Moving blog sites

Hi all,
I had trouble sending photos on this platform, so for this next trip I'll be posting to a new blog that I hope will be easy to use (I don't like spending any more than 15 minutes a day) and will post photos.
Here it is and if you want to follow along, just subscribe: Travels in my seventies
Happy travels to all of those on the road now.
Mary & Les

Ah yes, walking into Mérida

We enjoyed the short walk.... 15km, and Mérida is a beautiful city to approach on foot. Our plan was to find somewhere to stay (municipal albergue didn’t sound great) so we walked over a very long Roman bridge and came to a ruin, Mithreo’s House. I moved to check the opening hours and price and looked over to see Noëlle speaking to someone inside the gate. By the time I got back to her (10feet) these two women, visiting the ruin, were inviting us to stay in Lesley’s house. A quick exchange of phone numbers and her address and our priority suddenly changed to something to eat. A young man had handed us a flyer for a restaurant so off we went to have our first comida........three course lunch from 1-3. It seemed everything Noëlle wanted to order was either not in season or not what she thought, but we both finally decided and enjoyed our lunch. We ambled to Lesley’s house which was right downtown overlooking yet another ruin. As she told us, no one in Mérida wants to do renos because it’s likely a ruin will be found and the dig will begin. So people put up with alot. 

Who is Lesley? She and her friend Carola worked and met in the Orkneys. Lesley is British, lived in the US for many years, was a speech therapist and had recently moved to Mérida. Lovely two bedroom furnished flat for €300 per month. So we cleaned up and around 5 rushed out to see the Roman theatre. After returning, we three met Carola and her brother for tapas and wine and chat and chat. 

After a great sleep, Carola came over at 8:15 am and Lesley led us in a 30 minute yoga session. Then we managed to get ourselves organized to go to breakfast for migas http://recetasdecocina.elmundo.es/2015/10/migas-pan-receta-casera.html

A friend of Lesley’s from Saskatoon joined us. She’s done all sorts of caminos and now lives about 90 minutes north of Mérida. And then Noëlle and I were off to the bus station, taking in more ruins on the way. 

The bus got us into Salamanca by 6:30 and with the beacon of the two cathedrals as our guide, and Noëlle ‘s great sense of direction, we made our way to the albergue where we will be Hospitaleras. Victor, the supervisor was there, while the current Hospitalera was waiting for us by the church. He ran to get her, we took off our packs and the four of us locked up (no pilgrims) and went for tapas. What a great welcome!!! 4 glasses of wine, 4 large tapas....10€. 

On to Villafranca de Los Barros

Before we even started our day, we had a plan. We would walk the 20km, stay in Villafranca and the next morning, take the bus the next leg to Torremejía....27km and from there, walk into Mérida. The comments about the albergue in Torremejía were not great, my toe hurt and Noëlle’s legs were hurting a bit, so it seemed like a good plan. 

So as we entered Villafranca, we decided NOT to stay where our friends had the previous night as it seemed a little out of town. (It was likely closer to the bus terminal but we didn’t know that then.) We walked to albergue Carmen. Closed for January and February. On to albergue Extrenatura. Liked the name. The woman was helpful and we were the only people there in our room for two. Dinner was tapas and beer and tasted great. 

The next morning we took to the bus to Torremejía and while waiting and in the bus, we met a woman from Germany who walks the camino. She likes winter walking and had been walking since the end of September. She was taking the bus to Mérida so she could walk out of Mérida for less expensive accommodation. Her budget is €10 per day for room and board. She said the the piece from Sevilla, being so wide and open, really left her no place protected to camp. Oh my. It’s a whole different lifestyle. She said she lives in the here and now and owns no property. 

On to Zafra..... 24km

We headed out early in the morning with a piece of toast under our belts, looking for someplace that would have our usual fried eggs. We saw from the map that there was a restaurant in Calzadilla de Los Barros, about 6-7km up the road. As we reached the outskirts, Noëlle spied a farmacia....closed but a little further on, another one. There was a gentleman ahead of us and the shop was so small that we had to figure out where we could squish ourselves so that the automatic door would close. The gentleman was getting 7 prescriptions and counting out his money. He only had €1.30 so he had to return later in the day with the other euro. Parmacare for seniors rules in Spain. 

