mar. – mai. 2024

Scotland to Spain

Uma 60aventura de um dia na Nipawin Leia mais

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9 de março de 2024
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Dia 3
segunda-feira, 11 de março de 2024 08:01
☁️ 4 °C
Altitude: 16 m
Escócia Stirling Railway Station, Scotland 56.12049, -3.93524756°7’14” N 3°56’7” W
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Vancouver to London
11 de março de 2024, Escócia ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C
I flew from Vancouver to Calgary and then on to London via a WestJet 787 Dreamliner.
Easily walked through customs no lineup at all. Found the Piccadilly Sub and went to Kings Crossing.

I caught the 1600 train to Edinburgh however it arrives at 21:30......5 1/2 hours. They are doing maintenance work on the line unfortunately.

So a long day. It is very wet and cold here. People are complaining about the weather.

Fingers crossed it is supposed to be nice this week.

Found my hostel after walking a km from Waverly Station.

Very clean , cosy and quiet🤗💕Leia mais
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ViajanteTwo pubs within a block of your hostel Nice.
12/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteTerrific start! Hope the retreat stage went well - I look forward to updates.
27/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Fascinating architecture & streets. So different from home & different again from where I was in Columbia. Little chance of such empty streets there - people, people, people & busy & noisy +++
27/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 3
segunda-feira, 11 de março de 2024 09:18
☁️ 5 °C
Altitude: 62 m
Escócia Dunblane Railway Station 56.184176, -3.96231556°11’3” N 3°57’44” W
1 1
Edinburgh to Dunblane
11 de março de 2024, Escócia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C
Took the train from Edinburgh to Dunblane. Joanna is going to pick me up which saves me a walk of 2 km after a bus trip😉

Very cloudy, dreary and cold.
Beautiful countryside and sooooo many sheep
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Viajante I love the colors!
29/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante So inviting for exploration....
30/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 18
terça-feira, 26 de março de 2024 06:44
☁️ 2 °C
Altitude: 20 m
Escócia Edinburgh Airport 55.94911, -3.35745155°56’57” N 3°21’27” W
1 1 1 1
Solitude to Sightseeing
26 de março de 2024, Escócia ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C
I completed my 2 week Retreat in the midst of a forest. Owls were my night time companions lulling me to sleep with their to calls. Various birds sang to awaken me.

I then travelled down to Edinburgh where I took in some sights. What a beautiful city. I would make it a destination next time.

I am en route to London and then on to Cologne Germany.
I am so excited as I will be greeted by the end of this day with my Camino Del Norte friend Anja 🥰Leia mais
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ViajanteNot sure which one I like better the ram or the yew tree. Both are great.
29/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Ah - that looks like our yard. We have several like that to clean up soon.
30/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Yes - beautiful!!
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Dia 18
terça-feira, 26 de março de 2024 20:53
🌙 7 °C
Altitude: 185 m
Alemanha Niederweimar 50.759581, 8.72975450°45’34” N 8°43’47” E
1 1
Niederweimer Germany
26 de março de 2024, Alemanha ⋅ 🌙 7 °C
Arrived in Marburg at 2045 pm. Very long day starting at 4am. from Edinburgh.

I had smooth flight connections but found the train system challenging in Germany. I accidentally missed getting off at a stop but a kind woman happened to glance at my ticket and told me to get off and go back a stop.

This mistake added another hour to my trip but at least I made my connecting train at Frankfurt. Who knows where I would have ended up!

Anja was at the train station to take me to her home. It is a ten minute drive away.

The next day we walked around her neiborhood and went to see where both of her daughter's worked. One works TCA clothing store and the other on a farm..

We went to Marburg the next day to see the castle that the famous Saint Elisabeth lived in. Then we climbed the messenger tower ( 140 steps) across from the castle to see views of Marburg and the surrounding area. We had coffee in an adorable cafe at the bottom of the tower.Leia mais
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ViajanteMarburg looks very charming and quaint.
29/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteQuite the church. Just read about it.
29/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante What a quaint spot!
30/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante So fascinating to see different architecture, etc. in different cultures.
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Dia 21
sexta-feira, 29 de março de 2024 16:37
🌫 11 °C
Altitude: 176 m
Alemanha Niederweimar 50.75977, 8.72965750°45’35” N 8°43’47” E
2 1 2 1 1
Torte and Cafe
29 de março de 2024, Alemanha ⋅ 🌫 11 °C
Raining and very gloomy. Decided to take a walk in the woods as Anja was not feeling very well.

