Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain
It's pretty cool how quickly the trains run in Portugal. We caught an IC (Inter-City) train from Porto and arrived just some 3 hours later in the capital - Lisbon. The train station here is rather photogenic. While we arrived at the top level, there are about 4 more below us. But, one of the …
Having made it to Santiago, we settled in for a few days of rest and relaxation. Naturally, this included time at the cathedral. Let's face it, if we're going to trek 1172km to Santiago, its kind of a given that we'd spend a little time with Saint James and his huge church. Again, the weather …
Continue reading "Santiago de Compostela: A Tourist Once Again"
As you might suspect, we were late getting started following our rest day. But, by 10:30 am, we began the long walk through suburbia and the unattractive industrial sections of Ourense. An interesting part was a tunnel through which we had to transit. This one was a bit different as it was only one lane …
The town of Lubián was nice, but Mikey swears that the albergue's Ikea bunk beds were assembled by the blind as even the slightest movement caused a violent swaying of the frame during which he feared being catapulted from the top bunk. Oh, and don't even think about a trip to the bathroom after "lights …
We didn't think that today's walk would be that long, so it was nice to sleep in and then get coffee and orange juice (Mikey's ideal Camino breakfast) in town before heading out. The village was quite beautiful in the morning light and we really wanted to stay longer. But, we had seen most of …
Continue reading "Camino Day 31: Puebla de Sanabria to Lubián"
Last night was a nightmare. As in, we bunked near the absolute worst snorer Mikey has ever experienced - and this isn't his first time at the proverbial rodeo. From the rapid-fire gasping for breath to the sound of respiratory drowning and explosive bronchial thunder, we can only surmise that the offender is a very …
Continue reading "Camino Day 30: Asturianos to Puebla de Sanabria"
We slept a little late today since the cafe didn't open until 8 am and Mikey really needed coffee today. Many Camino towns have various displays of pilgrim-related art. A lot of it is by local artists and approved by local councils. Most of it is pretty bad. The weather also appeared to be really …
Continue reading "Camino Day 29: Rionegro del Puente to Asturianos"
As we mentioned before, today was to be a "marathon day." By this, we mean exceeding the 42 kilometers that comprise a normal marathon race. Why do this? Well, Mikey got a really good rate on a hotel for our scheduled rest days in Salamanca but forgot to check its cancellation policy prior to booking. …
Continue reading "Camino Day 20: Aldeanueva del Camino to Fuenterroble de Salvatierra"
Now we've been locked out of albergues in the past and have had to get someone to let us in after lights out, but this morning we were locked inside the hotel. After such a tiresome and rough day of walking on asphalt, Mikey decided not to set an alarm and we didn't leave the …
As we had additional ground to cover today (Mikey figures that we'll be caught up in two days), we were the first out of the albergue this morning and began once again before daylight. Not that there was any chance of getting lost in the dark on the only way out of town, but seeing …
As often happens when we stay in a hotel room with a noon check out time, Mikey rationalized the morning away with hitting snooze and taking a really long shower. Then, it was a leisurely breakfast followed by a trip to the market and post office. Wow - you'd think he didn't have 36km to …
Thanks, Fitbit, for letting us know how absurdly long our dear pilgrim slept last night. 10 hours...Mikey, that should be a sin! As such, we decided to go to the basilica, but - guess what - it wasn't open. Ha! Well, let's give you a brief primer on the Basilica of Mérida just in case …
Zafra turned out to be quite a nice town. Our "discovery" of a castle and the eccentric owner of that restaurant made for a fun time. The nuns (even though Mikey has a morbid, albeit totally unsubstantiated, fear of such orders) had offered a very relaxing experience and the hospitalero even shook Mikey's hand and …
Continue reading "Camino Day 11: Zafra to Villafranca de los Barros"
Last night was a little bizarre. We stayed in an albergue (as usual) but were alone in a dorm room that could house 18 pilgrims! Apparently, no one else showed up and it just worked out that way - but, we did catch Mikey sniffing himself a few times just to make sure. After such …
Continue reading "Camino Day 9: Monesterio to Fuente de Cantos"
The first night in an albergue is always interesting. One identifies the snorers (and vows to avoid them for the rest of the trip), figures out group dynamics insofar as leaders/followers go, and (through trial and much error) decides with whom one should converse and whom to avoid. Personally, we met a Dutch father and …
Continue reading "Camino Day 6: Guillena to Castil Blanco de los Arroyos"
While we did get to bed at a reasonable 10 pm last night (all four roommates came staggering in at 3:45 am), there was no time for laundry. Ergo, 8 am found Mikey loading the washer with practically every article of clothing he has and shivering in an undershirt and running shorts for the next …
We woke up this morning following a long night's sleep. Mikey is rather sunburned and hobbling now due to a blister on his right Achilles' heal and another dime sized one in the middle of his sole. The washing machine in the apartment was great, but his socks were still a bit damp this morning …
Along the Camino, one finds that the larger the city, the more distressing entering and exiting it can be. Urban sprawl is definitely alive and well here, so not much to report until Avilés. This is a town with rich medieval history. Back around the turn of the last millennium, the king of Castile …
Mikey on The Way 