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Barb and Alan
Barb and Alan

Barb and Alan

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  • Barb and AlanIrelandBarb and Alan
    The Abby in GraiguenamanaghAbby Processional DoorThe Oath StoneSt. James DoorSt. James Church, CastledermotMoone High CrossPortal TombBack of portal of the portal tombDrinks here before bed

    Dublin to Dungarvan

    July 12, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Our first day on our tour has been unbelievably amazing! First of all, there are only eight of us on this tour and each place we visited was out of the way and pretty much without anyone except us. Our driver and guide, Hugh, is fantastic…we seem to be in for an unforgettable time on this southern loop of Ireland.

    Highlights of today:

    1. The Moone Cross, in County Kildare, which is thought to date from the 8th century and is one of the best preserved High Crosses in Ireland
    2. St. James’ Church, Castledermot (Church of Ireland church) with its round tower, the Oath Stone and beautiful church door
    3. The Abby in the town of Graiguenamanagh - The wooden ceiling was constructed without any nails 😮
    4. Kilmogue Dolmen - Oh my goodness! It’s also called Leac an Scail - an exceptional example of a type of megalithic (large stone) tomb known as a Portal Tomb. Two portal stones the tallest stones in the tomb form the entrance to a stone-lined burial chamber, which is roofed by two massive stone slabs, thelarger of which lies at a steep angle. A cairn or low mound of stones would have covered most of the tomb, but the capstone probably
    remained visible.
    The likelihood is that it was built by Neolithic farmers about six thousand years ago for the burial of important members of their community and perhaps also to be a focal point for a group or tribe.

    We are spending the night in Dungarvan. Along time ago the Vikings raided along the shores of Ireland and made their own settlements. Dungarvan, which means “Fort of Garvan” was one of them.

    Lunch = The Waterside Guesthouse
    Dinner = Indian Food at The Indian Ocean in Dungarven
    Drinks = Mick Doyle’s in Graiguenamanagh and The Local in Dungarven    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIrelandBarb and Alan
    Copy of one folio from The Book of Kells
    The Long Room @ Trinity College200,000 Books!Trinity College EntranceBaraza - Gin and tonic with Dingle GinTemple Bar in the EveningBusker Singing by the Molly Malone Statue1Jerry, our GuideDublin Castle

    Dublin Day 2

    July 11, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    We probably should have ended our day much earlier tonight, but our evening dinner and drinks at Baraza and nightcap drinks in our hotel lobby were SO good…so it’s late and we have to get up early for breakfast and meeting our Inroads Ireland guide, Hugh.

    There was some discussion before ordering breakfast today about the meaning of black and white pudding, and once it was confirmed that black pudding has blood in it, it was out of the running as a breakfast choice. 😂 😂 We stuck to what was most familiar today. Maybe one of us will get braver as the trip continues. 🤷‍♀️

    The highlight of today was Trinity College. It was founded in 1592, and our guide, Jerry, shared how the college came into possession of The Book of Kells (800 A.D.) - perhaps the most representative piece of Celtic and Irish art, an ornately decorated, very unique copy of the New Testament of the Bible. Its pages, or as they are called, folios are made from vellum. Vellum is made from the skin of calves, sheep or less frequently, goat kids, but in the case of the Book of Kells, calfskin was predominantly used. Completing all the folios of the Book of Kells required the skins of more than 185 calves. 😮

    We were able to see one out of the four parts of the book and then we spent time in the amazing Long Room library. 📚 200,000 books!!

    Our guide was a wealth of information and did a great job, but the heat and humidity got the better of us by time we ended the tour at the castle.

    Awesome parts to our day:

    1. Relaxing morning over breakfast
    2. Adrianne and Haley finding the road with all the umbrellas overhead
    3. The Long Room library
    4. Finding a lunch place where it was cool (Porterhouse Temple Bar)
    5. Haley finding a spot for dinner across the river at a place called Baraza
    6. Temple Bar streets in the evening

    Tough Part:

    1. Humidity and warm temperatures - Adrianne said it looked like someone had doused my face with water I was sweating so bad. We all made makeshift paper fans to cool off.

