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Laurie Reynolds
Laurie Reynolds

Laurie Reynolds

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    212

    Another travel day

    16 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Back on the train to Pisa to connect to the train to Lucca. All of this is a little hard on Joe but he’s been a trooper. Up and down the stairs, crowd huddling in the shade, one person says—I just heard the platform was changed. The masses move to the stairs. Another says —no that’s a different train. Finally a real Trenitalia person appears and tells us to stay put. Then the train arrives and there is more confusion. Nothing that anyone who has traveled by train in Italy hasn’t experienced. And I am not knocking Italian trains. They put US trains to shame a million times over. Connection in Pisa was effortless, and even though I could not figure out how to get my ticket stamped, the very nice men in uniforms just told us to sit down and not worry. Note to self: next time, make sure to use the Trenitalia app. Much easier.

    Our hotel is in the middle of the historic center and about a 30 minute walk in Joe time from the train station. We walked because our B&B didn’t open till 2 pm. It was sunny and a bit hot but we went straight through the historic center.

    Joe napped while I walked around. I went to the plaza built where the Roman amphitheater once was and two pretty stunning Romanesque churches. All the columns and capitals were from Roman temples, so no display of Romanesque inside.

    After Joe’s nap and shower we grabbed a couple of slices of pizza from a place where the 35-50 person line had evaporated. Then the aimless walking took us to the entrance of San Giovanni, another Romanesque church that sits on a 9th century crypt, which sits on a 4th century baptistery, which sits on a 1st C BC Roman villa. Unfortunately no entrance was possible because of the Puccini (who’s from Lucca) celebration. But we learned there would be an opera concert in the church this evening. A performance of some “ greatest hits.” So we bought the tickets and had a light snack in a café nearby. In a beautiful square. Where we are waiting till concert time. This is a charming place, no doubt about it. Some tourists but most definitely a real city.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1
    21

    Day on the Water

    15 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    I was wrong about two things - one, I was afraid that we would have had so much ferry time yesterday that today’s boat trip would not be so fun. And two, I said I wouldn’t want to come back here. Going slowly up and down the coast was really great! And I got a much better view of the trails I could walk if I were to return. So maybe I shouldn’t say never, because they look fabuloso.

    I am so glad I booked this boat trip weeks ago, because a couple in our B&B was very disappointed they couldn’t get anything for the next four days. It was a bit pricey, but oh so worth it. The views of the villages were amazing, the water was super clear and warm, and I even got to swim near a huge jelly-fish, but only after I was assured that this one wouldn’t sting. One of the young guys on our boat (there were 12 of us total) picked it up, but no way I was interested in that.

    Joe did not get off the boat to swim, but had a seat in the shade and did not mind sitting there doing nothing for our swim time (or at least that’s what he said). After swimming they served us a very nice spread of tapas type food (each one made locally and with an explanation of what it was and who made it!) with some prosecco to accompany it.

    The weather looks like it’s turning, and our boat company has already cancelled the trips for the next three days, not only because of thunderstorms but also because the water will be quite choppy and this little boat can’t take too many waves. We have been quite lucky!

    I did some up and down walking on the trail and saw the bunker we had seen from the boat. The Nazis occupied the town for three years and there were many bombardments. It’s so sobering to see a reminder of how horrible things were years ago.

    One last dinner will be in another highly rated place, which I was able to reserve on Wednesday when we got here. If it’s anything like last night’s meal in Osteria (caprese salad, seafood ravioli for Joe and pesto for me), we will be well fed!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    111

    Day in Cinque Terre

    14 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Along with about a million of our closest friends, we spent the day hopping on and off boats to go into some of the little villages that have become tourist magnets. We are tourists and we are magnetized, so how can we complain. The owner of our B&B told us in no uncertain terms that we should chuck our plan of taking the train and stick to the ferry. I was dubious, but followed her advice. She was absolutely right. Entering these villages from the water is so much more beautiful than going through a tunnel to town from the train station. Only one of our boat rides was what I would call crowded, though they all had a good number of passengers. Based on what some people at lunch told us, the trains were being used by big tour groups (only saw one on all our boat rides) and that makes things more difficult.

    We bought a day pass and started out on the 9:30 ferry. We spent about an hour and a half in each town, so Joe could have a gelato and I could climb the local castle or hoof it up to the overlook. We did stay several hours in Manarola, where we had a long and excellent lunch of mussels and some exceptional white anchovies, which I haven’t had in a long time (boquerones in Spain). The towns are all very picturesque, but seem to be totally dedicated to the tourist business. There are vineyards nearby, so someone is making a living doing something other than selling gelato and boat tickets!

    People were all extremely patient and helpful when Joe needed extra hands to navigate some especially unfriendly steps or ramps. No jostling or pushing either. I am glad we came, but I don’t think I would come back, unless it was in the dead of winter. I’m sure I’d love walking the trail, but I think I’m too hooked on the Camino to make a switch to Italy.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds

    Travel Day

    13 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We left Florence and headed to Cinque Terre by train. I had planned the trip to be as stress-free as possible. Late departure (12:30), 15 minute connection time in Pisa, arrival in Monterosso around 3. I would definitely not want to do this with anything other than carry-ons. Flights of stairs to make connections and no elevator in sight.

    We saw some rocky mountains and Google maps told me it was the Apuan Alps. I saw something that looked like mining, and before I could wonder too much, I saw the name of the town we were passing!

    The owner of our B&B in Monterosso met us at the station to walk with us there. It’s in the historic center, the home where she was born. Very charming. La Poesia.

    Joe took a nap and I followed the walking path out of town for 40 minutes out and then back. Got some pretty good elevation in! I won’t be able to do any of the village to village walks, but I plan to do a bunch of out and back walks when Joe is resting. It’s a beautiful setting and the temperature is great. Crowded, but no surprise there.