I showed the pharmacist my toe and the mess caused by mistreating a blister and asked for an antibiotic cream/ointment. He looked at it carefully, got out gauze, the ointment, scissors, micropore tape and then lifted the counter bit between us, put on gloves and went to work. We could hear his wife call him and when her head came around the corner and she took in the scene, she disappeared, came back with her phone and asked if she could take pictures. As he was finishing up five minutes later, she handed us 3 photos from her printer. Too funny. So, I bought all of the equipment and we set off, overshot the restaurant, had to return as there was nothing else for 18km and enjoyed our eggs and bread, coffee and juice, outside in the sun, watching traffic and most importantly, a bus! Who knew you could travel this camino by bus?😉

We arrived in Zafra at the albergue sponsored by the Amigos de Via de last Plata. The Hospitalera was lovely. When I told her I too was a Hospitalera, she asked if I’d like to take over the next day. Apparently, this season, she had worked 130 days, driving from Sevilla to do so for each two week period. After a rest, we went out for dinner, returning at 9:30 to a locked albergue. We ran the bell and she seemed quite miffed as she thought we had already gone to bed and so had she. Oh well. The next morning, breakfast, of sorts,  was laid out but no one was around. A bit strange,but very comfortable and quiet. 

A lot is catching up

I’ve been so busy just being with Noëlle that blogging was the last thing on my mind. I’ll hit the high points. 

When we finally got off the bus in Monesterio we were starving (10am) so we shared a breakfast of two eggs, chorizo and chips. Lots of energy for the walk ahead of us. Only 21km, but we were so excited we walked the first 17 or so without a break. I was already dealing with a blister that started on the 24th and I had been told to wrap in compeed. Don’t do this. Compeed is for before a blister, just when you feel the hot spot. Anyway, we stopped for 15 minutes, balancing on one of the foot cubed markers. By the time we got to the albergue in Fuente de Cantos, Noëlle had discovered a few tiny toe blisters. 

We called the number on the door of the albergue and within 3 minutes a large car rolls up, young man (30?) jumps out and opens the door and gives us our private room, beautiful bathroom down the hall, and kitchen (where he would lay out breakfast the next morning). He quickly left to return to the family lunch. Later, in the bar across the street, as soon as we entered, a man got up to give us his table, which had a table cover to the floor and a heater underneath. He then returned a minute or so later to say “madre? Hija?” And I said si and he said “padre y, pointing to the albergue, mi hijo”. He was very proud of his son. 

On to Zafra.......later

Trains and planes and busses

Since I started walking on January 15th, I’ve been looking forward to seeing Noëlle. Well, yesterday she arrived, but because of the orange haired spray tanned man south of Canada, there was a mess in the skies so her flight was delayed by two hours in Vancouver and missed the connection to Sevilla, our meeting place. And I found this out as I was on the bus from Monesterio to meet her. There was nothing for it but to take the bus back, pick up my pack from the Hostal, book a hotel in Sevilla for both of us, get back to Sevilla, and meet the train at 7:35. Boy, it was great to see her! Fortunately she’d slept a bit on the flights, so was up for going for tapas and a glass of wine. Eating outside at 8pm was marvellous. And then showers and bed. 

This morning we walked through Sevilla for the 9am bus to Monesterio. The scenery was marvellous but as we approached Monesterio we could see low cloud and mist. So our 22km walk today was cool to cold and we were glad to have jackets, toques and gloves. The time went quickly as we talked about anything and everything. Lots of laughs and memories too. By 3pm we were standing outside the door of the albergue and what a deluxe place. Sheets, towels, heat, a beautiful bathroom and kitchen, all for €15 each. We’re so lucky. 

On to Monesterio

Once rested at the albergue in El Real de la Jara, Geert and I decided to walk to the castle. Before we started off, another pilgrim arrived....at 6pm. A young man from Madrid (although originally from Santiago), he had walked 45km that day, aiming to be in Mérida by Monday so he could return to work in Madrid. Up at the castle we met Sarah and agreed we’d all had a nice short day. Geert has blisters and I have one starting on my little toe but all in all we’re all fine. 

