typical...

it wouldn't be a proper adventure if i never had to spend the night in the airport. tonight will be that night as the trains-buses-shuttles which run to said airport can get you there by 6ish am and not before. seeing as i have a 6:45am flight to another country that probably will not work.and even if that would work, tomorrow there will be a public transportation strike throughout Rome. it was suggested i take a taxi at 50 euros but it was followed with this statement by the hostel worker "or that may not work due to the strike, hmmm i don't know. if you want me to book the taxi let me know."

travel is never dull.

thankfully i did not fall off any mountains

which is why i am able to write this post from the comfort of Rome Italy. we completed the trek in 8 days. it was tough, harrowing at times and still we knew we would get to Italy. we arrived to the welcome of another Camino friend who graciously hosted and celebrated along with us.

we spent marvelous days together talking about life, the Camino and what is to come. then we prepared ourselves for the moment of goodbyes. the Healer and I calculated today that we have walked over 1000k together between the Camino and the Alps, sharing countless moments: visiting cathedrals/churches/chapels, exploring villages, tasting the local foods and walking. amazing.

i am now in Rome alone and marveling at the fact that i have 9 days before i head home. 9 days in Rome and Paris. life is good.

hiking the alps!

hi all. sorry for the limited contact. the Healer and i have reunited for another epic journey, this time up-over-across-down-around the alps from Germany through Austria and into Italy. i will follow up with more when i return. in the meantime, follow our route (the E5) via the many maps online.

p.s. the Alps are astounding!

Camino question and answer

i have been sent a number of questions* and have been thinking about the responses. in fact i have written a lot about my experiences but have not had much access to the internet! so here are a few Q/A....

Was the Camino what you expected?
hmmm, interesting question. i did not have many expectations, in fact i had no idea what to expect beyond a lot of walking. but even that was a bit unclear as even the estimates of the distance changed from book to book or person to person. i suppose whatever i did imagine, this was beyond and certainly better.

Were you surprised by the people on the Camino?
haha i love this question! people always surprise me! people are fascinating- where they are from, what they think, how they behave, their interactions with others or situations, their reasons for doing the Camino....but maybe i would say it was all very interesting, and funny. people, we all, are funny.

Why were people doing the Camino? What were their reasons?
like i said above, the reasons people were on the Camino ran the gamut and i think most people had a number of reasons, not just one. you have the reason that compells you to start, to take on this epic journey. but you have reasons each day (maybe each hour) for walking- because you are looking forward to a city, because you want to get through the discomfort, because you are in a rhythm, because you like meeting new people, because it feels good, because you are hungry (and there is food in the next village perhaps)...

a some point you were asked why you were on the Camino. the Healer and i talked about how we had formulated two answers, the general one for those we just met and then deeper answer that we continued to reflect upon and that we shared with those we felt connected to.

Ovi, the Healer and I spoke at length during our weeks on the Camino about our reasons, the reasons we heard; we pondered their meaning and what was behind the motives. the conversations were expanded to include the ideas and insights of the Runner, the Happy Canadian, and the Speaker of the Camino, among many others. from those conversations we came up with a few themes in what we heard as to why one was a pilgrim on the Camino:
- there are people who are searching/seeking.
- there are folks who have been called, who sense this is where they need to be.
- there are those who are stuck or maybe even existentially lost.
- there are others who are in a state of change or transition.
- there are some who are grieving and/or healing.
- there are a few who are running or avoiding something or someone.
- there were a number who are there for the physical, emotional and/or psychological challenge.

but of course the Camino is your own journey and experience. even these themes miss the depth and the truth of each of our individual pilgrimmages. what i can say with confidence is that the Camino is not yours to make, it is yours to experience. from what i observed, the more you try to "make" it into something or control your destiny on the Camino, the more difficult each moment becomes. to some degree the Camino is about letting go and being present and accepting whatever comes because it is true what they say, "the Camino does indeed provide."

*have more questions or want to hear more about certain topics, please let me know.

update!

since my last post, which was a while ago, i have enjoyed:
- the beaches and sun of San Sebastian Spain
- the wine, cheese and foie gras of Bordeaux France
- a celebration with the national championship rugby team in Toulouse
- a moving candlelight procession in Lourdes
- the vibrant energy of Montpellier
- my first sight and dip in the Meditteranean sea
- yummy cheese, jazz music and the beautiful old town of Lyon
- lazy days along the lake in Annecy
- a visit to the former capital of the Savoy region, Chambèry

more to come....

