Still in Santiago.....October 12/11

Parador sitting room

Dining area at Moure Hotel

View from our room Moure Hotel

We have moved to another hotel close to the Cathedral as well......we have moved from a very grand old historical hotel to a brand new ultra modern one....this one all black, white, grey with the odd touch of lime green....and even our bath has a view.  Breakfast at the Parador was unbelievable.....great bowls of fresh mango, papaya, strawberries, orange, grapefruit as well as kiwi, pineapple & melon.....variety of cold meats including serrano ham and specialty sausage, cheeses, smoked salmon and hot dishes of eggs, peppers, bacon, sausages, cereals, yogurts, juices, breads, muffins, croissants, sweet breads & cakes......it was hard to know what to have!  There was even champagne though we didn't partake......and breakfast here at the modern place was great too.......fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice ....you should see the machine....whole oranges in one end, juice out the other......pates, jams, croissants, cheese, toast etc.....and never ending coffee/tea/hot chocolate.

Yesterday we went to the pilgrim's mass....this is a first... at the cathedral which was very impressive with about 1000 people in attendance.....a nun sang beautifully, the botafumeiro swung from side to side nearly touching the ceiling.  It spread incense throughout the cathedral killing all other smells......luckily as the pilgrim next to Derek hadn't washed his shirt in a while!

It is a public holiday in Spain today......lots is closed but Santiago being a tourist city like Victoria has a lot of bars, cafes, restaurants open.....and the weather is still fantastic in the higher 20's.  The streets have been hosed down after parties last night.....just like in Leon & Burgos .....so everything is fresh and clean in the am.

Thought we would write a few thoughts about the experience of walking the Camino:

Spanish hospitality workers work long hours and work hard.
People are generally friendly with a nod, a smile, an hola, or a buen camino.
Early mornings are fresh and lovely.
One can get by comfortably without a lot of clothing/shoes.
The more one has the more one has to worry about.
Communal living is as successful as the participants are respectful of others.
Walking uphill is easier than walking downhill.
Walking the Camino requires perseverance.
Walk with your head up but don't look too far ahead or you could miss your step or trip on a raised rock.
800 kms seems like a lot but others we have met have walked from Holland, Geneva, or Austria ....distances greater than 2000 kms.
Walking the Camino puts everyone on the same level.
Walking 20 kms allows one to eat/drink without gaining weight.

Botafumeiro in Cathedral

Santiago de Compostela - October 10/11

Well here we are in Santiago at last.....hard to believe that we have actually walked about 800 kms....it feels very good to be finished with carrying the backpack all day.....we have our official compostela (certificate) with our first names in Latin......we have been on the road for 41 days and haven´t had a single day of rain....how lucky is that!

final celebration lunch

second course of pilgrims menu last night - beef and chips!!!!

our hotel next to cathedral

in front of cathedral Santiago

Happy birthday to our dear son Morgan for the 12th and there is the next world cup for SA to win.....

Arzua - 10.08.11



 It has been difficult to access the internet other than wifi these past days.....and now we are about 40 kms from our goal.....have given up the municipal albergue scene and now prefer private albergues or even casa rurals like last evening.  Galacia is known for its wet weather and hills.....we have been very lucky with just a couple of morning mists and then bright sunny skies.  There has been a cool wind blowing the past few days which has made walking 20 odd kms much easier.....but we are feeling like it is about time to be done with the walking and so won't do the add-on to the coast.  Galacia is full of hills and valleys and so even though our guide says the walk is relatively flat - it isn't.....so we still work up a thirst for a cerveza by the time we arrive down the road....and we are starting later now as it is darker....this am we started at the civilized hour of 845am.  So the end is near and we are booked into the parador in Santiago to celebrate.....Yeah!

through oak forest

octupus is speciality in Melide

stairs to town of Portomarin

hills of Galacia

this should have been the way to carry packs

farmer loading corn in rat proof storage

Ruitelan 10.02.11

leaving Rabanal at first light

early morning pilgrims

Rabanal del Camino

We now have 167 kms to go to get to Santiago and are spending the night in an albergue in the tiny town of Ruitelan before we climb up out of the Bierzo Valley.  The mornings have been cooler but it still gets very hot midday.  We have walked through many vineyards and sampled some delicious grapes which are just beginning to be harvested.  There are more animals now that we are in the mountain valleys and we can hear cow bells again while walking.....still lucky with the weather ..... no rain yet.