Afterwards Anja drove me through beautiful little villages . She once worked with an architect and showed me very old homes that were restored.

We stopped at an adorable cafe for coffee and a slice of cake. There were so many to choose from.Leia mais
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Viajante Looks amazing!
29/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante That's really neat!
29/03/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Beautiful!
29/03/2024Responder
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Dia 22
sábado, 30 de março de 2024 15:20
☁️ 17 °C
Altitude: 176 m
Alemanha Niederweimar 50.759768, 8.72965650°45’35” N 8°43’47” E
1 1
Chickens on the Run
30 de março de 2024, Alemanha ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
We left at 10 this morning to go to a quaint cafe and garden.

On the way, Anja pointed out a chicken camper in a field. The people that Lilli works for move there chickens (by flatbeds on trucks) to different areas so they can be free range. They have 7 campers and 5,000 birds!!!

The eggs that they collect are sent to the factory to be hardboiled and covered to preserve them for 3 weeks!!
They put goats in with the birds to go after the Hawks that try to get the birds.

We went to a Hardware Store that has the sign meaning, "Where screws live."

We toured the small garden at the cafe and came home.

Lilli is very busy making raised beds for her vegetables and planting many seeds.

Madrid tomorrow!Leia mais
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ViajanteWhat an interesting system for free range. Lilli seems very enterprising.
01/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Love this!
03/04/2024Responder
Viajante So clever!
03/04/2024Responder
ViajanteFascinating - the chickens & the goats & the free range system. Sure beats our efforts at chicken wire wall & roof, with electric wire, that all gets wrecked by heavy snow & visiting bears, etc. How lovely to have such quality time with Anja & learn the culture & countryside!
03/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 24
segunda-feira, 1 de abril de 2024 15:11
☀️ 12 °C
Altitude: 663 m
Espanha Puerta del Sol 40.417057, -3.70413640°25’1” N 3°42’15” W
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Madrid to Leon
1 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Flew from Frankfurt airport to Madrid. I then took a train to Leon .

I didn't take many pictures as it was raining and very cold.
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Viajante Didn't realize the Madrid area was so green. What random stuff are you sending home?
05/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Wow it's very flat there
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Dia 26
quarta-feira, 3 de abril de 2024 20:12
☁️ 13 °C
Altitude: 846 m
Espanha Astorga 42.454627, -6.04911542°27’17” N 6°2’57” W
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1 1 1
Leon to Astorga
3 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
I took the bus from Leon to Astorga. I arrived early so was able to have time to walk around.

Saw the Gaudi Palace. It looks like a castle out of Disney.

Sunny day. Leaving tomorrow to walk to Rabanal. I am very excited.Leia mais
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Viajante Wow, Astorga looks really nice.
05/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Yes, Disney does come to mind!
12/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Wow!
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Dia 27
quinta-feira, 4 de abril de 2024 14:32
☁️ 13 °C
Altitude: 1.164 m
Espanha Rabanal del Camino 42.481881, -6.2846642°28’55” N 6°17’5” W
1 1 1 1 1
Astorga to Rabanal 20.9 km
4 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Had breakfast with 3 women from Toulouse France. Excited to start walking again.

Great day with beautiful scenery. I was very tired at the end of 20.9 km. I was greete enthusiastically by Fiona and Andrew who were Hospitalaros from the UK.

They served tea and home made treats at 5 pm. They started a wonderful fire for us as it became chilly as soon as the sun went down.

The showers were wonderful!! I met pilgrims from Spain, Germany, USA New York and the UK.

I saw maybe 12 pilgrims during the walk today.Leia mais
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ViajanteThe albergue looks very cozy.
06/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante You must be special then, though I already knew that!
06/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante I just love little villages & villas, especially the rock work.
06/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 28
sexta-feira, 5 de abril de 2024 18:26
☁️ 22 °C
Altitude: 599 m
Espanha Molinaseca 42.538563, -6.5255942°32’19” N 6°31’32” W
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Rabanal to Molinesca 26.75 km
5 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Had a great sleep and breakfast tostada with marmalade.