Guernica-Gernika

Guernica by Picasso (thank you Wikipedia and Picasso for this image)

Gernika is about 1 hour by train from Bilbao. i took a little day trip there yesterday and walked through the lovely village, bought some local bread and fruit, saw a few pilgrims traveling along the Camino del Norte, visited the Euskal Herriko Museoa (Basque history and culture museum), and found myself speechless following my visit to the Museo de la Paz de Gernika (the Peace Museum of Guernica).

a recap on the significance of Guernica: the village has long held special significance to the Basque people,  as an administrative center, a leader in industry-agriculture for the region, and holder of Basque culture-traditions. because of it´s importance in the Basque region and the resistence of the people and/or the threat to Franco, on Monday April 26, 1937 the city was attacked by the German Condor Legion, the Italian Air force and Franco´s army. it was an all out assault on a town and it´s people. 

though small, the museum provokes thought and emotion from the start. the images, the audiovisual displays, the design all make it a museum for the present and the future. it is not a museum of history. you do not walk in and observe, you are pulled into Gernika, then and now. what i found  most complelling was that while you are emotionally impacted by the events of that day you are pushed to consider the importance of understanding and reconciliation not only in healing but in the process of movement towards a healthy and holistic future.

the museum literature says, "the story of Gernika is the story of strength, of those who faced a most horrific event and with great dignity have turned the act of inhumanity that was visited upon them into a monument to our common humanity." 

the mayor of the city recently said, "the city has not forgotten it´s past but seeks to advance towards a future of peace and reconciliation"

it was yet another memorable experience.

if you ever find yourself in Bilbao or San Sebastian or anywhere in the north of Spain, go to Gernika.

want to know more? visit these sites: 

lhttp://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/guernica/glevel_1/1_bombing.html

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/guernica.htm

http://www.historytoday.com/paul-preston/bombing-guernica

Basque country = Basque language

i always wanted to visit the Basque country, both in France and Spain. the history, culture, traditions...i find it all very interesting; you can read about it in books but there is something very different about real life experience. this trip has provided me with ample opportunities to explore, observe and enjoy the Basque coutnry both on the Camino and off. like entering Galicia felt like entering a different country, this holds true for entering Basque country. it really does feel different.AND there are still more to come because i will be heading back to France soon!

ok so clearly i appreciate this culture, and am curious, and in the last few days a few things have come up...

1. does anyone actually play pelota? i believe it is the national sport. every Basque village we walked through on the Camino had at least one court, i have pictures to prove it. yet each court is empty, no one playing. ever. i have watched a match (or is it a game? ugh i don´t know) on tv and saw a simulated almost 3D version today but nothing live. not even small children or a bunch of random people playing.i am not asking for a professional version, i am not even asking for a specific type (there are many you know)...just a few minutes of people playing...

2. Basque language, aka Euskara, is apparently "one of the oldest in Europe and it has no known relationship to the indo-european family of languages" (yes i took that directly from Lonely Planet Spain). it is the language of choice here in Basque country. awesome. glad you are taking back your language and able to speak your native tongue without fear of reprisals (as in Franco´s time). but can someone take a moment to update the maps then? all Euskara maps would be helpful. streets with two names, one in Spanish and one in Euskara, can there be a vote? can everyone just call it one or the other? or go ahead use both, but then can you print both on the map? i am ok with that, i would be happy learning both names of the street where i need to get out of the tram or go to the market.

3. oh and Lonely Planet guide...can you maybe make a note that your map is using the Spanish street names and not Euskara. you don´t have to change anything, just say, "hey we don´t know Euskara so we can´t give you the correct names but please ask and someone will help you." and i promise people will help because i have found people to be really helpful even in my most idiotic (aka tourist) moments.

4. Euskara lesson for all:
    (English - Spanish - Euskara)
     street - calle - kalea
     center - centro - erdia
     apple - manzana - sagar
     toilet - baño, servicio, aseo - komuna
     today - hoy - gaur
     open - abierto - ireki, zabal
     closed - cerrado - ixti
     coffee - cafe - kafe
     next - proximo - hurrengo
and just as an added bonus-
excuse me i didn´t understand you correctly = barka, baina ez dizut ongi ulertu.

thats all for now...bihar arte! (roughly translated, see you tomorrow!)
   

note to self: hours of incredible art may feed the soul but not the stomach

yesterday i went to the Guggenheim. i was standing in the atrium, in awe- of the curves (the only un-curved surface is the floor), the mix of light as it bounced off of the metal and glass, the way it all sort of comes together as a flower at the top. the architecture, the design of the building is astounding. it could have been empty, void of all art in the galleries and i would have been happy still. Frank Ghery is a genius. i understand that many here in Bilbao were less than thrilled with his creation, but now those feelings seem to have dissipated. people are proud. as they should be. i read that when Ghery does his first sketch he just freely draws and does not take his pen from the paper. amazing. as i was walking on the metal staircase, watching the people below and noticing how the building flowed right into the bridge over the Bilbao river, i had this moment "this is real. i am in the Guggenheim and in Bilbao!"

i walked through Richard Serra´s work entitled The Matter of Time, basically mazes of metal. i watched a documentary once on the building of the Guggenheim and the introduction of Serra´s work. it is nutty to walk through something you saw on tv. it was immense and brilliant and somewhat overwhelming as it can get sort of claustrophobic lost among the metal that seems to envelope you.