    We’re at a very cute tapas place for a light supper. Good restaurants all fill up, so I’ve already made reservations for our next two nights!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1

    Plan B

    12 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    I always write these snippets before we go to dinner, but I woke up this morning remembering last night’s terrific meal (sea bass, seafood pasta, zucchini flower salad with burrata, mint and tomatoes — YUM) but the very best was the lemon sorbet and pistachio biscotti. When I told the waiter how good they were, he brought me a little bag. I am saving them. Osteria di Giovanni, one of the best so far!

    This morning it was pretty clear that Joe was zonked. Not even the lure of a couple of cappucinos did the trick. Time to let him rest. So I was lucky to learn that the driver could come in the afternoon. It means that ultimately we will not get inside Santa Maria Novella (though we have enjoyed many hours sitting at cafés in the plaza with decent music buskers and lots of people enjoying themselves), nor will we get to the Archaeological Museum. We can deal with that. I always try to schedule more time than “needed” in a place so we can adjust if something like this happens, and I’m glad to have this last day in Florence to let Joe recharge. Once again, the elliptical and the lovely café outside our hotel door came to the rescue!

    I got more votes for Arezzo than for San Gimignano, and had decided to go for it. But several people at breakfast this morning raved about San Gimignano. The guys at the desk agreed with them, pointing out that the drive to San Gimignano is more scenic than to Arezzo. My guess is that Arezzo is less touristy and that we would have really enjoyed the frescoes that Irene told me about, but I have to say that San Gimignano was quite nice. And our driver took an off-road route for most of the way, going through that beautiful iconic Tuscan landscape— hills, vineyards, villas, cypress trees. Funny how different the vineyards of Tuscany look from the vineyards of Spain even though the main ingredient is the same.

    It was very crowded — September is absolutely no longer shoulder season. No point in grousing about all the tourists, so we just tried to concentrate on the beauty of the town and the piazzas. Had a cold drink in a little café about two seconds off the main drag where it was quiet, shady, and calm. Then Joe sat on a bench with the old guys while I got him some ice cream. Nocciato (hazelnut) and pistacchio are my hands down favorites.

    So our touring in Florence is done. Our last dinner awaits. Onward tomorrow!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    11

    Pisa

    11 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Originally I hadn’t included a stop in Pisa, but several friends recommended it, and we had an extra bit of time in Florence, so why not? It was another hot, sunny day, and Pisa was crowded crowded crowded, but the monumental complex is, well, very monumental.

    The travel part was easy, with the driver showing up at our door at 8:30 and dropping us off about 6 hours later. We didn’t have a whole day to explore more of the city, and I decided to keep us centered in the cathedral square rather than rush around to see some more monuments. This was the perfect length of trip for Joe and allowed us to see things at leisure and enjoy another café up several stories high and looking out over the tower.

    I was actually a little cynical about the leaning tower before we got there, but it really does take your breath away up close. It looks like it has been cleaned very recently and it is a sparkling white marble beauty. And in spite of all the people posing to place their hands so the photo looks like they are holding up the tower, it was easy to get an unobstructed view and enjoy its intricate and ornate carved arches. Actually, there was beauty aplenty, given that there are three romanesque buildings (baptistery, cathedral and tower) all within a few hundred feet of each other. I did not climb the tower, but was more than content with the views of the outside. The cathedral and the Baptistery had lots to see and admire, too. The height of the arches in the cathedral was gasp-inducing, two rows of barrel vaulted perfection. There are also some beautiful mosaics of Christ the Pantócrato behind the altar, but it was hard to get very close to them.

    I had never heard of the Camposanto (though Michelin tells me it is as famous as the other buildings). It’s a 13th century burial ground, more than 600 graves, an open-aired long rectangular nave surrounded by romanesque arches filled in with delicate beautiful gothic lacing. It looks just like a huge cloister inside. The walls had some huge 14th century murals involving macabre death scenes and the last judgment. Appropriate for a cemetery.

    We have one day left in Florence, and no major sites left to see. I had planned to go to the Archaeological Museum, but this trip was so nice that I asked if we could do it again tomorrow. We are still undecided between Arezzo and San Gimignano (again, based on recommendations of some good buddies), but either option looks great. And yes I know there will be crowds.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1
    511

    Uffizi

    10 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    This morning was a good time to do some wash. That will postpone the need for a laundromat trip, and it’s pretty depressing to sit inside a laundromat while you’re in a beautiful place. I had left stuff soaking last night, and my handy dandy lagarto soap was all I needed. 5 minutes of scrubbing and that was it. Walking the camino every year makes me an expert in this particular domestic chore.

    The crowds at the Uffizi were very large, especially around the Botticellis, no doubt about it. But the medieval rooms much less so. I love the slightly byzantine Madonnas. And there in front of me, at the bottom of a large picture of three saints, was a hat with a scallop shell. I had been hoping to see Santiago, but he was pretty much going incognito in this picture. I wonder why his scallop shell was so well hidden. And I’m also not sure how I was lucky enough to see it!

    All in all, the visit was not the terrible crush I had feared. Joe particularly enjoyed stopping at all the Roman busts lining the two long hallways, seeing if he could remember a bit of trivia about the particular emperor or god depicted.

    We spent a long while on the rooftop cafe enjoying being within spitting distance of the Palazzo Vecchio. I’ve found the perfect substitute for my much loved Fanta de Limón (a camino favorite). Here it’s “Lemon Soda” (and the can proudly proclaims that it’s “solo limoni siciliani”).

