Bike Ride Day 3 - Alter do Chao to Marvao

May 31, 2016

Today was a long day on the bikes although our actual mileage was only 34 miles. We did have quite a few stops along the way however. We left our hotel @ 9:15 this morning and it was already warm enough to ride without a jacket. On our way to Marvao we stopped at Coudelaria de Alter do Chao, a stud farm founded in 1748 by the king of Portugal to breed Lusitano horses. An hour later, after touring the farm and museum and learning quite a bit more than I ever thought I wanted to know about horse breeding, we were back on our bikes and headed to our next destination, a prehistoric Celtic burial chamber over 5000 years old.

This structure was in the middle of a field where a large herd of cows were grazing. At first, it didn't look like we were going to be able to get very close, as a number of the cows were eyeing us warily. They soon ambled off in the other direction however, and we toured the Celtic ruin at our leisure. The only danger in this entire expedition was stepping on a hidden "cow pie" which a few of us were unlucky enough to do. Yuck!

By this time the weather was quite warm, but we all got back on our bikes, climbed some more and stopped again at a medieval monastery built by the Knights of the Order of Malta. After visiting the monastery (now a hotel), we pedaled are way to lunch in the small town of Alagoa, where everyone had the local specialty, tomato soup with bread and egg. Delicious, but not what one would typically have on a hot summer day! Our last climb of the day was to Castelo de Vide where we wandered through the town's 14th century castle and old Jewish quarter.

At this point, the majority of us were done riding. There was however, an optional 9 mile ride climbing 1,000 more feet to our final destination for the evening, Marvao. The only rider who made it to this point was Justin, who had a good 30+ years on the rest of us. Oh yes, our 50-year old guide Raoul also made this climb, which I guess disproves my excuse about age.

Our hotel for the evening is within the medieval castle walls of the town and after dinner (aka 10:00 pm) we all headed to the castle itself for a moonlit stroll and view of the heavens from the castle battlements. What a beautiful way to end a great day!

At the stud farm

 

Celtic burial chamber being protected by the herd of cows

At the monastery

Monastery

Bike Ride Day 2 - Estremoz to Alter do Chao

May 30, 2016

We shuttled again this morning, this time from Evora to Estremoz, @ 28 miles north, and from there began our 32 mile ride for the day. The vans parked at the church at the top of town and the first part of the ride was a steep, twisting downhill on cobblestone streets. Nuno was our guide today and he led us very slowly down the hill, so slowly that at times I thought I might fall off my bike. It was a relief to finally get down through town and out on open road. The first 5 miles were mostly downhill and it felt great to be on the bike. This soon gave way to gently rolling hills through countryside dotted with olive orchards, wild poppies and cow pastures. The last 5 miles were a steady climb toward Alter do Chao. It was a relief to finally arrive in town.

The countryside was very peaceful except for the occasional semi truck rumbling through. At times the road was very narrow and at one point I had a truck almost run me off the road, it was so wide. Not fun! Alter do Chao is a very small town, but the hotel we're staying at is quite nice. Had lunch in the hotel restaurant and then a few of us played cards for an hour or so. We'll meet up again at 7:30 for tomorrow's briefing and then head to the only other real restaurant in town for dinner.

A peaceful river along the way

Wildflowers

Idyllic view

Bike Ride Day 1 - Arraiolos to Evora

May 29, 2016

We met our three REI guides, Jorge, Raoul and Nuno, and our fellow riders at our hotel at 9:00 this morning. This is a very small group, consisting of the six of us and a young couple from Minnesota, Lauren and Justin. After a brief overview of the week, a more detailed overview of the day and a safety briefing, we loaded our gear into the vans and set out for the town of Arraiolos, a typical Alentejo village of white-washed cottages about 45 minutes from Lisbon. The Alentejo region is in southeastern Portugal, is typically very sunny and dry (hopefully, we've seen the last of our rainy weather), and consists of rolling plains (I think this means we're going to be riding some hills).

In Arraiolos, we had our pedals installed and our bikes fitted. We're riding hybrids, so it took a little bit to get used to the shifting. The bikes are outfitted with GPS systems programmed for our destination, so it's like turning on the Google Maps app on your phone and having a line drawing showing where to turn along the way. Our 14-mile route today to Evora was considered a warm-up ride, on country roads through numerous olive orchards and cork oak trees, with only a few short hills.

