TUESDAY AUGUST 13 2013

I haven't blogged for the last 6 days - a combination of being too busy and too lazy.

Our last day in Santiago (August 8th) was amazing.  We went to the Pilgrim's Mass at the cathedral at noon, and what an experience that was! There were hundreds of other hikers there, ranging from those of us who had had time to shower and become presentable, to pilgrims fresh off the trail carrying backpacks, hiking sticks and mud.  The cathedral is enormous and many centuries old.  There are crypts, side chapels, a HUGE organ, and an overwhelming central altar. 

We saw many of our trail friends at the Mass. Promises to keep in touch - the remote possibility of meeting again on the Appalachian Trail with our friends from Australia.

One of the most magnificent moments of the Pilgrim's Mass was the burning of incense in the "botafumeiro" - a huge silver incense burner that was swung from side to side in the cathedral, reaching heights of 30 feet.  If you saw the move THE WAY, you will have seen a reenactment of this moving ceremony.

From Santiago we flew to London to meet Kevin and the boys.  It was hard saying "goodbye" to Spain, but I am enjoying a lot of time with these precious nephews - watching soccer games, walking around this beautiful campus of the old Royal Holloway College, and sightseeing.  We have been to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Tomorrow we have a boat ride and tour down the river Thames.  On Thursday we are going to the Tower of London and then taking a double-decker bus tour of London. 

Josh's team has played 2 games so far.  They lost both games, but are learning a lot since they are playing against some larger and older boys.

I am loving every minute of this trip.  I'll blog again later. 

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 7 2013

I didn't get to blog yesterday because we were having internet problems at the hotel.  So let me bring you up to date.

On Tuesday we hiked 14 miles to Rua.  The rural farms and stone buildings we passed were quaint and ancient.  We shared our walk with people from Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, England, France and the US.  Last night we ate dinner with three young Londoners - an Italian doctor, a hedge fund manager, and a spa owner.  So much of the uplift in this hike is meeting and talking with so many different people.

Feet and heart are holding up just fine.  I feel like the training is in the trip - just keep walking and get stronger with every step.  I am just loving this - so much inspiration and beauty everywhere you look. 

Today!  What an adventure.  On this, our last day of hiking, we walked about 13 miles into Santiago de Compostela.  There were "pilgrims" everywhere in the square by the medieval cathedral.  We will be attending a pilgrim mass there tomorrow at noon. 

It rained all day.  Stacy and I (and hundreds of other hikers) wore ponchos over our clothes and backpacks.  Not exactly a fashion statement.  But it was actually quite pleasant walking in the rain.  As we neared the end of the hike, we could see Santiago in the distance - mixed emotions.  We had to hike across the city to the cathedral.  As soon as we rounded the bend to the cathedral square, the sun came out (not lying about that) - we took it as a sign of something??

I may never have been that wet in my life.  But writing this, I am dry and happy in our hotel room.  We just got back from walking around the old town, visiting the cathedral, and eating some Italian food (neither of us has fallen in love with Spanish food!)  Stacy put out the last 2 of her prayer cards.  A whole day in Santiago tomorrow.   We'll keep you posted!





 

MONDAY AUGUST 5 2013

Another hilly route on our 3rd day of hiking!   The weather was perfect - a little cloudy but a nice breeze. 

Hydrangeas everywhere!  Reminds me of Martha's Vineyard with the large blossoms and proliferation.  Maybe it has something to do with latitude. 

Walking with Stacy is a delight.  When we are climbing uphill, she carries on a steady stream of conversation without expecting breathless responses from me.  Most of the time she carries my backpack along with her own - good little niece.  I carried my own on the first day, but it really is nice walking without that extra weight - one half pound for every year she is younger than me.  Sounds fair to me :-) 

Finally made it to Arzua - Yeah!! 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 2013

Our second day of hiking - 15.4 miles from Portomarin to Palas de Rei.  Today was hot and the camino was very hilly - one might even say mountainous . . . especially if that "one"  is an old lady :-)

We met a lot of interesting people:  Diane from New Zealand who was hiking the Camino to get over her French boyfriend; a French computer behaviorist who Stacy and I set up with a young girl from Belgium (we introduced them, they walked away talking, and the rest is history); and a group of 4 ladies from Leon, Spain.  It is inspiring to see so many ages, nationalities and personality types making this pilgrimage.  Greetings of "Buen Camino" ring out as fast walkers pass the slower ones (like me), or as we pass through little villages and the residents greet us.


 We have started adding music to our trek.  After a brief respite of drink and protein bar about 8 miles along the way, Willie Nelson got me up and running with "On the Road Again."  Great pick-me-up!

It is 18 miles to our next stop.  I sincerely hope that I will be blogging you this time tomorrow from our hotel in Azura . . .

 

 

SATURDAY AUGUST 3 2013

Our first day of hiking!!  Got up early to begin our 14 mile day.  It was a bit daunting to discover that our first camino steps were decidedly vertical!  Actually, there were few "vertical limits" on our hike today.


Along the trail we passed through beautiful old forests with very odd, sometimes scary trees.  We also passed many Spanish farms, with their stone buildings and unusual grain storage units that look like small chapels.

Peppered across the camino are spiritual shrines at which travelers leave stones, pictures, notes and other items of meaning to them -seeking prayers and some type of spiritual renewal.  I am leaving pieces of wampum while Stacy is leaving the many beautiful prayer cards she received from friends and family. 

We met a middle school teacher and a banker from New Hampshire, as well as a couple from Washington DC - shared our walk with them.  We also shared our trail with some four legged pilgrims - holy cows

We have finished our first day of hiking after 7.5 hours on the trail.  Stacy, l f-s b t s i, has gone out shopping.  While I, o t 6-s t i a, am at the hotel soaking my feet.  :-)

15 miles tomorrow.  Gonna sleep great tonight!!

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THURSDAY AUGUST 1 2013

Got up early and headed out for more "Cambridge" 

We took a double-decker tour bus to see all the sites we missed yesterday.  Climbed to the top of the tower at St. Mary's Cathedral to take some pictures of Cambridge from a bird's eye view - what an amazing place this is!

Finally on the plane to Spain we met a new friend - Maria - a nurse from Santiago de Compostela who is currently working in London.

We start hiking tomorrow - can't wait! 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 2013

It's has definitely been a case of 'planes, trains and taxis' for us the last 24 hours. A delay in our departure from Cincinnati forced us to rebook - Cincinnati to Houston TX to London - 14 hours later we arrived at Heathrow Airport.  Then 3 trains and a taxi brought us to BEAUTIFUL Cambridge, England.  This place is spectacular - countless buildings, colleges and cathedrals dating back to the 1300's. 

We went 'punting' on the CAM river - a guy with a pole pushing us in a wooden boat along the river and pointing out all the historical colleges and chapels along the way.  Stunning! 

Since I had recently watched ALL 36 episodes of TUDORS on Netflix, the history of this place (and it's connection to Henry VIII, Cromwell, etc.) was so interesting!  Tonight we walked through several gorgeous old college and chapel buildings that someone had graciously (and probable mistakenly) left open.

Tomorrow afternoon we head to Spain to begin our hike.

Praying for everyone - the atmosphere here makes it easy to look up . . .