    I think some quality rest time is on order today, especially since we have an early departure to Pisa tomorrow. And many restaurants are closed on Sunday anyway. On the way back to our hotel, we passed the only sandwich shop that has ever been the subject of a New Yorker article, I’ll bet.
    https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/t…
    I brought two back for dinner in the little sitting area off our bedroom, and we will take a stroll along the river before bed.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds

    Cathedral Day

    9 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    My morning jaunt started at the train station to see about a day trip to Pisa. We have time and it’s close! Trains run frequently and are cheap. I got the Pisa info I needed and went to the Santa Maria Novella piazza (my favorite so far) to watch the day come to life.

    Since Joe is the world’s slowest cappucino drinker, and since he wanted two this morning, I had plenty of time to talk with the concierge guy about visiting Pisa for a day, buying tickets, etc. He suggested that hiring a driver would be so much easier for Joe (using him as an excuse for my taking the easy way out!). Problem solved.

    Today was our day to visit the cathedral. I had done the climbing parts yesterday afternoon, so this was all about the ground floor and below. Cathedral, museum, baptistery. The cathedral itself is not one of my favorites, though the dome is very impressive. Too bad they tore down the Romanesque predecessor. The book says it’s gothic trending to early Renaissance, but it is awfully clunky and imposing inside to my way of thinking. Though I am surely no expert. Some remains have been excavated below the current cathedral floor, going all the way back to a Roman home, an early Christian church, and Romanesque Santa Raparata. The museum houses tons of pieces that were removed from the gothic cathedral when the marble was put on; they are displayed beautifully. There’s a pieta (not completely finished) by Michaelangelo that was to be for his own tomb, but apparently he stopped working on it because he found too many imperfections in the marble. The romanesque baptistery has beautiful mosaics; some are in scaffolding for restoration, but there was a lot to ooh and ahh over.

    Just a note about the timed entry tickets. Seems like it should work great, but the problem is that there is one line for which some people have timed entry and some don’t. Too complicated to explain. As a result, there was a lot of screaming and shouting and pushing when four of us made our way to the front at our assigned time, and at the direction of staff. One large group was particularly angry because they also had timed entry, but had been waiting in line for 45 minutes, not knowing they were supposed to jump the line when it was their time. Luckily there was a couple from Wisconsin with us and we stood firm. I am not sure why the staff who motioned us to the front did not come to our defense when the shouting and shoving started, but it made for some excitement!

    For the first time, there was someone else with me in the hotel’s small fitness center. Good to have another body in there moving around to keep the lights from going off so frequently. Minor annoyance, not a complaint, I am very grateful for it. We have a dinner reservation in a place highly recommended by friends. It’s in a part of town we haven’t been to, so we’ll take a cab over early and walk around a bit.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds

    Medici day

    8 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    It's getting a little hotter, pushing 90 now. I took my early morning walk around the San Lorenzo district, doing reconnaissance for our visit later this morning to the Medici chapels, San Lorenzo church, the palace. The main market was just opening and it's always fun to walk around a real market.

    We are falling into a good routine-- I walk for a couple hours, we eat breakfast, we head out to the destination, we sprinkle our visit liberally with cafe stops. After lunch, back to the hotel for Joe to nap.

    We spent the morning in Medici territory - the San Lorenzo church, which was the church for the Medici family and close to their palace. It has a beautiful Annunciation by Fra Lippo Lippi (I remember him and Fra Angelico, whose Annunciation is in the Prado, from my Spanish Art class in 1970!) We also went to the Medici Chapels, a huge, ornate, imposing pantheon with only 5 people buried inside, I guess they were the most important Medici, because the rest of the line has far more humble tombs. There are even a few Michaelangelo statues. My takeaway of the Medici family is that they had a very impressive trajectory -- from little known merchants and "modest money changers" to the creators of an impressive business empire and control of the city, along with their patronage of the arts of course!

    While Joe napped, I substituted my elliptical workout for a climb up the cathedral dome, and then to the top of the bell tower. It's been a bit complicated figuring out how I can do the climbs, which require timed entry, and still coincide the rest of my visit with Joe's timed entry for the non-climbing part of the visit. Hopefully we can visit the cathedral and the Baptistery together tomorrow.

    It was the hottest part of the day when I got to the cathedral, but the wind at the top of the 481 steps (416 for the bell tower) was so refreshing. Lots of great views after so many twisty turny steps up.

    Our hotel has been making our dinner reservations and so far so good! We had a nice walk to the plaza in front of Santa Maria Novela and then hoofed it to Armando’s Trattoria.

    Get Outlook for iOS    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds

    Church with a view

    7 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I slept through the night and woke up with no jet lag at 7:15. Woo hoo! Joe was still asleep, so I headed out for an early walk, down to the center of the historic center. Lots of activity there, not the tourists, but those preparing for the tourists — street cleaners, delivery trucks, people going into buildings filled with apartment rentals carrying bundles of sheets and towels, a lot of hustle and bustle. Walking over the Ponte Vecchio with only a handful of people on it, sitting in the square in front of Santa Croce without long lines of tour groups, it was all very pleasant.

    When I am tempted to complain about “the tourists,” I usually think of my favorite billboard, somewhere outside Atlanta on an always crowded interstate. This is a billboard put up by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and it says “You aren’t STUCK in traffic. You ARE traffic.” Same applies here.

    I waited to have breakfast with Joe, and it was very good. Our destination for today was the Church of San Miniato. Romanesque, up high with beautiful views. The story of the Saint whose relics are there (at least as told by Guide Michelin) is a bit less than glorious. Apparently he was a Tuscan ruffian, not an Armenian king on pilgrimage to Rome. His miracles included being thrown into a dungeon with lions and emerging unscathed, and then climbing the hill where the church stands carrying his own severed head. The church is peaceful, uncrowded and we were lucky to hear the organist practicing — there’s always something wonderful about organs playing in ancient spacious churches!

