The End: Our Last Two Hotels

The story continues in Italy:  Spoleto, Spello, Assisi, Florence, Lucca and then off to Spain
Otro Vez
Rick

A few more pictures

The End of Santiago's Pilgrims

Santiago Road

Everyone made it one way or another into Santiago.  Many of us attended the pilgrims mass, which was a huge one.  The weather was beautiful and we stayed at an old monastery next to the chuch. As one pilgrm said:  it is elegant.  Everyone had stories to share and the journey was a wonderful experience.  Sunday our journey took us to Finisterre:  the end of the world for the ancient pilgrims.  Once we had our closing ceremonies, we said our goodbyes.  Monique and I are off to Italy to explore a new program

Ciao

Rick and Monique

Santiago: The Moorslayer

Hola from Caldas
It is not overstated to write that St. James (Saint Iago or Santiago) was The unifying saint for the people of this peninsula at the end of the first millenium.  There is a whole story -stories-about his legend and we end up at the third most important shrine/pilgrimmage in Christiandom after Jerusalem and Rome.  You find him along the Camino:  statues, shrines, photos, inns, etc.  We are now in Caldas and here King Alfonso VII was born.  It is Caldas de Reis or King's Hot Springs.  Actually the springs were used by the Romans and presently several of the ladies are at one facility accessing a message and spa treatment.  Here are a few scenes of Caldas and St. James

Gourd and Bridge

The symbols are here and a bridge crossed today and the countryside.  Enjoy

Santiago -St. James - and the Camino

The Symbols that show us the Way

The Camino extends for thousands of miles:  Scandinavia is the northern most and the French way was the route traveled by Martin Sheen in The Way.  We are the Portuguese Way ( Moniz you know ).  The yellow arrows are along the route:  roads, paths, neighborhoods, city centers, etc.  St.James, the apostle and brother of Jesus, traveled to Iberia and was later executed.  The legend says his bones are the church we will attend mass in this coming Sunday.  Pilgrims made the journey carrying their walking sticks, their gourds for water and the shell.   The shell was used to dip into sources of water and is today the symbol you find along the way.  Often it is a tile.  The journey is one of sojourners.  

The Way to Redondela

Hola
we are now in Pontevedra, the regional capital of Galicia.  the food here is marvelous.  i had THE best calamare ever.  it arrived just like you would expect, but no sauce:  none needed.  scrumptuous.  fish, mussles, clams, octopus (pulpo is a local dish).  we stayed at the location with the sunset along the ria (inlet) and enjoyed our stay.  you find many shrines and memorials to st. james.  if you have a chance, take a short google search about this pilgrimmage.  we now have for the first time in several days the sun.  out we go and more later in this evening (foodies be prepared)
hasta la noche
rick and monique

Here on the Camino

Well a few of us have had some challenges.  I have two tiny toe blow outs:  blisters.  Another pilgrim has the same problem.   Tomorrow we will take the train to Galicia's capital Pontevedra.  We are now in Redondela along one of the beautiful Rias.  It is somewhat akin to a fjord without the elevations, but the spectacular vistas that eventually lead to the sea.  Our time has been richly rewarding.  More later, but here are a couple photos of monique and i with our friend lucia in Tui 20 miles and two days ago.  I will catch you up tomorrow, as the day off will provide some extra time?  Perhaps a video will be included.
Buen Camino
rick and monique

Al Ataque: The Camino

Bienvenidos to the Camino

Danny - our Spanish guide par excellence - called us into battle:  Al Ataque!  And so we launched into battle city after city.  It was pure joy and we loved the experience.  So, now we are pilgrims along the camino.  Have you seen Martin Sheen in The Way?  We are moving north out of Portugal, but Sheen left out of France.  We are along the coast and began in Valenca, Portugal (we stayed in Tui, Spain but walked across the border to begin our Camino in Portugal).  Day one was a 17 mile sojourne to O Porrino.  The way is time for reflection to many and others a destination:  Santiago.  Nine of us attend the same church in Davis and we take time to reflect and talk about our faith.  We are pilgrims and friends spending time where time would not have been possible at home.  So, the pictures you see are - sometimes - the pilgrims and other times the beauty that surrounds us.  One thought to share from Spain

We were walking the streets one night.  The Spaniards are lovely people who embrace life.  They are facing the global crisis with elan.  It seems to summons the best in them.  We read one night on balcony - i will post another time - this sentiment:  Let's forget about the crisis for a moment my darling and let's go out and dance.  Que Bueno!
Hasta Pronto

