Friday, August 10

Well, it is my last full day in beautiful Espana! Tomorrow morning, I head back to Florida and, though I will miss my good friends, I am ready to get back to my family.

Speaking of family, today we are going to Marian's oldest brother's house in Arenas, where many of her family are getting together for an afternoon party. But first, we drive over to a cool, medieval town, called ???, where we walk around and do some shopping. I got totally icked out by the Museum of Torture, with some really gruesome images now seared into my brain. Why did I go in there???

We returned to Arenas and joined the family party with our stilted Spanish. I know a few phrases, like "Mucho gusto," (pleasure to meet you) which makes people think I speak the language so they begin talking to me in and I stare at them blankly, then laugh because I have no idea what they are saying. I can speak Spanish better than I can understand it, but it is fun to keep trying!

We got a great tour of the family house. I forget how old it is, but I know it used to belong to Marian's parents and it is filled with great antiques and lots of family memorabilia. Right now there are about 30 people staying at the house and several of the bedrooms are just crammed wall-to-wall with cots. Marian has three sisters and two brothers and they seem to split the summer between the Arenas area and another town where the family owns a house on the beach. They try to stay together with their extended families, or they rent properties close by so they can all visit together. Their family is very important to them, even though some of the siblings don't get along very well. Guess that happens with such a big family. Anyway, everyone was very hospitable toward us and we had a nice time meeting everyone and trying the food!

Next, it was back in the car for our long drive back to Madrid. I think it took about 4 hours. We checked into our hotel by the airport, dropped off the rental car, checked in for our flights, grabbed one last meal together and then went to bed. Marian stayed with me and decided to take the subway in the morning back to the family apartment in the city. She is staying a few more weeks and leaves for the beach house tomorrow, where Her husband, David, and daughter, Sarah, will join her in a few days.

And this ends this trip blog! Hasta la vista, Espana! Mucho gusto concerto!

Thursday, August 9

Well today, we went all over Cantabria to see the sights and even went into the Basque country to visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

We started off in the coastal town of Santander, where we enjoyed a boat tour around the peninsula with nice views of the regional palace (now a university), beaches and lighthouse. Then it was off to Bilbao, about an hour's drive north for lunch and the museum. The museum was fantastico, especially the featured David Hockney landscape exhibition. I am now a huge Hockney landscape fan! Wish I could afford an original...Chuck, can you get a night job? Haha!

Drove back into Cantabria and stopped for an evening aperitif in Castro Urdiales, another nice beach town, featuring a really creepy fish sliding board (see pictures).

We then took off for the town of San Vicente de la Barquera, where Marian took us to her father's favorite restaurant for lobster and rice. Liz was obsessed over one huge lobster in the tank, suggesting that we buy it and free it in the ocean. The Common Fund said no.

So let me explain about The Common Fund. It is the greatest invention ever for traveling with friends! I had never used this system before, but Marian does this all the time: everyone pitches in the same amount of money toward The Common Fund per day, say $50. Then, whenever you encounter an expense for the group, say meals, gas for the car, hotels, you pay from The Common Fund and don't waste time or worries trying to figure out what each individual owes. So easy! And, in the end, you figure everything evens out for each person. Of course, souvenirs are purchased individually and other personal items. Anyway, we had a great time asking The Common Fund to pay for things. Does The Common Fund say yes? Yay! El Fundo de Common says yes! Good system, and I approve of the way our Director of the Common Fund handled the money. Muy bien, Marian!

I also would like to take this time to congratulate Katherine Zwingli on her outstanding long-distance "whee-ing" performance on this trip. Yesterday, she got the gold medal in the 2,000 Meter Whee Tunnel Event. Another gold for the Americans! USA! USA!

And before I forget, one of our favorite chants on this trip has been, "Yo soy Espanola, Espanola!" Jack started this on our first day of hiking the Camino. Two beers, and he was dancing behind the folk parade, singing this and it then went viral for the rest of the trip. When we were really having fun, someone would start singing that line and the rest of us would all join in.

Tomorrow is our last day in Cantabria, sniff, sniff. Buenos noches!

Wednesday, August 8

Buenos Dias!

What a great way to start a day! You wake up in a clean, comfy bed just steps away from the wondrous Cathedral de Santiago de Compestelo. You meet your friends for cafe con leche y croissants at a nearby cafe, passing by today's incoming pilgrims, the shop keepers setting up their windows, the street performers getting into position, the cathedral bells ringing out the hour. Muy bueno!

