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Friday, September 16 (Aaaaaaaaah!)
I have had more trouble in the big city of Santiago finding internet than in a small town albergue.....everywhere is wi-fi.
We are staying in a beautiful hotel just beside the cathedral. It was great to have our own bathroom and shower. This hotel also has a floor with rooms for peregrinos which are not quite as nice so we switched rooms early this afternoon. For the difference we have a shower curtain instead of a walk-in shower. This is still luxury after some of the showers we have used. The difference is 19 Euros which we can spend somewhere else.
I don´t think our bodies knew what to do this morning as for the first time in 18days we have not set off on our bikes.
We will take the bus tomorrow morning to Finisterre and spend the night there. Moira and I hope to climb (3 kms) to the lighthouse as well as go down to the beach and collect our own scallop shell. The latter is the symbol for the Camino.
On Sunday we will take the bus to Madrid as Moira is flying out on Monday around noon. I am hoping to stay at the youth hostel in Madrid and do some sightseeing including a sidetrip to Seville. I am flying home on Friday.
I took quite a few pictures but Moira has taken lots so we hope to have many opportunities to share our adventure with you.
Thank-you for all your prayers, good thoughts and your messages left on the website.
Thursday, September 15 - ¡Consumado es! (It is finished!!)
We have reached Santiago! We arrived at 11:13 am officially as that is when we saw the sign "Santiago". It took us another 45 minutes to before we were standing in front of the cathedral.
What a moment...to know we had arrived. We bumped into a Chilean girl we had met a week ago and she helped us take the pictures of the ASBC banner with the cathedral in the background.
I definitely had times where it would have been easy to give up but my good friend and travelling companion Moira set the pace. Her persistence and compassion through us the day and now we have reached our ultimate goal.
As I mentioned yesterday, we are planning a few well deserved days as a tourist in the area and then a few days in Madrid. It has been extremely hot for the entire trip - so we are reveling in staying in a beautiful hotel tonight and treating ourselves to a good rest. It's 7:08 pm and Moira and I are heading out on a quest to find some delicious paella.
Wednesday, September 14 (Just 19 kms to Santiago!!)
Thank you for your words of encouragement. Even though the route looks flat and people say it is ¨flat¨ let me tell you it is NOT flat.
We stayed in Lestedo last night after a full day of hill climbing again. We stopped in Portomarin which is a town that was re-located in 1956 as the town would be covered in water with the new hydro electric dam. The new town was created up the hill stone by stone. We stoppped there for
lunch and 2 young German walkers gave us their left over cheese which we added to our sandwich.
We did lots of kms yesterday and were so pleased to find this new albergue in the middle of the countryside. There were only 3 of us staying there, and the other person was a woman geritrician from Holland so you know we had lots to talk about!
The highlight of the day, food wise was stopping in Melide at a pulperia and having pulpo which is octopus.They boil it in big vats, strain it onto the counter, chop it up, and sprinkle it with oil and paprika. I wasn't too sure about eating it but it was delicious. It is served on a round piece of wood and eaten with toothpicks. Traditionally you drink a local red wine with it but we decided to stick with water.
We have been into town (Arca) for dinner. We always have the menu del dia (menu of the day) - tonight we had melon with ham, roasted chicken with salad and chips and flan for dessert. What is also popular is Tarte de Santiago which is like an almond shortbread/cake.
We try to do some laundry after we have had a shower but it is always late when we get into the alberguse so often it is not dry in the morning. We just pin it to the outside of our panniers or put it on damp.
Tomorrow we will pass throught Lavacolla which is traditionally the place where pilgrims washed and made themselves presentable before entering the holy city. Moira and I had a shower tonight so that will have to do!
The last climb will be Monte del Gozo from which we will see the spires of the cathedral.
I can hardly believe that our journey will be over tomorrow. There were times when I thought I could not take another step.
We will take the bikes to the hotel where they are to be dropped off and then find a place to stay. We cannot stay in the albergues now as we will not be considered peregrinos any longer.
