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Spain 2026
  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford
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  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford

Spain 2026

An open-ended adventure by PW and JKW's trips & Phil Read more
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  • Spain 2026
    Its springtime in Galicia. Lots of rain means lots of flowers.
    Here is a fountain made from repurposed materials.This wall is all different tiles.This mural of the cathedral is made of broken tiles.Here the artist posted a poem.This wall is repurposed dinnerware.Apple blossoms

    Midweek checkin

    March 18 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    This week Phil has class in the morning with 2 other students for 4 hours from 9 to 1:30. I have class from 1:15 to 3:45 and it is just me and the teacher in my class. So basically, I am speaking Spanish for that whole time 1:1 with my teacher. I am learning a lot and I think Phil is, too.

    We have had 3 activities this week. One was a walking tour with a meet and greet at a local bar (bars are places to get a light meal and coffee, beer, wine, or soft drinks). This week we have a young man from Russia, a young woman from China, a middle aged woman from Holland, a young woman from the US, a retired woman from the US, a retired woman from France, Phil and I. There's one other man from the US, but he didnt participate in the walking tour.

    Tuesday, we all gathered after class to play some board games. It was really fun and with all different levels of Spanish we were all learning from each other.

    Today we had a walk to a neighborhood in Santiago which was decorated by a retiree with murals using discarded building materials. He continues to live there and continues to work on the art and beautification process.

    There is a fiesta in a nearby neighborhood this weekend and Phil and I have booked a Sunday day trip to one of the national parks (Las Cathedrals) on the northern coast. I will take photos and post afterwards.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    1It was dreary in the morning at Noia and a little wet and chilly!
    This is the church which displayed the tombstones.This one was a pilgrimThis one was a butcher. See the ax and knife?This one was a sailor with an anchorMandarin orange trees line the streets.Fresh octopus in the city marketplaceThe "House of Salt" was likely a preservation place for the shellfish.A lemon tree, very pretty. Phil sang me a song about it from his youth.This will be the new albergue. It's not quite done yet.A Camino marker showing it is about 2 day's walk to Santiago.1Another church. This one is actively having services.These little scallops are called Zamburinas.My cod entre.Phil's lamb chops.Two desserts half eaten. Tiramisu and Mango Mousse.Spring flowersThis is the city hall, we believe.Its close enough to the sea to support palm trees.1The estuary later in the day without the fog and drizzle.

    Noia and end of the week

    March 14 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    We've had a good week, but it has rained most days at least part of the day. We are still walking a lot (several miles each day), and it is getting easier.

    School is going well. I am going to be moved to a slightly higher level next week so our class days will be split up. Phil will go in the morning with a woman from Holland and another from China. I will be in class with a woman from Australia in the afternoon.

    We picked up a schedule for the Easter week processions and learned that there will be a festival next week in a nearby village (The Pigs' Feet Festival), so we may hang around next weekend instead of a day trip. Music, parades, and of course a pigsfeet banquet is promised!

    Today we took a bus to Noia. It is only about an hour away and it's right on the coast with a large estuary that supports a shellfish industry. Specifically cockles are harvested here. They are kind of a small clam and there are several kinds. The work is done mostly by women who wade out in the water in wetsuits with a special rake with a basket attached. The also have a little inner tube to float a basket along to hold their catch.

    Phil and I went to a maritime museum and a lot of this fishing process was explained. It was a nice, rather new, museum. The volunteers were very nice and everything was posted in three languages so we could understand.

    We also went to a church that displayed tombstones that show a person's livelihood. There were cobblers, butchers, sailors, and even a pilgrim!

    We visited an albergue that will be open this summer. It is managed by one of the organizations that we volunteer for. There's a Camino route through this town so we might walk it next year. Maybe we can volunteer here one day, too.

    Finally we ate at a highly rated seafood restaurant. We arrived just in time as the tables filled up fast. We both had a plate of Zamburinas (little scallops) for the first course. Phil had lamb chops and I had cod for the second course. Then we shared a Mango Mousse and a Tiramisu. After a coffee, we waddled along the sea shore fully stuffed a bit before we caught the bus back home.