Evora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site enclosed by medieval walls, but dating back to the second century B.C. when it was an important Roman town, primarily because of its wealth of wheat and silver, as well as its location on a trade route to Rome. We toured Evora's medieval Cathedral of Santa Maria and then walked to the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), constructed in the 15th century with bones unearthed from various Evora churchyards. There are literally hundreds of skulls staring at you as you walk through the chapel and the arched patterns on the walls are made up of arm and leg bones. Supposedly, this was the work of three monks who were concerned with society's values at the time and saw this chapel as a reminder to all of the transience of material things and the undeniable inevitability of death. It's a very macabre reminder, to say the least!

We had a lovely group dinner with culinary specialties of the area, including a shark soup which was quite good. After dinner, we strolled to the floodlit Roman ruins of the Temple of Diana (which we had ridden by on our way into town) and contemplated the fascinating history of this small town.

Ruins of the Roman Temple to Diana

Evora Cathedral

View from the coister

View at the top

Chapel of Bones

Hangin' Out in Santiago and Lisbon

May 26, 2016

It felt strange this morning to not pack my backpack and ready my poles for walking. Instead, we met a local guide at 9:00 who took us on a walking tour of the old town and the cathedral. Some in our group stayed for the noon mass, but Becky, Marianne and I headed out to explore the town some more and do some shopping. We had a late lunch and then headed back to our hotel to check in for our flight the next morning to Lisbon and to gather up all our dirty clothes and head to a laundromat. By coincidence, the laundromat was right next door to a bar so once we got our clothes in the washing machine we headed to the bar for a sangria. This was by far the most pleasurable laundromat experience I've ever had! And it's so nice to have clean clothes again.

May 27, 2016

Our cab picked us up at the hotel right at 8:00 and zipped us to the airport. Santiago's airport is very modern and was a breeze to navigate through until we came to the security checkpoint. Marianne had packed her poles and a metal cross she had bought the day before in her backpack and the security guard was not going to let her proceed through unless she either discarded them or went back to the ticket counter to check them through. After a bit of deliberation, we decided she had enough time to check them. She was able to get her backpack checked through to Lisbon and get back through the security checkpoint with time to spare. Everything went smoothly after this and we met up with Rich and Jerry in the Madrid airport (both of them looked a bit the worse for wear). Our flight to Lisbon was uneventful, but the guys were super tired so Rich, Jerry and I rested (I hadn't slept very well the night before - very noisy neighbors until @ 2:00 am), while Becky and Marianne explored the town. We met up with Lee and Mary in the afternoon and group consensus was that we all wanted to go to a fado show (fado being Portuguese folk singing) that evening. The show was very enjoyable and dinner was a feast! Lee had asked the waiter to pick out some local specialties so we had cod, sole, octopus, prawns and lobster, plus two types of sausage (one being a type of blood sausage - ugh!). We also polished off two bottles of wine. We need to start bike riding if we're going to continue to eat and drink like this.

May 28, 2016

Today we explored Lisbon. The clerk at our hotel arranged a 'tour' for us with a private car and driver. Well, we got the car and driver, but no tour guide, so we were all a bit upset. I wish I had brought my Rick Steves guide book so we would have had more information about the places we visited. Our driver first took us to Belem, a suburb of Lisbon where we toured the Belem Tower and saw the Monastery of Jeronimos, although we were unable to visit either the cloister (too long a line for the time we had) or the church (closed for a wedding). From Belem we drove back to Lisbon and toured the Alfama district, with its impressive Sao Jorge Castle and panoramic view of Lisbon from Largo Santa Luzia. Our driver then took us to the center of town, Rossio Square, where we parted ways and went in search of lunch. All in all, I wish we had taken our own walking tour of the city with our Rick Steves guide book under our arm. I think we would have learned more and enjoyed it more than the way we did it. Disappointing!

