Two days in one

The last two days on the Camino have been as glorious as the first. We have been descending down the mountains into more rolling hills, although tomorrow morning we have to start the day with a steep ascent followed by a very steep descent. The descents are the killers as the terrain can be quite varied. Our friends George and Deborah Keys are also doing a Camino but began in Portugal. George talks (in their blog) about walking on the various surfaces and said he thought cobblestone was the most uncomfortable, Sharon's nemesis is shale! We are feeling pretty good, Sharon jammed her big toe on the second day descent and will probably lose the toenail but it is not painful. She also has a blister on her ring finger from gripping the walking sticks so hard on descents. Blair has some sore pressure points on his hips but nothing to worry about he just needs to adjust his pack. Thank goodness for walking sticks as they take the pressure off the legs and have saved more than one fall and/or twisted ankle!

Blair as a walking clothes line, see the same thing in the folks ahead.

 

Sharon on an interesting bridge.

Nice picnic lunch spot!

Some difficult paths but always nice to see a town ahead

The first 2 nights we stayed in municipal alburgues. The first night there were 183 beds and it was a zoo in the morning. People began getting up around 5 a.m. and they weren't always very considerate with the use of lamps and voices. We've learnt that getting up early and being off with or before the sun is a good thing. Last night we stayed at a smaller municipal alburgue in Larrasoana there were 12 beds in our dorm all but one was our age or older. The symphony of snores was amazing :). Also the bunk beds were rather noisy as well. So we all knew who was a restless sleeper. Luckily we were so tired that it didn't affect our sleep and we were up and out by 6:40 and walked for the first half hour by the light of the full moon. It was glorious. The last 2 mornings we have stopped mid morning for coffee and croissants, nummy!

Travelling by the light of the moon

Stop at the Super Mercado (grocery store) in the morning on the way out

2 consecutive mornings of croissants and coffee

Many of the Spaniards are very pleasant and wish us Buen Camino, Buenos Dias, or Hola, we are never sure what we will get. But it is a truly amazing trail that has been developed and often is well maintained by the locals or friends of the Camino. They mostly seem to be proud that the Camino runs through their towns and they certainly like the income that the "peregrinos" bring with them.

The farmer's horses

The farmer and Sharon

The weather has become hotter and hotter as we go along. Today by the time we finished at around 3 pm it was about 31 with not a cloud in sight. As we walked the hill up to Zariquiegui where we are tonight there was a farmer tilling his field, he just quit a few minutes ago and it is 9:11 now, really reminded us of Saskatchewan (with bigger hills), even saw a few grasshoppers. Tonite we are staying in a private alburgue which is 11 euros per person as compared to six euros last night but there are only eight in the room,us and 5 young Germans. This alburgue also serves a pilgrims menu which is a dinner family style. Tonite we had a great dinner for 11 euros. Bean soup to start, with bread on the table, always bread, followed by a lettuce salad with great Spanish olive oil, then a fish dish, quite soupy, then hamburgers plain with a garlic sauce, followed by a neopolitan ice cream with chocolate sauce, you also get your choice of red wine or water with that. At the table were the 5 Germans, a Japanese fellow(who speaks fluent Spanish!), 2 Italians, real characters, 2 people from Poland and 2 Australians. Very interesting working back and forth from all these languages!! You'd think the comman language would be Spanish, but no, everyone was translating for everyone else, quite comical really.

So tomorrow we head up to the windmills, not the windmills of Don Quixote...

Up the hill in the morning!

 

 

 

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A Great Bed and Breakfast

So. When we were in Madrid, we stayed at a great B&B "Artistic B&B".

Rudolfo, Paola, and Tommy are great hosts. The street, Calle Lope de Vega, is right in the heart of old Madrid. Luckily it is one street over from one of the busiest night streets! If anyone is going there you should consider staying with them!

Rudolfo and Tommy.

The breakfasts are good - especially the grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

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Bon Chemin Buen Camino - St. John to Roncesvalles

Awesome first day of the Camino!