Astorga september 27th

We are now in Astorga and some time has gone by since updating this blog.  We have been unable to download pictures and have finally found out that we have 6 viruses in our camera!.....we have now covered approx. 540kms....have been blessed by nuns in Sahagun after listening to them do their version of a Gregorian chant....all 12 of them.....we have listened to an organ concert in the cathedral in Leon at 10pm....which was fantastic.....spent two nights in Leon with no sleep at all......we stayed in a pension on the plaza mayor and it was party night sat. and we thought it would improve sun.....but the party ended when we woke up both days.  Leon is a lovely city though and we had some great food.......Derek enjoyed some lamb shanks stew and beef cheeks...delicious.  We have met so many people.....from countries like US, France, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Austria, England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand to name a few.....but mostly we have met so many Canadians.  My blisters have healed but have been bitten by something all over my feet that are causing a few problems.....wouldn´t you know it!  Still no rain....we have been very lucky....we leave for the mountains again after days of flat walking on the meseta.....hopefully the weather holds out so we can enjoy the scenery.  We are in an albergue tonight that takes about 60 people in bunk beds but we have two bottom bunks that are set right next to each other.   Hopefully our new camera card doesn´t get compromised again and we can update the blog with more pictures more regularly.  Hope all is well with everyone.....

The place of the Bishop designed by the famous Gaudi finished in 1913

Self portrait with the palace behind

A view of house with chickens and the usual 3 cats taken from ramparts of town

Ramparts surrounding the old city of Astorga

in front of the doors of the cathredal-construction started 1471, finished in 18th century

Ledigos - Sept 20.11

Arriving in Castrojeriz....after 20km we decide to walk up to that ruin of the castle on the hill on the left!

Gayle at the laundry facilities

At Castrojeriz ...at the Castillo built by pompey or caesar

We are now  400 kms into our walk.....really quite cold in the mornings before sunrise and we have used our gloves and warm shirts...but not the long johns yet.....however, it does warm up by about 11am and we start shedding layers......no rain so far......try to finish the day by about 1pm and then like today we shower, wash clothes, have a cerveza, have the menu del dia with vino tinto......and then put our feet up and have a snooze......not a bad life if you don´t count the hour before we arrive....we are always thanking Bonnie our trainer when we are struggling and are thankful for no serious injuries so far.....thanks for all your comments...we appreciate your interest......hope all is well with our family and our friends.    We have seen a  mongoose, fox, mouse, and for justene and christo...we have seen hoopoes     

This is the easy way to do the camino!

Walking the meseta

Derek´s view from his bed

Stork nest on bell tower at Boadilla del Camino

hot dry walk thru wild thyme, lavender to ledigos

Burgos - rest day - 15.09.11

We are taking the day off in Burgos.....to rest our feet and backs and to see Sue off on the bus to London this evening.  We have had some interesting experiences along the way including a very laid-back albergue that turned out to be a hoot....but we did have a private room with bath for 14 euros.....on the third floor with steep steps....hard work to climb after a long walk.

Burgos is bustling.....going to go inside the cathedral later today....still enjoying the bread, enjoying the chocolate croissants, vino tinto, cervezas, and now calamari.

last day with sue

bar in Villafranca

Cathedral in Burgos

surgery by derek on gayle's toe

not far to go

maryalice sue me

our friends for a walk to the supermarket

guess who

on the road

Belgrado

Booked into the first albergue on the way into town.....won´t even walk there today but have to walk thru it tomorrow anyway......it was cooler today with the wind blowing us backwards so the 23 kms seemed like 43!  And we are due to walk about 23.5 tomorrow and then 26 the following to get to Burgos.....maybe we should do it in 3 days.....our walking friend from indiana has a few big blisters and will send her pack on tomorrow so we have to decide exactly how far to get to tomorrow.....after a cerveza.  Thanks for all your comments.....glad to see that some are interested.

Santo Domingo de la calzada



early morning start

 its saturday afternoon and we are in a 200 bed hostel run by a parish and paid for by donation....it is modern and new......we started in the dark from najera this morning and watch the sun rise over the hills.....it got hot early and we were glad to arrive here after 20 kms and relax with a peregrino meal .....3 courses, wine and of course a cerveza....we all snoozed afterwards.....sat. night is party night in Spain so this should be an interesting night.....and this is the churchyard with the cock crowing ....there is one in the church too....so it will be even more interesting.....have done 214 kms so far....no blisters but get tired easily in the heat.

resting on the road



White asparagus...specialty of the region



friday, sept 9 - Najera

its frustrating using these computers and trying to understand spanish......gayle couldn´t use this thing with me!!!!!!  but things going ok so far 193 kms done and a few to go...not counting those just the ones we´have done.
weather fantastic though food excellent .....
downloading pictures so slow so only a few to show
some albergues good others a bit suspect ...bye for now ....enjoy the comments keep them coming

enjoying the evening sunshine outside an albergue

resting by the river



sleeping quarters in pamplona



123,000 acres of these

los arcos.....after a long day in the sun



free wine fountain outside estella

We are in los arcos now and have very nice accommodation in a new albergue.....after a very cramped full space to sleep last night.......going out for a beer and dinner.....bodies holding up okay but there are a lot of walking wounded on the road.....hundreds of fellow pilgrims on the road with us...we start early in the near dark but the days turn out hot sunny .....lovely.

we both enjoyed some wine at 8am

where we slept last night with many others

road to estella ' vineyards