    We had taken a cab up, and the idea was that we would walk back to the hotel. As we descended the hill (stopping in a café for a long while) and crossed the bridge, it seemed a shame not to continue on a couple hundred meters to get to Santa Croce. A few hundred years later than San Miniato and much grander, there’s a good cross section of Italy’s best and brightest buried there — Galieo, Michaelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini. Very very beautiful, inside and out.

    I saw a lot of people eating good-looking sandwiches with the same wrapper and got directions. Turns out it’s a very famous sandwich shop. Long line moved fast! All’Antico Vinaio. Joe and I couldn’t even finish one, but it was YUMMY. We will probably return.

    We followed our tried and true routine of getting back to the hotel by 3:30 or so, so Joe could nap while I went to the elliptical and had some time to write up this little piece of prose. Someone tried to get out through the fire escape, and it set off a piercing alarm. Joe did not stir, so I know he’s getting some deep sleep!

    We’ll head out for dinner around 7:30. This is a great routine for us, and Joe really seems to be enjoying it so far!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds

    Arrived in Florence

    6 settembre 2023, Italia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    When we were waiting to deplane in Barcelona, the guy behind me got a call from the friend he was meeting up with and learned that the immigration control line was two hours long. Since our flight to Florence was leaving in less than an hour, and the next flight to Florence was at 8 pm, I was a bit concerned. But I had made a resolution that this was to be a no-stress zen trip, so I just crossed my fingers.

    Turns out the liine was endless, but there was a separate line for connecting flights. Our very own security check, our very own immigration official, and we were through in a few seconds. Made the flight to Florence in plenty of time, then whizzed out of the airport since we had no checked luggage, and got a taxi to our hotel.

    Our hotel is a bit faded, but it checked all the boxes - in an old building, in the historic center (though on the edge), with a fitness center and elliptical. And the staff are oh so helpful and friendly. After lunch in one of the four cute cafés within a stone’s throw of our hotel, Joe took a nap while I went to the elliptical. I was determined not to take a nap (that always messes me up with jet lag), so I got Joe up and we walked down to the real action near the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Signoria, Duomo. It is CROWDED. Definitely high season. But we don’t notice it much in our area, where most of the patrons in our lunch café were Italians.

    500 m walk to the restaurant for dinner, across the river — Cambi. I am always a sucker for pasta, and the tagliatelli with mushrooms and cream sauce was quite good! Lots of people eating steak florentine, but a big chunk of beef just didn’t appeal.

    Time for bed, hoping to wake up early but if I sleep in, oh well.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsHeading to TuscanyLaurie Reynolds
    1

    On our way

    5 settembre 2023, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    When I came home from my Camino this year, Joe was feeling a little left out. So when he said — I’d love to go back to Italy one more time — I volunteered to make that happen. Big sacrifice, I know. So here we are in O’Hare. I had my moments when I thought it wouldn’t happen, but Joe has been really motivated to keep his physical activity up, do balance exercises, walk a few miles a day, all these things that usually I have to nag about. So it’s really a win-win.

    Hotels are now the way for us to go, so I found a nice one in Florence with a fitness center and got a room for a week. We are not going to do the rush-rush-rush tourist agenda of our younger days. One attraction a day and that is it. Rest of the time for cappucinos, piazzas, walking, and eating. No David this time. Maybe the Uffizi, but no crushing to see Venus. But I will climb as many towers as I can while Joe is napping.

    After Florence, I think we will go to Cinque Terre, Lucca, and Siena. But that is all subject to change depending on how our week in Florence goes. I wasn’t sure about how Cinque Terre would be for Joe’s somewhat limited mobilitiy, but a recommended boat ride option convinced me! Small boat for 8 people, prosecco on board with some charcuterie, I can deal with that. So the current plan is to spend three nights in Monterosso (northernmost town in Cinque Terre) , two in Lucca and two in Siena. It will be crowded, I know, but the weather looks great and we will just deal with the crowds.

    We have, I think, a great way to get to Florence. Champaign-Chicago-Barcelona-Florence. Left Champaign at 2:30 pm and we should arrive in Florence by about 1 pm. We are in Chicago and will soon be taking off. .One leg down, two to go!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds

    Day in Burgos

    11 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I woke up at 5:30, as usual, but today, I just turned over and found that I could easily go back to sleep. It felt very decadent to wake up at 8:30, use up the last few granules of my instant coffee, and sit in bed with nothing to pack up and lug around on my back.

    It had rained a LOT last night, but when I left the hotel around 10 am, it was cloudy but dry. I had never been to the Monasterio de las Huelgas, and Clare, being the good sport that she is, came along.

    It was extremely interesting to learn that 23 cloistered nuns still live there, more than a thousand years after the convent’s founding. They run a laundry, and sell some baked goods.

    I wish I could keep my Spanish kings straight, but the infant king Enrique I is buried in this monastery. Such intrigue—he was injured by a falling rock while playing with friends,
    and his “handlers” brought in a “doctor” to try some experimental surgery, which involved cutting a hole in his skull. He died four days later. Our guide believes it was murder.

    There was an amazing room filled with clothing from the 13th century, in extremely good condition. That was my favorite part, even more than the Romanesque cloister!

    We met Juanma for lunch, my friend who owns an albergue earlier on the Francés (shoutout for the Albergue Maralotx in Cirauqui). We went to a place serving the Burgos specialty of roast suckling lamb. And the Burgos specialty of morcilla. I have to retract all the many bad things I’ve said about morcilla over the years because this was very good (maybe because the Burgos morcilla has rice added) and the lamb —yum. Thanks for driving so far to see us, Juanma, and thanks for taking us to this very non-touristy authentic asador. It was a great way to put a punto final on my Camino 2023.