    Tomorrow we start our tour around the southern part of Ireland.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIrelandBarb and Alan
    Our Aer Lingus plane
    Taxi rideMom ordering our drinksThe Temple BarThe Clarence Hotel

    We Made it to Dublin

    July 10, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We made it to Dublin! Today has ended up being nearly 30 hours without sleep. Our flight was delayed, but ended up being an uneventful flight except for not being able to get comfortable enough to sleep. Our seats supposedly had extra leg room…I can’t imagine how tight the regular seating was!

    Our flight had some empty seats so Mom, in an attempt to get comfortable, thought she would go sit in one of them so we could spread out a bit. She was barely gone, when she returned to her seat telling me she had accidentally sat on some sleeping man’s feet which startled the poor guy! 😂

    After landing, we took a taxi ride with a NON-STOP talking taxi driver named Igor. He dropped us off in front of The Clarence hotel in the Temple Bar area of Dublin.

    We rallied past our weariness and walked along the cobbled streets to the Temple Bar and enjoyed some wonderful live music (Mom and I even had some Guinness!) We ended our evening at a yummy Italian restaurant then meandered back to our rooms. It is time to catch up on sleep so we can do a little exploring around Dublin tomorrow.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIrelandBarb and Alan

    Tomorrow We Fly to Ireland

    July 8, 2022 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    We have checked in for tomorrow’s flight on Aer Lingus! WOoHOO! 🙂 I’m SO looking forward to this trip/adventure with Mom, Adrianne and Haley. But, I’m really excited for the girls to have this experience and time together.

    Adrianne flew in from Boise, Haley flew in from Phoenix, and they are staying at the Cedarbrook Lodge in Seatac tonight having dinner, drinks, and, I’m sure, reconnecting. 🍹 🍷 Mom and I will meet them there for lunch tomorrow and then we are off to the airport! ✈️    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Reykjavik
    ReykjavikHallgrímskirkja

    Thórsmörk and Reykjavik

    August 5, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 57 °F

    We ran to Reykjavik to get our COVID tests done Wednesday morning. I had scheduled rapid antigen tests for us at 9:00 am. Fortunately, our line and wait time was very short. The PCR test line snaked out of the building and all around the health center property. 😳

    While we waited for our results, we walked around downtown Reykjavik, stopping for what we thought would be great pizza 🍕, but let’s just say we ended up eating some outstanding Pad Thai instead. 🙂 With our negative COVID test certificates emailed to us, we drove to the Hamragardar camping spot to spend our final two nights. We have a view of Seljalandsfoss waterfall ( and two others) from our van. 🙂

    Today, we went on a super jeep tour into Thórsmörk ( Thor’s Valley). Our first Mercedes super jeep overheated and broke down and our poor driver was sprayed and burned a bit by the water from the radiator. He rallied, though. After the tour company replaced the Mercedes with a couple of super jeep Fords, he gave us an amazing trip of hikes into caves, hikes across rivers and streams, and a culminating hike into a “Land Before Time” type of valley to an amazing waterfall.

    We will fly home tomorrow with memories of this breathtaking country stored away for a lifetime. ❤️    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan

    Skogafoss and Dyrhólaey

    August 3, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    We are at the tail end of our trip here in Iceland and it has definitely been a bucket list of a trip. 🙂 Today, we hiked up Dyrhólaey for the views down the black sand beaches and were surprised to find a bunch of puffins! Then we hiked up above Skógafoss along the river and next to the green hills…breathtaking! ❤️ We even zipped up to Geysir for a tiny bit. Tomorrow, we will go to Reykjavik for our scheduled COVID tests…praying we will be negative so we can board our plane on Friday 🙏. We have had an awesome time, but are getting anxious to get home. 🙂Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan

    Vik

    August 2, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    We spent time in Skaftafell National Park today hiking to Svartifoss and to the old turf house and farm at Sel. Svartifoss means black falls because the waterfall is surrounded by dark lava columns. The hexagonal basalt columns were created when lava cooled very slowly so that the molten rock could crystallize. These columns inspired the design of the National Theatre building, the Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavik and the striking church in Akureyri.