I am going to get the ASBC banner out of pannier tonight and put it in one of the outside pockets so it will be handy to take out when we are in front of the cathedral tomorrow.
We will take the bus to Finisterre for a couple of days just to relax and look around at the end of the earth!
Monday, September 12 (130 km to go!)
We had an early start from Foncebadon and after 3 kms arrived at the Cruz de Ferro and climbed to the base of the cross and put down my stones from home. Everyone was stopping and having their picture taken beside the cross.
It was a blast as we headed downhill to a village that could have been Heidi's grandfather's village. We continued downhill taking breaks as the guide book suggested so we did not overheat our brakes. I would have loved to just go at full speed but my goal is to reach Santiago! We had lunch in Molinaseca, a pretty little village as we crossed the river from our descent.
We passed through Ponferrada where there is a castle from the Knights Templer. Then it was on through the white grape growing area of Bierzo. We saw men out picking the grapes by hand. When we got to Cacabelos for the night we saw the men arriving on their tractors (even some some Massey Fergusons) with the trailer behind loaded with grapes. The albergue in Cacabelos was very unique. The rooms were built around the inside of the church wall with 2 beds in each compartment.
The next day was a huge uphill covering 48 kms to O'Cebreiro. Kathleen, you were right....just when you thought you were at the top...you weren´t. There were lots of mountain ash trees and poplar. Iit was fascinating to see the fog coming in and chasing us as we headed upwards. We stopped in the village right before our destination for a hot chocolate. We weren't sure how much further we had to go but needed a break to warm up. When we arrived we were drenched in sweat and then it started to rain. The fog rolled in so we were anxious to get warmed up. The albergue would not consider people arriving on bikes until 7 pm and it was 5:30 so we ended up staying in a pension.
It was lovely to have a hot shower and feel warm again.
This morning we took pictures with the sunshine of this delightful mountain village. We headed downhill again...yeah... and tonight we are in Sarria. It is now only 130 kms to Santiago. We can hardly believe we are so close.
More hills tomorrow. I am sending my paniers on but Moira is a trooper and keeping her bags with her.
Friday - September 9
We are in Foncebadon tonight. We had thought we could get further but it was 27 kms of uphill. It is always especially hard right after lunch and with the heat of the day. Foncebon is one of the Maragatos villages along this route. They are thought to be a race of people that used to be muleteers in Spain. They have their own unique customs and lifestyle. There are 4 albergues here but the rest of the town looks really run down. This is also the highest point in the Camino at 1504 m which is called the Cruz de Ferro which we will see first thing tomorrow morning. This is the place where people leave a stone they have brought from home. I will leave a stone that Betty from one of my Healthy Brain groups gave me and also a stone in memory of my Dad.
It was very interesting to look back on the climb today and see where we had come from. The vegetation is scrub with lots of heather under the oak trees. In fact it looked like northern Scotland. There was even a Spanish equivalent of sage brush. Moira had a great time today taking pictures of the different high altitude flowers. There are lots of wind turbines on every horizon and tonight a big cloud of smoke blown over from a distant forest fire. It is very windy and it must be very cold in the winter as they get snow.
Last night we were in Astorga which surprised us by being so large. We love going out in the evening to the plazas to watch the locals who come out to sip wine or beer at 8 pm when the restaurants open. We can barely stay awake to have dinner!! After dinner last night we walked along the old Roman wall that goes around the city. Not all the way of course as we ready for bed. We splurged last night and stayed at a pension. I think it was a rooming house for older men. One was especially annoyed with Moira when she took a shower in the communal bathroom. Moira told me to be quick!
Tomorrow we hope to cover lots of kms as most of it is downhill..
My leg and ankle are doing better. Keeping it up helps.
Wednesday – September 7 - Leon (just 311 km to go)
It has been difficult to find internet in the last 2 places we have stayed. They had Wi-Fi but no internet. I´ll tell you a little about the albergues we've stayed in. It is definitely an experience. (For all images, click to see larger version.)
