July 2: Palencia We took the train from Santiago to Santander with an hour stop at Palencia., which gave us time to visit the city and sit tranquilly in an outdoor cafe to enjoy a beer. It was sunny and 30 C (86 F), the warmest it has been in two months. Delicious! These statues… Continue reading July 3: Santander
Category: Spain
June 30: Little Fox House
Leaving Santiago yesterday, Dennis’ backpack seemed heavy and he needed a little help. Afterward, we delighted a young Spaniard with the “globo“. The bus ride to Vimianzo only took about an hour. From there, it took us about an hour to walk to the Little Fox House (A Casa do Raposito). It was a beautiful… Continue reading June 30: Little Fox House
June 28: Santiago de Compostela
Wrapping up our stay in Santiago de Compostela. First,we retrieved our bikes from storage at Ivar Rekve’s office located at Travesía da Universidade 1. He is very personable and we spent a good part of the morning chatting with him. From there, we walked our bikes to Mail Boxes ETC. They have a great deal… Continue reading June 28: Santiago de Compostela
June 27: Santiago de Compostela
Today we went looking in Santiago de Compostela for three things, and managed to find two. We have been without our comfort food, peanut butter, since April 20. Dennis has been craving the nutty spread, but it is difficult to find in Spain and Portugal. Yesterday when I asked a local grocer where I could… Continue reading June 27: Santiago de Compostela
June 25: Santiago de Compostela
We arrived in Santiago de Compostela on June 25 (six months before Christmas) hot, thirsty, tired, and with sore feet. On the way to the cathedral, we got a hotel room so we would not have to carry our backpacks. From there, we limped to the Pilgrim’s Office to get our certificates of completion. The… Continue reading June 25: Santiago de Compostela
June 24: Padrón
Today could not have been more perfect–excellent weather, late start (11 A.M.) soft soil for the most part, short distance. To top it off, as we entered Padrón, someone had written J.B. the best on the sidewalk. Omen? We had a late afternoon lunch with Tony and Lauren, a mother-daughter team from California. Fun people… Continue reading June 24: Padrón
June 24: Caldas de Reis
Glorious walk—perfect hiking weather, wonderful vistas, good food, and a good companion. We pounded our feet for 35.4 km (almost 22 miles); at the end of the day my legs were sore, but thank goodness for ibuprofen. Dennis and I are amazed by all the rock in Spain and Portugal. They use granite for fence… Continue reading June 24: Caldas de Reis
June 21: Porriño, Spain
Leaving Tui we saw this stone sculpture. Most of the earlier part of the day was along dirt paths and country roads. The weather was cool and just right for walking. Since we were in the Louro valley, the air smelled clean like an early spring day. We crossed several old Roman bridges (if you… Continue reading June 21: Porriño, Spain
June 20: Tui, Spain
Yesterday when we left Ponte de Lima, it was only 14 C (57 F), cloudy, and with a 50% chance of rain. For this reason, I put on all my rain gear and covered the backpack. After three hours, all my clothes were wet from perspiration; the plastic rain coat and pants preventing evaporation; but… Continue reading June 20: Tui, Spain
May 31: Preparing for Portugal
When we were on the way to Santiago, we had to transfer trains. While we had a tea at the depot, I spotted a man ordering a clear liquid, which he poured into his coffee. The bartender said it was a local beverage called aguardiente, made by distilling what is left of the fruit after… Continue reading May 31: Preparing for Portugal