Posts Tagged ‘camino ingles’

Now What?

Monday, September 26th, 2016

We are ahead of schedule from our Camino and ready to do some exploring! Tomorrow we leave Santiago by train to Madrid for three days then on to Barcelona for four. At that point we board a re-positioning cruise that will make stops in Spain, Portugal, and Bermuda as it crosses the Atlantic to New York!! It’s the Sirena from Oceania cruise line. These cruises are dirt cheap–relatively — and pop up twice a year. Our Alaska cruise back 25 years ago was also a cruise like this

In Barcelona we will buy some presentable clothes and maybe a suit case!! This is kinda a “pinch me” I’m dreaming kinda thing. 14 day cruise gets us to NYC on the 18th. Wifi available we think. Then we’ll figure what comes next.

Homesick but loving the exploring!

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Angels In Life’s Journey

Sunday, September 25th, 2016

There is an intensity on the Camino I hadn’t expected. It’s you against each day’s terrain as well as the knowledge that food, water, and a bed are not a guarantee. So coming upon people who speak your language, are closer in age, and profess a Christian Faith (have kids, and grandkids, husbands, normal) makes you halfway to being fast friends. Then, because they’re more experienced and also kind-hearted, they look after you and celebrate each day’s accomplishments and cheer you on! This was Karen and Deborah from Queensland, Australia ❤️

For the majority of the Camino Ingles they took us under wing and welcomed us at the end of each grueling day (they were much faster walkers). When we finally arrived they had scoped out the town, and prayed that our day’s journey would get us there in time to grab the last two beds, and were ready to enjoy dinner and wine and share stories of the path.

We got our compestelas together and sweetly enjoyed our final time together. Thank you both for being our angels and may our life’s journey cross again.

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How Do You Eat An Elephant?

Saturday, September 24th, 2016

Heathrow to Cantebury, a two day stroll to Dover followed by a ferry to Calais and a train to Lourdes and more travel to Bayonne then St Jean pied port. Over the Pyrenees with several hundred eager pilgrims, sporting headlamps at dawn and forgoing all rest stops to race to find a bed and moving on if they were full.

This had become stresssssssful and not the sacred pilgrimage we had planned on so we saw that there were many accredited ways to arrive at Santiago; via Madrid, Portugal, Barcelona, and from the north-the Camino Ingles. Our research showed us this was the true way the British, Irish, or Scots would have made their way to Santiago several hundred years ago,so we jumped ship and headed to the city of Ferrol on waters edge and dipped our poles in the water and went the way less traveled.

It is fewer days than the busy Camino Frances and lovely and with fewer travelers thus more friendships were made. It was the meditative peace we had envisioned. The terrain was for mountain goats and the long 9-17 mile daily hikes were usually rewarded with a shower, a bottle of wine, and a bunk.

So we have arrived at our destination a wee bit early but we paid our dues with the 300+ miles and we got it done.

One Bite at a Time!

more than 400 kms later

more than 400 kms later