    There aren’t many waterfalls that drop of a cliff with basalt rocks looking like an church organ. 🙂

    We are staying in Vik tonight and hiked up above the church to the cemetery. I love the view of the church and town from up there…so much beauty!    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Holding a piece of the clacier that just broke off

    Jökulsárlón

    August 1, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Today was all about the ice - Glaciers and Icebergs.

    We spent our entire day at Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon. We checked out Diamond Beach first. This is where remnants of icebergs wash ashore after floating out to sea from the lagoon. The smaller ice pieces sit on the black sand and sparkle like diamonds. 💎

    We also stood along the short river watching the big pieces of iceberg break apart and float under the bridge and towards the sea. Birds circled and dove snatching up small fish every time an iceberg rolled or broke apart.

    To end our day, we took a zodiac boat tour of the lagoon, getting right up close to the glacier right after a huge chunk calved off. It was awesome floating by huge, beautiful icebergs, but also sad to learn of how fast the glacier is melting. 😞

    Highlights:
    1. Deafening roar of the ice breaking off the face of the glacier
    2. Zooming over the waves
    3. Our Zodiac guide, Teddi, who is an Elvis fan and can’t wait to visit Memphis 🙂
    4. The seals 🦭
    5. Diamond Beach sparkling ice
    6. Watching an iceberg flip and break apart
    7. The turquoise blue of the ice    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Höfn
    Kid Art in HöfnDijupivogur HarborGulufossGulufoss

    Höfn

    July 31, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Today was a driving day around the Eastfjords.

    Memories from this Day:

    1. The waterfall on our way up out of Seydisfjordur
    2. The harbor in Djupivogur
    3. The rest stop along a black sand beach with the nesting birds and the sounds of the waves 🙂
    4. The random red chair attached to a rock on the side of the road
    5. Trying to get a view of Vestrahorn mountain
    6. First sighting of the glaciers of South Iceland from the edge of the water in Höfn
    7. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for dinner 🍽 😋😋    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Kafla CraterCampsite in SeyðisfjörðurRainbow Road and Blue churchSeyðisfjörðurSeyðisfjörðurDettifossHvrerir Geothermal area

    Seyðisfjörður

    July 30, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    So many things to see and do on our way to Seyðisfjörður!

    1. Hverir Geothermal area - cool, boiling mud pots and steam vents everywhere, but SO, SO stinky!!!
    2. Kafla Crater Hike with its gorgeous blue water
    3. Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls - Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe!
    4. Seeing the Perpetual Shower
    5. Driving through an area that looked like Mars
    6. The stunning drive down into Seyðisfjörður

    We are now in Seyðisfjörður for the night camped near the rainbow 🌈 road and light blue church. This town is in a stunning location and it’s picture perfect. Tomorrow, after a hike to Hengifoss, we will continue around the Eastfjords. 🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Cave called The Church / KirkjaHverfjall Crater

    Mývatn

    July 29, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Today was the day we broke out the head nets!! We spent the whole day along the shore of Lake Myvatn and the midges are plentiful! We explored the Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters and then went to the Dimmuborgir (dimmu "dark", borgir "cities" or "forts", "castles") area of unusually shaped lava fields. We thought we were only doing about a 30 minute loop, but somehow we ended up following a loop that was WAY longer.

    So… after already doing 6 miles, we still had the climb up to the top of Hverfjall crater. We hiked around the whole rim with great views of Lake Mývatn and the steam vents all around.

    We spent our evening at the Myvatn Nature Baths, soaking in the blue, mineral rich water. Alan says he feels healed of all his ailments already. 😂 Seriously, it was very relaxing and the swim up bar was a bonus. 👍🏻

    One other thing…we ran into some sheep on a trail this morning and the one sheep leading the way was SO BEYOND pregnant!! I felt bad for her, but she was zipping along like it was nothing. 😂

    Tomorrow, we will continue exploring this volcanic area and then head to the Eastfjords.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Godafoss
    Stoplight in AkureyiDowntown AkureyiAkureyi ChurchDowntown AkureyiSki jump in middle of the town SiglufjordurGrafarkirkja

