountain and through the woods we encountered a forest ranger who was waiting at the end of the path we were on. He welcomed us and stamped our Pilgrim Creditentials--a booklet of stamps that we need to prove we actually walked the entire way. We stopped for cafe (I refrained due to the ickiness of yesterday´s cafe) and rested a while.
We were then off to Padron with about three miles to go. They were long miles indeed which is what we find when we know we are close to our destination. It was hot and humid as well which just makes the journey longer. When we finally arrived in Padron we encounted a Farmer´s Market. We strolled through just to see all the pretty fruits and veggies, fresh meants and pastries. So wonderful. We found a bar, ordered a beer and waited for the rest of our group to arrive. They did one by one about ten minutes apart. We had a wonderful lunch of chicken, rice and salad. Ice cream for dessert! YUM. We then made the executive decision to continue on another five miles to Picareña to spend the night. The trip again was long and hot but we made it around 4:30pm. That made for a 16.6 mile day. We were so glad it was over. We encountered Estaban and Christine along the way. They were going to walk the additional ten miles to Santiago--brave young people.
SANTIAGO HERE WE COME!
After a reasonable night´s sleep we started our final day of the journey to Santiago. We left the hotel at 6:30am, walked in the dark over these country roads, some of them dirt and rock, for an hour and stopped for coffee and toast. Rested and anxious to finish our journey we continued on our journey to Santiago. The final road to Santiago is up one high hill, down the other side and then up one more steep climb hill to arrival. We arrived in Santiago around 10:00am. My traveling companions had cafe--I had one hard earned beer at 10:02am. It was so good!
We found our hotel, dropped the stuff we didn´t need to carry anymore and proceeded to the square where the church is. We had our picture taken by the center stone of the square so grateful that we had finally made it. We then went to the pilgrim mass at noon--entirely in Spanish in a beautiful old cathedral. After church we went to the Pilgrim Office in order to collect our certificate of accomplishment. It was an awesome feeling and we found that we could have made the journey via bicycle or horse--perhaps horse for me next time! Then it was off to lunch whereby we drank wine, ate wonderful food and finally begain to relax realizing that we had accomplished what we set out to do.
September 12 seems like a long time ago. The second day of our journey I was frustrated, hot, and hurting. I wanted to quit--that was on day 2! BUT we slogged on. The countryside was beautiful. We enjoyed meeting our fellow Pilgrims along the way. The people in Portugal embraced us. The Spanish weren´t as gracious. The older people smiled at us. The younger ones rushed along. One older Spanish lady saw us walking one early morning--she leaned out the window and said "Pst, pst" We looked up and she smiled and waved. Had I given up I would have missed that small gentle jesture of friendship.
Tomorrow we leave Spain behind and rejoin our regular lives. I am happy that I made this journey to prove to myself how strong I really am and to realize how important my life back home is.
Today is my friend Adrian´s birthday. Happy Birthday Adrian and thank you for making the journey with me. I called on you many times for strength...that´s how I made it through.
Sending love...
We started our journey from caldas de Reis around 8:00am with a lovely path through the wooded areas in the direction of Padron. The path was tree lined with soft pine needles beneath our sore and swollen feet. As we were headed through this particularly dark forest part of the path I see these black long things that, at first look, resembled the after effects of a dog´s dinner. They were instead SLUGS--big ones at that. Most of them were at least five inches long and about a big around as a fat cigar. So gross. There were everywhere for a while--each step was carefully placed as to not step on any of them. Again, GROSS!
The path was winding and tree lined. We saw several people out walking their dogs. We´ve found that the animals here are so well behaved and are treated like a family member. It is so amazing to walk along and encounter a dog that isn´t a sniffer, a barker, or just threatening in general. So refreshing.
As we wound our way over this mountain and through the woods we encountered a forest ranger who was waiting at the end of the path we were on. He welcomed us and stamped our Pilgrim Creditentials--a booklet of stamps that we need to prove we actually walked the entire way. We stopped for cafe (I refrained due to the ickiness of yesterday´s cafe) and rested a while.