Serra said about his work: "it is a diversity of durations of time...the meaning occurs only through continuous movement, through anticipation, observation and recollection."

i feel this same description could be used about the Camino.
i have more time to reflect these days, the Camino is constantly on my mind.

speaking of the Camino, i had an interaction last night, it went something like this:
(3 of us getting to know each other-where are you from, what are you doing here, what do you do, etc? so of course i say i just finished the Camino and the male dorm-mate is really interested as he is doing a 1 act play that is based on the Camino)
male dorm-mate, "so how do you feel now?"
me, "hmm good and i suppose a bit confused"
female dorm-mate, "oh well, come out with us tonight and we will get you back into reality."
me, "thank you maybe i will. but it´s all good, i think this is how i am supposed to feel."
male dorm-mate, "are you supposed to feel all cleansed? anyway, come with us and we will fix you up."

they were lovely and interesting young people. theatre kids, here as part of an international festival. many of the people in the hostel this week were in the festival. these two were from Germany, another in the room from Spain and still 2 more from France. funny, energetic and highly enthusiastic about their work. and i didn´t end up going out with them that night. i just couldn´t. whatever sort of "reality" they were inviting me to, it wasn´t what i was looking for...and maybe still isn´t. but for that moment anyway, for last night, it definitely wasn´t.

back the the Guggenheim for a moment. there was a huge David Hockney exhibit. i haven´t really had an opinion of his work, sort of the take it or leave it kind of opinion i guess. now i am a fan. not necessarily of his work so much as of him. there are some pieces i do really really like. there are others...meh. it is his continued desire to try new things and use new mediums. for the last few years he has been using the IPAD in creation of his works. there were demonstrations of how he creates these pieces, i recommend you look for videos on youtube because it is good stuff. what will he come up with next?

final thought of the day: a hot baguette and fresh fruit taste divine, sitting next to the Guggenheim.

crazy making?!

there are so many stories to tell about the Camino. so many reflections to share and photos as well. and yet life moves on...and so i am going to attempt to share both the present moments, and the many moments and highlights of the Camino. i am not sure this is the wisest decision but i fear if i don't keep up with the present moment i will be stuck trying to recreate it all later. 

so here goes.

we did it. the Scientist, the Healer, the Officer, Ovi and I got to Santiago de Compostela, TOGETHER. it was a week ago today. we were together the last 100 kilometers. we walked, talked, met new people, reunited with old, shared memorable meals, witnessed beautiful sunrises and sunsets...and we walked through the arch to the sound of bagpipes and shared emotional moments in front of the Cathedral. yes the same Cathedral some of you saw us in front of with the webcam. 

the Officer was more outwardly emotional than the rest. with good reason, he shouldn't have been able to accomplish this. his doctors told him not to do it. his body was wracked with pain and illness throughout the weeks.he had every reason to say, "i will complete the Camino another time." 

it was his dream and he did it. 

and each of us, with our own doubts, injuries, worries, fears, or whatever else could hold us back...we did it too. all of us came to the Camino for our own reasons, different and personal reasons. our arrival in Santiago was shared and still deeply personal...for me it was memorable because both were in balance.

we stood in front of the Cathedral. we walked hand in hand up the steps to enter the same cathedral that has seen millions of pilgrims through the decades. i sat in awe and gratitude not quite sure it was all real. even when holding the Compostela in my hands with my name written in latin it didn't feel real. during the noon pilgrim mass as they read out all the pilgrims (they read the home country and starting point of the pilgrimmage, no names) who had arrived that day it took everything i had to translate the mass and most importantly the homily which may have been one of the most powerful i have ever heard. still it was all sort of surreal.

we stayed in Santiago for another day and then went to Fisterra, literally what the Romans believed was the end of the earth (in latin, Fini terra). then it became real. when i saw the water and that there was nowhere for me to walk, i knew and could feel my pilgrimmage was complete.

in the week since we arrived in Santiago there were many celebratory and goodbye dinners. we had days of goodbyes which for me were bittersweet. it was sad of course. sad to say goodbye to people who shared in this incredibly special and unique experience. sad to recognize that i may not see some of these people ever again. sad to say goodbye and so very happy to have shared even a moment of my life with them. because whether i see them again or not, whether we are facebook friends or skype buddies or friends for life via email, whether we visit each others homes or we reunite in another country or another camino...i know i am better because i knew them and i know my life has been greatly enriched because of what we shared.

so, while yesterday was strange and a bit sad...waking up without my friends, a new city (A Coruña), a new part of Spain and just myself....it started the next phase of my travels.