Gave Fiona and Andrew big hugs and headed out

So the up was very wet and muddy due to Spring runoff.
The down was extremely challenging because of the jagged awkward rocks making one very slow in maneuvering them. It seemed to go on forever.

Beautiful views of the different valleys. Snow on mountaintops.

Wild flowers are blooming all over including Heather. I am really enjoying Spring here.

Still not too many Pilgrims. It kind of reminds me of the Primitive trail minus the horrible rocks .

Cruz de Ferro was a. Huge disappointment for me as I was expecting it on the top of a mountain and it is not at all like that. One lady I met actually thought it was something else as the Cross on the very top w.as so small. Needless to say she didn't leave a rock there. I did with my message.

So far this walk is nothing that I thought it would be.....very interesting to see what tomorrow brings.Leia mais
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Viajante Showed your picture to Theodor. He was impressed with all the rocks.
07/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Yuck - mud.
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Dia 29
sábado, 6 de abril de 2024 15:23
☁️ 15 °C
Altitude: 486 m
Espanha Cacabelos 42.600536, -6.72505942°36’2” N 6°43’30” W
1 1 2 1 1
Molinesca to Cacabelos 20 km
6 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Today was an eventful day as I saw 2 burros and my very first Stork!!!

The road today was mixed asphalt, cement and dirt roads.

I continue to soak up Spring in Spain. The greens, buds on trees and numerous varied blossoms. The wild red and orange poppies, forget me nots, lilac and other flowers I do not know the name for.

It was quite a wet day but I was able to enjoy a delicious sandwich under cover at a bus stop 😉

My supper was 7 delicious fresh churros🥰😍😂Leia mais
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ViajanteEmily loves the burros
08/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Similar to the old parts of Columbian cities, but much cleaner & more well-kept. I find them so interesting.
12/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Yay!!
12/04/2024Responder
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Dia 30
domingo, 7 de abril de 2024 14:38
⛅ 16 °C
Altitude: 570 m
Espanha Trabadelo 42.649376, -6.88267742°38’58” N 6°52’58” W
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Cacabelos to Trabadelo 19.27km
7 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Clear and warm this morning.
Passed fields and fields of vineyards.

It was beautiful to see them so well maintained.

Didn't see very many Pilgrims until Villa Franca
It was very busy there. I had a wonderful tortilla de patata.

Sunday is generally very quiet and many stores are closed.

The sun got quite hot towards the end of my walk.
The albergue is very clean and offered a home cooked meal of butternut squash soup, roasted chicken and an orange for dessert.

I met 3 pilgrims that had walked 35 km today!!! Amazing 👍

I was able to catch up on my journal and relax on the patio enjoying the sun.

Very cute town with very interesting old casas. One looked like it was a Hobbit House🤗Leia mais
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Viajante OMG!
12/04/2024Responder
Viajante Yes, gorgeous!
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Dia 31
segunda-feira, 8 de abril de 2024 14:19
🌫 5 °C
Altitude: 1.290 m
Espanha La Cernada 42.707806, -7.04642°42’28” N 7°2’46” W
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Trabadelo to O Cebreiro 21km
8 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ 🌫 5 °C
So started out raining lightly. I brought an old raincoat that I used previously on the West Coast Trail.....well....it wasn't as water proof as I thought🥴

Anyway, I felt good and things were great until the light rain became a Classic Galicia Downpour!!!! Luckily there was a bar that was open after walking in it for an hour.

My 3 German friends stopped there as well. We decided as a group to press on to the next village 5 km away.

It was so muddy and impossible to keep ones feet dry🥴

When we reached the next Village it stopped raining and the sun even came out. Christian said she wanted to keep walking with me as our paces were similar.

We headed out after eating ( tortilla & cafe con leche) and this is where things started to fall apart.....

It started to rain and the trail was extremely muddy and getting steeper and steeper. We knew of we held on that La faba was 7 km away and there was an albergue there.