Santiago is a beautiful, old city that has gradually spread outwards and modernized. I prefer the older section with the cobbled streets and old, plastered buildings all compacted together where you cannot tell where one building begins and another ends.

We bade farewell to Santiago and some of our fellow pilgrims late this morning. Adios to Jose and Isabel, my new friends who travel back to Barcelona, where Jose is a professor in Biochemistry at the University of Barcelona. Adios to Lisa and new amiga, Jill, who travel back to La Canada, CA. Mucho gusto, mis amigos! It has been a pleasure meeting you all and sharing el Camino Ingles with you. In a few days, hopefully we will forget the aches and pains, and only remember the laughs, the sights, the sounds, smells and tastes of el Camino.

So begins the final leg of my journey. Back to the rental car with Marian and the Zwinglis! We left Santiago around 11, and headed towards Marian's family summer home in Arenas. We stopped a few times along the way. First stop was Luarca, a beach town, where we enjoyed the regional specialties for lunch. I had the stew de Asturia and shared a bottle of hard cider with Jack. The cider is a local favorite and the taste is improved by the way you pour it into your glass. The further the distance between glass and bottle while pouring, the better. I need more practice!

Next stop was the town of Cudillero, another beach town with impressive cliffs where we snapped a few photos. Then onwards and onwards to Arenas, which after a couple glasses of cider, required a nice car nap from me. Thanks for the soft shoulder, Katherine. I better not see any YouTube videos of me snoring!

When we arrived in Arenas, we drove to the gates of the mansion that was used in the eerie film, The Others, with Nicole Kidman. Now I need to see the movie again and compare the house with my pictures. We also made a quick visit to Marian's oldest brother's house, where we met some of her cousins before settling in at our hostelria. The area is experiencing an unusual heat wave, and with no air conditioning, it is almost stifling up on the third floor of this old country B&B. At least the windows open, but there was no breeze. I don't handle extreme heat very well, so I had to warn everyone that I was now officially grouchy! They probably already figured that out. That is one of the things you know to expect on long trips with friends. After so many days of constantly being together, you do have some irritable moments. At least I haven't poked any of my friends and told them they were very bad...there's still time.

I was able to Skype with India and Chuck, which was a real treat! I miss my family!

Our hostelria used to be a country home that has been remodeled into a very cozy and cute bed and breakfast.
We enjoyed another great dinner out , where everyone's personalities became more pleasant with a bit of lubrication.

Hasta mañana!

Tuesday, August 7

We did it!!!!

Left Siguerio at 6:30 a.m. after quick cafe con leches, with the Italian group hot on our heels. Seems as though we all wanted to make it to Santiago in time for the noon mass, which really meant we needed to get there by 11, in order to get seats.

So we left before dawn and immediately missed our first Camino marker. "No Way, Jose" again took charge by flagging down a passing car. After what seemed to be a five-minute discussion, Jose turned to us and said, "Right. He says keep going straight." The joke in Galicia is that the people talk in circles and everything "depends."

We got back on track and soon left the Italians in our dust. My ibuprofen kicked in and I ignored my blistered heels and kept up a decent pace. Unfortunately, Jill was suffering from a strained Achilles, so she and Lisa stuck together at a slower pace while the rest of us focused on getting to the church on time.

The day warmed up to temps in the high 70s, and we gradually left the farmlands behind and began entering the outskirts of Santiago. We passed an older Australian couple who were hiking the Camino for the 5th time!

We were thrilled when we got our first glimpse of the cathedral and quickened our paces. Finally, we were in the middle of town and we began seeing other pilgrims coming from different routes. We made it to the Cathedral Plaza around 10:30 a.m., and realized that our hotel for the night was right beside us. The hotel used to be a convent, but has been tastefully modernized into a 3-star hotel. Liz and Katherine Zwingli were already there waiting for us, so we dropped off our backpacks and headed to the cathedral. The plaza was buzzing with tourists and pilgrims. I've never seen so many backpacks in one place!