Camino Pilgrimage Day 10

May 25, 2016

Santiago de Compostela! We've reached our destination, some of us a little the worse for wear, with 'tweaked' knees, muscle aches and pains in our legs and backs, and of course, those irritating blisters on our feet. Although I tweaked my knee on our first day of walking and was worried it might keep me from completing my pilgrimage journey, a knee brace and hiking poles kept me going. To know that I was able to walk these last 100+ miles to Santiago, slogging through mud and picking my way over stony ground, up hills and down, in blazing sun and torrential downpours, not only gives me a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense of immense humility as I realize my accomplishment is minuscule compared to that of my fellow pilgrims who walked the entire 487.7 miles of the French Camino. As I watched them drop their backpacks and lie on the ground in the cathedral plaza with their arms outstretched, I wondered if this posture was in thanksgiving that they had reached their destination or  simply exhaustion from the many miles traveled (or maybe it was a little of both). Whatever the reason, I felt very connected to them, having shared at least part of their journey.

Today's route took us initially through dense eucalyptus forests, although they soon gave way to asphalt roads and city traffic as we made our way through modern-day Santiago to the cathedral in the historic center. Rain came and went, with my poncho on and off. For the most part, however, it was a fairly pleasant walk. The worst downpour occurred when we were in Lavacolla for our morning coffee. As soon as we walked under cover at the bar, the heavens opened up. We simply waited it out, giving us an excuse to linger a little longer over coffee and have an extra pastry.

We stopped for a quick lunch near Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy) and from that vantage point caught our first glimpse of the cathedral spires, just like medieval pilgrims did before us. From there we proceeded as a group into Santiago. After reaching the cathedral, we toured the plazas surrounding the church and then made our way to our hotel to shower and rest a bit before meeting up with our group at 8:30 for a celebratory dinner. Becky, Marianne and I decided to attend the 7:30 pilgrims" mass at the cathedral that evening. At the end of mass 8 men dressed in red cloaks untied the botafumeiro (a giant incense burner weighing @ 120 pounds) and began pulling on the ropes to swing it as high as possible over the congregation. It was a sight to behold!

We said goodbye to our guides David and Carol this evening and will say goodbye to each other tomorrow morning after our tour together of the cathedral. Becky, Marianne and I head to Lisbon on Friday to meet up with Rich and Jerry. Buen Camino to all my fellow pilgrims who shared this journey with me: to David and Carol who always had smiles on their faces even when David's feet were aching and sore; to Belli, Robyn, Carolyn and Gay who shared so many Camino miles with me; to Leah, Marcie and Joleen who I didn't walk with but got to know better over our communal meals; and to all the other pilgrims I met on the road whose names I never learned, but who offered  help and encouragement along the way. I wish you all well and safe journeys.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 9

May 24, 2016

Oh boy! This was the toughest day yet for me, although it was more mental than physical, I think. Our route today was from Arzua to Amenal, a total distance of 13.7 miles. We've now finished walking Stage 32 of the Camino and have only 10.2 miles until we reach kilometer 0 at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. (Hard to believe we're now so close.)

On the map, today's route looked fairly flat with a few gentle up hills, so I thought this would be an easy, though long, day. The hills were a lot harder than I had anticipated! It made me feel a little better when I heard the same type of comments from the others. (Could it be we're all getting a little tired of walking 9 - 15 miles per day?)

Be that as it may, the hills weren't the major reason I had such a hard day. What really made it tough was that today it rained. (I know, I'm a native Oregonian and a little rain shouldn't bother me.) However, this wasn't a gentle misting rain or the kind of light showers we typically get in the Pacific Northwest. This was a full-blown, sky opening up and dumping kind of rain! I knew we were in trouble when the windshield wipers on the bus couldn't keep up with the pelting rain during our drive from the hotel back to yesterday's stopping point in Arzua. The flimsy disposable ponchos Becky and I had brought with us were not going to cut it!

Thankfully, our guides had some heavier ponchos previous guests had left behind and we were able to borrow those. As we started out from Arzua I felt snug and cozy and decided that maybe it wasn't going to be so bad walking in a torrential downpour. Little did I know then how uncomfortable this poncho would become as I tried to decide which was worse....getting soaked in the rain or sweltering inside this plastic sauna. All I could do was keep my head down and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

At about 6.5 miles into this horrendous walk, we came upon an oasis in the storm, La Casa Verde, where we stopped for coffee and a snack. The place was like no other cafe/bar along the Camino with pilgrim shirts hanging from the ceiling and graffiti everywhere. Music was blaring (Elton John, U2, etc.), the air was humid from all the wet clothing and it was jam-packed with pilgrims. One felt a fraternity with them all as we all tried to find a little respite from the storm.

