Woman on Her Way

May 16 and 17: Zaragoza

Ten miles out of Bujaraloz, we had our first flat tire. As Dennis was repairing the puncture caused by a metal scrap, I decided to pee in the tall grass and came out covered in ants. Apparently, I squatted over an anthill. Luckily I was wearing rain gear and the little buggers were unable to penetrate the vinyl. Lesson learned.

Again, we faced a head wind, called Cierzo, which is common in winter and spring. We now realize we may be facing this until Logrono. Bummer! I think we will limit our biking to around 30 km/day as a result; its just too hard on the knees.

After passing Alfarjin, the truck traffic left the N-II, to our relief.

Dennis had planned an excellent route into the city and we arrived at the Albergue Zaragoza by midday. After settling in, we went to Recicleta, a bike shop to get from panniers for my bike. I hope these won’t make biking in the wind more difficult than it is.

It is bone-chilling (43 F) and we had to buy warmer shirts, something I had not expected to do. As a Floridian, I can no longer take these temperatures without bundling up. I resemble the Michelin man when riding.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA We are staying an extra day to explore the city, see the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Pilar (right), visit the Friends of the Camino which does not open until 7 pm tonight (hoping we can get more info on the bike route), rest, and avoid an 70% chance of rain.

Our room in the alberque it small with two beds. Most of the residents are young from around the world. At breakfast we spoke with two young Belgians (19 and 28) who are biking throughout Europe, a French woman for Toulouse, and a German woman from Cologne. Both women are traveling alone. At first, I thought how brave they were and then I remembered how I did the same when I was 20. How could I have forgotten? Is it that as we get older, we get less brave? I don’t think I would have undertaken this bike adventure without Dennis–I get lost to easily, and I don’t know how to change a flat. He is my guide and mechanic, I am his translator. Together, we make quite a team.

May 15 Osera de Ebro

Today was a tough day. We started out in the cold and rain. After 10 km (6 mi) the rain stopped, but a 30 km head wind kept us from making any distance. At one point, I was in my lowest gear and pedaling downhill. Not fair! After working to ascend the steep hills, I expect a little reprieve and a quick descent. Not today.

After 36 km (22 mi) will pulled into a truck-stop in Osera de Ebro and called it quits. I was afraid of blowing out my knees if I continued with the effort. The Portal de Monegos has a comfortable bed, hot showers, and non-working WI-FI. We have a connection with four bars, but a rain storm last week broke an internal connection that has not been fixed. Disappointed, I am writing this post to publish next time I have WI-FI.

May 14, Bujaraloz

Arrived at the Espanol, a hotel in Bujaraloz, tired, wet, and hungry, after riding 75 km (45 miles) in hilly country. Nice morning ride to Fraga, then a long uphill climb. Pushed the bike on an 8% grade for 2 km to the top. After that is was a gentle downhill descent for about 10 km. It rained twice while we rode up and down hills. I was stronger today, perhaps because of the rest day. Early 7 pm supper than off to bed.

May 13, Lleida

We left Montserrat around 11 A.M., misty and overcast, via a route that went up the hill…my legs were not prepared for this and I struggled to the top in my lowest gears. Once at the top, we rollercoastered on a narrow two-way mountain road, with steep drop offs. The vistas were breathtaking. On our descent, we met Ishmael Izquierdo, a cyclist who read Aldofo’s blog about meeting us. He lead us about 2 km to an easily missed left-hand turn at Can Maçana. Another angel watching over us! He took our pictures to post in a comment.

After 5 hours and 36 km (22 mi), we arrived at Jorba where we stayed at the Alberg St. Jaume. Again, we were the only two pilgrims at the hostel. The pastor, Enric Garcia, cooked us a 5-star meal worth every cent of 13 E. He is a teacher of philosophy and Catalan, presides over 30 towns, and created and runs the three-year-old albergue. I highly recommend this place for sleep, meals, and good conversation.

The next day we left for Cervera. We biked uphill to Panadella where we stopped for breakfast. Good thing for us that we did–there was no other eatery for miles. Leaving the restaurant, the air was cold and I put on a fleece jacket, ear warmers, and long-fingered bike gloves. It is in the low 50’s and the headwind makes it feel colder. Our descent was quick, until the headwinds started and we had to pedal to move forward. At last, and exhausted, we arrived at Cervera, which is on the top of hill. Both of us walked our bikes to the top, too tired to pedal further.

We stayed with the nuns, at the Cami de Sant Jaume de Galicia. The nuns’ singing impressed me more than the monks in Montserrat. Sister Lucia, a Basque woman, greeted us at the door and was a very kind and concerned person. She is one of the six elderly sisters at the convent.