    In early evening, we had a vino tinto in the Plaza Mayor, and on my way back to the hotel I ran into the Corpus Christi processions.

    Tomorrow, late morning bus to Madrid. Then home on Wednesday.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    45

    Modubar de San Cibrian to Burgos

    10 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    A pretty uneventful walking day, much of it on a Via Verde that is on the now abandoned and once highly touted train line from Santander to the Mediterranean.

    As we got closer to Burgos, there were more and more people out for a weekend ride or walk. A fair number of people even said Buen Camino to us! We have not heard those words much at all on this Camino.

    Walking into Burgos was not a very emotional moment for me. The Ruta de la Lana ends here, but it just didn’t make much of an impact. We went to the Cathedral to get a stamp, and then checked into our respective places. First things, first, shower, and clothes washing. And then the matter of eating lunch. I remembered having a very good hamburger with Rebekah when I walked here in 2015. Sure enough, the place was still there, still serving hamburgers, And they were still pretty good.

    In the afternoon I went to the Museo de Burgos, where I had never been. Its pre-history section has been overshadowed by the museum of evolution, but I very much enjoyed the archaeological portion. One side of the tomb of Santo Domingo de Silos was on display, and it was by far my favorite piece of the museum. It looked just like one of those Limoges pieces, but apparently it was made here in Spain. Same kind of enamel and gold covered copper. Jesus and all the apostles and it was just beautiful. There were also a couple of Limoges boxes, but this was the stand out.

    After the museum visit, I climbed up to the castle, what little remains of it, and enjoyed a great view down over the city of Burgos. And then a trip to a Tienda de Chinos in order to buy some bubble wrap for the olive oil that I will be bringing home to daughter and family. Some rituals never change.

    Burgos has never been one of my favorite cities in Spain, and the cathedral is too over the top for my taste. But I have to say that it does impress in the plaza.

    Clare and I met up with a forum member and spent a couple of hours immersed in Camino talk. He is cycling the Camino Francés and writing a book about the geology along the route. It was a really fun get together.

    I’m not having any grand wrap-up thoughts or pronouncements about the meaning of life. But I have so very much enjoyed walking with Clare and Alun. I think I have decided that I don’t want to walk anymore solo Caminos. Though I love walking alone, it is much more fun to have company at night. So that’s my plan for next year!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    112

    Covarrubias to Modujar de San Cibrian

    9 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Here’s an unusual combination— a long day and a late start. About 34K today and 700 m, so normally I would be leaving by 7 AM. But just 9 km from here is a 7C Visigothic church that doesn’t open until 10:30. So there’s no point in leaving before 8-ish. It felt really weird to be sitting in my room with nowhere to go till such a late hour!

    On my way to the church, as I was thinking about how it was possible that I was going to see a church that is 1500 years old, I came across some dinosaur footprints from 144 MILLION years ago. My head can’t even compute that.

    The church is but a small portion of what used to be there. The decorative panels outside must be typically visigothic, because I have seen many similar carvings in other places. I love the carved panels inside and was able to be in there all alone.

    Clare and I started out at different times, but we met up somewhere after Revilla de Campos. I had been walking for hours with the sun shining on my back and ominous black clouds in front. Soon after we met up, the rain started, but it was just for a few minutes. And for the next couple of hours, though there were black clouds and thunder all around, we just had a few short bursts. Lucky again.

    We’re only about 19 kms from Burgos. The town we’re in, Mondubar de San Cibrian,, has a couple of interesting things—an old traditional chimney, and a fountain made with medieval or Roman sarcophagi, but not much going on. The mayor has taken the church keys away from the owner of the little casa rural where we’re staying, so the list of things to do has now been exhausted.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    2
    1

    Sto Domingo to San Pedro to Covarrubias

    8 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Another detour for us today. Instead of a straight shot 13 kms to the pretty little touristy town of Covarrubias, we decided to take a detour to visit the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza. This monastery was built in the 10th century, with of course lots of modifications and damage. The government spent many millions and took many years to finish the renovation. It is perched on the Arlanza River and was too close and too tempting to pass up. It turned out to be 29 km with 700 m elevation, so it was a good work out.

    The route we put together with various wikiloc trails took us first to the Sad Hill cemetery. For anyone else who is interested in making that visit, I would recommend not following our trail, but simply following the town’s signs that go directly to the site on a wide road. We followed GPS tracks that I had found on Wikiloc. At some point during our ascent, followed by crawling through a hole in a barbed wire fence, and descending on a rocky path, Clare muttered, some thing like— Laurie, you and your wikiloc trails.

    For those who are uninformed about Sad Hill, like we were, this is an iconic set from the movie The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Many fans come here to visit the site of the famous Clint Eastwood shootout scene in the cemetery. In fact, we met a British couple last night in the hotel who were planning to go there — their own pilgrimage, they called it.

    It was fun to see it, and I think we are both now inclined to see the movie someday. We learned that lots of famous people have come here and put their names on some of the 5000 crosses in the cemetery. I had read that Metallica had done it, and I was happy to find that particular cross, because it’s one of my son’s favorite groups!

    Much as we may have been messed up by Wikiloc on a couple of occasions, the rest of the day was really flawless. We had a great trek to the monastery, a wonderful visit there, and a good walk into Covarrubias, another one of the “ pueblos más bonitos de España.” It was 3:30 by the time we got to town, but today was our lucky day. I went into the restaurant in the main square, jampacked with people still eating., and the owner graciously said we could still eat!!!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    1
    141

    Huerta de Rey to Santo Domingo de Silos

    7 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    I have walked into Santo Domingo once before, when I walked the Camino Castellano-Aragonés (very highly recommended, btw). But this time a forum member alerted us to the fact that there is a spectacular gorge very close to the Camino that also goes into Santo Domingo. So once again, we decided to take a detour off the “true“ Camino route.

