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Camino de Santiago
  • Barb and Alan
Mar – Jul 2018

Camino de Santiago

A 152-day adventure by Barb and Alan Read more
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  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    2Sunrise
    Spanish Version of French ToastDark skiesCroquetas-Yum!Best hot chocolate ever!!!Spanish Trivial PursuitAfter dinnerCourtyard relaxing

    Mansilla de las Mulas

    July 11, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Today started out with a beautiful sunrise, a perfect cafe breakfast stop, where I had the best French toast and Alan was gushing over his eggs with bacon. Then...as we kept walking we saw the sky get scary dark ahead. The forecast had called for afternoon thunderstorms, so we figured we would be done with our 16 miles by then. The storm had other plans. It literally “stormed” in on us quickly. Flashes of lightning were ahead and the thunder was rumbling. We threw on our pack covers, rain jackets, and rain skirt things just before the skies opened up.

    It’s not a good feeling to be walking along a flat plain (almost the tallest thing around) with trekking poles with lightning striking around you. We were being pelted with rain and hail then saw a small covered area where other hikers had taken shelter. I literally ran there with Alan right behind. We were so thankful to be under something. We found out later that our friends had to duck down in a ditch trying to get lower. 😳

    A man in a car stopped and offered to take a few of us into town, so Paku (who was soaked and freezing without a coat) and two others did that. A very kind Italian man gave a warm fleece to a soaking wet and shivering Korean young man. The rest of us waited out the worst, and then we hiked 3 miles SO fast to get to the next town. We stopped in a cafe and had some coffee and hot chocolate to warm up then speed walked another 3 1/2 miles into Mansilla de las Mulas to our albergue.

    Our clothes are washed and dried, our shoes are stuffed with newspaper, and now it’s time to eat. Tomorrow - Leon 🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    Leon Cathedral
    Camino friendsPost dinner drinksLeon sunsetPaku, Chamu and AlAndy found some Jif! 🙂

    Leon #1

    July 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 61 °F

    When I was putting together my video footage from today, I chose the song “Glorious” by MaMuse because that seemed to fit today. All of us had reservations in León, so we were able to take our time and enjoy a few more leisurely cafe stops along the way. Then we ended up hiking in and through a huge sheep 🐑 herd, we found some Camino friends we hadn’t seen since earlier, and ended our day with 16 of us enjoying a great dinner in León this evening.

    At the end of dinner, we had to say goodbye to Chamu, who is returning home to his family. He originally planned on walking for about eight days, but has now been walking for over 20. Once he met Paku, and heard his story of surviving cancer, they became fast friends, and were nicknamed the “Lavender Brothers” for always picking some wild lavender and attaching it to their backpacks 🎒. Chamu gave us all a copy of this quote by Eduardo Galeano as a parting gift:

    “Each person shines with his or her own light. No two flames are alike. There are big flames and little flames, flames of every color. Some people’s flames are so still they don’t even flicker in the wind, while others have wild flames that fill the air with sparks. Some foolish flames neither burn nor shed light, but others blaze with life so fiercely that you can’t look at them without blinking, and if you approach, you shine in the fire.”

    He told us that we were all flames of light and he has pieces of us that will always be with him, and we will have pieces of him, so only happy tears were allowed. 🙂💕

    Tomorrow, we get to explore León and tour the cathedral, AND word on the street from Emily and Andy is there is a Taste of America store that has Jif Peanut Butter. Alan is pretty pumped at the possibility. 😂😂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    2Fresh Churros with Cups of Dipping Chocolate4Cathedral😀Cathedral Doors1

    Leon #2

    July 13, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We toured the Cathedral de Santa Maria de Regla this morning and once again we were in awe. The stained glass!!!!! Wow 😮Almost all of the cathedral was built between 1205 - 1301, the north tower and cloister were built in 14th-century, and the south tower completed in 1472...majestic!