We arrived there and it was just pouring!!!! I was soaking wet ( should have brought my Camino rain gear 🥶) and we found out the Albergue didn't open until 2 pm.....it was 12 noon.
There was nothing open in this town.....so....we decided to keep walking.

Up and up and up....the rain turned into sleet......then into snow.....but we kept trudging along. We didn't have a choice to stop anyway. I did briefly to snap a few pics but honestly the low cloud hang obliterated the magnificent view!!

This is the highest altitude on the whole Camino.

We finally reached our Albergue at 2 pm. Shortly after arriving it started to snow even heavier. I saw a big snowplow that had been on the highway I think?

No stores were open so I settled on an Empanada.

We were able to dry our clothes but my boots are not really dry. I hope tomorrow they will be better.

The Albergue has 18 pilgrims or so.....It is toasty warm which is wonderful There are over 60 beds in one enormous room.

This has been quite the day!!
But shoutout to Merino wool and my Injinji socks!!!!! No blisters and I kept my core temp warm even though I was drenched.Leia mais
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ViajanteOMG!
09/04/2024Responder
ViajanteYay for Injinji - the very very best! Yay for Merino wool! Your day sounds like Hell - so glad you are now warm & dry, and in pleasant company!
09/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Yuck!
09/04/2024Responder
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Dia 32
terça-feira, 9 de abril de 2024 14:58
☁️ 10 °C
Altitude: 601 m
Espanha Renche 42.738868, -7.28049642°44’20” N 7°16’50” W
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O Cebreiro to Lusio 28.9 km
9 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
So it snowed more overnight. Christianne was nervous walking by herself and wanted to walk with me again. We headed out with our headlamps. It was a winter wonderland. I loved every step. Christianne is a "Drama Queen" and was exclaiming loudly when faced with a hill.

As we reached another summit it ended with a bar being open!
I ate a huge piece of tortilla Patata. I saved the rest and the huge slice of bread for later. I am so glad that I did in hindsight.

We parted ways as Christianne is always wanting to be on the go.....me not so much and wanted to take a break to take off excess clothing.

I arrived in Triacastela. Very touristy town. I went into the Supermercado and was told to leave my pack outside. I understand that however the woman was not friendly at all.

It was just 12:30 and I didn't have a good feel for the town to spend the night and decided to continue on.
It was a beautiful path by the river.Leia mais
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ViajanteAre you still going to Sarria or do you have to head back to start your hosteleiro
11/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Yup, that's what it looked like here this morning.
12/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Aaah - no more snow! Beautiful scene!
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Dia 33
quarta-feira, 10 de abril de 2024 14:23
☁️ 18 °C
Altitude: 442 m
Espanha Sarria 42.782374, -7.41633742°46’57” N 7°24’59” W
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Sarria 20.9 km
10 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
I woke up at 6 am. I was quiet so as not to disturb the Italian woman even though she woke me up at 10 pm chatting with someone....
Then all of a sudden she leapt out of bed and switched on the big light!!

I was happy because I could pack up by the big heater in the room instead of the freezing cold kitchen.

She was raring to go in minutes, and wanted to wait for me but I declined.....I needed my coffee first.

It was a cool but beautiful morning. I knew Samos would have a bar for breakfast and that was 6 km away or so.

I reached Samos and no bar was open. Walked on and there wasn't a bar until Sarria!!! But I was fine....just disappointed.

Anyway..... I only saw one man from my O Breiro group. The others must have taken the alternative shorter route.

I saw 2 huge storks in a field and the cutest Burro. I don't have a picture of the Burro because the Man said NO!!!

I arrived at a hostel I have stayed at previously that I love. Hot showers cosy warm private beds, great kitchen, and close to the bus and train.

I will rest tomorrow before going to PonferradaLeia mais
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Viajante Looks really nice, mom
11/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Wow!
12/04/2024Responder
Viajante Serenity!
12/04/2024Responder
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Dia 34
quinta-feira, 11 de abril de 2024 21:41
☁️ 18 °C
Altitude: 445 m
Espanha Sarria 42.783554, -7.41761542°47’1” N 7°25’3” W
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Rest Day 160 km completed
11 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Had scrambled eggs for breakfast and headed out to find a place in the sun to catch up on my journal.

Gorgeous day.