Yesterday we travelled by train from Madrid to Pamplona- didn't see any bulls :) and then bus to St. John through narrow winding roads to a beautiful town nestled in the Pyrennees. What was better than that was actually walking these mountains but back to that later. When we arrived in St John there were no alburgues available but this little French lady took a liking to Blair and offered us a room for much the same money as an alburgues. So we had a room to ourselves and as we wanted to get off early this was a good thing. We heard people out in the streets at 6 am but we refused to start before it was light which is about 7 a.m. It was like they were thieves sneaking around many of them just wanted a head start to get a bed at the alburgue of their choice (in the case of Roncesvalles the only place in town).

St. John Pied de Port in front of pilgrim's office

View from pilgrim's office

Heading out in the morning.

 

We left at about 7:10 and the first part of the walk is a killer as it is just about straight up. Sharon was going to take a picture of Blair at the point where the trail starts but the trail did not begin for a few kms. As I said before the views climbing out of St. John are stupendous. I'm afraid out pictures do not do it justice. Beautiful rolling mountains with cattle, sheep and horses grazing in many places. You have to kind of just shut off all the voices around you, needless to say it is very busy and people are from all around the world.

 

2 views from morning walk to trailhead

Trailhead leaving St John

Watch out for caminos on the road!

Lunch time vista

Lunchtime on the trail

We found the walk tiring but not too bad it was about 20 km up and 5 km down. There was 2 ways down, a difficult and easy, guess which one Blair picked? Sharon nearly broke her ankle twice! No, just jokes! It was actually the best way down because we were ready to be done for the day.

At the end of this stage, Roncesvalles, is a huge alburgue that is really quite new but is mixed in with 12th century architecture. There are 183 bunks, Blair gets the upper but nice showers and washrooms, closets for your packs. After a shower and a beer we are felling human again and will go supper at 7 in the restaurant through the hole in the wall!

New alburgue. Sharon doing blog in left hand corner.

12th century church

New church!

Can you find "the hole in the wall"?

This is really a cool place, if you are very religious there are evening programmes for you, if you are a history buff there is a museum and if you just want to relax with beer you can do that, some are doing all three!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Madrid last day

Enjoying our last day in Madrid - started out by going to Starbucks on the way to the Buen Retiro - the big park (350 acres) here-bigger than Central Park in NY but not sure if it is bigger than Stanley Park. It belonged to royalty until the late 19th Century.

As usual we experienced, at Starbucks,the Roma beggars, they have a network, and it appears, a patriarch that manages them. They move from open air restaurant to restaurant. The old ladies always walk hunched over, have bare feet and a cane and as soon as no one is looking they straighten up and walk without guile.

Fountain across from Starbucks in night and day

Yesterday we went to the Thyssen-Bournemisza Museum which houses a magnificent art collection from one family. There seems to be quite a bit of family upheaval about which piece belongs to who, won't bore you with story but google them if you are interested.

In the evening yesterday we were invited to the home, via our friend Marike,of Ramon Pelinski, his wife Pilar and daughter Terese (hope I have the correct spelling). We had a wonderful evening and food, topped of by a walk to the park nearby which houses a temple from Abu Simbel given to the Spanish people at the time of the flooding.

Terese is an IB student going into her final year of the diploma programme. She is very knowledgeable so made for interesting conversations. Those who know Sharon know her respect for the IB programme.

Pilar is a professor of musicology at a university a 4 hour train ride from Madrid so needless to say as much work as possible is done via the internet! Blair had an especially nice evening with Ramon as he shares many characteristics physically and philosophically of Blair's late father. Thank you again for a great evening!

"Arche de Triomphe" of Madrid a few blocks from Ramon and Pilar's

Blair with our gracious hosts

Sharon on our walk home

So today we had a lovely walk in the park thinking no art today, but wait, guess what, two exhibitions of modern art in pavilions in the park, one of a contemporary of Basquiat and another an installation piece in the Crystal Palace! Following the park, we went for Tapas in the Plaza followed by siesta which Sharon is using for washing up and packing for tomorrow's trip to St John Pied de Port and the beginning of our Camino. This evening we will have one last experience of the frenetic night life and late night suppers of Madrid. We are starting to wonder if everyone just hangs out here.