the road to Santiago

the last time i posted it was questionable as to what would happen with the Officer...would he meet us in Sarria? would he be able to continue? and what about Ovi and the Scientist?

the Healer and I left Fronfria with a new addition to the Camino family. we first met him in Astorga with his father. as the story goes, the father walked the Camino with his friend 5 years ago and this time the two decided to invite their sons. and so the Spirited Son, a recent college grad and teacher-to-be is on the Camino with his father, his father´s friend, and the son of his father´s friend (a firefighter)...ah and they are all from Arizona, the Phoenix area to be more specific. as happens on the Camino we met this group in Astorga and ran into the Spirited Son again in Ponferrada. this time he was with a friend of his from college who was walking the Camino with her father! they had hoped to meet up on the Camino and spend a few days walking together and then the Spirited Son would meet up with his father again. As it turns out we kept crossing paths the next few days and soon enough the Spirited Son was walking with us to Sarria.

not far from Sarria we came across the Scientist, literally on the road! what a happy reunion! we knew we were just behind her and Ovi but not quite positive how far so it was a happy moment. but Ovi, he was not there and to our surprise the Scientist explained, "i don´t know about Ovi, we lost each other at O´Cebreiro!" somehow they started the day together, got into the town and somehow separated. so this was the day before and so we wondered, "will Ovi meet us in Sarria? is he ahead of us? is he behind us? did he get my emails or the Officer´s text messages?" but the Camino works in funny ways and always provides ;-)

upon arriving in Sarria the Healer and I discussed possible alburgues and both our books recommended a few. we decided on one and then upon reading a bit about the other changed our minds. we arrived at Don Álvaro, a private alburgue to find they had beds and as we gave our names the hospitelero said, "oh you have a reservation"...hmmm we didn`t make a reservation. ah of course, the Officer found a way to Sarria and made the reservation for us. but no, the reservation was for the Healer, myself and the Officer. strange. and then we were told, "the Romanian waits for you."

our response was almost in unison..."OVI!!!!"...imagine our surprise! and imagine his when he saw the Scientist! we then came to find out that he had been texting back and forth with the Officer about arriving in Sarria and the alburgue location but the Officer never mentioned that he was not with us! so Ovi thought we all were together, the Officer was still in Fonfria, Ovi and the Scientist didn´t know where the other was, and the Healer and I had added the Spirited Son to our family and were just hopeful we would all find our way back to each other. and there we all were...together, well almost. the Officer was still in Fonfria. we wondered would there be a bus to bring him to Sarria? will he be feeling well enough to walk 27 kilometers we needed to walk that day?

the next morning, a few minutes after 8am the Officer walked triumphantly up to the Iglesia de Santa Mariña!

screen shot from Santiago!

thanks to the dad for capturing this! here we are...the Doctor, the Officer, the Healer, myself, the happy Canadian, the Runner and some additional friends. hurray!!!

see us on the webcam!

we just found out there is a webcam in the main plaza in front of the cathedral in Santiago. we will be there at 6pm tonight (Sunday) in hopes that family and friends will see us all! so do the math if you can...6pm in Spain...


http://www.compostelavirtual.com/webcam/camara-web-plaza-obradoiro-santiago-compostela.html

if this doesn´t work, maybe do some searching for the web cam in plaza obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela.

more to come later on the days leading up to our arrival in Santiago, our arrival and our visit to Fisterra. hope to see you tonight!

Sarria

after our day of rest in Astorga we knew we would be behind our friends and Camino family but with each day we hoped we were getting closer as we would walk just a little further. last night i sent an email to Ovi and the Scientist while the Officer tried a text message to Ovi saying, ¨sunday in Sarria?¨ we got no reply last night or this morning at 6:15am...the Healer and i figured we would see them in the next day or so. the Officer is struggling with intense pain in the non-reconstructed ankle. it could be a ligament, it could be a muscle, it could be anything really. all we know is that each doctor he talks to offers the same advice, rest. but the Officer is a warrior and is determined to get to Santiago so he continues to walk. but since we all started in San Jean he has only walked a few days before needing rest for one ailment or another. the Camino is surely testing him, in truth it appears to be a battle from within that is waging in front of us all and the best we can do is support this young man in figuring out what the Camino means to him.

after an exciting day of incredible beauty as we ascended into Galicia the Officer was unbelievably happy to have walked but in significant pain by night. he decided to take today to rest and as there are no buses from the small villages into Sarria on a Sunday he will arriving early tomorrow morning and join us. you see in Sarria we are at the 100 kilometer mark and you must walk from this point to Santiago to get the compostela...the grand document of your journey. hopefully he will be able to do it. we are all hoping...

to be continued...