    The first 15 km had a little bit of elevation up and down through some really nice pine forests. From the village of Peñacoba, we went off Camino, following a GPS track that was supposed to take us on a trail through the woods to the starting point of the gorge. Once we got a few kilometers in, however, we realized that the track had not been properly recorded. It was essentially a couple of straight lines. So there we were, pretty high up and trying to find our way down to the trail head to go through the gorge. We had a general idea which way to go, and thankfully, Clare is much more adept at reading contour lines than I am. So after a couple of slightly hairy kilometers, we found our way down. I would not have done this by myself, or with anyone else who skills were not as great as Clare‘s. We were never in any danger, we were far from the cliffs, and the worst thing that could have happened would have been for us to have to turn around and backtrack. But thankfully we didn’t.

    The path through the gorge is pretty cool. It is all on a metal path with a railing that is attached to the rock face. We saw lots of birds of prey. Even though it’s very short, it was in my opinion worth the detour (and those adventuresome kms).

    We arrived in Santo Domingo early enough to have a lunch. It was edible and expensive. Then we visited the Romanesque cloister, which is one of Spain’s absolute best. We went to vespers in the monastery’s church at seven. The monks here are very famous for their Gregorian chants. They released a recording in the 90s, and I read that more than 2 million copies were sold in the United States. There were more than 20 of them, I’d say, ranging in age from late 30s through very ancient. The chanting was soothing and kind of mesmerizing, but I cannot imagine that they do it six times a day!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    434

    Quintanarraya to Clunia to Huerta de Rey

    6 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Some would fault us for taking another “tourist” day, but with the Roman ruins and amphitheater at Clunia just 4 kms off route, we couldn’t resist. We had briefly considered taking a detour there on our way into last night’s destination but that would have given us a 40+ km day. My body told me when I hit 70 that I’m past my time of 40 km days. So here we are with a short day under 20 and a detour off the camino.

    Since Clunia doesn’t open till 10, and it’s only about 4 km from our albergue, there was no need to get moving early. We had been told that no bar or restaurant opens there before 10, (thanks @Bachibouzouk) , so we took our time.

    On the way in, we decided to check out possible walking routes for going from the Roman ruins to today’s destination of Huerta de Rey, which is back on the Lana. We could go back to our albergue in Quintanarraya and proceed on the Lana from there. But it seemed like there would be an easy, direct route. We asked a few farmers, and had a good track for after our visit.

    We spent two hours at the site. Watched a video and then took our time going from theater to baths to villas to the forum. Lots of good information, and I was happy to see that after many similar visits, I know the differences between frigadarium, tepidarium, and caldarium.

    The town of Huerta de Rey isn’t exactly a glorious town, but we have a good room in the Hostal del Cid and have had a good lunch in Meson de las Herrerías.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    1

    San Esteban de Gormaz to Quintanarraya

    5 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Having been able to stock up on some fruit, my pack was heavy for the walk to Quintanarraya. It had rained last night (don’t ask me how I know, but it has to do with the skylight window snd was a real mess), so I was prepared for mud. But we were pleasantly surprised.

    Many would call this a “boring” or “dull” stage, and it is true that again today there wasn’t much going on, either scenically or historically. Crop lands mainly (many actually looking pretty good), some ups and downs through scrub oak forests. But if you’ve walked any camino, you probably have experienced the centering and peaceful monotony that come from this kind of day out in the wide open spaces. It’s hard to explain, but it’s great.

    A few kms outside the village of Villavaro, there’s a tiny Romanesque chapel. It used to be the parish church for a now disappeared village. The camino has been re-routed to go right by it, and that means 4 or 5 kms more on dirt tracks rather than on the road, so it was a win-win re-routing.

    In Alcubilla we saw the 16th C palace that had been a hotel restaurante till the man with the concession died suddenly. It’s municipally owned and they have been unsuccessful finding someone new. That meant that Clare and I had to walk on 10 more kms to the tiny hamlet of Quintanarraya, where there is a basic 5 bed albergue in the old school. Toilet and shower, hot water, clean. The mayor checked us in.

    During the last 3 or 4 kms of today’s walk, , I could see very dark skies and rain to our north. About a half hour after arrival, it rained, then stopped, then rained. There is now thunder and lightening all around us. We are hoping it moves on by tomorrow morning.

    We have feasted on canned tuna and powdered soup. A couple pieces of fruit and some dark chocolate. Tomorrow our packs will be lighter!

    Tuesday a.m update. At the suggestion of a helpful local man, I have found a little bit of cell phone coverage on the way out of town near the bodegas.(caves in the hill, where people stored and made their wine.).    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    2
    1

    Caracena to San Esteban de Gormaz

    4 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today’s walk was a little longer than the last few days. My GPS showed almost 34 km, but that’s also because I took a few detours to visit a church and to go to a grocery store.

    If I didn’t have a day like this one, it would not be a Camino for me. This was a day when I sort of went on auto pilot in my own little bubble. The rhythm of my steps as replicated by my hiking poles and the pat pat of my feet was all that I could hear . So there I was, just me and my thoughts — no spectacular landscape, no outstanding historical or cultural monuments, just putting one foot in front of the other. No earth-shattering thoughts either, just thinking about whatever came my way. My mom’s birthday is in a few days, so I thought about her a lot.