Interesting stat Madrid has more bars per capita than anywhere in the world :)

Entrance to Buen Retiro

Sculpted trees in Buen Retiro

Just like royalty to put a man-made lake in their park!

 

Kerry James Marshall exhibition in the park

Crystal Palace

Installation art in Crystal Palace above and below

PS. Depending on wifi this may be the last post for a few days.

 

 

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Madrid Day 2

Last night did the Reina Sophia as planned and of course the highlight was Picasso's Guernica, no pictures as not allowed! Another highlight is the building itself. Rather than doing very costly renovations I.E. Adding elevators into an old structure they went with innovative add-ons which are very interesting. See photos below.

The glass elevators on the old building. These were Sharon's favourite (not!)

This is the atrium that tied the old with the new.

The exterior of the new building.

 

After the gallery went to another recommended restaurant, this time classical Spanish style. Momma cooking in the back, choice of beverage, appy, main and dessert for a set price, for example Sharon's was 11 euros which included a 1/3 bottle of white wine,gazpacho, chicken breast villapondo, and profiteroles for dessert. Great service and of course bread, lots of bread here. Walked off dinner,another beautiful evening.

That's the moon up by the statue.

 

This morning ended up spending most of the morning in,talking to our hostess, Paola. She has good command of English and is well versed in politics and schooling here, as her son is only 5 and in his third year of school, not preschool or kindergarten. He already reads quite well, school day is shortened from 8-4 to 8-2 in Sept and June for the heat. Long days for little guys. He did love the book we brought him of BC. Some very astute comments for a 5 year old.

The "Caixia" is an art gallery that is on the way to the Atocha train station that has a garden growing on it!

Another view. The Gallery was once an old power station.

After our discussion we headed over to Atocha Train Station to book our seats for Pamplona on Sunday. Then to Starbucks for coffee (it seams like there are no coffee shops here in Madrid. People start drinking wine and beer well before lunch!) before heading to the Museo del Prado to check out the 70 galleries! No surprise lots of El Greco, Goyas and Velasquez' but also Carravagio, Reubens, Bosch, et al. Very little modern painting, seeing that tomorrow at the Thiessen Gallery. I bet you didn't realize this trip was an art marathon as well :)

In front of the Prado Museum.

Behind the Prado Museum.

A Cathedral near to the Prado. One of many, many, we expect to see on this trip!

So back at our room napping off the museum feet before heading out to dinner...

 

 

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Now...Madrid

 

We arrived in Madrid after a good flight on British Airways via London. I heartily recommend BA, 2 meals included, free alcoholic beverages and pleasant flight attendants. After a bus ride from the airport, a hot rain squall and a few wrong turns we arrived at Artistic B&B. Rudolpho was waiting for us and the room was just as Blair remembered from his trip last year. At about 8:30 with still 30 plus weather we set off for tapas. No one eats until later when the weather cools.

Our room in Madrid

 

Needless to say, Blair is the tour guide for this part of the trip as he has been here before. So we set off for the Plaza Mayor (not the mayor's plaza but the major plaza) and the Mercado de San Miguel which is essentially tapas fast food style. YUM! You can go from booth to booth and pick out many 1 euro items with a beer or glass of wine in hand. After the walk home from there we crashed.

Night in the Plaza Major

Today we started practising for the Camino and getting rid of jet lag by walking, walking and more walking.

Typical small side street.

 

We hit the Plaza Mayor in the day, many beautiful little side streets and ended up in a nice little outdoor restaurant for a beer and chips, Blair's favourite thing!

Plaza Major in the Day

 

 

View of the Cathedral and Palace from the outdoor restaurant.

 

After a little rest and this post we will go for coffee and then to the Reina Sofia Museum (it is free from 7-9 pm) to see Picasso's Guernica and then out for some homemade Spanish food at a restaurant that Rodolfo has recommended.

 

 

 

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So here is a map of the Camino Frances the route that we are taking.

Leaving for the airport soon. See you on the other side.