    Grafarkirkja, Akureyi, and Godafoss

    July 28, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We were able to see Grafarkirkja in North Iceland today. It’s the oldest turf church in Iceland. Parts of the church date back to the 1600's, while the rest is from 1884. The black trim has an old Norse design that was carved by a well-known wood carver of the time, Guðmundur Guðmundsson. Back in the olden days, Icelanders used to live in turf houses and the churches were made of turf. Now only a handful of turf churches remain in Iceland. The wind was calm (and the midges didn't attack us) so I was able to use the drone. 🙂

    We then drove around the peninsula through Siglufjordur and into Akureyi for lunch. Akureyi is the second largest city in Iceland and it’s smaller than Olympia. 😳

    After lunch we drove to Godafoss on the Skjalfandafljot river. The name Goðafoss means either waterfall of the gods or waterfall of the 'goði' (i.e. priest/ chieftain). The reason for this is its fascinating history.

    When Iceland was first settled in the 9th and 10th Centuries, the vast majority (who were not slaves, at least) were Norwegians who followed the Old Norse religion, worshipping deities like Thor, Odin, Loki and Freya. However, after the Commonwealth was established in 930 AD, pressure to convert began to push from Christianizing Europe.

    By 1000 AD, it seemed that Norway would almost certainly invade if the country were to stand by their pagan beliefs. The issue was thus discussed at Þingvellir, where the parliament met once a year. The lawspeaker at the time, the Ásatrú priest (or goði) Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, was given the responsibility to make the decision.

    It is said he lay under a fur blanket for a day and a night in silence, praying to his Old Gods for the right decision. Eventually, he emerged and said, for the good of the people, Christianity would be the official religion, but pagans could practice in private. To symbolize his decision, he returned to his home in north Iceland and threw idols of the Old Gods into a beautiful waterfall. Since then, it would be known as Goðafoss.

    We are camped 10 minutes away from Godafoss in Laugar. Tomorrow, we head to the Mývatn.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Inside our camper van
    Kirkjuhvammur ChurchLitlibaer CafeOur van on the left

    Hvammstangi

    July 27, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    We had a five hour drive from Isafjordur all along the fjords to Hvammstangi today. We were blessed with sunshine as we weaved our way along the water and had magnificent views of the mountains nearby and far off in the distance. I attempted to use the drone since the wind was calm but we were attacked by midges. We’ve decided the wind is a good thing if it keeps those pesky bugs away. 🙂 Maybe drone footage won’t happen this trip, we’ll see.

    We stopped at a small turf roofed house called the Litlibær Café and had yummy grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Adorning the wooden walls inside are pictures of families past who used to live in the turf house. Some of the people represented on the photos are the ancestors of the family who currently own the house.

    Today was all about the drive…admiring the cascading waterfalls through gorges, dodging the sheep along the roads and stopping to get close ups of some Icelandic horses.

    We are camped in Hvammstangi, which is the seal capital of iceland (maybe tomorrow we will see some). Near our campsite is the Kirkjuhvammur church. Kirkjuhvammur was an assembly place in 1406 and a place of farming. Farming stopped here in the 1940’s, but the 1882 church is still standing.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Below Dynjandi and the other waterfallsDynjandi with tiny little me 🙂Campgound in IsafjordurFish buffet

    Isafjordur

    July 26, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    We left Breidavik just after 6 am and ventured back over the dirt and gravel roads for a bit, then had a short reprieve before going up and over a pass from Flokalundur to Dynjandi. It was a very rough section at first that had us spinning our tires in a few spots (and maybe a few choice words were said😂) but then improved as we crossed over a landscape that I can’t even describe. Waterfalls were everywhere in all directions and snow patches on the mountains and hills. HUGE fjords would come into view and then we entered the Dynjandi area at the end of a fjord called Arnarfjordur. Seeing Dynjandi in person is impressive! It cascades some 320 feet, looking exactly like a beautiful bridal veil. On top, it’s about 100 feet wide and widens up to almost 200 feet at the bottom.

    There are 6 other waterfalls below, which we passed on our climb up to the base of Dynjandi. Alan walked back down and took a picture of me and I look SO, SO tiny in comparison. The best thing about this experience was we were only 2 of 4 people there!!! As we were leaving, more cars showed up as well as a few tour busses from a cruise ship.