After Huarte (outside of Pamplona) we have stayed overnight in:
August 31 - Estella - no room at the albergue so we stayed at the youth hostel. We had a room with 5 single beds and there were just the 2 of us so we got a key and were able to lock the room while we went in to town for dinner. Met up with 2 French older cyclist like us and had dinner with them.
Sept 1 - Logrono - we stayed at a small albergue, maybe 40 people with 2 toilets and 2 showers. We went into the central square and enjoyed some tapas for dinner.
Sept 2 - Santo Domingo - the albergue was run by volunteers, a French gentleman and an Irish and Scottish lady. They were most helpful. Our room was filled with cyclists as they have the reputation of getting up later than the walkers. I think there were just 4 women in that room with 36 fellows
Sept 3 - San Juan de Ortega - we were late getting into town so late for dinner. When we got back to the dormitory the lights were out and we had not organizes our things for getting ready for bed. I am sure the walkers were annoyed with us. It was a lesson learned.
Sept 4 - San Bol- this was at the end of a very long day. The albergues were full along the way and a lady in a town 11 kms away said it was worth the cycle to San Bol. When we got there it was full....only holds 12 pilgrims but if we were willing to sleep on the floor, there was enough food for the 5 extra people who were sleeping on the floor. A young pilgrim offered me her bunk - I probably reminded her of her grandmother - but I declined.
Sept 5 - Carrion - we had to sleeep on top bunks which were the highest ones I have ever seen. If you arrive late you get what is left over.
Sept 6 - Relioge - this was the best albergue we have encountered and we got here by default. The albergue where we had wanted to stay was full so we had to cycle another 13 kms to this town. The regular albergue was full but there was one that had just opened and we got the special rate of 6 euros instead of nine.
September 7 - Today we are in Leon not having made much time as my right ankle and leg are very swollen. Went to a clinic and have 2 prescriptions which hopefully should help. The doctor said to REST...you must be kidding! I cannot believe it is day 10 and we are only 311 kms from Santiago. That may seem alot to you but after what we have come through it seems like the light at the end of the tunnel. The next part is going to be hard as there will be more climbing. I think I will use that service where they take your luggage for you.
That´s all for now.
September 4
Hello friends. I am sorry to have not sent an update sooner but by the time we get into our destination I am pooped. The Camino is not for the faint hearted!
My knee is recovering well - thank you for all your kind thoughts. For a couple of days it hurt to walk but not to cycle. My guide book for cycling said to take the secondary highway to travel on but now that road is too busy so we are actually using the camino. I love going downhill....fast but with so much gravel I am braking all the time. On some of the hills I have to push my bike up. In other places we are going up hill on what we would call a gully. For yesterday´s climbing day I sent my 2 paniers ahead. What a relief. Today we will have lunch in Burgos so we are pretty much on schedule.
In Santo Domingo, 2 nights ago there was a doctor of sorts who fixed peoples´feet. He popped a huge blister on one toe and said I was losing the nail and on the other foot he popped another blister and bound up the toes. I have hauled my bike up so many hills that I feel at times I am walking the Camino!
The weather has been hot around 25 to 30 degrees but yesterday it rained which was lovely.
I'll update again as soon as I can.
August 29 - Roncesvalles to Pamplona
We are at the albergue in Huarte which is on the outskirts of Pamplona.
And today did not go quite as planned. Earlier this morning, I took a tumble just as we had crossed a creek bed. I was able to climb back on the bike but I have done something to my knee and when we came to sections when we had to push our bikes uphill, it was very tender. Thank-you to Joy S. for the germoline (antiseptic cream and Bronwyn for the medical kit. We didn't make our 50 kms today (only cycled 46 kms)
but I am not too worried as this is Day 1 and it can only get better.
August 28 - Pamplona to Roncesvalles
Sunday we rented a taxi from the person MariAna had suggested. He was a fabulous tour guide and got us to Ronscesvalles by 12:30 pm. The rental bikes were there so we attached the seats and took them for a spin around the area. Attended the pilgram mass that evening and had our first peregrino meal.