We found out why Fabio carries a laptop with him. As well as being a juggler, street performer, he earns his living with online gambling. So we are a diverse four, not only in nationality. 

Yesterday’s walk to Monesterio was through more park land, with olive trees, oak trees surrounded by the fallen chestnuts, and pigs snuffling around, eating the acorns. 

I went to the parochial albergue, supported in past years by the London chapter of the CCoP, but it was closed. The museum dedicated to Iberian Ham was open so I had a tour. 

I’m now on the bus to Sevilla....3€, 90 minutes, 5 days walking, to meet Noëlle and return to Monesterio to continue walking to Mérida. 

Almadén to El Real de la Jara 15km.

I started my morning like every morning......in a bar. This one was a bit different as it was very small, 3 tables and 7-8 men at the bar having their morning coffee and brandy. BUT, one table had four women, the other a young couple and the third a single old man. I joined him but as soon as my coffee arrived, he left. I always ask “Hay huevos?”  When ordering my coffee and I love it when they say yes and I can order my two fried eggs. Always the best start to a morning filled with walking. So for 3€ I had coffee, eggs and bread. And off I went. Within minutes as I’m making my way out of town on a rocky path, with a little uphill grade, the north wind was pummeling me. So I had a camino moment.....good thing I’m not cycling, or this would be really hard. In less than 30 minutes the wind had died down and I was inside the Parque Natural SierraNorte. All day walking on a lovely path with beautiful views. Dark pigs (source of that lovely Iberian jamón), calves, lakes, and all along, oak trees producing the acorns on which the pigs feed. There was a bit of an uphill grind but again, the views were great.

I arrived in El Real de Jara at 1:30, checked into the albergue (unheated again), and proceeded to shower and wash some clothes as the sun and breeze are out!

Geert, the young Dutch guy is lying down now but promises to make soup later on. And I’ll have a wander around town after a rest. 

Three days from Sevilla

I’ve now met a few pilgrims. Sarah, from Colorado caught up with me in Camas, the first town outside of Sevilla. Geert, from Holland found us the next day as did Fabio from Italy. It is the first Camino for these three. I’m enjoying the conversation. Yesterday I walked with Sarah from Gallena to Castilblanco de los Arroys. Today we all walked separately as I knew I would walk slower. If I try and do 6km per hour my knees really take a beating. However, 5 seems fine. And today was 29km total. About 27km undulating and then the grouse grind for 1km and then 1km of downhill which I do backwards. I’m now settled in the same albergue as Fabio. Very clean and lovely but no heat. The temp outside is 9c. Fortunately there are lots of polar fleece blankets on the 10 beds so Fabio and I will be bundled tonight. I’m going to dinner soon and hoping I won’t have to settle for just tapas. I had the wit to buy a small quest bocadilla this morning before leaving town and I also have a chocolate bar which I broke open today. 

Tomorrow is only 14km. 

Dos Hermanas to Sevilla

I’m just about to set foot out the door of the Black Swan Hostel Sevilla and start walking north. Yesterday from Dos Hermanas to Sevilla was fairly easy. Weather has been great and yellow arrows are beginning to appear more often. 

Out of Dos Hermanas, before heading into the open fields, I stopped for coffee at the BP gas station. My first rest stop in six days. Marvy. 

And last night at the hostel there was a free communal meal. A young man from Mexico City, an accountant by trade, volunteers three times a week to cook dinner for whoever has signed up on the list. There were about 30 of us. Pasta with a tomato and veggie sauce. We were invited to help from 7-8 so I chopped potatoes and peppers. It felt so good to be part of a group again. And dinner was tasty and fun. 

And a note. The only place I could get a sello (stamp for my credencial) last night at 6pm was Hotel Simon.......not the cathedral and not the tourist office.