To make a long story short, we finally reached our destination and I can only hope and pray that the weather will improve for our final walk into Santiago.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 8

May 23, 2016

Another short day of walking! (To all of my walking friends, when was the last time we called a 9-mile route "short?") Anyway, today we walked from Melide to Arzua, a total of 8.8 miles. We're now officially in Stage 32 of the Camino walk, as Arzua is @ 2 miles into this stage and only 23 miles from Santiago. Only two more days until we reach the end of our pilgrimage!

We had another beautiful day today with temperatures in the low 70's. Part of our path today led us over a stone bridge and by stones, I mean stepping stones across the water. Wish it was easier to post pictures so you could see the countryside we're walking through. (I'll go back and post pictures once Rich gets here with his laptop.) Also had a delicious picnic lunch, and realized it might be our last since rain is in the forecast for the next two days.

Wish you were all here to enjoy this experience with us. It's truly amazing!

Camino Pilgrimage Day 7

May 22, 2016

Today was an easy day of walking, with a relatively flat road (in Galicia there are always some rolling hills) and a distance of only 9.1 miles. We walked from Palas de Rei to Melide, halfway through Stage 31 of the Camino. The forecast was threatening rain today so instead of having a picnic lunch (which have been fabulous and rival the picnic lunches Backroads provides), we stopped at a restaurant in Coto for lunch. We're in octopus (or pulpa) country now, so of course that was our entree. Before that, however, we had a hearty bean, potato and kale soup accompanied by the delicious, crusty bread of the region. This was followed by a green salad and small roasted green peppers, which seem to be a specialty in the region. I enjoyed the octopus although it's not one of my favorite dishes, but at least it was very tender and not chewy as I had imagined it would be. This was followed by a delicious rice pudding for dessert. I swear I rolled, rather than walked, out of there.

We're also getting into a routine of stopping mid-morning at one of the many bars along the route for coffee and then at the end of the day stopping again for a sangria (if we're lucky enough to chance upon a bar that serves it) or any other type of alcoholic drink. Today we were lucky since Bar Chaplin served a delicious sangria.

We're in a new manor home tonight and tomorrow night and one of the perks is an on-site masseuse. I had my massage at 6:15 and it felt SO good. My legs and feet have been feeling good (I swear this Voltaren cream is doing wonders for my plantar fasciitis) so I had her concentrate on my neck and back which have started to knot up with the load of my pack on it every day (don't know how I would handle a full-blown backpack if I had to carry everything myself). Anyway, it was a great way to end another great day on the Camino.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 6

May 21, 2016

Our route today was from Portomarin to Palas de Rei (Stage 30), a total of 15.4 miles with total elevation gain of 450 meters, much more than yesterday's elevation gain of 300 meters. Somehow, however, today's walk seemed much easier than yesterday's. Maybe because the majority of the climbs were much more gradual than yesterday or maybe because the day was much cooler. It was so cold this morning (@ 48 degrees) that I wore gloves and pulled my hood over my head for the first hour or so. Once it warmed up a little it was a very pleasant walk, passing through similar scenery as the last few days. Today, however, there was a definite eucalyptus aroma in the air.

There were two highlights on our walk today. The first was the pre-Roman Celtic ruins at Castromaior (the word Castro meaning Celtic fort), located at the top of a fairly long, steep hill (in my opinion, the hardest climb of the day). All that was left of the fort were 1 1/2 to 2 feet high walls outlining various rooms. The rooms seemed to be the size of a typical bedroom, but I'm assuming each room housed an entire family.

The second highlight was a visit to Vilar de Donas, originally built as a convent in the 10th century. By the 11th century the structure was given to the Knights of Santiago (St. James) and the nuns moved out. This order of Knights was formed to protect pilgrims along the Camino, as it was a dangerous road then, with thieves and wild animals. The church is filled with stone effigies and tombstone markers of the Knights, as well as a beautiful (though faded) fresco behind the altar.

