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Iceland and Camino
  • Off The Beatnik Path

Iceland and Camino

A 34-day adventure by Off The Beatnik Path Read more
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  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    Hórreo's of my Camino

    September 22, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Horreo's of my Camino
    (pronounced 'oreo' just like the cookie)

    A hórreo is a typical granary from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Asturias, Galicia, where it might be called a Galician granary, and Northern Portugal), built in wood or stone, raised from the ground ending in flat saddle stones to prevent access by rodents. Ventilation is allowed by the slits in its walls.

    Apparently, the size and number of pillars denoted your wealth. You'll see a Christian cross on one end of the roof and a Pagan obelisk on the other. One of the albergue hosts (in Portugal) said these were added to ensure the Christian god or the old Pagan gods blessed your harvest... I guess they were into playing the religious odds. 🤭 In Galacia, I noticed several (in rural areas) with just the Pagan obelisk. In this area, the old religion lives and is often practiced alongside the new Christian religion.
    When we entered Spain, I started noticing references to witches in names, signs, images on souvenirs, etc, even a few cauldrons decorating doorsteps. 🧹🐦‍⬛🧙 It's nice to be here!    Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    Taxis, planes, buses and rental cars...

    Sep 23–27, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    ...a full day of travel... exhausting! We arrived at night, a little cranky. A bit confused about a set of stairs in our hotel room... (not gonna lie, my first thought was that we booked a dorm style hostel by mistake! lol) as it turns out we basically have an apartment... fullish kitchen/dining/living room upstairs bed and bathroom down. Two private patios all facing the ocean! We ate popcorn for dinner and crashed right out!Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    All about the beach!

    Sep 24–27, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    oh... it was a beach day! I only left my lounger to get sangria and use the bathroom.... okay, I walked a bit on the shore and let the Atlantic ocean tickle my toes! A great rest day!

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    exploring southern Portugal

    September 25, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Drove out to Portugals “end of the earth” Cabo de Sao Vicente lighthouse, then a beautiful stroll along the Ponte de Piedade view point near Dona Ana beach. Back in time for a bit of pool time, then charcuterie on the patio.Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    Day trip:Barril Beach & Chapel of Bones

    September 26, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Day Trip!
    Praia do Barril is our first stop.
    The access to the beach is through a small floating bridge that crosses Ria Formosa, followed by a footpath that crosses the Island to the seaside. This is also done by a mini-train that once was used by the fishermen to transport goods between the village and the main road. We took the train!

    Anchors Graveyard at Barril Beach
    The (Tavira) Anchor Graveyard is a unique memorial to the Portuguese tuna boats that sailed the oceans for centuries and now due to the lack of resources, have been abandoning this activity. The time when the inhabitants of the island went fishing thousands of kilometres away from their homes has passed. These anchors were used to keep the fishing nets in place and formed giant underwater mazes that funnelled the tuna into the capture nets.

    The anchors of stranded ships piled up gradually in Barril Beach, at the mercy of the elements and slowly rusting away. When people realised that this particular cemetery slowly became a centre of attention, the inhabitants of Tavira took care to align and keep the place clean and neat in its decline.

    Next is The Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), an ossuary chapel in Faro, Portugal, which belongs to the 18th century Carmelite church, Nossa Senhora do Carmo.

    Consecrated in 1816 and made of stone, above the entrance, there is the following inscription:
    Pára aqui a considerar que a este estado hás-de chega.

    which translates to:

    Stop here and consider, that you will reach this state too.

    The 4 by 6 metre-sized chapel (ossuary) is built of the bones of more than 1,000 Carmelite friars and contains also 1,245 skulls.

    We tried to make it to Almancil and the famous blue church, and got there exactly as they closed (1 pm). The church is known for the typical Portuguese blue and white tiles covering the interior.

    Home for a rest, then we took the shuttle to Albufiera, in the rain, and checked out the tourist shops and dining district - it's very cute.
    We met up with a fellow pilgrim, Gail, for dinner and had a rowdy good time! (I even tried sardines!) Not so early to bed, we have a plane to catch in the morning!    Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    Lisbon

    September 27, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today we traveled to Lisbon, a short plane ride away! And had surpringly little problem getting an Uber from the airport to the hotel. After checking in and bit of a rest, we wandered through the old city a bit (hugely populated, touristy strip malls - restaurant seating down the middle and souvenir and pastry shops line both sides).
    The Praça do Comércio is a large, harbour-facing plaza in Lisbon.
    The Rua Augusta Arch, constructed to commemorate the rebuilding of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake.
    I collected some awesome beachglass, and we had dinner at a great Portugese/Italian restaurant,  really good sangria!    Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    Sintra - castles and more castles

    September 28, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Sept 28th
    Sintra & castles, castles and  more castles...
    We took the train to Sintra today. Sintra is a  longtime royal sanctuary, its forested terrain is studded with pastel-colored villas and palaces.
    We stopped at Pena Palace first. It's built at 500 meters above sea level. It's a beautiful example of Portuguese architecture of romaticism. It was built in 1839 when King consort Ferdinand II of Saxe Coburg-Gotha attained the ruins of the Monastery of your Lady of Jerome Pena.
    Next we visited the Moorish Castle, dated back to the Islamic rule of the first King of Portugal - it was never battled because its function was not to defend the village itself but the vigilance of Lisbon and it's surroundings.
    And finally, the Regaleira Palace. Located in the old quarter of Sintra and classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, Quinta da Regaleira was built at the end of the 19th C in the spirit of romanticism. And true to that, we stumbled upon an engagement in progress. The architecture apparently held symbols related to alchemy, Masonry, the Knights Templar, and the Rosicrucians.

    The Initiation Wells (also called initiatic wells or inverted towers) are two wells on the property that better resemble underground towers lined with stairs. These wells never served as water sources. Instead, they were purportedly used for ceremonial purposes. Tunnels connect these wells to one another, in addition to various caves and other monuments located around the park.

    Of the two wells, the larger one contains a 27-metre spiral staircase with 23 small niches on the side. The nine flights of stairs could be linked to the Knights Templar, which had nine founders. They might also symbolize the 9 levels of Hell from Dantes’ Inferno. At the bottom of the well is an inland stone compass with the Templar cross. Other references may be to Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism rituals.    Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    Belem

    September 29, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    A light day of wandering around. We figured out the metro and got to Jerónimos Monastery, an absolutely stunning and massive building erected in the 15th C. Across the Plaza are the fountains in the Praça do Império, with symbols from the zodiac in the calçada.
    We then wandered down along the river Tagus to Belém Tower, a 16th-century fortification that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.

    A bit more beachglass found (a cobalt blue one!) and home for a rest.  We met Vy for dinner and wine and shared our Camino stories... early night as we have an early flight tomorrow... we start our journey home! Obrigado Portugal! 💙    Read more

  • Off The Beatnik PathIceland and CaminoTraveler

    On our way home...

    October 1, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Last few shots of Iceland! We had a short, overnight layover here. Checked out the Viking hotel and village and now we're waiting to board! What an adventure! 💙💜

    Trip end
    October 2, 2024
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