The next morning we departed around 8:30, but it took us almost an hour to find our way out of the city. After following, well-intentioned directions that had me walking the bike up and down cobbled-stone pathways (man, was I scared!) we realized that had we followed the Ctra. Catalunya to Av. Tarraga we could have easily picked up the N.II, which is the route next to the highway that we are following.

Stopped for breakfast at Tarrago at a pastry shop called El Pati. Riding is hard. Just before Porquerrisses, we stopped to rest and warm up in the sun, leaning on a wall and out of the wind. After riding 36 miles, mostly downhill, but with a headwind, we arrived at Lleida were we are taking a zero day–a day without biking. Last night we ate at Mamilu. The menu of the day was 14.50 E, more than we paid for most meals on the Camino Frances, but worth it. Cathy Collins, one of the pilgrims I interviewed for Women of the Way, said that for only a few Euros more, one could find good food; this was one of those fantastic meals. Overall, the Camino St. Jaume has been more costly than the Camino Frances; but that was two years ago. Once we get to Logrono, we will see if this remains to be true or if the prices have risen as the economy declines.

May 9: Montserrat

Leaving Molins de Rei, Dennis spotted a cyclist and caught up to him to get directions. We had been unable to find how to get to the bike route we were looking for. Adolfo Jimenez was our trail angel. He asked directions at a local hotel, and then lead us as far as Pallejá. He even wrote a blog about our encounter.

Because of his help, we were able to get to St. Andreu de la Barca before the shops closed. There Dennis spotted a Mail Boxes Etc (on Crta. Barcelona) and we stopped to unload some of our weight.

We left St Andreu nearly 64 lbs lighter, having shipped home 15 kg and then forwarding our backpacks with hiking gear (14.15 kg) to Santiago.

The ride to Montserrat was up and down hill, but mostly upward. I was so glad we jettisoned the weight and that huge front pannier. It made the hills climbable as long as I was in my lower range. But when I spotted the cable car at the base of Montserrat, I was more than happy to wimp out and take it to the top. I think we saved at least 3 to 4 hours of pushing the bikes to the top. As it was, we had to push the bikes from the landing up several flights of stairs, not an easy task with all the gear.

This monastery is now a resort, replete with hotels and attractions such as funiculars (railways up the mountain), guided tours, museums, restaurants, and gift shops. There are several school groups and busloads of international tourists. Adding to the noise are church bells and jackhammers—not the tranquility I had anticipated.

We arranged for a room in the albergue, (pilgrim’s hostel) visited the church, and listened to vespers. I was thinking that, like most towns in Spain, dinner would start around 8 p.m.; unfortunately, the only open eatery after the ceremony was in the hotel. Neither of us had eaten since breakfast, so we eat there.

This morning we returned to the monastery to get directions to the next albergues. The kind woman copied pages from a guide-book written in Catalan. With this, we should find our way to Logrono.

We hiked several trails to the top, visiting the various hermitages and gasping at the beauty of Montserrat. Dennis commented that it was good to take a rest day—even if “rest” includes walking uphill for several miles.

Looking forward to the downhill ride tomorrow. Too bad it will take only a few minutes.

Wednesday May 8 – St. Andreau

Dennis and I are leaving the bike store for Montserrat, a mountain-top crag about 35 miles north of Barcelona. I’m a little nervous about riding in the city on a new and fully loaded bike. Dennis has planned the route which means he will pay attention to street signs while I concentrate on avoiding people and cars.

Dennis’s route worked until we got to the E-90 where we were going to take a bike route. We could see the route, but not figure out how to get down to it. Neither could the people we asked. Adolfo came to our rescue. He lead us to his home town of Pallaja. From there we followed his directions.

On the way to St. Andreau, we biked through a tunnel. Once in St. Andreau, Dennis spotted a UPS store. We sent back home the large and heavy front pack on my bike and a set of biking shoes. If it gets cold, we will wear socks. That removed 14.5 K (about 30 lbs). At some point, I will find panniers for the front of the bike. Had we had time to test ride the equipment before we left, we would have realized that this front pack was not appropriate for long-distance travel. Very unwieldy, heavy, and large, obstructing my ability to shift ring gears. We decided the shipping cost (137.24 E) was better than the replacement).

Since it was getting late, we got a room at Hotel Ibis, where we sorted out our hiking and biking clothes. Today we will ship our backpacks with hiking clothes to Santiago. That should relieve us of about another 30 lbs each.