Galicia Spain

we entered into Galicia Spain this morning and it was like entering another country. not only is the terrain-landscape entirely different, the language is familiar but not the spanish i know, and the weather is just nutty. literally turning the bend into Galicia and we were welcomed with cool air and gusts of wind. soon enough it was rain and a bit later it was fog-rain-snow. mind you i left this morning wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt. wow.

the celtic roots are so obvious i feel funny just typing it. it is going to be an exciting next few days as we explore the region. what i can say is that we are among green rolling hills, stone buildings, wood carvings with celtic features...gone are the storks i was almost getting used to seeing soaring high above or peering down from church towers...

a whole new world...again.

less than a week to Santiago

I have come to the conclusion that my best writing about this trip will come after i have already arrived in Santiago. the limited internet access and my inability to post photos makes describing my days or telling my stories slightly difficult. still i think it will be hard to put all this into words no matter what.

hard to believe it is all coming to an end. of course it won´t really end as it is all kind of a new beginning. the Officer told us that there is a french saying that says when you leave on the pilgrimmage you leave as a walker-hiker-traveler but you return a pilgrim and stay that way. amazing thought.

a much needed day of rest

*a note- no more names, as per usual i will refer to people by their inspired (or not so inspired) moniker.

today is a day of rest for 3 of us. the others came to Astorga yesterday and went on this morning but 3 of us decided we needed a day of rest. we head over the mountains into Galicia in the next few days and have had some long days in the past week so we are in need of a break. the Officer is still healing and we are hoping 4 days of rest will help (he took a bus ahead to Astorga a few days ago). the Camino has been rough on the Officer- ankle sprain, bad cold, blisters and all that on top of the injuries he sustained in Afghanistan- a reconstructed ankle still isn´t the same as the one he had before. for the Healer, this is week 9 of his journey as he started in Strassburg so he certainly could use a break. Astorga is a perfect place too, not too big but plenty to do. so while we all physically need a day, mentally we also need time to explore and let our minds prep for the final push. we are estimating 10 more days to Santiago. which will mean 1 month from starting out most of our little Camino family will be strolling through Santiago at the same time. that is the hope anyway. Ovi (an exception to the name rule as there is no better descriptor than Ovi!) is off with the Scientist as they walk well together and we are hoping our paths will cross again soon. maybe for a night of sleeping under the stars in the legendary haunted forest in Galicia. granted we don´t exactly know where the forest is but the legends are told all along the Camino and we are determined to sleep outdoors at least once during this epoch journey. so while it is the Healer, the Officer and myself we had a fabulous dinner with much of the ¨family¨last night, and are hoping to run into the others towards the end.

one day i will tell the stories of the Runner (Ireland), the Speaker of the Camino (Britain), the Doctor of the Camino (Israel), the Funny Canadian (obviously Canada), the future Priest (Spain), the Scientist (Germany), the Hungarian (umm...Hungary), the Silent One (Germany)...

well time is running out at the internet cafe. gotta run...no wait, just strolling today.

long days

the last few days we have working to cross the Spanish meseta...flat land with little shade and lots of heat...many say it is the most boring and unbearable part of the camino. it has been challenging but mainly because we have logged many kilometers in only a few days. we were averaging 27-30 and this week had multiple days of 35-41...so there was a day that was just plain hard, physically and emotionally. today was a light day, only 28 kilometers and tomorrow will be easy breezy as it is only 17 kilometers to Astorga where we have agreed to stay an extra day for rest. we need it as our bodies are tired, we all have picked up some sort of sore throat-cold, and there are injuries that need a moment to heal. hurray for Astorga!

one of the constant conversations is about blisters because inevitably you get them. there are a random few who do not but i figure if you don´t get them you are missing out. the amount of advice, compassion, laughter, disgust and some fascination, that are shared along the road just broaden the experience. i am happy to say my blisters are healing- the worst were certainly on my toes and heels...i won´t go into detail but let me just say it made my pre-half marathon feet look beautiful!

Burgos...and a fabulous reunion

so we had planned, worst case scenario Michael, myself, Ovi and Jocelin would meet up at the cathedral in Burgos tonight at 6pm...so the scene is set, Michael and i have walked together since we parted ways with the others and were fairly clear about Jocelin´s plan but not Ovi´s as he had not showed up in Santo Domingo as planned. Michael and i walked on and enjoyed time with new-old friends of the Camino along the path and in the alburgues at night. it turns out the reunion plan was one part of the Camino gossip and so all we heard the last few days was, ¨will Ovi show up? will you all be reunited?¨ ...it´s a funny thing. we all met within the first 2 days, between San Jean and Roncevalles, and we just clicked- our pace was similar, our interests compimentary, our enjoyment of picnics along the route, and ultimately our joy of each other continued to bring us together...and so while we lost Bram the 4 of us have been a good team and one that others have gotten used to seeing along the Camino. and as i mentioned, the reunion apparently was the talk of the Camino...so when Michael, myself and Donna (our Canadian friend) arrived early in Burgos we had some coffee and then decided to head over to the cathedral to check it out. and as the bells were ringing at this astoundingly beautiful cathedral we began across the sunny square and who do you think we saw? Jocelin and Ovi! it was quite a reunion!!!

