2018 Wanderings

A 45-day adventure by ElizabethLorraine Read more

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Trip start
August 18, 2018
2018 Wanderings Traveler
2018 Wander
August 19, 2018 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
A family dinner at Daphna's house. Great fun, food, conversations and loads of laughs. Walked home at 1.00 am. I have not been out that late for years.
We went to eat h the crowds going in f
or the All Ireland hurling final. Limerick won a thriller.
Nice day, warm and sunny.Read more
TravelerRoaming around Belfast. Busy shopping and sausage rolls day. I resisted the urge to have a three sausage and egg bap. I would suffer afterwards if I indulged.
8/18/18Reply
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Dublin
August 20, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
A fantastic Trad ession in Walsh's pub in Stoneybatter. People sang and played really nice music in a very comfortable pub, with mostly locals in having a pint. I went with Kevin and Chelsea and we were only going for a " little while" and got home well past midnight instead . Two late nights in a row.Read more
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Pope spottimg
August 25, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Big weekend in Dublin as Pope Francis is here, so that brings lots of people. Not as many as before due to the abuse scandals from around the world. It did not rain for his parade and I got a good.luck. I am doing.loads.of wandering about town. It is so busy. Changeable weather too.Read more
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Coffee
August 28, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The best thing about Dublin is bumping into someone you know while out walking. I met Niamh and Danielle when wandering today and we closed a coffee shop,chatting about everything. Daphna joined us on the way home from work. I have never "bumped" into anyone on my walks in RI since they are all in their cars. These all things are big things for me. The Cabra Cuddy's are great people. Lorna is off to Paris this weekend for a year of college. Danielle is off to India in January for an extended vacation with Stewie. Niamh is in Uni,second year. Sean is in Sydney, personal training and boxing. Daphna is working with the hardest people to deal with and she is such a funny and calm person.Read more
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20k
August 29, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
I walked from town to Howth today. Stopped in Raheny for tea and a poor scone, in the little coffee shop beside the health club. Nothing new along the way except for additions being put on houses. Real estate prices are so high.
I took the dart to Clontarf and walked through Marino to Jacintas house. Had dinner and he drove me home. Loads of chat about the wedding prep from Barry.Read more
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Greenway Bike Trail
August 30, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
I rode from Waterford to Kilmathomas. About 23k. Since I started at 1.00 it left it a bit late to try and get to Dungae in unless I rode like mad. In my old age I decided to stop, have a nice lunch in a small cafe and walk about. Then a shuttle back to Waterford to catch the bus back to Dublin. The shuttle driver gave a good history of the workhouse where the bike rental place was located. Nice building with a horrible famine history. New life it in now though so that is good.Read more
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Eileen
August 31, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
I met up with Nuala out at Eileen and Sean's house. Both of them look well, all things considered. We had tea and s scone and a chat. Then we went out to Howth for a walk and some dinner.
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All Ireland
September 2, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Dublin won for the fourth time in a row. I watched out in Jacintas house. Before I went there I got on a city bike and rode out to Poolbeg. Beautiful day and much less traffic so it was less terrifying.Read more
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Spain
September 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Just landed in Bilbao. Back in Spain in under a year. Better than I could have hoped for.
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Hondaribbia
September 8, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We took a bus to Hondaribbia after much discussion about doing that or going for a swim first ,since it was hot. We decided to leave the swim till.later in the day.
Lucky is that there was " Fiesta De la Virgin de Guadalupe" in full swing. Everyone, really everyone,easy dressed in white and red. The streets were crowded, people were eating, drinking, walking, playing drums, tooting penny whistles and talking. The atmosphere was fantastic. We walked to the harbor, and the old walled town. We had a good Plato del.dia and then the parade started. My goodness , there was so many people parching. What a day out. Memorable for sure.
Everyone here is so well dressed all the time. I feel rather embarrassed with my Camino walking clothes.Read more
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Elizabeth Cuddy
September 9, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Donostia,Regatta day. I saw it last year too
Local towns in a rowing race off. Large row boars with about 12 oars men/ women. So many people having a good time. Me included, along with Kevin and Chelsea.
Then they went for a late swim..I passed , no sun cool breeze
Then dinner in a.local restaurant. Freddie served us very friendly guy from Guatemala . We ordered but he brought out the number 3 instead of the #2, twice he did it. It tasted great and was cheap so that was fine. Lovely evening, everyone out walking.