Later.......I’m now in Guillena, about 23km north of Sevilla. The big news today is that I’ve met another pilgrim! Sarah from Colorado. And there are tons of yellow arrows so I rarely look at maps.me. Very freeing not to HAVE to pull out my phone except for a photo. And a number of cyclists wished me a Buen Camino and a couple of gents stopped to chat and wish me well, saying they had walked the route three years ago. A fair number of Canadian pins were handed out today. 

Looking forward to a short 18km day tomorrow with breakfast at a bakery/café about 1km up the road. 

Utrera to Dos Hermanas

A really lovely walking day although just on the outskirts of Utrera I thought it might rain so decided to do the one legged pigeon and change out of my pants, into my rain pants and gaiters and back to my boots. All those years of yoga paid off! 

A few km later I was walking through a beautiful area full of pine, eucalyptus, olive and bamboo and of course cactus. Have you ever wondered where the idea for barbed wire fencing come from? I’ll post a pic on Facebook as am still unable to post pics on this blog. 

I then saw some rabbit condos and further ahead lots of rabbits crossing and recrossing the path. The farmers must hate them. 

I found the Hostal Santa Isabel and the welcome st the bar was very nice. A free beer while I waited and then a bubble bath!

Went out for dinner with Gerald Kelly of the guide fame and it was wonderful to share a meal (first in a week) and chat in English. 

La Cabazas to Utrera.....yesterday....36km

What a day! I’ve had a great map, downloaded from the Dutch group but there was a wee error. First, I’m walking by a canal but the description of the Spanish site said “walking by the train tracks”. After a couple of hours, a guardia civil came by, almost ran me down as I was having my lunch break, and told me I had to get off the canal path. Did he offer to drive me? No. So for my break: one half of a sweet bun, the other half to be consumed for lunch with an apple. 

I walked for another hour or so, found myself in a bit of a pickle as I was beside a minor road and having to cross over a major highway to get to the other side of the tracks that I could see. I checked the map again and then remembered Doug’s advice to download the Spanish maps. I had hesitated as I thought my map might look a mess but bingo bongo and in 10 seconds, in the middle of nowhere I had a yellow (Spanish) line on my map and saw that the red line (Dutch) was different. So, I found a route, and then saw some arrows to take me under the tracks. 

When I finally pulled into Utrera about 5, I was completely spent. I phone a hostal (family owned hotel) that was about 1km away and she said she’d wait for me. I was like a horse to the barn door and she wasn’t there. I buzzed, waited 5 minutes and then called again. She’d lost the keys, she’d be there in 10. I waited 20 and then called the Hotel Verecruz and hustled back the 1km. The hostal was nowhere near restaurants and was 25€. The hotel had 3 restaurants and 3 bars on the street and breakfast included for 53€. And there was a hair dryer. As anyone on Camino knows, the hair dryer is such a bonus as you can dry your clothes!!! So I took myself out to a restaurant which served tapas and platos. The first tapa was a plate with two breaded fish, each almost the size of my hand. No photo as I inhaled them. The second tapa was a mero empanado. Fish empanada right? No, even better: cod, peppers and pulpo on a skewer. 

All this and two small beer for 8.50€. I slept so well. 

El Cuervo de Sevilla to Las Cabezas de San Juan

Note: my photos won’t load so I’ve posted some on Facebook. 

Most of the 28km were blissful, flat, no brainer stuff, bookended by the first 4.5 km beside a road and at times on the left side facing traffic and the traffic was 18 wheelers, and by the last 5km which were through clay and dogs and mud. 

And while I was awake from 2-4, with Doug’s persistence, I downloaded maps.me (still prefer pocketearth for detail and flexibility) and downloaded the camino maps from the website. Three times today, those maps saved my bacon as the arrows are sparse, to put it kindly. The first photo is of the first 4km taken at about 9:30. Sun is rising here around 8:35. 

Lots of crops growing and lots of activities in all of the fields. 

. 
I stopped in Lebrija at 11 for a second cup of coffee and ‘something’. I could not eat all the churros but it was fun trying and there were no other stops ahead until dinner.....later. 

I walked along farm roads and beside a canal  many kms. 

And then hit the mud. So much clay mud. 