I have been kissed twice by Spaniards since arriving. Once by the salesperson in Tomas Domingo, the bike store, and then yesterday by a pedestrian who stopped to watch us put on our odometers. He told me he would have liked to do a trip as we were commencing, but was too old. When I asked him his age, he replied 60. After telling him that we were older, he kissed both my cheeks. I am starting to like this European custom.

Sunday, May 5 — Barcelona

Yesterday was low-key. Dennis was still not well and spent most of the day in bed. By evening he was starting to feel better and had the first restful sleep in five nights. The rest seems to have helped him.

Its Mother’s Day in Spain, so I get to celebrate the holiday today and again next Sunday.

After a leisurely morning, we met Elena at her house and then walked about 3 km across town to Montjuic . The weather was perfect for walking, about 70F, with blue skies. Being so close the Mediterranean, the air is clear, in spite of all the cars.

At the base of Montjuic, we walked by fountains. We used the escalator to ascend the various levels (using Dennis’ weakness as a rationale to do so). One level had the National Art Museum of Catalonia; another, the 1992 Olympic Ring (where Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballe sang “Barcelona”, one of my favorite songs), and then we walked up to the Botanical Gardens. At the top, we visited the Castell, a fortress which provide a wonderful panorama of the city and harbor.

We took a cable car and then a subway train back into the city. There we ate lunch at a vegan restaurant (Gopal): burger, potatoes with salsa brava, (“wild sauce”, a mildly spicy sauce made with tomato, garlic, onion, and vinegar), and shared a chocolate covered doughnut. Even meat lovers could enjoy this meal.

We visited Placa de Sant Felip Neri in the Gothic Section of town and where 20 children were killed in the Spanish Civil War. Afterwards, went to the parish of St. James, the Apostle to get the first sello (“stamp”) in our pilgrims passport. We are now pilgrims on our way to Santiago, even though we will not leave Barcelona until Tuesday morning.

Friday, May 3: Barcelona

After brunch at the hotel, we went back to the bike shop to retrieve a day back pack that I had left in the front rack pack. Nacho (nick name or Ignacio) kissed me on both checks. When I commented that store personnel in the US don’t have this custom, he replied “Its the latin way. Once kiss on each check.” I retorted, “I can get use to this,” which made him laugh. My bike, a Specialized Tricross, has arrived from the other store and has the front pannier mounted. They still need to add the fenders, back rack, panniers, and seat. Dennis’ bike will arrive Monday morning and should be ready by 6 P.M.

If all goes to plan, on Tuesday we will bike to Montserrat, a hill-top monastery about 35 miles from Barcelona. I am a little nervous about driving a fully loaded and new bike through the city streets where drivers madly weave in traffic and tourist cross streets with little regards to vehicles, including bikes. Even though Barcelona has many bike lanes, walkers do not cede to the bikes and a rider needs to be constantly vigilant.

On the way back to the hotel, we saw a dog carrying his leash in his mouth. At the intersection, the owner held out her hand and the dog stopped. No verbal commands–just the hand signal. There are many well-behaved dogs in Barcelona, and no dog poop; every dog owner carries and uses a poop bag.

Since Dennis is not yet feeling well, we returned to the hotel. When the maid came to clean the room, we went in search of a pay-as-you-go phone for use in Europe. I think we will have to get a phone for Spain, and then a SIM card for each country. Nothing is easy, even in the EU.

For supper we went to NAMASTE a Hindu restaurant. We order a chicken soup for Dennis, a lentil soup for me and a vegetable sampler. I had a small bottle of vino de Rioja, while Dennis ordered coke. After the soup and drink, Dennis started to feel better. Hope is continues. He has been suffering from nonstop hiccups. Once this stops and he can rest, I hope he will be fully recovered.

Tomorrow, if he is better, we will tour sites in Barcelona that we had not seen in 2011. I love this city and could easily live here.

If you are an Epic passenger following my blog, please let me know. I would love to hear from you.

Sunday April 28 (cont.) to May 1

Sunday April 28 (cont.)

It was great to be able to Skype my mom for her 86^th birthday. The internet connection on land was much clearer and faster than on the ship. Also managed to speak with our daughter, Aine, who just returned from a trip to St. Barts.

We had lunch on the top of the mountain where the cable car landed. The ride was about 2 miles long and up 1,037 above the see. On the way back to the ship we stopped at McDonald’s for the WIFI. Dennis was curious and tried a single burger; it tasted just like those in the states.