The Vilar de Donas is 1.5 miles off the Camino so, instead of walking an extra 3 miles on top of an already long day, we took our shuttle bus to the site. Good thing we did too, as it started raining as soon as we finished our visit. By the time we got to the manor home where we are staying tonight, I was chilled and it felt so good to walk into my warm, toasty room.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 5

May 20, 2016

Vespers and Mass at the Benedictine Monastery last night was beautiful, although the church itself was extremely cold (could this be because of the foot thick ancient stone walls?). At the end of Mass, the monk who had sung vespers blessed all the Camino pilgrims present and sang a pilgrim's prayer that was beautiful, even though the only words I understood were "Santa Maria." Wish I could find this on CD somewhere. It would be a wonderful keepsake of our Camino journey.

As predicted, today turned out to be a very warm day! My jacket was off probably within the first half hour of walking. We walked from Sarria to Portomarin (Stage 29 of the Camino), a total of 13.7 miles, up and down hills. It was a tough day, mainly because of the heat, although we had a few fairly steep hill climbs.

On the way out of town this morning we stopped at the Mosteiro da Madalena, originally a convent but now home to a few monks. The enclosed garden area is so beautifully landscaped and peaceful, one can imagine the nuns still wandering the garden in contemplative prayer.

Our way today also took us past several cow pastures, cemeteries and too many churches to count. Most of the roads were lined with trees whose arching branches formed a canopy for the weary pilgrim and a respite from the hot sun. It didn't seem fair that the last 1/2 mile of our journey was up a long, steep flight of stairs and then up even more hills until at last we reached the Church of San Juan and the bar across the street. By this time, all of us were ready to kick off our hiking boots and relax in the bar in Portomarin with our cold beverage of choice. A very satisfactory way to end the hiking day.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 4

May 19, 2016

Today we walked Stage 28 of the Camino from Triacastela to Sarria which, according to my Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino, is 71.5 miles from Santiago. It rained overnight and threatened to rain this morning, but all we saw was a little mist a few miles into the walk. The day was overcast but the temperature was relatively warm, and my raincoat soon found its way into my backpack. The first 3.5 miles were a moderate uphill climb and then the rest of the way was either downhill (though not as steep as yesterday) or flat. All in all, we walked @ 11.6 miles, a fairly short day. Again, the terrain is lovely with rolling green hills, and it's a pleasant walk. We pass by quite a few cow pastures and get some fairly pungent whiffs from those inhabitants. We also have to watch carefully where we're walking or we'll step in some of the "leavings" from those pasture inhabitants.

My knee is still bothering me somewhat so I'm walking slower, especially downhill. The good news with this is that it gives me some solitary time on the Camino, which I'm enjoying. No blisters yet and, other than my knee, I'm feeling pretty good. Even the plantar fasciitis in my right heel isn't giving me too much pain. Marianne has a couple of small blisters, but other than the aches I mentioned above, we're all doing well and enjoying the journey.

Tonight we're going to a Benedictine monastery in Samos for vespers (evening prayers) followed by Mass and dinner after. Weather looks like it's going to be sunny and fair tomorrow. Yeah!

Camino Pilgrimage Day 3

May 18, 2016

Our 13 mile walk today started in O'Cebreiro, a small hilltop town, and ended in Triacastela, 96 miles from Santiago. There are 33 "stages" on the French Camino and this route is referred to as Stage 27. We will now be walking each stage in order as we progress closer to Santiago, although some of the longer stages we may walk in two days rather than one. We are also in the province (?) of Galicia and the countryside is beautiful, with rolling green hills, forests and farmland. It was a beautiful walk today, although a chilling fog rolled in shortly after leaving O'Cebreiro. The chill remained with us well past lunch.

I had twisted my left knee yesterday when I tripped on the rocky path and, although it didn't really bother me while walking, it did hurt last night and was somewhat swollen. It still hurt this morning, so I walked somewhat slower than I would normally. Consequently, I didn't walk with Becky and Marianne, but had quite a bit of solitary time during today's trek. At times, I overtook other pilgrims (all of whom had started in St. Jean, France) and walked with them for a bit, feeling very much the novice hiker. I got all sorts of advice on how to prevent blisters and adjust my pack so it didn't bother my shoulders. One gentleman had walked the Portuguese Camino twice and was now walking the French Camino and maintained that the Portuguese way was much prettier. At other times, I walked with others in our group, primarily the two women from Australia and got a chance to get to know them better. All in all, it was a very good day.