    Other highlights:
    1. The Simbahöllin cafe for amazing late breakfast of Belgian waffles with rhubarb jam
    2. The 🌈 that appeared over the fjord while visiting Dynjandi
    3. The old fishing village called Osvor in Bolungarvik
    4. The three crazy tunnels through mountains (all being 4-5 k long) and one being a one lane road 😳)
    5. Bakery for lunch in Isafjordur
    6. 3D crosswalk in town
    7. Absolutely amazing fish buffet dinner at a restaurant called Tjöruhúsið.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan

    Breidavik

    July 25, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    We got to experience the dirt/gravel roads of the Westfjords today. Our poor van is somewhat clean on one side, but caked with mud and dirt on the other. We had spotted a dirty van our first day and couldn’t imagine how it had gotten so dirty, but now we know. 😂

    We drove to Hellalaug - a natural hot spring at the edge of the sea near the Flokalundur Hotel. While visiting with a mom and daughter from Idyllwild, CA and a man from Munich, it was decided we should maybe dunk ourselves in the sea then hop back into the warm water. The brave man from Munich went first and that spurred on the rest of us. It was only about 48 degrees outside, and the water was SO cold but we did it! The hot spring felt heavenly afterwards. 🙂

    After the best deep fried cod and burger at Hotel Flokalundur, we continued on to the Látrabjarg Cliffs. Latrabjarg is the westernmost point of Europe and home to millions of birds, including puffins. The road to get there was not for the faint of heart, and the bird cliffs are scary high. We braved torrential rain and crazy wind, but seeing the puffins made it all worth it. 🙂💕

    We are now camped at Breiðavík Beach Hotel and Campground. The sun was out for a bit so I took a few pictures of the church here, but now we are tucked into our camper van listening to it blow and rain. Tomorrow, we head to Isafjörður on some more dirt/gravel roads and a stop at Dynjandi.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Path to Djúpalónssandur Beach
    Alan looking strong by a lifting stone 😂

    Búðardalur

    July 24, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    It was so good to get some sleep last night (even though a big group of local campers partied until 4 am😳😳). We slept hard from 7:30 - 12:30, then again from 4 am until 8:00.

    Our first stop today was Djúpalónssandur, a black pebble beach with lava formations and the rusted remains of a crashed fishing ship. At Djúpalónssandur beach there are 4 differently sized stones. They are well-known Aflraunasteinar - Steinatök or lifting-stones. They were used to measure the strength of fishermen in Iceland. The name given to each stone is the rank you earn when you lift it to at least waist height:

    Amlóði (weakling) - 23kg
    Hálfdrættingur (half-carrier) - 54kg
    Hálfsterkur (half strong) - 100kg
    Fullsterkur (full strong) - 154kg

    It was foggy this morning which made the mossy lava on the path to the beach look awesome!

    We then drove to Kirkjufell Mountain. During the whole drive there, we saw literally 100’s of water falls streaming from the green hills and mountains but Kirkjufell with it’s falls topped them all and definitely lived up to my expectations. I took WAY too many pictures and video shots 😂😂

    Afterwards, we drove through Grundarfjörður, a gorgeous stretch of road…there were Icelandic horses on the hillsides amongst the waterfalls and streams and sheep everywhere! Alan had to stop a few times to not hit them.

    We drove to the end of a small peninsula to Stykkishólmur - It’s an adorable fishing village where I guess they filmed part of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.

    We walked to the harbor and hiked to the top of the cliff for a great view of the town and to see the cute orange lighthouse.

    Our last stretch of road today was our first experience on an Iceland gravel road. It was at times a tad bit bumpier than Alan would have liked 😂. It took us to Búðardalur where we are now camped for the night. Tomorrow we head into the Westfjords.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan
    Gatklettur - the Arch RockSculpture of Bárður Snæfellsás1Arctic Terns Dive Bombing Alan 😂

    Finally Here

    July 23, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    As I write this, we have been up for over 30 hours and we are SO tired!