We are hoping to travel approximately 50 km each day on the Camino, and so tomorrow will see us cycling from Roncesvalles to Pamplona. Here is a link to an excellent PDF showing the elevation profile of the entire trip. Tomorrow, we will be doing #2 and #3 - as you can see, very much a mostly downhill day with a couple of small hills to get us used to pedalling!
Ronscesvalles is a quiet hamlet in the foothills of the Pyrennees near the French border. This is where medieval pilgrims arrived into Spain after their arduous walk through the mountains from France. Roncesvalles is filled with history. Legend says that Charlemagne’s army (led by his nephew Roland) was defeated here in 778 and the battle was immortalized in the medieval epic poem "La Chanson de Roland". The Royal Collegiata is a beautiful old monastery/museum which was built in the 13th century to provide hospital facilities for pilgrims after they crossed the Pyrenees. Today, the walls and vaults are covered in mural paintings dating from the 13th century. The art treasures are housed in a museum in one of the rooms in the church. An outstanding peice is a chess set belonging to the Emperor Charlemagne. (click on the picture for a larger image)
August 27
We had a fabulous flight with Air Canada. Someone arranged for us to be upgraded to Business Class from Vancouver to Toronto and First Class from Toronto to Madrid. We had the pods on the latter flight which meant we could sleep enroute. A huge thank-you to whoever arranged that. The check-in agent in Vancouver said "we must have friends in high places".
After we arrived in Madrid we changed terminals and took the bus to Pamplona arriving at 8:15 pm. We found a hotel and crashed!
==== Notes from the webmaster ====
It turns out there was a bit of a send-off for Kerri and Moira at the airport. (Click on the images for larger versions.)
From left to right, Laura Feldman, Moira (Kerri’s friend and fellow traveler), Kerri, Anthony Kupferschmidt, Linda Forrest
Oh and the two characters sitting below are Mr. Moose and Mr. Beaver (part of the airport promotion that is going on every Friday). They asked if they could join in.
August 26 (1 more sleep ... no more days!)
Just one sleep to go - I'm down to the wire! I'm also busily ensuring that I have everything that I need and nothing that I don't! I thought you might be interested in the "10 Camino Essentials" from the Confraternity of Saint James
Bring as little as possible. You’ll have to carry it a long way. But leave room in your backpack or panniers for these 10 essentials.
- Ear plugs - to block out broncadores (snorers) and get a good night’s sleep
- Swiss army knife - for picnics, dinners and opening bottles of Rioja
- Sun hat with a wide brim ( bike helmet) - essential protection for the hot, shadeless meseta
- Warm hat and gloves - the weather can be unpredictable, even in summer
- Moleskin - you’re bound to get blisters at some point
- Spanish phrasebook – (Thanks Sue!) - to make yourself understood, and find new friends
- Safety pins - smaller than clothes pegs, and perfect for attaching still damp socks to your backpack (pannier)
- Stone from home - Bring a stone from your home town to place on the pile at Cruz de Hierro. - make it a small one. (I have a stone from Betty in the West Van Healthy Brain Group to represent those who are currently on the dementia journey and a stone in memory of my Dad.)
- Credencial - Order a credencial (pilgrim passport, needed to stay at hostels) from your pilgrim association before you leave
- Walking the Camino de Santiago from Pili Pala Press, Vancouver ( I also purchased the book The Way of St James: A Cyclists' Guide from Le Puy En Velay to Santiago de Compostela by John Higginson)
August 4
It is now only 22 days (!) until I set off on the adventure of a lifetime. One of the more surprising elements of getting ready is that along the way I have had to purchase some interesting items.
In order to stay the night in an albergue (hostel) you have to have a “credential” which is a pilgrim passport. Each day I must get at least one stamp to prove I have made the journey. The stamps are easily available at the albergues, city halls, bars, etc. Once I am in Santiago I will hand my credential into the Pilgrim Office so I can receive my certificate. I decided to purchase mine from the Canadian Company of Pilgrims based in Ottawa even though it was more expensive than applying for it in Roncesvalles on Day 1. I sent off the application and then the mail strike happened but I am happy to report that the credential has arrived.