    Tomorrow is a laundry and study day.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Here's the menu from the meat place. It was packed with families on a Sunday afternoon.
    BTW, shout out to our kids in Alabama. We go by this Cafe twice a day!My coffee, very pretty!Liam Brunch, Santiago. Excellent place to eat!A view of the cathedral from a hidden back corner.The St Francis church, also big. Lots of beautiful old churches and buildings here.

    Typical week

    March 11 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Weather wise, it's been rainy, foggy or both daily. We even bought some new coats on sale this week, because it was just too chilly even with a couple of merino wool tops and our gortex raincoats. The coats were on sale due to the end of the season, but we were glad for them today!

    On Sunday, we studied our notes and had a stylishly late Spainish lunch at the grilled meat place near our house. It is kind of like an Argentina steak house, but the meat choices were local chicken, beef, and pork ribs. Phil had ribs. I had chicken (a roasted half chicken!) And you could get seconds if you wanted so we had 4 sauces, potatoes, salad, lots of meat, and a grilled chorizo. I brought half my chicken home for chicken and noodles. Phil even had some ice cream!

    Monday after class our school activity was in the classroom and involved imagination. We had fun with students from the other levels.

    Tuesday, Phil and I stayed in town and ate lunch at a brunch place. The school activity later that day was a tour of places where two famous women authors had lived and worked in Santiago.

    We've been walking to school (rain or shine) and taking the bus home after class. We're getting in between 4 and 10 miles per day walking. We hope to make another day trip this weekend although we are not sure where just yet.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    This is the oldest church in Santiago from the 9th century.
    A fire at the police department has pressed these two vans into service for office work.1A view of the cathedral from the park on our walking tour.Tulips tree in bloomA monument to a poet Rosalia de Castro who is from this area.A statue of Lorca, a famous poet killed by Franco for being gay.This is a kindergarten. Pretty building.This is a famous statue in the park of the two Marias.Our bus card.

    Friday, March 6

    March 6 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    We're having a good first week although some issues have arisen. School is going well. Yesterday we had coffee with our classmate, Jackie. Her husband, Alex, is a big Camino fan so he and Phil sat and talked about Caminos, while Jackie and I discussed a wide range of other topics. They were able to get a 6 month long-stay visa. Alex is working from home 3 days a week. Jackie goes to Spanish class, but they travel every weekend so she is often absent on Friday or Monday. She has okayed this with the school so periodically she is shifted to other class groups because she's missing a large amount of material each week.

    Right now there are just the 3 of us in class. Today and Monday with Jackie gone, it will be just Phil and I unless another student joins.

    We did learn to ride the bus this week as well. Jackie explained that you ask the driver for a multiple ride card. For about 11 or 12 dollars each, Phil and I got bus cards with 20 rides loaded so it is very economical. We can add rides if we want or need later.

    We had a little trouble figuring out where to catch the bus home again. In fact one day we walked about 10 miles total to school, back again, then around town on a tour with the school and then wandering around looking for our stop to go home. We did find it, but we were pretty tired. Now we walk to school (2.4 miles, but downhill) and then ride the bus home uphill.

    This weekend we plan to take a day trip to the nearby town of Lugo. It is a walled city and also has some museums with Roman ruins. We go by bus in the morning and return in the early evening so more on that in the next post.    Read more

  • Spain 2026
    Traveling is tiring!
    Spring flowers1Side view of cathedral

    Arrived in Santiago

    March 2 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Phil and I have finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela and have finished our first day of Spanish class! We flew into Madrid on Friday and traveled to Santiago by train Saturday.

    We have a little apartment in a suburb up the hill and about 2 miles from our school. Sunday we walked to the school and back to check our timing. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to school (all downhill) and about 55 minutes to walk back (all uphill). Tomorrow we are going to check out the bus to and from school as Tuesdays and Wednesday we have two early evening walking tours here in town. The school sponsors a couple of these free activities each week. We dont want to walk back and forth twice a day.

    The weather is cool and damp, but it has not rained on us here yet. This part of Spain receives a lot of rain. We brought umbrellas and rain coats and will probably take the bus on rainy days.

    Flowers are starting to bloom. We'll be here until after Easter so I am sure we'll see more greenery and flowers soon.

    I will post once a week ago to let you know how things are going.    Read more

  • Trip start
    March 2, 2026
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