We were then off to Padron with about three miles to go. They were long miles indeed which is what we find when we know we are close to our destination. It was hot and humid as well which just makes the journey longer. When we finally arrived in Padron we encounted a Farmer´s Market. We strolled through just to see all the pretty fruits and veggies, fresh meants and pastries. So wonderful. We found a bar, ordered a beer and waited for the rest of our group to arrive. They did one by one about ten minutes apart. We had a wonderful lunch of chicken, rice and salad. Ice cream for dessert! YUM. We then made the executive decision to continue on another five miles to Picareña to spend the night. The trip again was long and hot but we made it around 4:30pm. That made for a 16.6 mile day. We were so glad it was over. We encountered Estaban and Christine along the way. They were going to walk the additional ten miles to Santiago--brave young people.
SANTIAGO HERE WE COME!
After a reasonable night´s sleep we started our final day of the journey to Santiago. We left the hotel at 6:30am, walked in the dark over these country roads, some of them dirt and rock, for an hour and stopped for coffee and toast. Rested and anxious to finish our journey we continued on our journey to Santiago. The final road to Santiago is up one high hill, down the other side and then up one more steep climb hill to arrival. We arrived in Santiago around 10:00am. My traveling companions had cafe--I had one hard earned beer at 10:02am. It was so good!
We found our hotel, dropped the stuff we didn´t need to carry anymore and proceeded to the square where the church is. We had our picture taken by the center stone of the square so grateful that we had finally made it. We then went to the pilgrim mass at noon--entirely in Spanish in a beautiful old cathedral. After church we went to the Pilgrim Office in order to collect our certificate of accomplishment. It was an awesome feeling and we found that we could have made the journey via bicycle or horse--perhaps horse for me next time! Then it was off to lunch whereby we drank wine, ate wonderful food and finally begain to relax realizing that we had accomplished what we set out to do.
September 12 seems like a long time ago. The second day of our journey I was frustrated, hot, and hurting. I wanted to quit--that was on day 2! BUT we slogged on. The countryside was beautiful. We enjoyed meeting our fellow Pilgrims along the way. The people in Portugal embraced us. The Spanish weren´t as gracious. The older people smiled at us. The younger ones rushed along. One older Spanish lady saw us walking one early morning--she leaned out the window and said "Pst, pst" We looked up and she smiled and waved. Had I given up I would have missed that small gentle jesture of friendship.
Tomorrow we leave Spain behind and rejoin our regular lives. I am happy that I made this journey to prove to myself how strong I really am and to realize how important my life back home is.
Today is my friend Adrian´s birthday. Happy Birthday Adrian and thank you for making the journey with me. I called on you many times for strength...that´s how I made it through.
Sending love...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
What Do You Get When you mix...
Four women ages 62-52 in one room?
This morning was cold--I guess the temp was about 45 degrees. It was windy and cloudy as we left Pontevedra on our journey to Caldas De Reis. Before we left Pontevedra we had our toast and coffee at a place known for it´s hot chocolate. This is true hot chocolate--something like Hershey´s chocolate sauce heated in a cup. We were on a caffeine high as we set off! We had 14.5 miles to walk this morning. It turned out to be a pleasant walk once we got out of the city. In two hours we had covered about 7 miles (half of our distance) when we stopped at a cafe for some cafe con leche. It is always clear to see who loves their jobs and who doesn´t. This morning the bar maid clearly did not like her job. She gave me my cafe con leche in a cup that had lipstick on it and once I discovered that I had already stirred the sugar in with a spoon that had animal fur on it. Needless to say that ruined the morning cafe for me!
We traveled along dirt roads surrounded by agriculture and animals. One house had a barn affixed to it (a common site in rural towns in Europe). The barn had two horses, a goat, and a load of chickens. Can you imagine the smell in the summer? We walked up hill all morning. With it being a gradual climb it wasn´t difficult. We passed several fonts (fountains of water coming out of the ground) where you could refill your water bottle if necessary. Our surprise came as we rounded a corner to see a woman herding her sheep the new fangled way with her car! Apparently the sheep understand this method as they went into the pen she was aiming them for. A little further up the road we met a pack of dogs. They were just hanging around not really bothering anyone. They were really glad to see us. There was one in particular that looked like it had a little border collie in it and he was the most beautiful color of medium auburn. He was the friendlist one and came along on our trip with us for a little while.
We walked through grape arbors heavy with grapes. The bunches hanging down were so tempting for us to pick and eat--we refrained. The air was heavy with the smell of grapes.
