From Barcelona!

We arrived in Barcelona exhausted after more than 24 hours in flight. Iberia Air was nice enough. We paid an extra $35 for bulkhead seats so Joe could stretch out his legs. This, to me, is worth every cent. You must do it 30 days before your flight.

The food was ok. The only complaint we really had was that there was no audio so without movies to watch, it made for a longer trip.

For anyone flying into Barcelona, here is some good information.

A taxi from the airport into town will cost you around 50 Euros. OUCH!

Instead of a taxi, follow the signs to pick up baggage, then follow the signs for buses.
Go outside and pick up a bright blue Aero Bus that will take you into the center of town.
This bus cost 5,65 euros each - a great savings!
The first stop is Plaza Espana.
There is a little map above the door inside the bus so you can see where it goes.
Then they stop at another Plaza and a few other stops right in town.

From Plaza Espana, it is just a few steps to the Metro, which you can identify by the bright red triangular or oval signs. You can purchase tickets from machines down in the Metro basement. You can buy 1 ticket, 10 tickets, or day, week, month tickets.  You will insert your ticket into the turnstile, then retreive it as the gate opens.

Be VERY careful in the metro. Keep your hand on your wallet at all times. You may want to put a lock on your backpack until you get on the Camino to discourage busy pickpocket hands.  Even our Pension owner cautioned us about pickpockets and thieves in Barcelona.. so please be careful.

I booked Pension Peiro here in Barcelona. It was 45 Euros for a double private room. It is old and a bit rough around the edges, but the beds are clean. There is a sink and extra blankets in our room, as well as a nice balcony. We share a shower and toilet with 2 other rooms, but so far, I haven´t run into another person. The water is luciously hot!

The management is exceptionally kind here. They have an ordinador ...computer... that you can use for 1 euro for 20 minutes, but the desk clerk told me where there were two computer shops ....locutori... where I can use the computer for 1 euro for an entire hour, so here I am.

Also, I had to purchase bus tickets for the May group and he let me use his private computer, then he telephoned to make a correction for me when I booked two too many tickets. How nice was that¨. I can´t find the question mark on this keyboard.  haha

Let´s see.. what else... the weather is warm and sunny here, with just a few clouds in the sky, so I am going to assume it will be HOT by the time you walkers arrive end of May. I wouldn´t bring too many cold weather clothes at all.

We looked for a Chinese Store, which is like the Dollar Stores in the USA. There, we purchased a fork, a sharp knife, and a corkscrew each for 1 Euro, a change purse for 1,20 euros, and a pair of black Crocs for 4 euros.

I was able to get to the correos - post office - and recognized it by its bright yellow and blue sign. Here´s some good information. When you go into the post office, find a machine that spits out numbers. You will need to know if you are sending or receiving mail and push the appropriate button. Then hold on to your number until they call you.  I mailed a box with my tent, my blow up pad, tent stakes, and two guidebooks from Barcelona to Pamplona and it cost about 8 euros. Not bad and better than lugging it all the way to Pamplona.

Donar Kabobs were first on our menu - for 3 euros each, they are a great dinner and we look for them whenever we are in Spain. While walking around today I saw food of every kind from Patatas Bravas for 1 Euro to Platos del Dia anywhere from 6,50 Euros up to 12 Euros, so it´s easy to find inexpensive food here.

Breakfast and lunch were purchased at one of the many supermercados. We found a baguette about 2 feet long for 85 cents, olives were still 45 cents for a generous bagful, tuna was 1.50 or so for 3 cans with pull tabs. Each can is enough for one serving or one sandwich. We also bought tinto wine in the box for 1.10 euros and orange juice for 1 euro per quart box. I bought 4 yogurts for 2 euros.

Add oranges, apples, and bananas and we were stuffed. Oh yes, and we bought a bagged salad for 1,50 euros and a bottle of dressing for 1 euro so for 2,50 euros we had a HUGE salad with our meal.  The fruit markets are everywhere here, and the fruit is beautiful and inexpensive. Anyone who is vegetarian will do fine in Barcelona!

We couldn not find Fels Naptha for washing our clothes, but I did find some Cocoanut Soap in a bar that is used for baby clothes. It made great suds and washed out easily, so we are happy with it. We hung our stretchy clotheslines out on the balcony and the clothes were nearly dry this morning.

Arriving in Madrid.