I feel like a ragamuffin in my Camino clothes and they all fancy. I broke out my 20 Euro dress for the regatta.Read more
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San Vincente de la baquerra
September 10, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
So here I am back where I left off last year. Lucky me. I did not think I would be able to get time off again.
I took a bus from Donostia to Bilbao and then bus to Santander and then a local bus to here. I am in a hospitalera just outside the town. It is lovely , I am sitting on the big balcony overlooking hills and farmland and a river.
I wandered around the town and went into a really old church,from the 14 the century. Pilgrims have been stopping there since then. It is off the track and up a big hill so I could see how some walkers would pass it up after a long day.
I was not hungry at lunch time and all the restaurants put their chairs on the tables after lunch and that is it for them until tomorrow.
I got yogurt and bananas and nuts so I will be fine . Might lose some weight , that would be a bonus. Nice hotel room,football on tonight so I am all set.
Room. 35 euro
Buses 9 euro
Cafe 1.40 euro/ cent
Napolitano 1.40 euro
Grocery store 12 euros.
Sandwich 3 euros. It was ham and cheese and tortilla. Triple decker. Then I thought about Keera getting sick on ham and cheese sandwich in Madrid,so I threw most of it away.
Cool breeze sitting on the balcony. Rain may be on the way.Read more
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Nueva
September 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Got a nice hotel here after a lovely day of rambling. No other peregrinos at all, just me and the cats, cows and cur dogs. Oh and endless cows with huge bells. There is a festival here tonight when they erect a huge pole, really exceptionally tall pole with a flag on the top. Chopping it down, carrying it and erecting is all done to impress the ladies.
I thought I might stay but I will walk on.
I had two glasses of wine last night and took two Motrin before bed. It acted like speed, I think. It was a virtually sleepless night. Today will be interesting. I need to eat more, though I don't feel hungry most of the time.Read more
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Oviedo
September 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
The Camino pauses here, I will start phase three in Gijon. About 10 or 11 days of walking left.
The six days I walked this time we're good. No rain , no too hot and no people. Three days ,no people during the day, just at night. However it seems that people were on their phones most of the time.
I was glad of the phone for the GPS as I did manage to lose the trail more than twice , so I used it to get back " on the yellow". I did get in a few swims, which was what I had hoped for. The water was nice and the waves were a bit too big!
I do a bad job managing food and water, so I will be more careful about that thenezt time. However, I always wonder what the pilgrims from ages ago did. It is alwayso ing to be in a church or some other spot where they actually stopped or we're fed along the way.
It has been a wonderful experience, filled with gratitude, every dayRead more
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Donostia
September 19, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Back with Kevin and Chelsea. Three buses back , a good and cheap way to travel in Spain. I do not like Bilbao, it is very grimey and seems rough.
We ate falafels down in the plaza, they were good. Outside life here is very vibrant..
I walked around Santander between us trips. The prom is lovely, the big flag.Read more
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Wanders in Donostia
September 21, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
It has been very hot for this time of year which is a bonus as I have been able to have some swims. The water is so clear and not cold and the waves are gentle. I swam out and around the dock , good exercise for the upper body and gives the legs a rest.
Kevin has a loaner bike and I went off on that for the afternoon , and Chelsea and I went swimming and checked out the Tabacalera that is right beside their flat. It is a really interesting community space with a lot of things going on. Well there is always something going on , and there is always people out and about,or sitting in cafes and bars.
There is certainly a divide between the haves and have nots, as there is everywhere, but overall I would say the quality of life here appears to be good. Well from a socal standpoint , it is Mike's ahead of Lincoln and it is extra ordinarily cleaner than Dublin.Read more
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Overnight bus to Porto
September 23, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
I left Donostia at 10.15 pm and I was greatly relieved that the bus was not full so I had extra room. The ticket only cost 9 Euro and it takes 9.5 hours . It is called a Flixbus, and it is run by a German company. It is very much a budget bus compared to Alsa.. The seats are small and hard so it was probably built as a local bus. Anyway it is quiet, does not smell and it is cheap.
. We just crossed the border into Portugal , it is pitch black out with a huge full moon.
It is hard to see out the big windows because of the reflection. Let's see what Porto has to offer.Read more
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Porto
September 24, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
No o problem on the overnight bus. Arrived to a dark and deserted bus station . I went into a coffee shop and had a really bad coissant . Then I put my backpack into a locker and went on a wander.