as it turns out Jocelin had stayed in the town we had left him in and Ovi had went on but rather than getting to Santo Domingo he stopped before. the following day he walked a bit and figured he was just a few kilometers behind us (i have forgotten miles and am thinking entirely in kilometers these days so forgive me for not converting). the following day he walked a bit more and then decided the pain in his leg was too much (has now been diagnosed as shin splints) and so he jumped on a bus. who do you think was on the same bus? yes indeed, Jocelin!

i imagine our reunion was quite a site to those sitting peacefully in the square. laughter, hugs, and much chatter as we all tried to share our thoughts and stories of the past few days! it was quite an affair!

and to add to the fun, Donna was with us and later we reconnected with other friends as well. our tradition of Pizza Sundays was started on this night and it was followed by some fabulous desserts and more fun with our growing Camino family.

a very good day overall as it was light...only 22 kilometers of walking today and my achilles-ankles thank me as they are quite sore and swollen at this point. the many blisters have begun to go away and i am now left with ongoing soreness and discomfort but you know it´s life so on you go. thankfully today was a kind of day of rest so i hope it will help in the healing as tomorrow we have almost 30 kilometers to cover.

note- i would love to post photos but most of the computers i have found so far will not allow for uploading of photos...let me just say that the country so far has been beyond beautiful. astoundingly beautiful is the best i can do.

oh and by the way, Spain is not all sun and warmth as i had mistakenly believed. as it turns out it rains and even hails here quite a bit. yesterday we encountered rainbows, rain, sun, hail, rain, sun, rain, hail, sun, hail and then just cool air. never again will i believe that Spain is purely sunny and warm!!!

ok off to bed!

spain spain and more spain

only 553 more kilometers to Santiago!

just crossed into the Castillo y Leon region...basque country, wine country both have been seen and done! hard to believe and so much to say about both. i will try to post more later today are at least in the next few days as we have shorter distances until Burgos. when i say shorter i should explain that today was only 23 kilometers...very short compared to what we are averaging...28ish a day! so tomorrow i think is about 26 k and then another 27 to Burgos. the goal is to be in Burgos on Sunday and possibly stay there Monday as well.

our team, the "A Team" as we have dubbed ourselves- has dwindled with Bram staying behind a few days ago to fix a torn backpack and nurse a sore knee. then yesterday our french officer stayed behind and Ovi never showed in Santo Domingo. so it is Michael and i unless Ovi makes a miraculous appearance...otherwise the back up plan is we all meet in Burgos at the cathedral at 6pm...on verra!

hasta luego

day 6 of the Camino!

first chance to access the internet and i have just completed day six on the El Camino! who would have thought it would be that hard to update the blog and communicate with everyone regarding this crazy adventure i am on. so, at the moment i am in Viana Spain. the first time we have seen a flag from Spain as all the other time spent in Spain was in Basque country where the Basque culture reigns. it has been a fascinating, fun and unique experience so far and there is so much to say...

firstly, thus far i have met and talked with people from all over the world- Japan, Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Lithuania, Romania, Brazil, Italy, China, South Africa, Canada, Belgium, England, Ireland, Korea, Argentina! the average age range of folks walking the El Camino is about 50ish. the average temperature and terrain depends on the day and the time of day as you walk through it all.

the first day was surreal. i started in San Jean Pied de Port, France and ended in Roncevalles, Spain.crossing the Pyrenes via the route de Napoleon included beautiful views, rain, fog, heavy winds, mud, rocky terrain, a strange leafy terrain that came up to my knee, snow (!) and lots of incline and decline.at the end, upon arrival at Roncevalles, we all collectively felt wet, cold and incredibly happy to have accomplished something so very unique.

I have met many people and a few of us have come to form a little pack which may or may not change but nonetheless they all will be mentioned in future postings and have been a great addition to my life so far...they are:
Ovi- Romanian graphic designer
Bram- Dutch software engineer
Michele- German carpenter and cranial phyisiotherapist
Goselyn- French Navy officer

we have been walking together each day and it has been great fun walking, talking, observing, listening and spending time together.

here is the summary so far:
Day 1: San Jean Pied de Port, France to Roncevalles
Day 2: Roncevalles, Spain to Larrasoana
Day 3: Larrasona to Pamplona
Day 4: Larrasona to Cirauiqui
Day 5: Cirauiqui to Monjardin
Day 6: Mondardin to Viana

more very soon i hope. until then, much love!