Tomorrow we walk from Triacastela to Sarria, approximately 11 miles. We're staying at the same manor home tomorrow night, so it looks like I'll have internet service for at least one more day and hope to update the blog then.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 2

May 16, 2016

Day 2 of our pilgrimage and the plan was to walk from El Ganso to La Cruz de Ferro (the Iron Cross), about 8 miles. After breakfast, we all loaded into the van for the hour and a half ride to El Ganso. Immediately after leaving Leon we began to see pilgrims walking alongside the road. Partway to El Ganso, we all heard a big clunk (thought we hit a pothole) and all of a sudden, our van driver couldn't shift gears and we slowly coasted to the side of the road. After a bit of discussion between David (our guide) and Pedro (our driver), they decided to call for a new van and we would start walking the Camino at this point, which was outside the town of Santa Catalina, about 3 miles from our originally planned starting point. Carol and David thought we would walk to Rabanol and then shuttle to the Iron Cross.

The terrain between Santa Catalina and El Ganso was scenic and flat and the day was already warmer than we had anticipated. I shed my jacket immediately and was soon trying to roll my sleeves up as much as possible. Lunch was in El Ganso outside a small bar/cafe. After lunch, we set out for Rabanol, about 4.5 miles away. This portion of the trail started out flat, but the closer we got to Rabanol, the hillier it became. Along the way we came to a portion of the trail bordered by a wire fence where pilgrims had woven various crosses made out of sticks or other materials. We each fashioned a cross and wove it among the others.

When we got to Rabanol, David was waiting for us and said the new van was there and we could shuttle to Rabanol. We were quite a ways ahead of some of the others so a few of us decided to walk on and the van would catch up to us further up the road. This new stretch of road was very hilly and muddy and we had to navigate our way around the trail in many places. When we finally met up with the van, we discovered that we had walked almost 11 miles total.

Accommodations and dinner tonight is in Villafranca. Our destination tomorrow is Triacastella, which will be a 13 mile walk. Our guides tell us that Internet will be spotty from here on out, so this may be the last post for awhile.

Camino Pilgrimage Day 1

May 16, 2016

First day of our Camino Pilgrimage, although we didn't do much walking today. We met our fellow pilgrims and our guide David at our hotel at 8:15 this morning and, after loading the van with all our luggage, proceeded to Leon, approximately a 4 hour drive away. Once we got to Leon we were greeted by our other guide Carol, who checked us into our hotel, which sits in the historic part of the city. After everyone was settled, we trooped across the street for a delicious 3-course lunch.

There are twelve of us "pilgrims" in this tour: a couple from Denver (the only man in our group other than our guide David), two women neighbors from Santa Barbara, an elderly woman (who is returning for her third Camino walk) and her great niece, two women golf buddies from Australia, a single woman from Massachusetts, and the three of us. It seems to be a congenial group, but maybe that's just the wine bringing out the best in everyone.

We had our first group meeting where we received our pilgrim's passport (which we'll have stamped at various towns along the way to prove we've walked 100 miles) and our clamshell (a symbol of our pilgrimage which we can either wear along the route or tie to our backpack). We also discussed the logistics of tomorrow's walk, which at 7.7 miles will be the shortest walk of the week. After the meeting, we joined a local tour guide for a 2 hour tour of the historic district including the town's 13th century Gothic cathedral. There was a mass at 7:00 at St. Isidoro church a few blocks away and a number of us went to mass after the tour. Dinner was a 4-course affair and lasted from 8:30 until 10:30. Dinner was delicious, but I don't understand how the Spanish can eat this late at night and stay up long enough to digest their food if they have to work in the morning.

Leon Cathedral

Interior View of Cathedral

In Front of our Hotel

I better start walking at least 12 miles a day or I'm going to inflate like a balloon with all the food they're providing!