Sevilla to Oporto, Portugal

Hola
We spent our last day in Spain- not really- and headed off to Portugal for a couple days.   The photo of the reflecting pool is in the Alcazar in Sevilla.  It was an immense place with so much grandeur that it would take too many photos to share.   This one shows its beauty and mystic.  We took the fast train out of Sevilla to Madrid-very suave-and caught a plan to Oporto.  We are headed up to the Camino along the Portuguese Way.  Oporto was another unique stop.  It sits along the Duoro River and is famous for Port.  Across the river you find the sherry making facilities.  Since it was Sunday in this devout nation of Catholics, many sites and stores were closed.  You would have to be over fifty to remember the day in the USA where stores were closed on Sundays.  Well, we are off, but not by trolley.
rick and monique

Sevilla

Sevilla is another ancient city with archaeology predating the Romans.   The Muslims conquered the region and lost it to the Christian monarchs by 1250.  The cathedral is the largest gothic church in the world-sheer size in terms space-and there you find the Giralda which was built on the mosque minaret.  we climbed to the top.  we also visited, in very close proximity, the Alcazar, which was the caliph's palace and later expanded upon by the Christian kings.  Today it is the oldest residency of any monarch, as King Juan Carlos will stay and receive foreign dignitaries.

Food and Drink

We visited the Montilla winery on our way Sevilla.  It dates back the 18th century and there we toured and tasted the sherry.  Delicious and very old, as the process is one that always empties only 40% of the barrel and the mezcla es muy vieja.  Monique and Danny, our guide, discuss their foodie insights at one of the haunts we visited for tapas.  Let me say we that Spain is about tapas and they are great.  We have eaten fantasic food everywhere.   We are on the Camino- a bit behind on sending out the story- and last night we had the best calamares and the night before pulpo (octopus).  Que bueno!
rick and monique

the pictures that precede are of cordoba.  the mesquite-mosque-dates back to the umayyads of first millenium, late, and was an array of shapes, colors, and we are told a combination of nature, water and architecture that figures prominently into the buildings.   the outside and interior were both spectular.  then there was the ruins at madinat al-zahra.  the caliph had his palace above the city.  the site has only barely been excavated, but it is impressive.  you will also see the gardens of the catholic monarchs in the one picture.  they were spectacular, as all was in bloom.
we are wrapping up our visit to seville and there is more to follow with that journey.  tomorrow we are off the portugal to get ready for the camino
hasta pronto
rick and monique

Cordoba's Mesquite and Medina Ruins

Toledo, Granada and Cordoba

Greetings,
We rolled through Toledo and captured some fine views and great stories of Jewish legacies.  Guides have been great and once in Granada, Roberto, brought to life the Alhambra.  We caught Festival of Corpus Cristi in both cities.

Today, a lesson on sustainable olive growing and oil production.  We are now in Cordoba with lessons on religious tolerance in the old Muslim and Jewish quarters.  The Mesquita is the vantage point.
Hasta Pronto
rick

Greetings
We left Madrid and plaza mayor, home of the inquisition, and after walking forty miles of streets.  Prado was Amazing.  We saw Guernica at Reina Sofia and much more.  You can see that Q E First had us into her bed chamber.  That is Ms.  Monique, sharing herself, the queen of this program.  More later
Ciao
R and M

Greetings
We are now in Granada.  We traveled through Segovia where the ancient Roman aqueduct stands.  Amazing!  We have walked all over Madrid-Forty Miles-and some shorter walks in Toledo and today we start Granada.  Actually we arrived last night and went to the Cathedral whereupon we witnessed the celebration of Corpus Cristi. Our room has a gorgeous view of the Sierra Nevada and we are staying in a converted monastery.
Hasta Pronto
rick y monique

We are in Spain

Greetings everyone,
We are thoroughly enjoying our visit to Madrid and are wrapping up our last night.  We have walked an average of 10 miles per day visiting all of the wonderful sites of Madrid:  the Prado, the Reina-Sofia, the Thyssen, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, the palace and cathedral, the beautiful park of Madrid, countless side streets and quaint places, etc.  The people are very friendly, the food is delicious and the wine is so easy to drink :-)

The weather is all we could hope for:  sunny, cool and breezy!    We also visited Avila, Segovia and El Escorial--all fascinating and beautiful places.  Everyone is enjoying themselves and we are traveling with a nice group of people.  We leave tomorrow for Toledo and then Granada.  Hopefully we will figure out how to post photos.
Adios,
Rick and Monique