If your first stop is in Madrid, you will be in Terminal 1,2,3, or 4. When you first arrive, you will follow the herd to customs, where they do not check your luggage, but check only your passport. Then you go into another room where you again follow signs to the indoors trains that will take you to your next terminal. If you are catching a bus from the terminal, go to an information booth, where usually someone will speak English and help direct you to your bus stop.

If you arrive in Spain via Madrid, then take a connecting flight, you will have to go through security again. You will be asked to place everything in a box and go through a scanner. We opted out of the scary scanner and asked for a pat-down. It was the most exciting thing I´ve experienced in 10 years . hahaha!

I guess our walking sticks were suspicious because the TSA decided to open the box.


Well... I guess that´s all for now. I have photos I´ll post later but cannot do it from here. Tomorrow morning we take our bus to Toulouse and the next day to Moissac. I´ll post again as soon as I can find a computer.

Hasta luego!
Annie

One More Sleep to Barcelona

Today is crazy packing day!

I have packed and repacked several times and hopefully, this is it.

No turning back.

My backpack has been hosed off, hopefully all the permethrin is gone.

It's hanging in the backyard, sunning and drying.

Everything I need for 5 months of living in Europe is on my bed in stuff bags:

Inside the big dark blue bag is my down sleeping bag.

Inside the small dark red bag is my blowup sleeping pad:

Inside the bright blue bag are 2 capri walking shorts with 2 shirts, rolled up, 

and my Tilley hat.

Inside the grey stuff bag are my rain pants, my fleece gloves, 

and a lightweight grey fleece

Inside the orange stuff bag are an assortment of items

 bundled in ziplock bags:

1) sleepmask, earplugs, LED light

2) Red small first aid bag

3) bandana and TP

4) Plugs and cords for electronics

5) Instant coffee and plastic cutlery

6) emery board and tips for my poles

7) soap in soapbox and washcloth

8) muslin bath towel

9) The little blue thing up at the top is a necktie 

that you can soak in water and it keeps you cool. 

When it dries, it's about the thickness of a piece of paper. 

I love this in hot weather!

That's it.

My nysil pack cover goes in the front pocket.

My guide book goes in the side pocket.

My fanny pack holds:

1) camera/phone

2) cash

My black money belt goes around my waist inside my pants 

and holds my passport, credit card, and large Euro bills.

HOORAY! I'm PACKED

Oh yes, we are checking the walking sticks and screen tent. 

Went to the sports store yesterday and begged a box. 

We have a few days in Barcelona, 

so hopefully they will make it on the same day we arrive:

I hope I can sleep tonight  :)

Buen Camino, Peregrinos!

I'm off!

See you on The Way...

Annie

PS: You can click on the images to make them larger

If you'd like to walk the Camino
but aren't quite ready to do it alone,
see my website:

www.anniecarvalho.weebly.com

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe

What to do about walking sticks?

Well, I still haven't made up my mind what to do about my walking sticks. I have Pacer Poles and the handles are great for folks with carpal tunnel... I hate to leave them home. But getting them from the EU to the UK is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Getting them to Barcelona is no problem. We can pack them in a tube and ship them (I hate doing this but they're not allowed on board). However, getting them from Spain to Amsterdam and then to the UK on Easy Jet and Vueling will cost a bundle, if I can't stuff them into the pack and get them through security.

I need the sticks not only to support my knees and ankles on the rough terrain from Lourdes over the Pyrenees, but also to set up my screen tent in case I find I cannot stay in a hotel due to their perfumed sheets or air freshener. We talked about maybe just picking up walking sticks in Lourdes, and those sticks would be fine if it weren't for the tent, which I think will take a shorter stick.

So I'm stumped.

I went to Big 5 to see about some cheap model I could just leave in Spain. But they just weren't comfortable.

I picked up a cardboard box, and I'll have to decide by tomorrow.

What to do...???

Oh yeah, and just now, two days before I go to Spain, I ran out of photo space on this Google Blogspot account.

Well crap!

Do I want to pay $2.49 per month to keep this blog going?
You tell me...

Four More Sleeps Until Barcelona!

Well, it's just four more sleeps until I leave for Barcelona and there's a flurry of activity in getting ready.

My youngest son, Cameron, visited last weekend. I was so happy to see him and it was sweet of him to care enough to come for a visit before I leave for 5 months.