Had my lunch on a park bench listening to the birds.

Got my things ready for tomorrow. Fewer pilgrims are staying tonight perhaps 6 or so.

Saw a dozen pilgrims uptown...certainly the numbers are increasing.

Off to Ponferrada tomorrow.Leia mais
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Viajante Gotta love time in the sun, with or without a sad hat.
12/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Interesting. We were in one in Columbia that looked very similar (well, Columbia is Spanish), complete with the well at the low point of the sloped floor to catch the rain water. Thought that was fascinating!
12/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante You do love your cafe con leche!!
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Dia 35
sexta-feira, 12 de abril de 2024 17:04
☀️ 28 °C
Altitude: 508 m
Espanha Villafranca del Bierzo 42.609577, -6.80882542°36’34” N 6°48’32” W
Sarria - VillaFranca-Ponferrada
12 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Got ready to leave for the bus. Spoke to Fernando who is a Pediatric Hematologist from the Southern Phillipines. His flight was 25 hours. He starts walking tomorrow.

Going to Lugo switching buses then on to Villa Franca to check the church out. Unfortunately it was closed.

I missed the 12:30 bus out of Villa Franca so had to wait until 15:55.....I am standing out in the hot sun 32 C for 40 minutes and see my bus ....it was not slowing down so I started waving my hands wildly. The driver stopped and informed me that I should have been at a different stop.....he let me on luckily or I would have had to wait another 2 hours.🥴

Arrived at my Hostel after walking 2 km from the bus station. It is wonderful.

It feels like summer here.⛱️👒Leia mais
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ViajanteMiss the greyhound?
12/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 36
sábado, 13 de abril de 2024 08:49
☁️ 14 °C
Altitude: 541 m
Espanha Río Boeza 42.542965, -6.5896642°32’35” N 6°35’23” W
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Around Ponferrada
13 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
I spent today walking around Ponferrada and taking a few pics. It is such an interesting place with many photo opportunities.

I dropped by the Hostel that I will be volunteering at and introduced myself. i met Anna who is very experienced and returns each year from Italy to help. No other Hospitalaros have come yet maybe tomorrow.

I took a picture of 2 elderly gents who were looking for a bench. My competition!!!
It was very hot and all benches fill very quickly.Leia mais
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Viajante Oh my - even a moat! Was there water in the moat? Crocodiles?
15/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteNo water in the most There would have been back in the 15 century though and a draw bridge!!
24/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Ha ha ha - are we officially "elderly" yet, or just competetors?
15/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteJust love getting your updates!!
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Dia 37
domingo, 14 de abril de 2024 08:00
☁️ 13 °C
Altitude: 548 m
Espanha Río Boeza 42.544906, -6.587342°32’42” N 6°35’14” W
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San Nicolas Albergue Day 1
14 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
So, my first day working. We had about 36 pilgrims. This is the perfect job for someone who is interested in statistics for sure!!

The routine is to open the locked door and gate by 5:30 and be available to help the pilgrims with anything that may come up. They leave by 8 am.

Next we strip the beds of any paper sheets that were used and empty the garbage.

We wash down each mattress with disinfectant. There are 2 bunk beds per room with a few larger rooms that have 3.

We sweep and mop the floors.

I really enjoy this as I can listen to my music and podcasts etc..

We then have a break until we open at 1 pm.

The first shift is 1-4 pm, and the other is 4 pm to 7 pm although Pilgrims will arrive up until we lock the doors at 10:30 pm

We register each Pilgrim in a book including their Passport or DIN number , name, walking or cycling, where they started their Camino, and where the stayed the night before. We then assign a bed for them and needless to say most want the lower (baja) one and not the top ( arriba).🥴 We do the best we can.