We made it to Caldas de Reis in a little over five hours. This is a lovely little town. The church sits on a square with huge palm trees in the front. It is just beautiful. We are staying at a little pension with an on suite bathroom--what a treat! So far we´ve been locked in the pension as you need a key to get out the inner door and a key to get in the outer doors. I´ve never been locked in a hotel before! We did manage to get out and did manage to get back in a little later. Not really being able to speak the Spain spanish is proving to be a challenge. I find it very interesting that when we say "Do you speak english?" in our best spanish and they say "No", they keep on speaking to us in Spanish like they figure we will get what they are saying if they keep talking to us! Not always the case. We often resort to sign language which seems to be universal as it generally works to get the point across.
There are six in our camino pack. One married couple and four single women. Unless we are staying in an albuergue the four women sleep in the same room and the married couple sleep in their own room. So what do you get when you mix four women ages 62-52 in one room? A slumber party every night! It seems like we turn from mature women into teenagers once again when we share a room. We´ve had such fun together! I did find out today that these women are truly my friends because when I told them I did see a dead snake this morning they confessed that they had seen dead snakes earlier in the week but knew I would worry if I knew so they kept the news to themselves. I carry my pink snake totem with me. It seems to be working.
We are only two days out from Santiago. 40 kilometers (24 miles)--it seems like Oporto where we started 10 days ago is a million miles away. Day after tomorrow we will be in Santiago at the end of our journey. WOW!
Sending love...
This morning was cold--I guess the temp was about 45 degrees. It was windy and cloudy as we left Pontevedra on our journey to Caldas De Reis. Before we left Pontevedra we had our toast and coffee at a place known for it´s hot chocolate. This is true hot chocolate--something like Hershey´s chocolate sauce heated in a cup. We were on a caffeine high as we set off! We had 14.5 miles to walk this morning. It turned out to be a pleasant walk once we got out of the city. In two hours we had covered about 7 miles (half of our distance) when we stopped at a cafe for some cafe con leche. It is always clear to see who loves their jobs and who doesn´t. This morning the bar maid clearly did not like her job. She gave me my cafe con leche in a cup that had lipstick on it and once I discovered that I had already stirred the sugar in with a spoon that had animal fur on it. Needless to say that ruined the morning cafe for me!
We traveled along dirt roads surrounded by agriculture and animals. One house had a barn affixed to it (a common site in rural towns in Europe). The barn had two horses, a goat, and a load of chickens. Can you imagine the smell in the summer? We walked up hill all morning. With it being a gradual climb it wasn´t difficult. We passed several fonts (fountains of water coming out of the ground) where you could refill your water bottle if necessary. Our surprise came as we rounded a corner to see a woman herding her sheep the new fangled way with her car! Apparently the sheep understand this method as they went into the pen she was aiming them for. A little further up the road we met a pack of dogs. They were just hanging around not really bothering anyone. They were really glad to see us. There was one in particular that looked like it had a little border collie in it and he was the most beautiful color of medium auburn. He was the friendlist one and came along on our trip with us for a little while.
We walked through grape arbors heavy with grapes. The bunches hanging down were so tempting for us to pick and eat--we refrained. The air was heavy with the smell of grapes.
We made it to Caldas de Reis in a little over five hours. This is a lovely little town. The church sits on a square with huge palm trees in the front. It is just beautiful. We are staying at a little pension with an on suite bathroom--what a treat! So far we´ve been locked in the pension as you need a key to get out the inner door and a key to get in the outer doors. I´ve never been locked in a hotel before! We did manage to get out and did manage to get back in a little later. Not really being able to speak the Spain spanish is proving to be a challenge. I find it very interesting that when we say "Do you speak english?" in our best spanish and they say "No", they keep on speaking to us in Spanish like they figure we will get what they are saying if they keep talking to us! Not always the case. We often resort to sign language which seems to be universal as it generally works to get the point across.
There are six in our camino pack. One married couple and four single women. Unless we are staying in an albuergue the four women sleep in the same room and the married couple sleep in their own room. So what do you get when you mix four women ages 62-52 in one room? A slumber party every night! It seems like we turn from mature women into teenagers once again when we share a room. We´ve had such fun together! I did find out today that these women are truly my friends because when I told them I did see a dead snake this morning they confessed that they had seen dead snakes earlier in the week but knew I would worry if I knew so they kept the news to themselves. I carry my pink snake totem with me. It seems to be working.
We are only two days out from Santiago. 40 kilometers (24 miles)--it seems like Oporto where we started 10 days ago is a million miles away. Day after tomorrow we will be in Santiago at the end of our journey. WOW!
Sending love...