I'm packing, weighing my pack, unpacking and repacking.
I think I'll send a box to Wales to await my arrival there.
A friend has given us an excellent price on a flat for two months between Camino treks.
That way I'll have fresh clothes and shoes for the second Camino trek in September.

I picked up my last September walker yesterday. She is from Australia and I almost fell off my chair when I saw her full name. She has the exact same first and last name as my childhood best friend, Pam. This must be a good omen!

Yesterday, I made two items for my trip, a bedbug sheet and a new bath towel.

The bedbug sheet was made from a sheer curtain, sprayed with Permethrin.

Measuring the curtain fabric

We hung it on a line outdoors

We mixed the permethrin in this bottle for spraying

I was hoping I'd be able to use this, but even though I had Joe do the spraying and I only handled the sheet once it was dry, I had a reaction. My face felt like it was on fire and no matter how much I washed, nothing helped. This lasted until I went to bed.

So I don't feel I'll be able to use it and I don't want to infect the other items in my pack. Even though the bedbug sheet is in a ziplock bag, I'm afraid to use it. So if anybody wants a home-made bedbug sheet, let me know. You can have it for the price of the permethrin plus postage ($10 plus postage). Better let me know quick, though, as I leave on Monday for Barcelona.

The bath sheet turned out nice!  I read about using muslin on the Camino forum and thought, "Wow! What a great idea!"  I had a few yards of muslin here for quilting, very lightweight. So I measured off a piece about the size of a regular bath towel and hemmed it on the machine.

It works GREAT!  It's very lightweight, absorbs water like a sponge, and dries in less than an hour.

The dark spot is my shadow. The towel is cream color.

I embroidered my name on the edges so it doesn't walk away, and I'm very happy with my new backpacking towel.  A person could make it even smaller, but I wanted to be able to wrap it around myself like a regular towel.

Today, I have to do last minute budgeting. Then I need to weigh and repack my backpack again. I'm trying to keep it 10% of my body weight and this is difficult because I'm taking an iPAD, which weighs about 14 ounces plus paperwork I'll need on the Camino.  I think my pack may be overweight this trip.

Here's a photo of what I need to pack!

I bought a cool new iPad sleeve and hard case for my camera.

I bought this waist pack - I like it because it is compact

I pack my clothes in these waterproof nysil bags so they stay dry

My  old Tilley Hat goes along. Ugly as sin, but works for sun or rain!

I bought a new rubber clothesline. Couldn't find my old one.

This opens out to a full sized day pack!

Plug adaptor for Spain

The good news is that if the backpack is too heavy, I'll only have to carry it for the first 2 weeks. From that point on, I have hired bag transport for my group, and I can probably share the cost with one of them for some of the heavier items, and carry less weight on my back.

We set up the screen tent in the backyard yesterday and made the decision not to take the tarp cover.  We plan on using this on the Pelgrimspad in the Netherlands in places where there are no convenient hostels.  If it rains, we'll taxi to a hostel.  The tarp is just too heavy to deal with until we begin the Pelgrimspad.  If we get to Amsterdam and it's raining we will buy a tarp there.  I also take this tent because of my chemical sensitivities. If the sheets are too perfumed in the hotel, I can just pitch it in the yard and sleep without getting a migraine.

I've almost decided NOT to take my Pacer Poles this year. Just too many flights to have to worry about. Some airlines allow them, some don't. I can just buy a walking stick along the way. Not positive.. have to decide today for sure.

So.. I guess that's it. Today is a busy day tying up loose ends. Taking mom to get a fireplace insert and going to a street fair with her tonight.

I'm getting excited!
Are you?

Love,
Annie

From Astorga to Manjarin

The Cowboy Bar in El Ganso is one of the most provocative stops along the Camino. 

Every guidebook mentions it. 

So we were disappointed on the morning we arrived and found it closed. 

Luckily there is a small restaurant/bar next door, 

so we were able to have our morning coffee. 

By the time we finished, the Cowboy Bar was open and we were able to peek inside.

 Eclectically furnished in spaghetti-western style,  

there was a familiar twangy music playing in the background. 

Coming from Bakersfield, California, 

the home of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, 

this felt surreal, as though I'd stepped through a time and space warp.  

I can't vouch for the food here; we had breakfast next door.

But you may want to give it a try. 