PARIS!

all my belongings (a huge phew!) and i arrived in Paris this morning (well morning in Paris anyway) and my first day in France has been a productive one.
- succeeded in taking the Metro from the airport to the stop closest to my hostel...i love public transport that makes sense. lines with differing colors, line names that actually use the destination in the line name...even the maps and kiosiks where one buys the tickets makes sense!
- checked in and stored my luggage. this hostel does not allow you in the rooms from 11-5 for cleaning which i usually have mixed feelings about but for today it was totally fine because i just wanted to leave my bags and go
- found my way (by Metro it was so easy!) to the train station to purchase my tickets to San Jean Pied de Port. my first foray in the usage of French while actually in France. the first person i spoke with seemed kind of annoyed with me from the start, maybe i shouldn't have started with "ok...je parle un peu de francais..." i continued on but by that point she looked at me as if i was speaking anything but French and pointed me to another agent. i tried again with this agent-who according to the flags next to her name also spoke german and english- i felt the need to try and possibly redeem myself and hurray! it worked, the entire transaction in French!
- meanwhile it has been raining and cloudy all day...and it is about 50 degrees which is really cold since i was in 99 degree weather yesterday! i figured i should still get out and walk around despite the weather and found myself wandering through the streets of Paris when i looked up to see the top1/4 section of the Eiffel Tower peaking out behind the trees. soon enough i was standing in the rain looking up at the soaring tower.
- of course i couldn't truly enjoy the day until i had some sort of French-ish food item. i bought a warm and crusty baguette to munch on as i walked through the wet city, marvelling at the fact that i am really in Paris!

til later

on the road & in the air

i am now hours away from cars, planes, trains and buses...soon i will be in transit! just me and my backpack. the nerves are giving way to excitement as all that can be done is done and the packing-repacking game is about to end. thanks for all the advice, ideas, love and support! i will post again from the other side of the globe!

à bientôt!

the route

i have received lots of questions about the route i will be taking. so...here it is...

i don't leave for Europe for about a week but while time is being spent with friends and family it does feel as though i am sort of like a piece of luggage that has somehow missed its final connection and is being rerouted every few days. of course i am better off each day i am in a new place versus this illusive piece of luggage that is actually worse with each day of travel and mishandling. speaking of luggage, i have never been one to worry about my luggage. two reasons- first i usually carry on so whatever i have is with me and second because i figure whatever i check i can afford to lose. HOWEVER i am now borderline paranoid about my luggage for this trip because i cannot carry on all the contents in my backpack. again 2 reasons- pocketknife/other sharp items and liquids. oh and the size limit, yes the backpack full of stuff will definitely exceed the "all carry ons must be able to fit easily into the narrow rectangular tool placed beside the podium" (this by the way was obviously designed by someone who believes we all travel with a leather suitcase a la a traveling salesman). and so, this leaves me with no choice but to check something, probably a small bag of items i can reasonably afford to lose. at this point i am not sure what those items would be but i will have to figure it out because i will not be checking my beautiful new backpack, the sleeping bag, my hiking boots or other items that took an incomprehensible amount of time and energy to find. maybe i am being dramatic. hmm, no no i am not. i spent serious amounts of time researching, reviewing, perusing, purchasing and/or procuring many items for this trip and i cannot imagine the a mad dash through Paris to replace said items. surely it would be laughable for the Parisians though. jeez, if there was ever a trip for the my baggage to go missing or be re-routed to the mountains of Mongolia (did you know they have 3 major mountain ranges?), this would be the one.

until another day...

Q & A

People have been asking lots and lots and lots of questions about this next adventure, the pilgrimage. i figured it's a good time to do a little Q & A using actual questions that have been asked in the past few weeks.

1. Where are you going and what are you doing this time?
I will be going to France and Spain and hiking the El Camino de Santiago...aka Le Chemin de Saint Jaques...aka The Way of St. James

2. The el cah...huh? 
The El Camino de Santiago. It has existed for over 1000 years and during medieval times was a well traveled route of Christian pilgrims whose destination was Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Christian worshippers would literally walk out the door of their homes and follow or forge a path to Santiago. At that time, Santiago was considered a holy city, along with Rome and Jerusalem, as it was thought that the remains of St. James were buried there.

3. You are going on a pilgrim path? is there a path?
I am going to be walking along the most traveled of the paths, the Camino Frances. From what i gather, in parts it is a dirt path, other areas it is a paved road, there are sections that are stone...it changes and it is one of the things i will be documenting along the way!

4. How long is it- distance and time?
In general, it is said that the route is 800km = 497miles. However, there are detours one could take out of necessity or curiosity which would add to the distance. It is said one can walk it in 1 month.

5. You are going to WALK the whole thing? You are going to walk 500 miles?! how many miles will you walk a day?
Yep, that's the goal anyway. as i have flexibility in time and there are villages/cities i will surely want to explore i will probably walk somewhere between 15-20 miles a day and take a few days off from walking here and there.