    We are now in Arnarstapi. We went on a hike along the coast and marveled at the basalt columns and Gatklettur - the Arch Rock in Arnarstapi. There is also a rock sculpture of Bárður Snæfellsás who they say was the settler of this area. He was half a troll and half a man, but his mother was human. He is said to be the Protector of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

    We are camped at the base of Mt. Stapafell. We’ve managed to avoid the protective Arctic terns who have been dive bombing our heads 😂, we had a quick dinner and now it’s 7:00 pm and we’re climbing into bed.

    Tomorrow we will continue around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West-Iceland.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanIceland 2021Barb and Alan

    Packed and Ready for Iceland

    July 20, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Alan thinks he will be speaking Icelandic by the end of this trip! 😂

    Back in 2018 we were able to spend a couple of days in Iceland on a stopover on our way home from Spain, and we decided we definitely HAD to come back.

    But, after the disappointment of COVID canceling our trip last summer, I wasn’t sure when we would be able to go.

    Fast forward to a year later…we can now be excited! 😀

    Plane tickets ✅
    Passports and vaccination cards✅
    Camper van rented for 2 weeks ✅

    Once we are settled in the van, I hope to post each day so our memories are saved, and I’m also going to keep tabs on Alan’s mastery of the Icelandic language. 😂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    11

    Santiago - July 27th

    July 27, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    I don’t really have any words to describe how wonderful and surreal today was. 💕❤️💕

    Alan, Paku and I entered the city together and, as we neared the cathedral, Andy greeted us with big hugs. Then, we continued through the tunnel and out into the plaza in front of the cathedral where Paul and Mirabelle ran up to hug and congratulate us. It was such a feeling of “Wow! We are finished. We really did it!” Groups of hikers dotted the plaza taking pictures, hugging, and just hanging out. It was kind of like we had all just won the big game and we were all discussing the details 🙂

    Today has been spent with our very special Camino friends, and it ended with what had to be the most amazing dinner. There were 14 of us...all ages...celebrating our time together on this journey It was like the perfect ending to a movie that we actually lived. 💕 I told Alan there is no way my little video snippets can convey what we experienced.

    The first video is of our arrival to Santiago, and then the 2nd is from our dinner together...probably the sweetest birthday celebration for dear Mariana whose giggles and happiness for life we will truly miss. ❤️

    We are going to take it easy for a couple of days, explore this city, then fly back home via Iceland. So, this adventure is now complete. ❤️🙂

    Thank you all for taking the time to follow along.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    Paku with the Grandmas as Casa Chelo
    1Dinner at Casa CheloFarmlandA few sunflowersPaku's friend from Luxembourg1

    Arzua and O Pedrouza - July 25-26

    July 26, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    July 26

    Tomorrow we walk into Santiago! Andy, Paul and Mirabelle are already there, and they are going to meet Alan, Paku, and me at the Cathedral ❤️. Being together with them at the end will be special.

    Someone told me I couldn’t really prepare for what would happen on this journey, and she was right. This whole experience has totally surpassed my expectations. I can’t even put into words how amazing it has been. 💕

    Highlights from this Stretch:

    1. The beautiful farmland with the ridiculously tall corn
    2. Renting a room for $50 and ending up with a whole 3 bedroom apartment! 😳😃
    3. Dinner at Casa Chelo - Food cooked by grandmas 😋😋 and Paku posing with the grandmas. So good!
    4. Dinner with Paku - When Paku gets into a town, he finds out where the best restaurant is and where the best wine is, then he lets us know. Thank you Paku!!!
    5. Paku running into his friend from Luxembourg after not seeing him since early on in France!
    6. Someone painted “I Will Walk 500 Miles” on a cement wall, so I figured that is the song for today’s video. 🙂

    Santiago has been the goal for so long, and tomorrow we will be there. 🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    Really good red wine1

    Melide - July 24

    July 25, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    July 24th

    We only walked ten miles to Melide today and will do another short day to Arzúa tomorrow. Some of our friends made it to Santiago yesterday, and Andy made it to Santiago today 🙂. Some more will get there tomorrow, and Paul and Mirabelle will get there on the 26th. The end is so close now!