It's a conversational piece, at the least!

The walk from Astorga to Rabanal was lovely. 

Here are some photos of the trail. 

Actually, we passed through Santa Catalina de Somoza 

before we got to El Ganso.

Beer stop in Santa Catalina

The little Church in Santa Catalina has a pretty St. Roque

We slept in Santa Catalina, a tiny little village with a sweet Inn. 

We had a good dinner and were in the company of several bicigrinos. 

I had a headache from the heat, 

and the hospitalera kindly supplied me with aspirin.

We had no problems with bedbugs, 

but a few days later met a German boy who had many bites. 

He said he'd gotten them in the same place we stayed,

but in a different room. 

You just never know who is carrying chinches bed to bed. 

If you do get infested, people, PLEASE STOP

 and spray and wash all of your clothes and bag 

so you do not carry them along the Camino!

View from our room

Cool blue door in Santa Catalina

In the shade of the Roble Peregrino (Pilgrim Oak)

Nine hot kilometers later,
we stopped to rest under the Roble Peregrino,
a giant old oak which provided blessed shade.
This is a place of natural beauty
where many pilgrims stop to meditate and rest.

Albergue Gaucelmo in Rabanal del Camino was our next stop. 

We were really looking forward to hearing the Benedictine Monks sing vespers that night.

 Unfortunately it was not to be. 

The monks, we were told, were "on holiday."  

On holiday? Monks go on holiday? 

ALL of them at the same time?  

Well... there was a bit more to the story, one that will require it's own blog someday. 

But the bottom line was that a new group of young monks had come there 

and decided to make some big changes. 

Changes in the way things had been done for generations. 

Changes that the locals did not like and literally demonstrated against. 

And the demonstrators were not young ne'er-do-wells,

they were mostly little old grandmothers

who had enjoyed not-particularly-Catholic rituals

from a time long gone. 

The new priests were insistent on doing things "correctly."

The demonstrations got physical with the result 

that the monks took their "holiday" 

mainly to escape being bonked on the head by a rock.

 At least that's the story I heard. 

It was a protest that was apparently effective.

Could be just sensational gossip, 

but nevertheless, it was an entertaining substitute 

for the vespers we missed.

There was, however, a priest walking the Camino who offered to say Mass 

for those of us who wished to hear it. 

An table-top altar was set up in the back yard 

and this friendly young Polish priest said Mass, 

much to our delight.

The man in the white tee shirt was our Priest

We loved Gaucelmo! 

The hospitaleros there were friendly and helpful.

They offered a "tea-time" in the afternoon

where we could sit with other pilgrims

and get to know each other.

The beds were clean, the showers were hot,

the kitchen and library were well-stocked, 

and a pilgrim couldn't ask for a nicer place to stay.

Nice big kitchen at Gaucelmo

You will find a tiny tienda just up the street where you can buy food to cook.

There are also a couple of restaurants in the village,

but be sure to make reservations as soon as you get into town

as they also provide lodging, and getting a table could be problematic.

Foncebadon

Next morning, we walked to Manjarin,

a short, but pretty walk.

Cruz de Ferro just before Manjarin

Approaching Manjarin

We had not planned on sleeping here

but fell in love with the personality of the place and the hospitaleros,

and decided it would be an experience worth having.

Looking at souvenirs

This is a nice place to stop. 

They have a little tourist shop where you can buy mementos. 

What you buy here will support the donativo albergue.

You can get a cold drink or a hot coffee.  

At certain times of day, Tomas, a modern day Templar, 

does a ritual to the four quarters, 

invoking heartfelt blessings upon all the pilgrims.

It is a ceremony that you will not see anywhere else on the Camino.

Manjarin is a throwback to the way things used to be

and if you are squeamish or prissy, 

you may need encouragement to stay here. 

First, there is no running water, which means no shower. 

We went to bed refreshed, but unwashed.

There was no modern toilet. 

The toilet is a pit toilet across the road where you (literally) 

squat over a hole which has been dug.  

No running water also means no laundry

so the sheets and pillowcases were... 

well.. second or maybe third-hand.

We slept on mattresses in the attic. It was basic but warm and cozy.

In the photo of the beds, you will see a Tau Cross on the wall. 

The Tau Cross is the emblem of the 

Order of St. Anthony Abad, the hermit. 

This Order had many hospitals where people were healed from ergot poisoning. 