At a Pilgrim meeting in February, I learned that it would be a good idea to have a silk liner for my sleeping bag as this would keep out the bedbugs! They are not a huge problem but I wanted to be prepared. My silk liner ended up being a birthday gift. Thanks Cheryl.
Other pre-trip expenses are the inoculations against a variety of diseases and conditions. I had my last 2 jabs this morning.
In preparing my body for the 800 kms I found a personal trainer who has put me through my paces once a week since January. The double pump lunges from yesterday were a killer. Thank-you to Michelle at Personal Best Training who has encouraged me along the way.
I decided to rent a bicycle rather than take mine. After hours on the internet I booked a hybrid bike from bikeiberia in Lisbon. They have been great to deal with and will deliver and pick-up bikes anywhere in Iberia. Their services include a 24 hour emergency telephone hotline and if it is really urgent they will come and help you. I don’t think that means changing a flat tire so I had better get some much need practice in before I leave.
The time is going so quickly now but I am basically ready to go. I have even done a practice run of packing the 2 panniers so I know everything will fit. However, I know that there will of course be all the last minute things to do which everyone has to deal with when you are leaving on an overseas trip.
July 31
I found a beautiful picture of me, my dad and my sister Deirdre, taken on Dad's bithday - I`m thinking of him a lot as I get ready for my journey.
June 11 - Burger & Beer Fundraiser
Thank-you to those who were able to attend the Burger & Beer Fundraising Night on June 11th. It was a great evening in almost innumerable ways. I had thought perhaps 50 to 60 people might attend but in the end we had a total of 115 in attendance! The servers at the Bridge Between Pub did a fantastic job of taking orders and seeing that everyone got a burger. I think I had the last available burger in the pub. (Photos are visible here ...)
In case you were wondering who the helpful people were at the ticket counter, raffle, and silent auction. They were Alzheimer Society of B.C. staff from the Provincial Office, the North Fraser, Vancouver, and Richmond Resource Centres who volunteered their time. It is a pleasure to work with co-workers who are so committed to the Society. Thank-you.
Another huge thank-you to my Resource Centre volunteer, Roberta McLaren who took care of so many details for the evening. I could not have done all the preparation work without her assistance.
And last, but certainly not least, thank you to the individuals and business who contributed prizes to the raffle and silent auction. Your support made the evening possible.
This was a fundraising event for the Alzheimer Society so I am thrilled to tell you that the evening raised $2,844.00!
June 9, 2011
I had a great time with my sister, Deirdre, cycling in and around Jasper last week-end. The weather co-operated - although I went prepared with my waterproof cycling jacket. Some of the trails were closed as it is elk calving season and the elk can apparently be very aggressive if you come upon them. One of the alternate trails we were considering had a Parks Canada warning sign that the trail was closed as a mother Grizzly and her 2 cubs had been spotted in the area. There are however lots of trails so it wasn’t a problem to find trails to ride on. My sister was coaching me on how to change gears when you are approaching a hill so you don’t lose momentum. I think I’ve got it now but I am still finding myself in the “granny gear” in order to stay on my bike.
I love the mini “stop” signs they put on the trails when you have to cross a main road. In 2010, Jasper made a tunnel for pedestrians and cyclist under the railroad tracks. It’s amazing the number of trains going through Jasper, so it is nice not to have to wait in order to get across the tracks. (Click on the picture for a larger version)
I am looking forward to the Burger & Beer Night this Saturday, June 11th. There are doorprizes, raffle and silent auction items. You will be amazed at the selection. It will be a great night.
Tickets will be available at the door. They are $20.00 for a Burger & Beer (or house red or white wine). Hope you can join us.
June 2, 2011
I'm hoping to keep you all regularly updated, along with at least the occassional picture. At this point, I'm just training, training, training - I'm probably already in the best shape of my life - and certainly in much better shape than I ever expected to be now.
My sister and I are heading off to Jasper to train for the weekend. Of course, there will be lots of laughs during all the hard work!