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Climb Every Mountain
We left Redondela this morning at 7:25am. We seem to be getting later and later leaving in the mornings. We spent the night in the remodeled municipal albuergue. The building was from the 15th century, I think. We didn´t get a lot of sleep as the albuergue was crowded, noisy, many people snoring and being noisy. We were happy to leave it behind. Redondela was a very nice little town. We find that in Spain full advantage is taken of the siesta from 2:00-4:30pm which left us with not much available for food. Mirelle, Renee and I found an out of the way bar where we could sit outside and drink the vino rioja--the wonderful spanish red wine. Spanish wine is not like american wine in that there aren´t any tannons in the wine so you can drink, drink, drink, and no hangover. Good thing because walking with a hangover would be not so great. Before we left town this morning we enjoyed cafe con leche and toast. So good!
Our hike today was 11.5 miles. We had two pretty substantial hills to climb. At the top of the first one we could clearly see the ocean and the inlet. The site was breathtakingly beautiful. We hiked down the mountain with the ocean view on our left and a loose rock slope under our feet and onto the motorway. It is always a bit scary to hike along the road where the cars zoom along. We stay as far to the left as we possibly can but sometimes it seems as the cars will hit us anyway. No mishaps thus far, though.
We walked on some beautiful country roads and up some steep rocky trails. The stonework on one particular one car bridge was amazing and the streets of the town were almost straight up. Thankfully the hiking poles were handy. We encountered sheep, horses (first time to see horses), chickens and two billy goats. They were funny as they would stand on their hind legs and eat the leaves from the grape vines.
As I walked along this morning I discovered that spanish in Spain is not the same as spanish in Mexico. Some words are the same but most are not. I discovered that duct tape is a universal tool as a motor scooter owner had used the familiar silver tape to hold his fender on. I discovered that had I been good at math I would have wanted to be an astrologist. I discovered that my feet are good for about ten miles before they start to hurt and they clearly know when it´s been ten miles. I discovered that I am just as bad at reading a map in Spain as I am in the US. Today was a day of discovery.
Pontevedra is a bustling city. It appears to be fairly large. It is just now waking up from it´s two hour siesta. As I sit in this internet bar I see the traffic bustling by. It is comforting to know that there is actually a place that has worse traffic than DC--that would be anywhere in Europe.
Tomorrow we are off to Caldo de Reis a journey of 14.5 miles. After tomorrow we will have only two walking days left. When we started this journey on September 12 it seemed like a long journey. We have now walked about 110 miles. We have only about 40 miles left to walk. I can now adequately convert K´s to miles--an accomplishment. I am looking forward to walking into the Plaza in Santiago knowing that I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish. Not likely that I will cross this way again but what amazing memories I take with me.
Sending love...
Our hike today was 11.5 miles. We had two pretty substantial hills to climb. At the top of the first one we could clearly see the ocean and the inlet. The site was breathtakingly beautiful. We hiked down the mountain with the ocean view on our left and a loose rock slope under our feet and onto the motorway. It is always a bit scary to hike along the road where the cars zoom along. We stay as far to the left as we possibly can but sometimes it seems as the cars will hit us anyway. No mishaps thus far, though.
We walked on some beautiful country roads and up some steep rocky trails. The stonework on one particular one car bridge was amazing and the streets of the town were almost straight up. Thankfully the hiking poles were handy. We encountered sheep, horses (first time to see horses), chickens and two billy goats. They were funny as they would stand on their hind legs and eat the leaves from the grape vines.
As I walked along this morning I discovered that spanish in Spain is not the same as spanish in Mexico. Some words are the same but most are not. I discovered that duct tape is a universal tool as a motor scooter owner had used the familiar silver tape to hold his fender on. I discovered that had I been good at math I would have wanted to be an astrologist. I discovered that my feet are good for about ten miles before they start to hurt and they clearly know when it´s been ten miles. I discovered that I am just as bad at reading a map in Spain as I am in the US. Today was a day of discovery.
Pontevedra is a bustling city. It appears to be fairly large. It is just now waking up from it´s two hour siesta. As I sit in this internet bar I see the traffic bustling by. It is comforting to know that there is actually a place that has worse traffic than DC--that would be anywhere in Europe.
Tomorrow we are off to Caldo de Reis a journey of 14.5 miles. After tomorrow we will have only two walking days left. When we started this journey on September 12 it seemed like a long journey. We have now walked about 110 miles. We have only about 40 miles left to walk. I can now adequately convert K´s to miles--an accomplishment. I am looking forward to walking into the Plaza in Santiago knowing that I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish. Not likely that I will cross this way again but what amazing memories I take with me.