    We also indulged in fresh churros dipped in chocolate, bought me a new shirt to replace the one I forgot in the last town, and then found some Jif peanut butter for Alan at a store called Taste of America, but it was ridiculously expensive. So, Alan left it on the shelf and settled for a Baby Ruth bar. I also grabbed my first Diet Pepsi of this trip and some Bazooka bubble gum 😀.

    Now, our rest day is done, our packs are ready to go, and tomorrow we continue on. We only have two more weeks of walking to go, and we are excited to start seeing some different types of landscapes.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    Alan's sharing how small his towel isWine cavesSpanish licor de orujo2

    San Martin del Camino

    July 14, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 68 °F

    Our walk from León to San Martin was not the most scenic today because of the long route out of the city. Plus, we were near a lot of traffic noise and even took a break at a dive of a truck stop. 😂😂Needless to say, I did not have many picture opportunities.

    But I heard two things today that made me giggle:

    1. A Scottish woman used the words “Matted with grunge” when she was talking about dirty socks worn by a man she had met.
    2. Andy saying, “That was feral!” After finishing his shot of licor de orujo.

    We have been very fortunate that it hasn’t been crowded at all for us and, up until now, we have not had to book an albergue much at all. But as we plan out our last days we might book ahead more because there are more pilgrims starting and other Caminos are connecting to this one.

    This afternoon I was thinking I wouldn’t have much to show you today, but I am always surprised on this trip. When we stay at an albergue, many times the owners provide a pilgrim meal. We have had good ones, so-so ones, fantastic ones, and “oh my word! That was bad!” ones. But tonight’s had to be the best of them all, not because the food surpassed all the others, but because of one Italian man who sat with us. His wife and daughter were at the other table, but he was placed at ours because their table ran out of chairs. We lucked out! He was quiet at the start, but then shared some Italian wisdom and a drinking game with us that made us all SO happy. I have included a video so you can get an idea of the fun we had. Thank you to the Albergue Santa Ana for the great food, wine, and after dinner liqueur!

    Italian Wisdom:
    1. The brain is overrated.
    2. Less brain equals more happiness 😁    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    1
    11Main Door of the CathedralCathedralAstorga CathedralBishop's Palace1

    Astorga

    July 15, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 73 °F

    Today, we crossed a medieval bridge in the town of Hospital de Orbigo. Alan was ecstatic to hear the bridge was the site of a joust tournament in 1434 that lasted a month in which Suero de Quiñones and his best friends challenged any knight who tried to cross the bridge. The place looks like knights could run out at any time...pretty cool!

    We have changed landscapes now, and we actually got to climb up and down some hills that had trees 🌳 🌳on them...woohoo! We also went through a few more towns along our route today. In the 2nd town we went through, an older man was handing out fresh watermelon. He gave me some, but when Alan walked over, he shook his head and made some hand gestures that made it very clear he was only giving it out to women 😂😂

    We also walked by a spot on top of our last hill where a man named David had set up comfortable spots to rest. He had nectarines, bananas, watermelon, oranges all laid out for everyone going by. He also had orange juice, yoghurts, quinoa, bread, and about a zillion other things for people to take/use/eat/drink...only asked for a donation. He made sure he had items different cultures would appreciate - a girl from Australia was so excited to see the bread and the vegemite and the Koreans couldn’t believe he had rice and some sort of Asian sauce. He even had a bowl of hard boiled eggs! SO KIND!!!

    We ended our day of walking in Astorga. I was bummed the Chocolate Museum was closed by the time we got into town, but I toured the magnificent cathedral and admired the outside of the bishop’s palace (designed by Antoni Gaudi) while Alan spent some time resting...maybe the medieval jousting history excitement wore him out (or maybe it’s because we have been doing more than a 1/2 marathon every day. 🙂

    Tonight we visited with Paku who we might not see again. What a lovely man to have been around. We are hoping to run into him later down the road.