    Highlights from today:
    1. Sleeping until 7am
    2. Four cafe stops along the way today
    3. Seeing families hiking with little kids
    4. Watching Alan enjoy fresh 🐙 octopus
    5. Amazing dinner with Paku
    6. Groin muscle is fine now 🙂
    7. Little heel blister is gone 👍🏻

    Only 34.5 miles to go!    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    Special people❤️
    Our Italian FriendsSo happy to eat this salad and cheese!🙂

    Palas de Rei - July 23

    July 23, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    July 23

    We walked a bit over 15 miles today, so we now have 43.6 miles to go.

    We wanted to get an earlier start this morning because we knew we had a lot of climbing today and it was going to get hot later. Morning is not my most favorite time of day, and 5:30 am is really not my thing. But, we did finally get going in the dark with headlamps. Sunrise is not until after 7:00 here.

    Both Alan and I do well climbing up and over the hills in the morning in the cool air when our legs and bodies are fresh. But, as the hours add up and the day goes on, we slow down...sometimes a lot. Today was one of those days. Everything on my body felt great, except my sore groin muscle bothered me more as the day wore on. Alan’s back was also bothering him, I was semi-limping, and then some grumpiness set in which meant walking at a distance from each other was the best thing to do by the end of the day 😂😂.

    The first thing we did when we got to Palas de Rei was go to the farmacia to get some ibuprofen. We had run out a couple of days ago. Then...stop at the supermercado to get something cold to drink and a few snacks, check in to our room, shower, wash clothes, eat some snacks, take ibuprofen, rest, eat lunch, visit with friends, rest again, then finally meet our friends for dinner. This routine is pretty much what we do each day after we are done hiking. It’s a rough life 😂😂.

    Tonight’s dinner was the last dinner with Paul and Mirabelle until we see them in Santiago. It was a really nice dinner...special time.They will go further than Paku and us tomorrow. They said they will greet us when we arrive in Santiago 💕🙂. We had the waiter take a picture of the 5 of us to commemorate the moment.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    1
    4Beautiful morning1Alan's OctopusStairs to PortomarínPortomarín Stairs3100 Kilometers Left MarkerSasha and Vlad1Portomarín Church1

    Portomarín - July 22

    July 22, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 66 °F

    July 22

    We walked past the 100 kilometers to go marker today - Woohoo!!!! When we finished in Portomarín, we checked, and we only have 94.7 kilometers (58.8 miles to go).

    We had another beautiful morning/day with a lot of climbing. I think this whole last part of this journey is climbing and descending over and over. I love going up...not a big fan of the downs, especially if they are steep. One big change today was the huge increase in the number of people walking. There are many different Caminos, and they are now merging together as we get close to Santiago. Also, many people only do the last 100 kilometers in order to get the Compostela. We are fine with it, though. We have had over 400 miles without the crowds.

    We got to walk and do some cafe time with some of our favorite young women today. One is from Rochester, NY, one is from Madrid, and one is from Denmark. They met quite awhile ago on the trail and have been hiking together. We love their giggles and their laughter. They brighten our day every time we see them.

    We also saw Sasha and Vlad today. They are from Serbia originally, but live in Boston. We hadn’t seen them for awhile, so it was nice to hike with them into Portomarín, where Pakuchan, Paul, and Mirabelle were also staying 🙂. Our friend, Andy, is ahead of us now...hoping to see him in Santiago.

    At dinner tonight, we all discussed when we plan to arrive in Santiago. Most are planning on the 26th, but Alan and I plan to arrive on the 27th. We are going to do a couple of shorter/easier days during this last 58 miles. We have the time, and our bodies will appreciate it. I know I will enjoy sleeping in a bit 🙂!