Toledo - A Medieval Town

May 16, 2016

Whew! Another long, but very good day! After breakfast this morning, we took the train to Toledo, a medieval town 30 minutes from Madrid, famous for its huge, gothic cathedral with its ornate golden altarpiece and an El Greco painting titled The Spoliation (Christ being stripped of his garments before the crucifixion).

Upon arrival at the train station we had a 25 minute walk uphill into the town center, some of which was via cobblestone streets and some via escalators (I know, there's nothing medieval about escalators). It took us a little while, but we found our way to the cathedral in time for the noon mass. To our surprise, this was a confirmation mass attended by the bishop of the area and at least 5 other priests. The choir consisted of approximately 10 or 12 seven and eight year old boys who truly sang like angels. When we came back through the church as tourists later in the afternoon, we discovered this area closed off to tourists, so if we hadn't come to mass, we never would have been able to see the ornate altarpiece up close and personal like we did.

Long story short, after mass we wandered around Toledo, through the Jewish Quarter and past the El Greco Museum, toured the rest of the cathedral and then headed back to the train station for our return trip. We didn't take time for lunch so by the time we got back to Madrid at 6:00, we were all starving. Grabbed a quick bite to eat, accompanied by sangria, and then headed back to the hotel to pack and get ready for the beginning of our Camino pilgrimage tomorrow. Looks like it's going to be 11:30 before we get to bed tonight.

All the pictures I took today were on my camera, so I'll need to wait for Rich and the computer before I can upload them to this blog. I've added placeholders.

Toledo Cathedral

El Greco Painting

A Visit to the Royal Court

May 15, 2016

Today was an 18 hour day: up early and then down to breakfast by 8:00 (this hotel has one of THE NICEST breakfast buffets I have ever seen in Europe....eggs and smoothies made to order and a plethora (love this word) of fruit, cheeses, meats, breads and pastry items). We were out the door by 9:00 and on our way to the Royal Palace and its adjacent Cathedral. On our way there we passed through the Puerta del Sol, Madrid's historic center; visited a favorite local hangout, the La Mallorquina confectionary; saw Madrid's 17th century square called the Plaza Mayor (teeming with people already in line for a concert later tonight); gawked our way through the Mercado de San Miguel filled with fresh produce, gourmet foods, wines, and tapas; and discovered that the traditional symbol of Madrid is a bear pawing a madrona tree for its berries.

Sidewalk Art of the Bear and the Madrona Tree

Nearly 2 hours later, we finally arrived at the Almudena Cathedral, an imposing gray-and-white structure which took 100 years to build and was only recently completed in 1993. After touring the church, we had lunch and then headed back to the Royal Palace to wait in line to buy tickets (we had originally planned to be at the palace by 10:00 in order to beat the crowds, but obviously didn't stick too well to our schedule). Madrid's Royal Palace is almost as large and opulent as the French palace at Versailles or the Schonbrunn palace in Vienna, reminding one that in the 15th and 16th centuries Spain was a force to be reckoned with.

Almudena Cathedral

Royal Palace

The Intrepid Travelers

We got back to our hotel in time for tapas and drinks and used this time to plan where to have dinner tonight and where/how we were going to spend our day tomorrow. The Spainsh typically don't eat dinner until 8:30 or 9:00, and tonight we followed in the Spanish tradition. Starting one's dinner in this way and at this hour means that one doesn't finish dinner until @ 10:30. Yikes! Our heads didn't hit our pillows until midnight.

The Adventure Begins.....

May 12th/13th, 2016

Early in the morning on May 12th, Becky and I boarded our American Airlines flight bound for Chicago where we then met up with Marianne for the continuation of our trip to Madrid. Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Madrid a little after 7:00 in the morning. Between the three of us, we were operating on less than 6 hours sleep, but we did manage to get through customs, retrieve our luggage, and get ourselves to our hotel. We had grand plans of going out on the town, but decided we'd take a quick hour-long nap first. Three hours later, we finally drug ourselves out of bed and found a tapas restaurant nearby for lunch. First item on order was a round of sangria.

.

The remainder of the afternoon/evening was spent on a tour bus ride around the city and a light, early dinner consisting of a dessert crepe and coffee (decaf, of course). Yum! Early to bed for all of us. Tomorrow we're heading to the Royal Palace.