The symptoms of St. Anthony's Fire or ergot poisoning were hallucinations, 

a burning sensation in the skin, bluish color from loss of circulation, 

and eventually gangrene.  

It was sometimes mistaken for leprosy.

The disease could often be cured by eliminating barley (or rye) bread,

 increasing the intake of wine which diluted the veins, 

and vigorous exercise, as in pilgrimage.  

The hospices of San Anton sprang up along Europe's major pilgrimage routes.  

Without a doubt,

Tomas is authentically reviving the spirit of the Templars 

as well as San Anton.

We were happy to cast caution to the wind and stay!

In the late afternoon, Tomas closed the shop, 

and his helpers began preparing our meal.

We sat down to a generous dinner prepared for us in the basic kitchen.

We enjoyed the company of a diverse group of wonderful pilgrims 

and shared stories about our Camino experiences.   

Kitchen an Manjarin

Just as we began eating, a young man showed up,

barefoot, dirty and in raggedy clothes. 

At first we thought he was a vagabond. 

He refused to speak

and for a moment, the air was tense.

I wondered if he was deaf and mute.  

Tomas had said he was not taking more pilgrims that night, 

but he brought the boy right in, 

welcomed him, and sat him to dinner. 

He apparently understood the situation.

Come to find out, 

the boy was a pilgrim who had taken a vow of silence and had no money. 

Without hesitating,

Tomas had shown us a beautiful example of true hospitality.

At bedtime, we were shown the way to the attic, 

up some very steep steps.

We were instructed not to come down next morning until the bell rang. 

There would be no early-bird 5:30 rustling-plastic-bag pilgrims here! 

 Joe and I were happy at this news!

I slept like a log.

Joe said he woke up in the middle of the night 

because of a bright light in his eyes.

It was the full moon, shining through the skylight.

Next morning, we awakened to the bell.

Good Morning Sunshine! Watch out for those rafters!

We rolled up our sleeping bags and made our way downstairs 

where we found a welcoming breakfast of

hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, bread, butter, jam, and cookies. 

As far as we're concerned, this place is primitive, but real:

a very authentic pilgrim experience, 

and one we would recommend it to anyone 

with a sense of adventure and a taste for the old ways.

We set out once more in the rosy dawn, 

happy and blessed by the hospitality of Tomas of Manjarin!

Annie and Tomas

See my website at 

Anniewalkers Camino

for more information about
Guided Walks on the Pilgrimage Trails of Europe
and
Walking the Camino Santiago

James Michener's IBERIA - A Thirst For Adventure

For those of you who are contemplating walking the Camino, 

one book you may enjoy reading is James A. Michener's "IBERIA."

It will help you understand the character and history of the land you'll be walking,

and entertain you at the same time.

From the back cover:

"A dazzling panorama...one of the riches and most satisfying books about Spain in living memory." SATURDAY REVIEW

"A magnificent book, a noble pilgrimage." 

 BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB NEWS

"From the glories of the prado to the loneliest stone villages... 

here is Spain, castle of old dreams and new realities."  

THE NEW YORK TIMES

"This book will make you fall in love with Spain."  

HOUSTON POST

While a student in Scotland, Michener worked as a chart boy 

aboard a Clydeside freighter which carried coal to Italy 

and brought back oranges from Spain. 

On his first trip, off Cabo Finisterre, 

he began aching to see Spain first hand.  

He rode a barge ashore at Burriana, 

and that was the beginning of his adventure. 

Michener fell in love with the country and its people.

He made several trips back to Spain up into the 1960's, 

and this book is the result of those travels.

Michener writes in beautiful detail about
what his experiences in Badajoz, Toledo, Cordoba, 

Las Marismas, Sevilla, Madrid, Salamanca, 

Pamplona, Barcelona, and Teruel.

The final chapter is a delightful look at Santiago de Compostela.

A master writer, Michener tells his stories in such vivid detail

 you can smell the heat rising from the dusty road.  

THE SATURDAY REVIEW says it best: 

 "A dazzling panorama... 

one of the richest and most satisfying books about Spain in living memory."

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is planning to walk the Camino. 

For those interested in knowing more about Michener,
this link has a short biography:
Michener Biography

If you'd like to walk the Camino
but aren't quite ready to do it alone,
see my website:

www.anniecarvalho.weebly.com

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe