My great adventure has come to an end... if you want to check out the photos from the rest of my journey, send me an email and ill send you the link.

im back in the dusty city made of plastic: somewhereinthemiddleeast.blogspot.com

The last couple of days in Madrid have been phenominal. Great city, did the museums, lots of tapas, lots of Flamenco. Have loaded myself up with a selection of Flamenco CD greats, and a wicked pair of professional castanets:)

Tried the local delicacy "churros con chocolate" (ie deep fried dough dipped in chocolate) twice at 3am in the morning. Prawns here are amazing... have had my share of gelato and calamare to last me two years.

Almost pick-pocketed... I gave the lady about 8 dirty looks.

Sad that my trip is at an end.

Leaving on a jet plane in a couple of hours. Now if only I could be shure that my back pack weighs less that 20kg... (cheap airlines... grrr)

Enjoying the quiet town of Girona:)

Went to the beach on the Costa Brava... went to Dali´s home town to see his wierd museum:)

Good movie: Te doy mis hojos...

My feet are back to their normal size (more or less).... had an amazing meal...

Off to Madrid tomorrow... 4 days left (sigh)

The last 4 days in Barcelona have been great! It has changed a lot since I was last here 10 years ago but have enjoyed the sights and the people and the hospitality a lot.

Went to a flamenco performance on two nights ago... watched an Argentinian band have had my share of pinchos. oh... and I´m all Gaudi´d out for the second time in my life.

I am slowly acclimatizing to the Spanish late nights and the heat...

my feel have swollen significantly... not sure if it´s the weather or the aftermath of the camino or not... it still hurts to walk in the morning.

In good spanish fashion the guys I have been staying with have their very own "meat supply"


On my way out of the city today to enjoy some beach and a travel buddy from Nicaragua

Bilbao was phenominally cool for the museum. Somehow I managed to show up on the day where there is a fiesta and everybody does absolutely nothing and the only thing that is open is the Museums. So I did the Gug and the Bellas Artes.

The following 3 days I spent with a friend and her very cool extended family. Went to a funky church out on a peninsula,

went to the beach, went on a hike through the mountains and a river

and had an awesome paella lesson:)

Am now in BARCELLONA with friends.

PS: In total, I walked about 944km from the beginning... My feet still hurt.

Day 35
Santiago de Compostella- Negreira
22km
After 3 nights in the city, my journey continues... tough doing another 6am morning. new gang of friends different from the first part of the camino. Flashed by a random Spaniard in the woods... good meal.



Day 36
Negreira - Olveiro
30 km
My first long day in a while. So many people on the camino from the festival it was a race to get in line for the Albergue. We got there at 12:30... great meal... Albergue didnt open until 3:30. It rained and was butt cold.

Day 37
Olveiro - Muxia
33km

To avoid the big crowd to Finisterre, I headed along the northern route to Muxia... nice quiet empty hostel... my first glimpse at the atlantic and a swim in the icy water.


Day 38
Muxia - Finisterre
33-35km
A complicated day... but well worth it. The trail between Muxia and Finisterre was poorly marked... we ended up walking back and forth several times before finding the right route...


Finally made it:



Km 0:

We reached Finisterre proper in the afternoon, and did the traditional swim. Went to the lighthouse at the "edge of the earth" to watch the cloudy sunsent. I burned my socks.

I took my first transit ride today and am now back in cloudy Santiago. The buzz of the festival has died down. I leave for Bilbao early tomorrow to visit a friend for a few days

Day 34

The fireworks were perhaps the best I´ve seen in my life... I´ve never seen anyone light fireworks of a church before... quite spectacular with amazing music.

The city is alive with music, and people. The church was packed out today for the arrival of the Patron. They did the big swingy incense thing. I stood near a pillar as I only arrived an hour early and wasnt able to get a seat. Today I made a vow once again to never be a mean little old lady with pointy elbows.

After church, a large separatist group formed in one of the plazas to sing and dance which then led to a parade through the streets with bagpipes, flutes, castanets and songs in Gallego.

I´ve eaten enough octopus to last a lifetime

Day 31
Arzua - Monte de Gozo
36 km

Day 32
Monte de Gozo - Santiago de Compostella
4km

This was a great day. I picked up my compostella, did the hug, looked at the casket and had a great meal. The city is alive with people. My travel buddy went on to Finisterre because of time constrictions, and I stayed here for the big party on the 25th.

Day 33
Had an amazing sleep in and got up out of bed at 9am... so much better than the 5am wakeup that Im used to. My body seems to be slowly adjusting. The city is slowly filling full of people that were behind me that I met along the way. Tonight Im going to try for a meal at the Mirador. I´ve booked a flight for Bilbao after I get to Finisterre. I´ve decided to go the extra long route to Muxia before heading to Finisterre.

Day 28 Samos - Portomarin
29km

Bumped into some old friends this day

Day 29 Portomarin - Casanova
30 km

Day 30 Casanova - Arzua
24.5km

Only 40 km to go to Santiago and then another 90 to Finisterre (aka the end of the earth). Im still trying to decide whether to stay for a few extra days in Santiago for the big festival on the 25th... the king will be there and it should be a fun time.

Day 22
Villar de Mazarife- Astorga
30km

Day 23
Astorga-Rabanal
21km

Day 24
Rabanal - Ponferrada
35km

Day 25
Ponferrada- Villafranca del Bierzo
25.5km

Day 26
Villafranca del Bierzo - O Cebreiro
28km

Day 27
O Cebreiro - Samos
33km

Just a couple of days left to Santiago. The trail is now filled with spaniards and the overwhelmingly German population of the trail that plagued my Spanish has now slowed to a trickle with the exception of my flea-bitten, overly-bandaged travel companion. The number of people on the trail is now over the top.

Everyone gets up at 5am , leaves at 6am and races to the next hostel. If I make it to Portomarin tomorrow I only have 93km to Santiago:)

Day 20 Puente de Vilarente - Leon
13km
Will post photos soon.

My travel buddy has flees.

Leon was beautiful for the cathedral, the old church that has painting dated back to 800AD that have never been redone and look phenomenal and the Gaudi building.

The food was not so stellar... and pidgeons in the main street spooked all of the tourists out.

Went to an evening vesper service.... very peaceful... and a ton of pilgrims began their trip from leon...

Day 21 Leon - Villar de Mazarife
22 km

Took the road less travelled and have begun to start doing the siesta thing. More Spanish speaking pilgrims on the trail now... and I met my 2 first Anglophone Canadians today...:) Am in a quiet sleepy town with friendly people. Paella is on the menu tonight:)

Long day tomorrow.

Day 18 Terradillos de los Templarios - Calzadillas de los Hermanillos

Today was an interesting day as I waved goodbye to 2 of my travel buddies before they went home only to bump into them later in the day along with two other people that I hadn´t seen in over 2 weeks. Ended up in a quiet village engulfed in sparrows.

This place looks like Saskachewan

Day 19 Calzadillas de los Hermanillos - Puente de Villarente
31.5km

12 km to get to Leon tomorrow... I love the Spanish Postal system... I sent stuff to myself from Pamplona and am arriving a day late. I phoned to ask them if it was ok for them to hold it and they said no problem... and then wished me a buen camino....

It´s been several days since my last entery... With the several German companions that I´ve been traveling with... we made our way out of the foothills of the Pyrenes and into the wine region of la Rioja. AMAZING. Hills turned into vineyards as the sun beat down on us. I traded in my shoes for a pair of sandals and mannaged to heel my blisters over the last several days.

We also made our way into the local paper as "Spanish Football Fans"

Day 9 Logrono- Najera 30km

Day 10 Najera- Santo Domingo 21km

"Mr Blister"... on a more holy note.. one of my travel buddies has mannaged to clock 7 blisters on one foot at the same time.

Day 11 Santo Domingo- Belorado 23 km

Day 12 Belorado - San Juan de Ortega 24 km


Deep fried blood sausage.... mmmmmmmmmm


Day 13 km San Juan - Burgos

Here I managed to sneak my way into the last spot in the Albergue... They appear to be getting fuller the closer we get to Santiago... my friend slept on the floor... got to pick up an air mattress


Day 14 Burgos
I took a day of in Burgos to see the city and the amazing cathedral...

Day 15 Burgos- Itero de la Vega 50.5 km
My most walked day do far... alone... I caught up with my travel buddies.... and started to get a nasty blister... After Burgos, the landscape changed again from hills to the flat shade-barren land of the meseta... luckily I had clouds.

Day 16 Itero de la Vega - Carrion de los Condes 33.5 km
The end of this day was brutal. Heat stroke...flu


Day 17 Carrion de los Condes- Terradillos de los Templarios 26.5

We´re over half way there!!! Only 389km left!!!

My appologies for not writing sooner. So much has happened since my last entry. I have now walked 164 km am in the town of Logrono to watch the game between Spain and Germany.

Day 1 St Jean Pied de Port - Roncesvalles
25.5 km

My first day was absolutely spectacular as I made my way through the Pyrenees which was absolutely spectacular. My hiking boots then were brutal. My the end of the third day I had five blisters on my feet and swore to buy some sandals that I could walk and send some stuff home.


Day 2 Rocesvalles- Larrasoana
26.5 km
The trail is easier today. I am surrounded by mostly Germans, a lot of Dutch people riding bikes. Along the trail are memorials of people who have died along the way over the years.




Day 3 Larrasoana - Pamplona
16.5 km

An easy day. The sheep that surrounded us before are slowly disappearing and instead the landscape of Nevarra is turning into Vineyard

Day 4 Pamplona
We took a day to relax. I bought new sandals for walking and sent about 5 kilos of stuff to myself in Leon.

I found out that the stuff I sent to Santiago will be thrown out in 20 days. Watched a football game with German amigos and a Turkish born German.... was so excited to eat pork at the beginning. Tapas is so fatty here that I got really sick. I avow only to eat fish from now on

Day 5 Pamplona- Puenta la Reina
27.5km
I love my new shoes. Im a new person now that I have a lighter back pack. I am severely sunburned.
Day 6
Puenta la Reina - Villa major
32 km
Snoring people... nice village... froze to death

Day 7 Villamayor de Monjardin - Torres del Rio
20 km
My travel buddies are sore. Taking it slow.

Day 8 Torres del Rio - Logrono
21km
Eating lots of chocolate... feeling good. Germany battles Spain tonight for the EU cup... will wear red so I dont get the snot kicked out of me alongside my German friends.

The last couple of days have been a world-wind of planes, trains and walks. I landed in Madrid two days ago and took the long way to the north eastern town of Vitoria.

My train ride took a total of 5 hours. It was absolutely breathtaking. Living in the desert, my mind seemed to have forgotten all the different shades of green that exist. I couldn't stop staring out the window in wonder. Poppies fill many of the fields. The other thing that is blowing my mind is how far away I can see. There is nothing like sand to obscure your view.

I was surprised to discover that my Spanish is understandable in Spain and I've forgotten how much I fit in in Europe. I'm trying to dumb down my overt central american/mexican accent and adapt the funky Castalleno "s".

It sounds so sexy.

Vitoria was lovely, I had a nice long bath, bought a Spanish SIM card... (if you want to phone me, send me an email)

The next day was another trek of little put-put trains and some walking until I made it over the Pyrenees and into France. I travelled from 9am-4:30 pm.

My guide book didnt seem to have things spelled out so clearly but the Journey went something like this:

Vitoria- Irun- walk 500 m - Irun - Hendaye (France) - Hendaye - Bayonne - walk around and bought a charger for my cell phone- Bayonne - St Jean Pied de Port.

The Pilgrim hostel is full of people from many different Europeans and a few Americans. The cockle shell (the sign of St James) lines the streets and the locals here are very friendly and familiar with the pilgrims.

Some have travelled by bike. My current companions in town are cyclists from Belgium, a Spaniard beginning her walk and a French guy. The guy sitting next to me as I type this started in Belgium and has been walking for 3 months!!

Last night I awoke in the hostel at about 4 am to come to the realization that I was freezing. My body isn't use to the rapid change of temperature here.

I plan to stay in St Jean Pied de Port for one more night as tonight is the Noche de San Juan. Sounds of people practicing Basque music are beginning to eminate from houses here and there. The looming 776km that await me seem almost impossible particularly with the weight of my backpack.

I sent several items on to Santiago today to pick up at the end of the Journey... tonight is a party... i will begin my walk through the Pyrenes tomorrow at 7 am.

WORK IS DONE!!!

I have exactly 12 hours before I take off on my flight. I've finished packing and have managed to get myself down to a bare minimum of 11kg (24 lbs)


Fleece pants, Booties, 2 pairs of Umbros, 2 paris of socks, 2 running shirts, pjs, 2 pairs underwear, rain pants, rain jacket, 2 walking sticks, 2 L camelback, Vitamins, Toiletries, Camera and batterie, silk sleeping bag liner, map, pilgrim passport, hiking boots, phone, shower slippers, blister kit, duct tape, swiss army knife, head lamp, camino book, japanese neck massager, back pack safety chain... and the chain that my student/teachers gave to me as a thank-you yesterday.

... and one camino badge to look legit on the trail:)

I don't think I've ever done a long hike with so little (keeping in mind that my camelback is empty and that I'm not carrying any food on me at the moment). But then again, I don't think I've ever done such a long hike. From start to finish the hike is over 700 km. With a little luck, I'll be done in 30 days or so...

I am bringing a few extra things along which I will send to myself at santiago de compostela.

... First stop... Madrid:)

After spending several months dreaming about it, my plans to begin walking el Camino de Santiago de Compostela are almost here. My bag has been packed, unpacked, minimized, and repacked umpteen times.

I have one last trek out to the western zone to finish a final two lessons before I hop onto a plane. As light reading between now and then, I'm reading Paulo Coelho's "The Journey". I have to say though, that although this book is on topic, the beginning chapter is enough to turn me off of it altogether.

I will miss my gang here, but after spending just over a year in the desert, I am really really really ready to see something green.