We do offer a woman's and a men's wing which I think is great😉

So far so good🤞🙏🍀
I am working with Jolguin (He reminds me of Opa ( Kurt's Dad)

Isobel is from Montreal. Gilberto and Jolguin are both from Espana. Gilberto speaks only Spanish . Jolguin is learning English with Duolingo 😉 He also speaks some French and Italian but Spanish is his native language.Leia mais
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ViajanteIt looks really nice there, mom How did you pick this location to volunteer at?
23/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteThey selected it for me.. It is beautiful to have small mountains on the horizon, sort of like the Foothills. 😅 Honestly the castle is so cool!!!! I just love it😍
23/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteSounds like a full day everyday. Ponferrada looks very nice.
23/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 42
sexta-feira, 19 de abril de 2024 12:24
☀️ 17 °C
Altitude: 532 m
Espanha Río Boeza 42.543326, -6.58649142°32’36” N 6°35’11” W
Mucho dias - Mucho Peregrinos Day 2-7
19 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
It is fascinating watching all of the different peregrinos from all over the world mixing together.
They are bound by a common goal, a desire to follow, " The Path."
Each has their own purpose which is as diversified as the mixture of cultures.

We are averaging 50 pilgrims per day now.

We had a young girl from Korea come and she was filming every moment of her experience not wanting to miss anything.

I also am amazed at how our kitchen is transformed into a fusion of different cuisines.
We had an Italian chef prepare a pasta extraordinaire for all the pilgrims including us!!!

There was also a guy who after walking 6 hours prepared stuffed dumplings from scratch using a box of pizza crust flour!!!

We had a family from the USA that were walking with their 2 boys ages 12 and 15 years.

I watched a tall elderly man do an entire Yoga Vipassana this morning. Amazing🤗 No I didnt stare.....🤔😂

At the end of the day you always wonder who will arrive tomorrow??Leia mais
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ViajanteGlad you are enjoying pasta extraordinaire
24/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteI missed it I went to bed I was exhausted . Remember they eat after 9 pm🥱
24/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 46
terça-feira, 23 de abril de 2024 12:19
☀️ 14 °C
Altitude: 563 m
Espanha Río Boeza 42.5442, -6.58842°32’39” N 6°35’17” W
No room at the Inn?
23 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
When we started working here, the number of pilgrims we registered started at 28 and then gradually increased over the days to 30- 40. We hit 50 and we were amazed. That number was short lived by our record of 64 pilgrims.

We far surpassed that number by 102 last night!!! That included a family with 5 children under the age of 12.!! I think our maximum capacity is 140🧐

The massive numbers of Pilgrims drastically changes the experience of the Camino to one of anxiety and fear. Will I have a bed tonight??

I no longer have the time to socialize in a meaningful way with each pilgrim. This makes me sad.😥
Registration is a time of speed and efficiency as best as one can do in very poor lighting.
That being said, the difficulty in reading of the numbers off of their cards can be extremely difficult. There are no LED lights here at all. I use the flashlight on my phone😉

The French DIN card has the most numbers and letters and the Italians win for the smallest print of their names on the card.

Speaking of names, there can be up to 6 given names for the French, Italian and Spanish.

We had one woman very ill last night and this caused panic amongst the other pilgrims in her room. Will they become ill? The lady was unfortunately unable to speak any English of any other language that we know of She ended up going to the hospital.

I must speak of keys. There are so many doors and so many keys!!! Even if you have the right key for the right door it may not open.....A lot of the doors are color coded....I am thinking a Canadian🇨🇦 did that 😅
Sometimes you have to turn the key twice around to the right. some you just nudge a bit to the right and some you have to use BRUTE strength while turning the key for it to open. It is quite an art to learn 🧐

What will today bring,??Leia mais
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Dia 49
sexta-feira, 26 de abril de 2024 15:53
☁️ 13 °C
Altitude: 532 m
Espanha Río Boeza 42.543331, -6.58650642°32’36” N 6°35’11” W
1
Hola - Adios
26 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
This whole experience has been filled with greetings and partings.....

I especially love when Pilgrims find each other after a day or two or even more of separation . The exclamation of pure JOY is so heartwarming....it gets to me every time♥️♥️

I also feel pangs of brief sadness as I say "Goodbye" to my Pilgrims in the morning.

I got up at 430 to open the door for a Father and daughter who are doing the Camino on bicycles.Leia mais
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ViajanteDo the pilgrims do all their own cooking?
27/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteYes most of them do 🥰
28/04/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Very cool.
01/05/2024Responder
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Dia 53
terça-feira, 30 de abril de 2024 05:41
⛅ 6 °C
Altitude: 532 m
Espanha Río Boeza 42.543327, -6.58650842°32’36” N 6°35’11” W
1 1 1
Last day at San Nicolas Albergue
30 de abril de 2024, Espanha ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Today is the last day of doing everything I have done daily for the past 16 days!!!