Sending love...
Monday, September 19, 2011
As The Journey Continues...
Today is Monday, September 19. We spent last night in the public albuergue in Perriños. We´ve altered our route a bit to try and cut out the 19 mile day by breaking up the mileage a bit more. Yesterday, Sunday, many of the businesses in Spain were closed. We did find a restaurant that was open with one guy who was cooking, waiting tables, serving the food all by himself! A very talented guy. This morning we left Perriños to walk to Redondela. We left at 7:10am and walked up some very steep hills but managed to get to Redondela by about 10:45am. We found a coffee shop, had cafe con leche, an empeñada, and the most wonderful eclair. Then we set off to find an internet cafe and ended up in the Library. The albuergue opens at 1:00pm whereby we will shower, wash our clothes in the laundry sink, hang it to dry and soak our feet. We´ve only had a mishap or two but are constantly bothered by sore feet and knees. Once you go up the mountain the coming down can be pretty harsh on the feet and legs. The sites in Spain aren´t nearly as beautiful as they were in Portugal. It is clear to see there is more wealth in Spain. We are officially 8 days into our journey with only four more until we reach Santiago.
We ran into Beatrix, Ecluid, Christina and Estevan (we dined with them at Casa de. Fernanda) last night in the albuergue. It´s like meeting old friends again.
So far we´ve had one teammate fall and scrape himself up, one fall and bang herself up, and one with the biggest blister I´ve ever seen in my life. For eight days into the journey I can honestly say that we have faired fairly well.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
We ran into Beatrix, Ecluid, Christina and Estevan (we dined with them at Casa de. Fernanda) last night in the albuergue. It´s like meeting old friends again.
So far we´ve had one teammate fall and scrape himself up, one fall and bang herself up, and one with the biggest blister I´ve ever seen in my life. For eight days into the journey I can honestly say that we have faired fairly well.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Espana at last!
Today is Saturday and we have finally arrived in Spain! We stayed last night in Rubies (perhaps misspelled) in an albuergue that was new and clean but in a room that would sleep about 22 people. Thankfully it was not full. Sleeping with 22 of your best friends who you do not know is strange. We did laundry in the laundry sink and I hung out my clothes line that Ken made for me. I felt liberated in having figured out that I could actually figure out the laundry line! We journeyed out this morning at 6:25am in the dark and walked 12.5 miles. It was grueling! Lots of uphill and then downhill on rock washes. Our Pilgrim sister Judy took a fall. The German fellow who have been following us for a couple of days rushed to our aid and helped Judy up, looked her over, and then journeyed on. They were very caring even though we do not speak the same language. I have very limited access to the German language so between that and a lot of sign language we conversed. We finally made it to Tui around 1:30pm to a very nice private albuergue whereby we only share the room with ourselves. I can hardly wait to crawl under the covers tonight for a well deserved nights sleep. Tomorrow we journey onto Perrino bringing us one more day closer to Santiago! I am amazed that I am able to keep up the journey especially since there is not one part of me that does not hurt right now! We have seen such amazing landscape along the way. Lots and lots of grape arbors that smell wonderful. I find that I am learning a lot about myself and my capabilities.
Ir would appear that the Camino is just one big happy family. We have run into several of our fellow pilgrims that we have met along the way in one albuergue or another. Lots of hugging and trying to converse with limited language and gestering.
Looking forward to seeing all of you soon! Sending love to you from España.
Missing all of you and am looking forward to being home soon.
Ir would appear that the Camino is just one big happy family. We have run into several of our fellow pilgrims that we have met along the way in one albuergue or another. Lots of hugging and trying to converse with limited language and gestering.
Looking forward to seeing all of you soon! Sending love to you from España.
Missing all of you and am looking forward to being home soon.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Still in Portugal
Dear Friends,
It has been difficult to find wireless or albuergueºs with internet connection so I havenºt been able to say hello. Currently I am sitting in an internet cafe in Ponte de Lima and for .50 euro I can chat for 15 minutes.