    State of our Bodies After 441 miles:
    1. Alan’s ball of his foot still bothers him time to time, but so far so good 🙂
    2. My first blister healed up right away, so my left heel decided to get one. It looks like it will go away quickly, also.
    3. Today was a great day for our backs- neither of us had any tightness at all
    4. Yesterday, I thought I was much younger than 56 and did a little jogging downhill. Today, I am paying for it with a sore groin muscle. Alan says I can’t run anymore 😂😂

    Tomorrow’s destination is Palas de Rei - 15.3 miles.
    5 more days until Santiago!!!    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    Pointing the Way52Sangria TimeUrban downhill bike event in Sarria2

    Sarria - July 21

    July 21, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    July 21

    We have been walking for a month! Only 11.5 miles today through more beautiful countryside. The hike went by easily even though we climbed a bunch more and then had to descend steeply at times. It was a relaxing hike...farms, cows, roosters, foggy air, and good company.

    Quite a few from our group walked a little further than we did today, so it’s possible we won’t see them until Santiago...hoping sooner, but we will see 🙂

    We rented a room in an apartment right near the older part of town, and Alan was excited to see they were having an urban downhill bike event. After sharing a huge pizza, we walked along the route and watched the riders zoom down stairs, around corners, and over jumps...very cool!

    Now that we are in Sarria, we have to get two stamps a day in our pilgrim passports to earn our Compostela (The “Compostela“ is the accreditation/certificate of the pilgrimage to the Tomb of St. James). A lot of people start here in Sarria because you must walk at least 100 kilometers to earn a Compostela. Since the number of pilgrims has now really increased, we made the decision to just book our own place to stay for the rest of the way, so then we can walk without worrying about getting a bed 🛏.

    Can’t believe we will see the 100 kilometers left mark tomorrow! When you start something that is 800 kilometers long, it seems the end will never happen. I will try to remember to take a picture of it.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    6Small Church in the Misty MorningLove our people!2Pakuchan322

    Triacastela-July 20

    July 20, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    July 20

    Today was a misty, foggy morning followed by a beautiful afternoon and evening...kind of chilly, but so nice for hiking. It was great to not be a big sweat ball 😂 We walked through many tiny hamlets that consisted of just a few farms and other buildings and had to yield to a few cows at times (and a bull).

    The farms and hills surrounding Triacastela are just beautiful, AND our dinner tonight was amazingly good! Most of the time the restaurants offer a 1st course, 2nd course, dessert, wine and water for a set price. Last night’s was 10 euros for each of us, and tonight’s was also 10. But, tonight’s was (as Paku Chan would say) ATARI - very, very good! Alan was going to have octopus 🐙, but the call of a good steak swayed him.

    Somehow, all of our people ended up in Triacastela tonight, so we were able to meet for dinner -so nice and great company. 🙂

    Tomorrow, we hike to Sarria. We have another good climb to do tomorrow and then a bunch of down. We have about 83 miles to go.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanCamino de SantiagoBarb and Alan
    Alan made a friend
    2Made it to the Galecia RegionTop of our climb todayBiggest key to a room!!Laundry Place - Hang dry onlyWorst meal ever!!! 😂

    O'Cebreiro

    July 20, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    July 19

    With the threat of thunderstorms, we started walking at 5:30 am with our headlamps. Finding our way in the dark takes some concentration to make sure we don’t miss an arrow pointing the way and, at one point, we had no idea which way to go. Thankfully, some other people walked buy that did, so we were on the right track.

    Today started out with a lot of walking on pavement, and that is really hard on my feet. We wanted to go 10 kilometers before we stopped for breakfast, but the surface we were walking on was at a constant slant and it was really hard on my left foot. So, we stopped for breakfast sooner, then stopped again after 10 kilometers so I could put some Fisio Cream on my foot and Achilles, and then again after 20 kilometers for a snack.

    The last 8-9 kilometers were straight uphill which, even though was hard, felt much better for my foot and my back. It is easier on my body when the terrain changes. I think today’s stage was the hardest, physically for me. It took 8 hours, and we did a bit over 18 miles.

    Once we found our place to sleep in O’Cebreiro, we didn’t do much except try to shower, eat and get some sleep. The food ended up being comically bad and, since our room was above a cafe/bar, sleep was difficult 😂. Our Japanese friend (who is a chef) taught us the word he uses for really bad food. He called it “hazare” He claims he will find us an excellent “atari” restaurant in our next town. 🙂

    We head to Triacastela tomorrow...only 13 miles, so a bit shorter.    Read more

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