We made it back to the ship around 5:15 P.M. and at 45 minutes later we set sail (minus 4 passengers). The Cirque Dreams is the best show I have ever seen. The performance stage was within feet of our table. The opening skit involved a contortionist and a large champagne glass. This twenty-odd year old woman bent, stretched, and positioned her body to extremes. There were tumblers, aerialists, jugglers using cabbages and French breads (since it was a dinner theater, there was a food theme). I, and almost every other woman, particularly enjoyed a very sexy act with an Adonis-type aerialist and a bathtub. Two acrobats fell when the ship swayed, but managed to complete their skit. The clown/ring master was key to the evenings performance, he involved members of the audience in various acts and orchestrated the troupe’s movements.

Monday, April 29

The 8-ft. swells made the stateroom creak and kept me awake most of the night. The lack of sound sleep and forwarding the clock on hour made me groggy and slow this morning. No desire to exercise. Hopefully I will feel more ambitious later today.

Dennis photoed our receipts with the cell phone (so as not to use the batteries in the camera). On our last trip, we kept all the receipts and many faded before we recorded them. The photographs makes it easy and don’t require extra space in our backpacks or needing to mail them home. Uploading the files to Google drive ensures that they are not lost.

We played with our suitcases trying to determine how best to carry our bike gear and baggage off the ship. We eliminated two cases. Once we buy bikes and get the bags mounted, we will need to rearrange the contents according to whether we are biking or hiking. I will be happy when this is all sorted out.

We will each have a backpack, a belly bag, a hand back, and two suitcases when we disembark. I hope customs is as easy as it was when we landed in Barcelona two years ago; I would hate to have to open everything.

After dinner, we watched the movie The Impossible, the true story about a family’s survival of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, how they were separated by the tidal wave, and then found each other. Really good acting. After the movie, we passed the Rock of Gibraltar. From our balcony and through the mist and dark, all we could see was a looming shadow. This is the second time I pass the monolithic limestone promontory; the other time I flow over it on my way to Morocco, more that 43 years ago. Neither time did I really get to see it.

Tuesday, April 30

With all the eating and lazing around, I had no ambitions for excising. I rationalized the day off saying that I will soon be burning calories as I peddle around Spain. We dedicated a good portion of the day to sorting out our bags and clothes. Until we are ready to put the saddle bags onto the bikes, we will be living out the the backpacks. We put together a suitcase full of street clothes and then gave the case to Milka, on of the women working on the ship as a waitress. She will either keep the clothes for herself or send it to her extended family in the Philippines. I wonder how men there are there with size 15 feet.

During our stay on the Epic, we spoke with many of the crew, many of which have been with NCL for 10+ years. This is one of the cruise lines that has accommodations for married couples, allows pregnant women to complete their contract, requires only 10-hour work days, and seems to treat the personnel well. Everyone that we spoke with seemed happy to be working for this company. The fact that NCL treats its workers decently is a reason for us to sail with them again.

Last night we watched another Legends presentation. The impersonators included Adele, Tom Jones, and Tina Turner. It is amazing how these actors look, act, and sing like the characters they are portraying. After dinner, Dennis spent a few bucks at the slot machines. Since neither of us are gamblers, we had to ask an attendant how to play the games. It doesn’t take long to spend $10, even at the two-cent slot machine.

Went to bed around 11 P.M., ending our voyaging. Tomorrow we begin a new adventure: trying to buy our bikes in Barcelona.

Wednesday May 1

Dennis awoke during the night with vomiting and has been sick all day. It took all his strength to disembark. We carried sea-sickness bags and with had to stop often for him to use them or get strength to continue. He was so pale and haggard looking.

Once off the gangplank, we had to lugged our suitcases about a quarter mile to the custom’s building. We each had a back pack and a belly bag. Dennis dragged two suitcases while I had one and a shoulder bag. Lots of luggage for two people going on a bike ride. Several of the bags have bike gear which will be added to the new bikes.

Once we got outside, there were no ATMs. Without the local currency, we could not ride the bus nor, I thought, take a taxis. I walked to the next terminal and got in line for Western Union, only to find out that they only transfer money not withdraw it. Finally, after about 45 minutes, someone suggested getting a taxis and asking them to stop at an “automatico.” So I got in line for the taxi and tried to explain what I needed to do. As she was looking for a the ATM, I asked if she took credit cards, which turned out to be the solution. I wish someone had explained that process prior to wasting all that time, especially with Dennis so sick and waiting for me on a bench.

When we got to the Pension Palacio where were are staying for one night, Dennis could hardly climb to the second story, which in Spain, is the third floor up. I got him into bed, carried all the luggage to the room, and then went to the pharmacy for anti-vomiting medication.