We are five days into our hiking. I admit that it was very difficult the first couple of days. We started from Oporto on Monday Sept. 12. We hiked along the ocean which was wonderful with the scenery and the breeze. We all have the most amazing tan lines between our knees and our ankles. The map we were following was a bit out of date so our 12 mile journey was about 16 miles. The packs were heavy, the feet sore, but we eventually made it to Vida do Conde. We stayed at a little albuerque where our room had a slanted floor. That was a bit difficult to manage in the middle of the night if one had to get up to go to the bathroom.
From Vila do Conde we traveled to Rates. Again the map was incorrect so our six mile journey turned into about ten. We started at six thirty AM. The day was hot so we were worn out by the time we arrived at our albuergue. We showered in tepid water, did the laundry, and shopped at the tiny store for food to cook. Rick cooked us a wonderful meal of spaghetti with tomato garlic shrimp sauce. That coupled with a nice green salad was just what we needed to get our strength back.
From Rates we traveled to Barcelos--prounced Barsheles--a bigger city with a wonderful private albuergue with a bathtub! We ate plentiful food and shopped at the local farmers market\flea market they have in the square every Thursday. The produce and fruits were abundant as were the meats and breads. Vendors were selling live chickens and bunnies but not for pets I am certain. We saw gypsies begging and everybody was clinging their pocketbooks closer. We hated to leave Barceles because it was a fun place.
From Barceles we journeyed to Casa de Fernanda about 10 miles outside Barceles. Our group got separated so four of us were journeying along, stopped to look at this cute little house along the way and then walked on. We got to a church, consulted the map and found out that we had overshot our destination by about 1.5 miles. So back we went--walked three miles out of our way! We are certain to be more careful next time. We are finding that the map that the Pilgrim Leader has is different from the map that I have with mine being newer. We are following that one from now on.
Casa de Fernanda was a delight to behold. It is a private albuerque run b Fernanda and Joaquim. They have room for 14 persons. We met a woman from Switzerland named Monique, two women traveling together one from Iceland and the other from Germany, a couple traveling on their honeymoon from Germany--they are getting married at the end of September but apparently taking their honeymoon first! Joaquin is an optometrist--he gave us beer and fried pork cutlet and bread to snack on. Fernanda came home and made us a fabulous meal of cabbage soup, fish, potatos and tomatoes from her garden. After dinner we enjoyed Port and Grappa--or fire water as she called it. She had a liquor of sorts that was made from rosemary I think. Wasnºt all that great to drink but would have been good on a salad. When we woke up this morning she fixed us a typical european breakfast of meat and cheese, bread, yogurt and cafe con leit. It was amazing! Casa de Fernanda was the perfect place to spend my wedding anniversary since I couldnºt spend it with Ken.
I am still finding it a bit strange to be with my neighbors in this beautiful country with a backpack on my back and I have to pinch myself from time to time. This is an amazing journey. I am understanding more and more about being a pilgrim and the sacriface that goes along with the journey. The luxuries I have at home are so far removed from what I have seen here. I am remembering those I brought in my heart along the way as I walk through this beautiful countryside.
Tomorrow we are on our way to Rubios, one day closer to Santiago.
Thinking of all of you!
It has been difficult to find wireless or albuergueºs with internet connection so I havenºt been able to say hello. Currently I am sitting in an internet cafe in Ponte de Lima and for .50 euro I can chat for 15 minutes.
We are five days into our hiking. I admit that it was very difficult the first couple of days. We started from Oporto on Monday Sept. 12. We hiked along the ocean which was wonderful with the scenery and the breeze. We all have the most amazing tan lines between our knees and our ankles. The map we were following was a bit out of date so our 12 mile journey was about 16 miles. The packs were heavy, the feet sore, but we eventually made it to Vida do Conde. We stayed at a little albuerque where our room had a slanted floor. That was a bit difficult to manage in the middle of the night if one had to get up to go to the bathroom.
From Vila do Conde we traveled to Rates. Again the map was incorrect so our six mile journey turned into about ten. We started at six thirty AM. The day was hot so we were worn out by the time we arrived at our albuergue. We showered in tepid water, did the laundry, and shopped at the tiny store for food to cook. Rick cooked us a wonderful meal of spaghetti with tomato garlic shrimp sauce. That coupled with a nice green salad was just what we needed to get our strength back.
From Rates we traveled to Barcelos--prounced Barsheles--a bigger city with a wonderful private albuergue with a bathtub! We ate plentiful food and shopped at the local farmers market\flea market they have in the square every Thursday. The produce and fruits were abundant as were the meats and breads. Vendors were selling live chickens and bunnies but not for pets I am certain. We saw gypsies begging and everybody was clinging their pocketbooks closer. We hated to leave Barceles because it was a fun place.