My pants were a mess and then to top it off, I was 3km from town and was passing a farm with guard dogs. At least 10 dogs, 2 off leash barking and 8 more chained up jumping around trying to get off leash so they could bite off my leg.......the right one please as my knee hurts a bit. I signaled to a guy in a tractor and he jumped out saying the dogs were not his but he phoned someone. About 3 minutes later......and I had not moved one inch.....the owner came to hold one dog back. He let the other one, an old yellow lab, pace me at 5ft away, barking the whole time, for the 100 metre length of the barns. Very unsettling as by now I was carrying 2 lbs of clay mud on each boot so couldn’t move quickly if I tried. I finally arrived in town,  found the hostal, great room for 15€ and started the washing up process. 

I washed my pants in the sink and got most of the mud off my boots in the toilet using the brush. Then cleaned up the bathroom, had a shower, then a short rest and went in search of food. Of course, with my pants being wet, I had to wear my rain pants to dinner. This was all I could find in this town without walking miles. Sports bar, 10 guys and me. 
Tomorrow is 30 with nothing in between. I have my apple and will buy some cheese at the place I’m going for breakfast......across the street. 

Now 7:49am Friday, about to have my eggs and coffee. 3C out there so I’m bundled up. 

A humdinger of a day

I’m still waking up at 1until 3 am, tossing around trying to get back to sleep. I eventually do, but 7am then comes very quickly. I had a quick shower, packed and was out by 7:45 and down the street to what appeared to be a local café/bar. To my question “hay huevos?” The answer was “si”, so I had two fried eggs, bread and a café con leche. On the road by 8:15am. No arrows, but Doug has sent me a great Spanish guide so I read that day’s walk, save it as a PDF to iBooks and then, if I’m not confident of my translation, I copy and paste into google translate. I love technology when it’s on my side. So I set off, no yellow arrows, and after 5km or so stopped for another coffee as it looked like there was nothing up ahead, except my first yellow arrow. In fact, there was another café 4km further but I passed and kept walking. Shortly after this, I missed an arrow, went 2.5km, met a fence with barbed wire top, so had to turn around. Consequently a 27km day became a 32km day. I had lots of water, a bun with butter from the airplane (which seems a week ago now), a granola bar that cousin Doug gave me in November and a few almonds. That was it until the tapas at the bar tonight, but more on that later. 

Here are some pics of what the day was like for walking. First, once the sun came out at 11, I had to hang my laundry from last night. 

Interesting arrows to take me down a steep cement slope to join another path. 

The lovely path, that was the wrong path, so I walked this twice but this surface is what it was like all day. 

Another challenging arrow. 

And this dog, muzzled, was out with about 12 mates, being run behind a car, which is now at the top of the hill, waiting. He/she was more interested in me. Greyhound racing in the area I guess. 

So I arrived in town at 5pm, with no services anywhere along the way for over 20km so I was tired and hungry. I found the parochial albergue and the priest was very busy with after school activities...kids and moms all over. So he unlocked the room.  Sparse and no en-suite. 

After an hour a couple of women came by to show me the bathroom and give me a kit with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, bedsheet, towel and then they took off. Oh and the bathroom is a ways away. My room is 35 paces down the left gate and the bathroom is 35 paces down the right gate. Not too much beer tonight I think. 

So at 7, I took a wander for something to eat and saw an active bar. Good sign. I ordered two tapas (a salad one with cold sausage of some type) and a shrimp and garlic hot dish and a beer. As I pulled out a chair, a woman at the next table asked me to join them. So here we’re the two women, with two more and the priest, all just finishing their coffee. The priest and one woman left after five minutes or so and one woman got up and got herself and her mate glasses of water. They chatted away and I got the gist of it but was too busy eating to challenge a speedy conversation, but after I was finished (and one woman had returned to the table), I said, in my very best Spanish “so next year all four of you are going to walk the camino”. They were stunned that I had understood the one woman trying to talking the others into training and doing it next year. We all had a good laugh. We had a little more conversation about kids and such and then we all got up to go. I said goodbye and got an ice cream bar. When I went to the bar to pay for my meal, he said the women had paid. My jaw dropped. 