While Dennis slept, I found an ATM and went looking for a room for the upcoming nights. There are none! Today is May Day, a European holiday causing an influx of tourist to the city this week. I went all over this end of town looking for an affordable room.

Discouraged, I returned to the pension. Since Dennis was feeling a little better, we walked to a tourist office to see if they could help us locate a place to stay. There is one, but far away. Fortunately, a fellow pilgrim from our 2011 Camino walk, offered us to stay with her in her studio for a few days. I imagine it will be crowded, but I think we can make an arrangement.

We also contacted a store about purchasing bikes. We placed a tentative order and will confirm it tomorrow after checking out another store; Dennis would like to see if we can get touring bikes rather than off-road ones.

If all goes well, we will pedal out of Barcelona on Sunday.

April 25 to April 28 aboard NCL Epic

Thursday April 25

Last night they canceled the Cirque de Soleil show, moved it to the night we are in Funchal (Sunday). We are experiencing 30+ Ft. waves and 45 mph winds. Everyone looks drunk as they try to walk around the ship. Did manage to get to the gym and sit on the stationary bikes for about 1.5 hrs—but my bottom is still sore from not having ridden in so long. I also had to keep my eyes closed to prevent vertigo.

The captain announced that their biggest concern with the restless sea was the possibility of losing a lifeboat. If the lifeboat senses the water they could set themselves free. That is how high the waves and troughs were! One woman at the dinner table confessed that, after hearing the captain speak, she slept with her life-preserver nearby. I wasn’t that paranoid, but I did wonder what it would be like in the lifeboat with those waves.

Today, I was disappointed by the mystery dinner theater; the food was mediocre, a first time for us on the Epic. Also, the acting was not up to par. Maybe it was the crowd (not very responsive) or the ship’s rocking, but for what ever reason, the act dragged and was not funny.

The internet connection is very slow making it difficult Skype my parents. Once we get on land, we will be able to have longer chats.

Dennis and I decided against taking a tour in Funchal. Instead, we will walk a half hour into town, try to find an internet cafe, Skype my parents, upload my blog and Camino Tip, and check on email, etc. We also want to see if the return transatlantic cruises or offered yet. We would like to schedule the return trip. NCL offers a 12-day voyage leaving on October 1, from Copenhagen to Miami. I would like to see if there is an earlier one, arriving home around the 1^st.

If time permits, after all this internet work, we will try to see some of the sites. There is a cable car ride that is takes us to a panorama of the city. From the top of the mountain, there is a wicker basket ride to the bottom. We’ll see what cost and time will permit.

Friday, April 26

We shifted forward an hour during the night. By the time a got up and worked out, it as after ten when we went for breakfast. I really appreciate the restaurants and use those more than the buffet; they are more cozy and the food portions are controlled.

It is hard to tell if I am putting on weight…the scale changes about 10 lbs. with the ship’s swaying. My best guess is that I am about the same, or a few pounds heavier. Unbelievably, Dennis has lost weight, which means he will have to be careful not to lose too much once we start pedaling.

Curiously, I am still not feeling excited about our upcoming adventure. Since Dennis and I prefer casual seating for dinner, the conversation usually includes a description of what we will do once we disembark in Barcelona. People are usually impressed with our plans—five months of hiking and biking is daunting for many. Yet, I feel ambivalent. I am looking forward to walking the Camino Portuguése and Hadrian’s Wall. The biking, on the other hand, just seems like a lot of work. Perhaps this is because I have not been pedaling a lot for the past several years. Hopefully, once I get back on the saddle, my outlook will improve.

Today I plan to write a book review, a blog, and a Camino tip. This evening we will see a satirical comedy act and maybe even an “a cappella” barbershop quintet.

Saturday April 27

Five time zones down, one to go. After exercising and having breakfast, I just want a nap. Tomorrow we will explore Funchal, the capital of Madeira, a Portuguese Island. It will be nice to walk around and enjoy the sites.

Today Dennis and I went bowling; there are six lanes on ship. It’s been years since I bowled, and I am not very good at it, so I used the kiddie bumpers; Dennis did not. In the last frame, I got a spare. Not realizing that I had to bowl one more ball for the score, Dennis got up and knocked down seven pins. Thus, with his help, I won 78 to 77.

This evening we saw the comic magician, Bruce Gold. I didn’t find him skillful in comedy or magic. We walked around the jogging deck than listened to music while sipping a beer. Dennis commented that cruising was a relaxing way to start our demanding trip. I agreed.

Sunday April 28

Sitting in internet cafe in sunny Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Will Skype my mom on her birthday and have a long chat. Tonight is the Cirque de Soleil performance. Everyone on the ship says that it is the best act of the week.