From Barceles we journeyed to Casa de Fernanda about 10 miles outside Barceles. Our group got separated so four of us were journeying along, stopped to look at this cute little house along the way and then walked on. We got to a church, consulted the map and found out that we had overshot our destination by about 1.5 miles. So back we went--walked three miles out of our way! We are certain to be more careful next time. We are finding that the map that the Pilgrim Leader has is different from the map that I have with mine being newer. We are following that one from now on.
Casa de Fernanda was a delight to behold. It is a private albuerque run b Fernanda and Joaquim. They have room for 14 persons. We met a woman from Switzerland named Monique, two women traveling together one from Iceland and the other from Germany, a couple traveling on their honeymoon from Germany--they are getting married at the end of September but apparently taking their honeymoon first! Joaquin is an optometrist--he gave us beer and fried pork cutlet and bread to snack on. Fernanda came home and made us a fabulous meal of cabbage soup, fish, potatos and tomatoes from her garden. After dinner we enjoyed Port and Grappa--or fire water as she called it. She had a liquor of sorts that was made from rosemary I think. Wasnºt all that great to drink but would have been good on a salad. When we woke up this morning she fixed us a typical european breakfast of meat and cheese, bread, yogurt and cafe con leit. It was amazing! Casa de Fernanda was the perfect place to spend my wedding anniversary since I couldnºt spend it with Ken.
I am still finding it a bit strange to be with my neighbors in this beautiful country with a backpack on my back and I have to pinch myself from time to time. This is an amazing journey. I am understanding more and more about being a pilgrim and the sacriface that goes along with the journey. The luxuries I have at home are so far removed from what I have seen here. I am remembering those I brought in my heart along the way as I walk through this beautiful countryside.
Tomorrow we are on our way to Rubios, one day closer to Santiago.
Thinking of all of you!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Portugal at Last
We left Washington DC at 2:35pm on Friday September 9 and finally made it to our albuergue in Oporto Portugal at 2:30 on Saturday September 10. We had flight delays and a long lay over in Madrid Spain but did finally get to our destination and what a welcome sight it was. I am reminded of the beauty of Europe and how much I love visiting here. The architecture is stunning and the lifestyle less hectic than in the US. And did I mention the food and wine? We had trouble finding a restaurant and ended up in a small deli sort of shop where we had the most wonderful cheese, meat, salmon, and bread along with some wonderful vino tinto (red wine). It was all very nice. We then walked down to the local pastry shop and had a sampling of pastries. Also good! After some walking around and picture taking we came back to the albergue and with a shower jumped into bed for a well deserved good nightºs sleep. So it is sunday morning--another day we will spend here in Porto seeing the sights, tasting the Port and getting ourselves psyched up for hefting the packs onto our backs to begin our walk tomorrow Sept. 12. So until then...
Friday, September 9, 2011
My Bags are packed I'm ready to go...
Today is September 9--the day of departure--the day the adventure begins the 2:35pm EDT departure from Washington Reagan Airport. YIKES!! Myh first thought this morning was "TODAY IS THE DAY". I had to do some last minute rearranging of my pack and am now worried that I didn't get it all put together the way I should have. I hauled my very full and heavy backpack on the metro and into the office this morning. My colleagues all ooohhheed and ahhhhed over the backpack and the girls tried it on for size and weight. It was fun--sort of like a sleepover in the daytime when girlfriends get together. It continues to pour rain outside. The thought of slogging through the rain to the metro to the airport is unappealing. I keep reminding myself that it isn't raining in Portugal! I'm taking with me in my heart a dear friend and her parents. I am taking the mother of another dear friend. I am taking my family and friends with me on this journey. I take the little pink snake that my daughter made me to help me not be afraid. Anais Nin wrote :"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." I think of myself as not courageous but a lover of life. The encouragement you have shown me through my preparation for this journey means the world to me. I go because you encouraged me to not shrink from life but to grab it and go with it. And with that thought I AM OFF!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Practice Makes Perfect