    There were a few distractions — an 8 inch green lizard, an apple orchard with dark netting all across the top, a few small towns, and a few tractors out in the fields. This was the first time, really, that I had seen farm vehicles. Though the drought is still very much in effect here, I think they have a bit more optimistic forecast for at least some of their crops.

    Today I crossed the Douro/Duero on arrival into San Esteban de Gormaz. I went quickly to see if I could find an open supermarket (it’s Sunday). We are very low on food supplies, and tomorrow we will be sleeping in a town with absolutely no services. We’ve been carrying canned tuna and instant soup in our packs for a few days, but I was hoping to find some fruit and yogurt.

    I found an open store, went inside, and asked about fruit. No fruit in the store, the owner told me. But there is another store about 600 m away, which is also open till 2pm, and which sells fruit. The wife of the owner volunteered to take me in her car to their competitor to buy my supplies. She invited me to their house for lunch (I declined) and also took me on a tour of the town. Finally, she took me up to the place where we were staying and insisted that she had to take off her house slippers when I took her picture. A really special woman.

    Clare and I had a decent menú del día in a crowded restaurant, where a family was celebrating the 94th birthday of their patriarch. He started to cry when they sang happy birthday. It made me think of my own parents and brought a few tears to my eyes too.

    After lunch, I headed up to the castle, or should I say, what used to be the castle. Lining the ascent, there are hundreds of bodegas (small wine, cellars built into the hills), which is not surprising since we are in Ribera del Duero territory. Two beautiful Romanesque churches here, both locked up but both with typical Romanesque capitals.

    I am expecting that tomorrow will be similar to today. Maybe a little longer and with a little more ascent, but basically a very similar terrain.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    1

    Retortillo to Caracena via the GR 86

    3 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    There are two halves to today’s walk. Retortillo to Tarancueña and Tarancueña to Caracena. The camino puts you on the highway for the first half. But there is a GR alternative of about twice that distance. Since the second half is only about 8 or 9, we decided to go for the off-road 24-25 Km option.

    What a day. Lots of having to check the GPS, especially during the first half of the walk. That first part had lots of squishy ground, lots of meadows with high grasses, sometimes even having to cross cultivated fields. We saw tons of structures built against the rock face. According to one very nice man in Valvedenizo, those structures were used for animals. He also showed us the beautiful mushrooms he had just harvested and was going to use to make a revuelto (scrambled eggs) for him and his 100 year old mother. Those two constituted one of two families in the town.

    The last part of the walk, from Tarancueña, was through a canyon. It was a little bit tricky in places but nothing beyond our meager abilities. There were some rocky places where we had to ascend 4 or 5 feet but there were always little crevices or protrusions for our feet to grab. We had several stream crossings, and once I planted a foot in about 6” of water but nothing too bad. We saw some huge birds of prey circling over the canyon. Cool.

    We have a place to stay in Caracena. Rodrigo, the son of the bar owner, who used to allow pilgrims to stay in his house but then moved away, is back. He has taken over the bar/restaurant and is converting a house into a Casa rural. He has also gone to culinary school and his menu is quite upscale. We have eaten a very yummy meal — lamb and mushroom ravioli, some fancy rice snd pork dish, and I had cuajada for dessert, which is one of my favorite foods on earth.

    The casa where we’re staying is still a workbench progress. But it is finished enough for us to stay — comfy beds, good shower, washing machine — what more could we want?!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    21

    San Baudelio de Berlanga

    2 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Promptly at 4 pm, Berlanga de Duero’s only taxista showed up at the Hostal Muralla. It was about a half an hour to the church, through some pretty amazing landscape. Very barren and very rocky. We were the only ones at the church, and it gave me goose bumps. I could see the outlines of the frescoes that had been removed, and there were good pictures that re-created the inside of the chapel. Lots of horseshoe arches, a second floor private oratory, and an altar. There is also an entrance to a cave , where a hermit possibly lived. When this church was built, 10th or 11th century, it was right on the Christian-Muslim border.

    Apparently the church was part of a small (long disappeared) monastery complex. When it was all abandoned, ownership passed to private hands. Then in the 20s, when US treasure hunters were lusting after Romanesque, and the churches in Catalunya wouldn’t part with their treasures, they descended on Soria. The private owners apparently were happy to sell and after a five-year court battle, the Supreme Court approved the sale. There are now pieces in Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Though I don’t understand how it happened, Spain was apparently able to recover a lot of the frescoes (a trade made with the Cloisters, perhaps?) and those are now in the Prado, where they introduced me to the beauty of Romanesque in 1970.

    After our long visit, the taxista offered to take us through her town, Berlanga de Duero (though the Duero River is about 8 Km away). The castle is pretty amazing, and we also went to the interpretive center of San Baudelio. It explained the process of removing frescoes and then replacing them on different walls but I couldn’t understand it. The technique is called “strappo.”

    Clare snd I will be sticking quite close tomorrow. The first part of our walk is off Camino, and the second part goes through a canyon which may have a few tricky parts. Weather looks good!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    1
    12

    Atienza to Retortillo

    2 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    I was like a little kid on Christmas Eve last night. I lay in bed and I thinking about the crazy little trip I had cooked up for today. When I was a junior in college, studying in Spain in 1970, I took a course on the history of Spanish art. This course entailed weekly visits to the Prado with a tutor and two days a week of lectures with the tremendously esteemed Professor Azcarate. . This is where I learned about Romanesque and about the Camino. The Prado has many of the original frescoes from a tiny Romanesque church, San Baudelio de Berganza. The church is about 30 km from today’s stop in Retortillo. How could I be so close to the church whose paintings were the start of my love of Romanesque? And how I learned about the Camino? So I called a taxi located in a town close to the church to see what it would cost. Since his proposal was less than half of my mental euro limit, I jumped at the opportunity. So today, at 4 o’clock, I will get a chance to see San Baudelio. Never mind that most of the paintings were spirited away by the Prado Museum and several rich Americans. I just want to go inside and see it.