6. What do you take? Do you have to carry everything you need?
I will be taking the bare minimum although i am already finding that challenging as the weather along the route will change significantly. Still, i will be staying in "refugios" or "alburgues" which are essentially pilgrim hostels so i do not need to bring camping equipment.

7. So you will be a pilgrim? what the heck does that mean?!
Yep, i will be a pilgrim since i officially have the credencial, which is a special pilgrim passport that allows me to stay in the hostels for one night each, and allows me to purchase pilgrim meals (discounted meals) at local establishments that offer them.

8. Hold on, um...you have to officially become a pilgrim? 
Well, you don't have to. However, getting the credencial is necessary in order to stay in the pilgrim hostels, purchase the pilgrim meals, and ultimately receive the compostela (basically a certificate of completion) in Santiago.

9. So...can i start introducing you as my friend, the pilgrim?
as opposed to my friend, the nomad??

10. I know someone to did the El Camino and they talked a lot about the blisters. Did anyone tell you about the blisters?
Indeed i have heard quite a bit about blisters and all types of foot related ailments and injuries. i will be working on a "blister prevention and treatment" pack this week.

i will add more in the next few days.
nos vemos.

saying goodbye...again

i gaze out over my steaming cup of tea and watch as the morning sun illuminates the carports and back alley, it is my final morning in the room that has been my home and sanctuary for the past 6+ months. i could have spent my mornings in the front room that overlooks a small park where people sit on benches, others do tai chi and still others play with their dogs. but, in the early morning i wanted quiet and solitude not people and distractions. so i sat listening to the birds, drinking tea, watching the dark sky grow light, and slightly fretting over what the day would bring. truth be told the time was brief and often required numerous reminders to wait to think about the many items on my agenda for work until i was at least in the car on my way there. this is my last morning and sitting here as i have every morning is perhaps the perfect way to officially end this most recent adventure.

hasta luego!

a photo documenting the preparation

it's madness around here with all the stacks and lists and books and countdowns! 

it is March. almost 2 months since my last post and things are shifting again in my world. a heavy and heady decision has been made and shared, the aftermath is being felt and it is a bit overwhelming. i should be planning or at least sorting out all the possibilities that are bouncing around in my head but for the moment i am rather weighted down with the words and emotions that have been handed to me since sharing my decision.

as always, more to come.

a month of change

today is the first day of April, i am now officially in the month of change. in the next few weeks i am ending a job, leaving the state, visting others, leaving the country, and beginning a pilgrimage that will keep me quite literally on the road (or path, or chemin or camino or ruta...whatever you want to call it, you get the picture).

now i play the packing game. i don't own much but what i do own is currently spread all over which requires me to remember what is where and then figure out how to get all the things i think i will need in one place. it is almost laughable because when do we ever really know what we will need? my room now contains sections: items for now, items for next week, items for Oregon, items for Arizona, items for France-Spain, questionable items- will i or won't i need them and for which trip? then there is the ever growing pile of stuff to be given away, this has become the default pile.

of course there is the on-going travel book review and internet research...towns, trains, weather, hostels, maps, lists, beaches, bikes, hikes...many many hours have been spent pouring over details. many more hours have been spent pondering the oh-so-important (?!) pilgrim packing lists and the conundrums they present:
hiking shoes or hiking boots? and should/shouldn't they be waterproof?
           ...ultimately i decided on mid ankle hiking boots, not waterproof
rain jacket or poncho?
           ...i have a water resistent shell (see below) and will also purchase a poncho
fleece jacket or shell?
           ...compromised on a thin fleece running jacket and a shell
hiking pants vs. hiking pants w/zip off shorts vs. shorts vs. capris?
          ...ugh i am currently dealing with this one, i hate hiking pants...
42 liter backpack vs 50 liter backpack?
          ...still debating...literally debated with a guy at REI, a customer not a sales rep!
sleeping bag vs sleep sac vs nothing
          ...after weather pattern research and reading reviews of "cleanliness" in the hostels/alburgues where i shall lay my head i opted for a    
          sleeping bag

i am guessing there are other decisions to be made and i am confident some will work out as expected and others will not. such is life, especially when traveling!

a new year means new adventures!

i feel fairly confident in saying that this new year will be as unique and interesting as the last...and i am grateful for a life that has provided new and interesting things each and every year. as usual there will be local (national) travel- to see friends and family. the question remains what about international travel? spain, france and other countries in europe? africa would be amazing and australia would be fun but the list could go on and on so i suppose it will come to me in time. for now i plan for the pilgrimage, an adventure unlike anything i have done so far...hurray for 2012!

oh i ran across this video (check out the link), it is astonishingly beautiful and i guarantee you will watch it more than once. it is a time lapse video of kien lam's round the world trip. enjoy :-)

http://kienlam.net/around-the-world