August 27 8:05am--my next door neighbors and I started our last group hiking excursion before we leave for Portugal on September 9--a ten mile hike. This was the longest hike for me thus far. So with our eyes on the skies and fingers crossed that hurricane Irene wouldn't dump rain on our journey we started out. Portia (the next door neighbor and leader of our group of pilgrims) had thoughtfully marked our route with half mile and mile markers so we could keep track of our progress. Because of the hurricane the skies were overcast and there was a breeze (sometimes a wind) blowing on us the whole time--very pleasant hiking conditions. Our journey in Portugal and Spain will be road walking with some path walking thrown in. We thought this would be an excellent opportunity to practice our road walking. What an experience it was to walk these winding country roads with the cars zooming up and down. It was frightening in places and I kept wondering what the Portuguese and Spanish drivers would be like! We walked to our half way point, sat down and had a short snack and then hoisted ourselves back up--it is quite difficult to get up with a 25 pound on your back--and started our journey back. On the way back we walked in a quiet line spread out by several yards thinking our own thoughts and enjoying the sites. It seemed to me that the journey back took less time than the journey out--an illusion of not knowing where you are going vs. knowing you are going home. Portia tells me the way of the Camino is this: walk in the morning to early afternoon, stop at an albergue for the night, eat, shower, wash clothes, hang said clothes out to dry and nap. Just to make sure I understood the practice I ate lunch with Portia and Rick at their house and then trudged up my hilly side yard to my house, went inside, showered and layed down in the bed and slept for three hours. Camino practice completed successfully!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Stepped on a Snake
A few weeks ago my neighbors and I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail near Boonesboro Maryland. This was no easy feat! The terrain was rocky and rough. It was literally hiking along a ridge that was completely shaded but HOT and humid. The underbrush and forest were so wooded that it there was a breeze it didn't often reach us. We hiked over rocks and then more rocks--ROCKS were everywhere and there was literally no way to turn them off! My next door neighbor was the leader of our tiny group--she was so encouraging and patient with me and the other hiker who happened to be her husband. We hiked slowly but she always waited for us if she couldn't see us when she turned around. As we were hiking along I stepped on a snake! Any of you who know me at all will know that I have a paralyzing fear of snakes. Thankfully this one was dead and my neighbor's husband said it had been dead for about three years but I beg to differ as it was still spongy and snake-looking! Since that hike I've seen three more snakes--I ran over one near our neighborhood as the poor thing was trying to cross the road one evening (honestly there was no way I could swerve to avoid it), I saw the tail end of a HUGE black snake as it was diving into a corn field on Route 80 near my home and just yesterday there was another snake dead in the middle of the road (and probably stinking to high heaven although I wouldn't have been able to tell with the windows up and the A/C blasting.) My good friend Kathy said that perhaps the snake siteings are a totem of some sort. After I dropped her off at her house she emailed me a short time later sending me a few links to snake totem websites. One site said if a snake crosses your path your creative forces will be awakened and your intuition will sharpen and be more accurate. You will be moving towards change another site said. Perhaps my intuition will sharpen in that I will be more watchful of the snake that I fear so much and I will be more accurate where I place my feet and hiking poles! I am definately moving towards change of some sort and anxiously await the days to come to see what change is coming my way.
From The Beginning
A few years ago my next door neighbor says to me "hey, want to go hiking in Portugal with me?" I'm all about adventure so I say "sure." I chatted with my husband about the adventure, invited him to go along, promised him I would get into shape, and then left it alone for a while. Last last year my neighbor says to me "hey, still want to go to Portugal with me?" Again I say "sure!" I reminded my husband that I was asked to go, invited him to go along, and promised him I would get into shape. I convinced another neighbor to go along on the adventure and in January 2011 we purchased our tickets and our little group of seven backpackers commited ourselves to the journey. We are going on a pilgramage. We will be traversing the Camino de Santiago (the Portuguese route)--for 150 miles starting in Porto Portugal where the port wine flows and ending two weeks later in Santiago Spain. http://www.caminhoportuguesdesantiago.com/EN/caminho.php This weblink will give you a little idea of the route and the meaning. I've never even thought I could undertake anything so physically taxing. I've spent a small fortune on "supplies" like shoes, socks, light weight clothes, sports bras, etc. so I can carry my worldly belongings on my back from town to town along the journey. I've packed my pack, loaded it on my back with said belongings and have been practicing my hiking around our neighborhood. My next door neighbor is a Priest in the Episcopal Church--this will be a spiritual journey for her. For me, too, perhaps or perhaps a test of my faith or a look inward at myself. I am looking forward to seeing what the journey teaches me along the way and hope the eyes in my head and in my heart are open to see the lessons.
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