Well, the bells just rang, as they will do all night, right outside the door which has air ventilation, so I’d better try and get some sleep. 
Tomorrow on to La Cabezas, 28km unless I get lost ;-)

Cádiz to Jerez de la Frontera

My time in Cádiz was spent buying walking poles, buying a SIM card for the phone, getting a room in a hostal (all the hostels were closed as it’s the off season), taking the poles back to exchange them and finding something to eat.....empanada atun and a beer. 

View from my room last night. 

This morning I took the catamaran from Cádiz to El Puerto de Santa Maria and cut off 40km of walking.  Apparently I walked only 15km but I’m feeling it. I think part of the tiredness is jet lag and part is that the route is  unfamiliar, not well marked and so you’re awareness level is up a bit. But I saw some great scenery. Had my first breakfast in Spain: tostados aciete con tomat y café con leche. 

The views of the harbour were beautiful as we left Cádiz. 

And here is my first spotting of an arrow. It was hard to spot from the other side of the road so I crossed and verified and relaxed. 

As you can see, the weather is fine. I started out with mitts and by 10am, I didn’t need them. By 11, I took off my coat and by 11:30 I took off my puff jacket and put my sun visor on. There was no place to stop between the two towns and I ran out of water about 30 minutes from a bar on the outskirts of Jerez so stopped and had water, beer and some seafood salad. 

I’ve just come back to the pensión (8pm) after walking around town visiting  the cathedral (Our Lord San Salvador), the church of Santiago, where the greeter gave me all sorts of advice but still wasn’t sure which was the correct route out of town. And then a dinner of tapas and beer. Huge mussels and stuffed peppers. 

Now a hot shower and bed. 

The Pilgrim with the Pearl Necklace

All flights and transfers from leaving Victoria at 8:20am to arriving in Cádiz at 5:30pm, were smooth. The flight touched down in Madrid at 9:50am and by 10:10, I had sent my small parcel of extra clothes on to Salamanca and was heading for the inter terminal bus to take the train into Atocha station and then on the Cádiz. The train took me through all the towns I’ll be walking into over the next five days. Strange to be approaching the path this way. 

Madrid was 8C and sunny so, having two hours to kill, I had a cup of coffee and then took a walk around the train station area and sat in the sun for a bit. Spectacular architecture. Just your run of the mill government building. Agriculture I think. 

I saw a couple wearing a MEC pack so asked what part of Canada they were from. The woman was quite taken aback but laughed when I pointed out her pack and said it was unnecessary these days to sew a flag onto a pack with all the MEC gear traveling the world. 

So, the pearls.......

Whenever I do a camino, even though they are planned months ahead, as the day of departure nears a reason, theme, focus, appears. Twenty years ago it was my 50th bday and doing something that wasn’t being a mom, sister, librarian, etc. Other times I’ve had a close friend or relative that I wanted to spend time thinking about, sending wishes to etc. One winter camino, I just wanted to intentionally think about past feelings, resentments etc and let them all go. This time, I will take my mother with me. Well, at least her pearls. I will wear them every day and hopefully feel some of her happy and adventurous spirit. My return date to Canada is February 20th, which would have been Mom’s 100th birthday!

M

Off to Madrid and southern Spain

I know that I’ve said that I’m done with the Camino and the Camino is done with me......BUT......tomorrow morning I’m off again and this time to walk from Cádiz to Sevilla on the Via Augusta and then I’ll continue north on the Via de la Plata for five days to Monesterio. And then Noëlle will join me. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Best birthday present EVER! We’ll walk together to Mérida and then take the bus to Salamanca where we will (1) celebrate many years on earth; (2) volunteer as hospitaleras at the albergue and then after four days, Noëlle will fly home to her kids and Simon (Les will be at their house helping out) and I will continue on for the full two weeks in Salamanca. For those not familiar with this beautiful city, it is fabulous. Lots of tapas bars, a good jazz club and the oldest university in Europe. 

I’ll try and blog every day, more as an aide memoir for me. 

Hasta luego