The outside of the cathedral is done in a gothic style and it protects the original medieval building inside. We entered and had a quick look around before finding seats for mass. We saved two seats for Jill and Lisa, but just as the mass was about to start, a big, smelly German man came and forced his way into our pew (my apologies to our German friends!)-- even after we explained that our friends were sitting there! He just smiled and said, "No. I sit here." Jose had a heated discussion with this moron that got nowhere. I was so upset that I slid over and told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to leave. He just looked at me smugly and said, "No. I sit here." That's when I blew a gasket and poked him in the arm and told him he was a very bad man. I repeated this several times for good measure, but he just looked at me and said, "C'mon, this is church." Fortunately, the Holy Spirit entered my body right then and restrained me from slapping this very bad man. Jill and Lisa appeared and I opted to leave the pew and stand for the whole mass, not wanting to sit next to Mr. Evil. I was hoping to shame this man, but that didn't work at all. The only thing that happened is I stood on my tired feet for another hour while he got iced out on the "peace be with you" part of the program. I know. Nice way to behave in one of the holiest places on earth. My bad. How many Hail Marys will make up for this?

I managed to enjoy the mass, which was in Spanish and ended with the famous swinging cage of incense. This has a name, but it escapes me at the ment. Just google it.

We left mass and headed to the Pilgrim's Office, where we got our final passport stamp and our official Pilgrim certificate! Woo-hoo! Pilgrimage complete! Then it was on to our holy rewards of beer and tapas. :)

One more thing about the cathedral. There are three rituals each pilgrim should perform. The first, is to touch the statue of St James, just inside the front entrance. The second, is to hug the bejeweled statue of St James behind the altar. Then, you visit the crypt of St James located in a tomb under the altar. We did all three dutifully, and I have to admit, it was very affecting. I got teary-eyed viewing the crypt.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on a very lame tram ride where we learned nothing because you could hear nothing. We shopped a bit and then had our final dinner together.

Buenos noches, I am exhausted!

Monday, August 6

Hola! I am posting some photos of our meal last night, which has been typical fare for the last few days. We are surprised by the lack of fresh vegetables and meats at most of the places we go to eat dinner. With a couple of exceptions, we are eating a steady diet of Spanish tortilla (egg and potato frittata), cured hams, chorizo and bread. Last night we were treated to a simple lettuce, tomato, onion and olive salad, which we devoured immediately. In Pontedeume, we ate fresh fish at a wonderful cantina. In Betanzos, we sampled zamburinas, pulpos and fried pimientos -- garlicky scallops, boiled and marinated octopus, and small green peppers fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Delicioso!

This morning we ate our leftover tortilla with toast and coffee, then hit the Camino for another long day -- 24 kms. The good news for us was no big hills today, so it went by much faster. We started off in a chilly fog around 7:30, but once it burned off, the day was pleasant, in the low 70s and mostly sunny.

We are all suffering from three long days of walking with heavy packs on our backs. Most of us are now getting blisters on top of our blisters and just the thought of putting our hiking shoes on, makes our feet cry and squeal. But, it is the way of the weary, but dedicated pilgrim. So the shoes go back on and the wincing starts. I pop a couple of Advil with my breakfast and after about twenty minutes of forced painful hobbling, I can get into a more natural gait and just keep on keeping on. I've learned that it is better to keep walking, than to take many rests along the way. I stop momentarily for photos, but otherwise try to maintain momentum.

Today, we treated ourselves a bit to an early cafe stop about an hour into our day's walk. We met up with the Italians and all had a coffee break. We bought sandwiches there also, as we knew we wouldn't be seeing any other food options till the end of our day in Siguerio.

The day's walk was scenic again, but mostly uneventful. We stopped and ate our sandwiches in a wooded area around 1:30, then it was back on the trail for more fun/agony. Poor Isabel's blisters are really bothering her, plus one of her knees is inflamed. Jill had to stop and wrap one of her ankles. It seems like Jack, Jose and Marian are experiencing the least ailments - the rest of us are blister crazy.

Arrived in the city of Siguerio around 3. We are staying in the only "hotel/hostel" available, and find it to be a bit dumpy. None of the rooms has its own bathroom, so we are sharing three bathrooms for the entire floor. It's not as horrible as it could be, so I am trying not to act like a diva. I haven't seen a hair dryer in three days, so I am looking very scary! I am envious of the other girls' thick, longer hair that can be put up in pony tails- I have opted for the wonderful head scarf look. Tomorrow, I get to wash and dry my hair--hallelujah!

Last day on the Camino tomorrow - we voted to leave Siguerio at 6 a.m., in hopes of reaching Santiago for the noon mass.