My partner (who I called " OPA") announced he was leaving early at 11 am. It is his daughter's birthday.

The new group of 4 Hospitalaros arrive sometime today. Two are a couple from Italy and the other two unknown🧐 All I know is that Isobel and I are on the early shift 1-4 pm and then I pack 😅

My bus leaves at 5:15 am to Fatima Portugal tomorrow morning. I will walk 2.5 km at 4:15 to the bus station. I cannot wait!!!!!!!!

I have included pictures of a couple who have walked with their old dog of 13 years from Treport France They have walked 2000 km this far. They began Jan 1!!!! Unfortunately it is not a great picture of the dog. They have tented the whole way. Simply Amazing😉

I also have a picture of a delightful elderly Japanese man who knows no English. We helped him extensively with luggage transfer, finding a grocery store , and showing him which way to find the Camino in the morning.💖💖💖

Other pictures are from my walks around Ponferrada. The park is so beautiful and many do the circuit walk around it ( 1 km,)

The mountains are beautiful in the distance ....sort of like Calgary and the Rockies😉

My poles that I bought here and cannot take home were given to a Pilgrim in need this morning🌞🤗 That's brings me so much Joy 💖

We are averaging 55 pilgrims each day I am so thankful that the numbers have stayed manageable. I know it won't be long before it will be full (140) every single night!!!

Good Luck to the next group!!
💪💪💪💪🍀🍀🍀🍀🙏🙏🙏🙏Leia mais
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Viajante It really does look like a painting.
01/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Love the white mountain tops.
01/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Interesting.
01/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 54
quarta-feira, 1 de maio de 2024 05:15
⛅ 7 °C
Altitude: 264 m
Portugal Vales 39.721931, -8.65099139°43’19” N 8°39’4” W
3 1 1
Bus to Fatima Portugal
1 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
So last night at 7 pm the Italian couple arrived to be Hospitaleros. No sign of the other 2 and I don't know if they ever came as I went to bed early🥱

I woke up at 3:15. Finished packing and had a small breakfast I left San Nicolas Hostel at 4:15 right on schedule!!! Yippee,!!😅👏🥳

Surprisingly the bus was packed.
Slept a bit on the bus. We were 15 minutes late into Srantiago, and I barely caught my connection 😱
That bus was packed as welll

I have included pictures of the scenery from the bus and the first glimpse of the Sanctuary from Our Lady Of Fatima🙏Leia mais
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Viajante So cool
02/05/2024Responder
ViajanteI absolutely loved that castle🥰♥️
03/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteHow long was the bus ride?
02/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
ViajanteIt was 9 hours but it actually went very fast. We stopped for an hour in Porto which was great🤗
03/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
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Dia 55
quinta-feira, 2 de maio de 2024 10:03
☁️ 12 °C
Altitude: 345 m
Portugal Cova da Iria 39.625062, -8.68149939°37’30” N 8°40’53” W
Fatima
2 de maio de 2024, Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
I had a wonderful supper last night. Portugal has wonderful food.

I spent a lot of time in the Basilica and walking around. They have beautiful parks close by..

The actual grounds are massive and set up for enormous gatherings of people for Mass.

I should summarize the story of Fatima. 3 shepherd girls saw the Virgin Mary a number of times in a field. The younger 2 died at a very young age. They were made Saints. The other one Francisca lived to be 97 and she is in the process of becoming a Saint.

Chapel of the Apparitions.
It was in the place of the Chapel that our Lady talked to the little shepherds. Out of the six apparitions of the Virgin Mary, five of them happened in this place – May, June, July, September and October – where, by the Lady's indication, a chapel in her honour was to be constructed

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima stands at the place where the three shepherds were playing by "building a small wall" on May 13, 1917, when they saw a sudden lightning and got frightened to the point of gathering the flock to return home for fear it would rainLeia mais
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ViajanteSo glad you are enjoying your time in Portugal! A nice, interesting wind-down after a very adventure packed trip.
04/05/2024ResponderTraduzir
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