    Today’s walk was on the short side, and very enjoyable. We are clearly in a part of the country that has been less impacted by the drought. There were tons of wildflowers, including some that I think were lupines. The walk really had three different parts. First an ascent up to a pine forest that extended for several kilometers. Then a descent and a long stretch on flat open fields. And then third, the rocky steep ascent to the border between Castilla y La Mancha and Castilla y León. No rain, some clouds, beautiful views.

    I spent a lot of my walk today thinking back to that year in Madrid. That was more than 50 years ago! I remember our cute little apartment on Galileo 82, second floor. It’s now a very gentrified part of Madrid, but when I lived there, it was a pretty normal neighborhood. A few cows down the street in a little shed, and tons of little shops. My roommates were Gail, daughter of an army colonel who was a surgeon in Vietnam, and Nicole, daughter of the Senegalese ambassador to Italy. You can imagine that we had a lot of fun. Our biggest challenge was to figure out how to get to the end of the month on our small budgets. It usually meant that the last few nights our dinners consisted of fried onions and popcorn. An unusual aspect about living in Madrid at that time was the”sereno,” This was a man, usually inebriated, who wandered the streets of the neighborhood all night, with a huge ring of keys that opened every front door of every apartment building. When you needed to get in, you just stood on your doorstep and clapped, and he would eventually show up. Oh, the memories.    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    2
    113

    Siguenza to Atienza

    1 giugno 2023, Spagna ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    I had been debating whether to add 6 kms to the 31 Km day, so that I could visit Carabias, with one of the first porticoed Romanesque churches in Spain (at least I think that’s what I remember). The original idea was that Clare would take a cab a few kms out and then we’d go to the church. But there was no cab availability, so she was going to walk the shorter route. So, hmmm, did I want to add those extra kms????

    When I got to the turnoff at Palazuelos I looked at the weather and saw that rain was forecast for 11-2. Since there was no way I’d get to my destination by 11, I decided that since I was going to get wet anyway, I might as well go see the church. I’m very glad I did, it’s beautiful. Locked up tight but beautiful.

    A few kms outside Carabias, my wikiloc stopped working. Oops. And at that point, I wasn’t on the Camino, so there would be no arrows to follow. I pulled up Google maps and in about 4 km it got me back onto the Camino, right at a junction with a humongous salt factory.

    At promptly 11am it began to rain. And it rained for the next few hours —nothing too heavy. I even took a quick rest sitting under a tree and was reasonably well protected.

    At about 5 kms out of town, Atienza appears. The castle on top, dominating the town. After checking in, and doing the normal post-camino things like showering and washing clothes, I headed out to see the sights. Beautiful plaza, very Castilian. And I climbed up to the castle, which had its typically amazing views. Below and in the distance, I saw two bright purple fields that are surely lavender.

    It is raining again, and the hotel restaurant opens in a while, so that's probably what we'll do. Tomorrow a nice short 24 Km!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    1

    Mandayona to Siguenza

    31 maggio 2023, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Hard to imagine a more perfect camino day, 25 Km and 400 m elevation. We started at 7 and soon entered the Barranco del Rio Dulce, a canyon with the “Sweet River” running through it. Beautiful, shaded, and cool with cliffs towering above. My one (very minor) disappointment was that I only saw one big raptor bird. I was expecting to see them flying all over.

    Leaving the canyon, we stayed close to the river, but now through ag fields. These were the best looking fields we’ve seen, some really verdant green and lots of wild flowers.

    The camino goes through the little town of Pelegrina, with the optional short detour up to the castle (which is totally in ruins). But the views, oh my goodness the views. I took a long boots off rest, enjoying the views in every direction.

    From there to Siguenza was about 8 Km. First a short steep up to the top on rocky narrow paths, then several kms across the plateau on very rocky terrain. The last three kms down to town were all with the castle/parador in view. And the camino went about two minutes from the entrance. So so tempting. In I went and got a decent rate.

    We had an excellent meal in El Atrio. Right across from the cathedral. Then a cathedral visit and that was the end of the day!    Leggi altro

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  • Laurie ReynoldsRuta de la Lana, 2023Laurie Reynolds
    5
    112

    Cifuentes to Mandayona

    30 maggio 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We knew there was a shortcut today that would save 4 kms for tomorrow and would not go through Mandayona. But it would have meant missing a supposedly beautiful stretch tomorrow. So off to Mandayona we went.

    It was another non-spectacular but very pleasant walk. Especially the part before the meseta. Rolling hills with lots of rocky outcroppings and some green crops, some dead crops. Once we got to the top of the climb, we were on the meseta. Kms and kms of flat flat flat. Just like Illinois. The only things to break the monotony were fields of lavender, a high speed rail line, and a superhighway to cross.

    We’re in a little hostal owned by a young couple who gave up life in the city of Madrid to come out to a place where there are about 50 year round inhabitants. Their eight year old son goes to school with three other kids from the town. The school is kept alive by virtue of the fact that seven or eight kids from surrounding villages are bussed here. He tells me that they are very happy here and would not ever consider moving back to Madrid.

    We had a good menú del día in the local bar and will soon head off to the town supermarket. We just learned that tomorrow is a holiday celebrating the Castilla y la mancha region. Stores and other commerce will be closed, so we will need to stock up on some food. There was a pretty loud thunderstorm that passed through while we were eating, and another storm just came through. We have been really lucky and have not had to walk in the rain, not yet, anyway!    Leggi altro

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