    Tomorrow, we head to Foncebadón...26 kilometers. I have my first blister now, so we will see how it feels after tomorrow 😳😬. We have walked 334 miles so far...only 166 to go!    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    Man dressed as a knight
    1Andy and Alan checking the mapCrosses in the FenceView from the trailPurple heather alongvthe trailFerns!2

    Foncebadón

    July 16, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We walked about 16 miles today in order to get to Foncebadón. We wanted to be close to our hike up to Cruz de Ferro in the morning, so only rested in Rabanal and then climbed up to here. I told Alan Foncebadón reminded me of a ski lift area without the lifts. We enjoyed the hike today through the oak trees and pines, ferns and vibrant heather. It kind of felt like home.🙂 It was steep at times, and my left Achilles is really feeling it now. I’m really hoping it feels better in the morning.

    On the way here we walked past a fence that people had used to place crosses made out of the wood found on the ground. The fence paralleled the path for about a kilometer and it was full of wooden crosses - big, little, and everything in between.

    Cruz de Ferro will be an early stop in our hike tomorrow. Cruz de Ferro is a place where pilgrims who have carried a pebble/rock from home deposit it here and ask for protection for the remainder of their journey. I have heard though, that there is more to this. Pilgrims have carried their rocks and put their wishes, hopes and dreams into them - miracles hoped for with open hearts.

    Both of us will remove our rocks from their cute little “stone packs” and leave them there.

    It is time now for me to take some ibuprofen, check on my blister (which did great today), and zonk out. Today wore me out. 😴😴😴

    150 miles to go.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    2Cruz de Ferro
    Dad's AshesAl, Andy, and MeMolinasecaLunch with FriendsMolinasecaKnights Templar Cast in Ponferrada6Leaving Dad's Ashes on Cruz de Ferro

    Cruz de Ferro and Ponferrada

    July 17, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    We began the morning by hiking up to Cruz de Ferro. When we arrived, I could see this huge mound of rocks with a wooden pole topped with an iron cross set in the center. There were a few people up on the mound. Since the pilgrims’ path is to actually cross over the mound, Alan and I began climbing and, as I'm looking down to place my feet, I see prayers and messages handwritten on these rocks; pictures drawn, letters, and names. It hit me like a wall, these rocks I was treading upon were thousands of people's inner and most private thoughts. I can’t even explain how powerful it was.

    When we reached the top, I bent down and spread dad’s ashes near a rock that said “Free” and one that said “I Love You” in German. I also left my rock there, and Alan placed his agate next to my rock. So...on this highest point of the Camino, I was able to leave a piece of my dad❤️It was very moving.

    The rest of our hike had us following a path that reminded us of The Sound of Music...beautiful. Then we went down, down, and down some more through cute villages and towns until we finally arrived in Ponferrada. Tomorrow, we head to Villafranca. Only 126 miles left to go.

    Blister and Achilles update: My blister is healed and my Achilles pain was gone this morning. I am hoping it stays gone. 🙂    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    11Smallest Truck Ever!2Back in Wine Country

    Villafranca

    July 19, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    We hiked back up into some wine country today ending in Villafranca. Tomorrow, we will try to go about 18 miles ending with the climb to O’Cebreiro. The weather may be wet with some thunderstorms, so we will see if we get that far. ☔️🌩

    Tonight, we had a fun dinner with our friends from the Netherlands, England and Japan. The chickpea soup, that some ordered, ended up having intestine and some other unidentifiable bits which caused lots of uncontrollable laughter...good times. Thank goodness I had the pasta salad!!!

    We are at a stage of our journey where some of our group may go faster or slower to get to Santiago, so we hugged and talked of looking out for each other at the end in case we don’t see each other after tonight. I’m going to think positively and say we will see each other in Santiago, if not before! 🙂

    We have 113 miles left to go.    Read more

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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

  • Barb and AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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 AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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 AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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 AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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 AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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 AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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 AlanBarb and AlanCamino de Santiago
    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

    Trip end
    July 31, 2018
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