It is a busy place, that is for sure, mobbed with tourists. It got really hot in the afternoon so I headed into an air conditioned shopping center and there was a Fado concert on, so that was good.
I got into the bnb at 3 and then spent a lot of time on line getting a plane ticket to get out of Portugal a day ahead of the one day strike. That was annoying and expensive.
I went to get groceries and there was no Portugee people ini there , All bnb guests, I thought. I bought vino Verde, for less than 2euro and went to bed early. I was tired and it was hot.
It seems.like there is another heat wave coming.Read more
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Oporto
September 25, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
So, three days here in Porto and I am over my initial dislike . I think that I was overwhelmed by the amount of tourists, not speaking a word of Portugese and the oppressive heat.
I got a handle on the layout, stayed in the shade, drank Conor Verde and Port and settled in.
It is really quite the city. The hills and narrow streets are amazing and the mix of old and new, clean and dirty, crowded and relaxed is all a wonderful experience.
I took a river boat tour and a port wine tour and they were fine. However the city bus,for 2 wiro , out to Masachnos was the best. It was cooler out at the beach and it is very different from the old city.
Food and wine are cheap, Cork bags, shoes and all kinds of things are not really expensive and best of all, a CR7 Beach towel is only 10 euro.Read more
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Good bye Por-tu-gal
September 26, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Another hot day. I wandered about , checked out some more churches, walked up and down a lot of hill and took the metro out to the Drago football stadium for a look. It is impressive but quite intimate. The metro leaves you out literally at the turnstiles.
I took the bus all the way to Maraschino this evening. What a place, huge beach, huge prom, loads of high rises. It would be ok to live there as it is easy to get into Porto on a bus. Only 40 minutes and under 2 euro.
Kind of like leaving Stoneybatter and going out to Malahide.
Porto is a very intense place. It is a workout getting around , the hills are very steep and it was very hot. I keep saying that it was hot...... I do like it though and want to come back to check out the Duro vineyards. I did not want to join tourist throngs on one of the $100 day trips up the river to the vineyards. I will save those options for my next trip.
I got a great pastel de nata today, out of the oven,still warm.
It was delicious. Rua Santa Catalina, in a bake shop.
I would try to get some basic Portuges phrases mastered before returning so I do not feel so inept. Port wine is good and so is vinho verde. It has been an interesting and tiring visit. I walked all over the place.Read more
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Train fo Vigo
September 27, 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Barreling down the tracks towards Vigo and my Ryanair flight to Dublin.
I have to say that Porto will get another visit .
There is many empty seats in the train
The driver would do well on a bullet train in Japan I bet. He is making this grubby trian fly along..i
As we go past the country side,grapes and corn and small vegetable patches are predominent.Read more
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Vigo
September 27, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
This is a lovely city and much more civilized than Porto. It feels more comfortable for me to be in Spain rather than Portugal.
There were lots of references to Galicia on adds and in magazines so they show off their cultural heritage too. The accents are tough to understand.
The bus journey out to the airport was a laugh. packed in like sardines, people yelling at the driver. One woman said he was " un bruto" because of how he was driving, which was like a rally car race. I was holding on tight.
I got all disoriented about the time switch and really could not remember if I was to go ahead or back, so I did neither and showed up at the airport thinking I had too much time to kill but no, I had to go straight to the gate. I am really glad I did not know it was that close or the bus would have been less fun and more stress.
Photos : Sardines on the bus, window washing class and sunrise at the train station in Porto.Read more
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Back "home"
September 27, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Easy trip back to Dublin and the buses out to Jacintas house. I brought here some Port but I got it at the wine shop down the road and probably paid 4 times more than in Porto.
Anyway Jacinta and Philip are gracious and kind hosts.Read more
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Dublin
September 30, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
I met up with Michael and Naimh and Danielle on Friday for dinner and then Daphna and Lorraine and Collette on Saturday. It was great to see everyone and I love to be connected to them all.
Jacinta is a great hostess and we enjoy each other's company. We went to Howth and had coffee and a walk about. It was a beautiful sunny day. I love Howrh.
It is really expensive to eat out over here.Read more
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Day 45, and now it changes
October 1, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ 🌙 3 °C
Airport today, 45 days ago I left RI and now it is time to get back to the everyday life.
I asked myself what had I to look forward to going back to Lincoln. The only thing I came up with was yoga, so I am lucky that it is so close to my house.
Before , I was always excited to see Rajah, but now that she is gone, the house is like an airplane hanger. She is greatly missed , that is for sure.Read more
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