Barcelona Day 2

Paula and I had 10 o’clock reservations for Park Guell It was good to be there early because it was bloody hot. In addition to the heat, there were easily 2000 people there. Unlike when Joe and I visited many years ago, and we didn’t have to pay, and they were maybe 100 people in the whole park, we couldn’t really see anything because there were people everywhere. It was too hot and dusty to walk the trails. The trails were all burnt out, because Barcelona has been in a drought and everything‘s dry. There were a few plants blooming, but really it was a wash in my opinion. I was glad we only paid seven dollars for our tickets.  If anybody’s going to Barcelona and you have a choice between Park Guell or Sagrada Familia, skip the park.  

Once we decided to leave the park, we headed across the street to buy tickets for the hop on hop off bus. We rode that around for about three hours until we were tired and our brains were scrambled from too much information. I had no idea Barcelona was such a huge city and there was so much to see. I doubt I will ever return but my advice to anybody visiting there is to go during the off-season when the weather is cool and there aren’t so many tourists.

We hopped off at a place where we saw a nice restaurant and had a great lunch Sicilian food.  Had a stirfry with chicken and vegetables, and I had a pasta dish that was so tasty with its tomatoes, olives, eggplant, and red peppers, and I ate the whole thing!

I looked at all that olive oil and I remember telling myself, “you’re going to be sorry!

And sorry I was! As soon as we got back on the bus, my stomach began rumbling, and I was crying for a place to take a break (You know that feeling?). I was never SO happy to see a Starbucks in my life!  

At that point we were about 3 1/2 miles from our hotel so we decided to walk home. It was hot, but it felt good to finally walk. 

I didn’t get much sleep last night. And I felt like I was keeping Paula up so for the rest of the trip we’re going to book some separate rooms  When I get insomnia, I just need to get up turn on the light and read.  It literally hurts me to lay in bed, so I need a space of my own. 

This morning, we caught the train to Logroño. We will be here two nights. I spent much of the day trying to make my pack lighter because I don’t think we’re gonna be able to get backpack transport on the erratic schedule that we’ve made. We’ll see what happens  

Tomorrow we are going to wine museum and hopefully for a long walk along the river  

Sagrada Familia

Yesterday Paula and I took the train to Barcelona.   Once we checked in, we walked down and got lunch and then got on the metro for our 3 PM visit to Sagrada Familia.  If you don’t know anything about this famous cathedral, designed by Anthony Gaudi, I encourage you to do a search online. It was one of the most incredible pieces of art I’ve ever seen.  I’m just going to post a couple of photos and post the rest after I return home but this will give you a taste of its beauty. 

On our way home, we found a market and bought food for breakfast to try to save a little bit of money.   We had dinner at a Pakistan restaurant and got to bed pretty late for me.  Paula got her laundry done and I got some extra sleep which I needed. It’s been a little rough for both of us sharing a room because we aren’t used to each other’s schedules and hearing somebody breathing in the bedroom .  I think after Logroño, most of our rooms are going to be changed to private singles.  We also may be changing our schedule again. After the walking, we’ve been doing I think we realized full stages may be more than we can handle. We really just want to walk half or even one stages to try to build up stamina so we are looking for the most painless route on the Camino to do that.  

Today after breakfast, we are going to Park Guelle. It is another place full of art by Gaudi. 

Time for breakfast and a shower!

Love,

Annie

Sleep

It’s 3 am and I’m wide awake. Trying to be quiet but it’s difficult to stay in bed. This is a reminder why I need my own room. Hoping the light from my phone won’t wake Paula but it’s agony lying here in the dark. If I were alone I’d get a hot bath or get up and read. 

Arggh. She’s awake. 

I’m so sorry …

La Arepera

Paula and I had dinner tonight at a place called La Arepera. It is Venezuelan cuisine. It was so good. Neither of us were very hungry so we split a  variety dish. There were fried mozzarella sticks, and arepas, which are like little street tacos and have different things inside. There were little pancakes, made out of plantain and topped with cheese.  And then there was another little cracker type thing with coleslaw on it. It was just enough food.

The number of people in Madrid are still blowing me away. As I walked back to our hotel from the Prado today, this is what the street look like. A parking lot.

I left the Prado early because I was exhausted and Paula had a wonderful visit to the botanical gardens. She took some really nice photos.

Tomorrow we catch a train to Barcelona and right now we’re trying to figure out if Atocha train station and Atocha Cercanius station are the same place so we can order our taxi. 

The Prado

I slept like a log last night, but I did wake up at my usual 4 AM to a I slept like a log last night, but I did wake up at my usual 4 AM to an email telling me one of my lodgings payments had not gone through. I tried to be quiet turning on the lights so I could put another credit card number in. I’m sure I woke Paula up. After sorting it out, I went back to bed and slept another couple of hours. 

We were up early and out to find coffee and something to eat. We found a nice little restaurant where I had toast with tomato and Paula had toast with jam and then we started walking. I wanted to take a walk all the way to Atocha station because tomorrow morning we leave at 8 AM and I wanted to be sure we could get there in time and we knew where to catch our train. 

Getting there was no problem, but Madrid sure has changed since I was here so many years ago. I can’t believe the number of people for one thing -  and there’s construction going on around Atocha station.  When we left the station, I wanted to walk a different way to see if the sidewalk went all the way around Atocha, but we ended up going about a kilometer and a half out of our way and so we had to backtrack to make it to the Prado for our 1030 appointment. Paula moves fast on those little bitty legs and I had a heckuva time keeping up with her. We made it just in time for our appointment and we’ve gone our separate way. We will meet up later to take a walk to the botanical gardens.

I am in the Prado Café enjoying my 2nd cup of coffee and my first Neopolitana of the trip!

Madrid!

Watching the sunrise as we flew was beautiful. 

I arrived at Madrid to beautiful sunshine and more people than I’ve ever seen here! It was like the population exploded!  After a 33 Euro taxi to within a few blocks of our hotel, I finally connected with Paula. We both were feeling pretty exhausted but excited to finally be here. But WHY all these people!?

Turns out there was some big futbol game happening and todo el mundo was out celebrating!  The Spanish do love their futbal!  We found a place to eat close to our room. After a little bite to eat we nabbed a frozen yogurt and headed back for an early night of rest to try to catch up on the sleep we lost on the flight. 

I spent some time reorganizing my pack. I brought WAY too much stuff and dumped a few items. 

Then a shower and blessed sleep. 

It’s now 3:39 am. 

Paula is still fast asleep. 

I’m trying to be quiet. 

Today after breakfast we have an appointment to see the Prado. 

Sorry no photos to show this post. I was too tired to think but I promise to take some today. 

Buen Camino Peregrinos!

Annie

But wait! There’s more!

Well, this certainly has been a comedy of errors 

I arrived at Portland International Airport, only to find they couldn’t find my reservation at British Air. The lady at the desk also said it was impossible to enter my passport information and nobody knew why. An hour and a half later I’m finally sitting at a table in front of Burgerville in Concourse D, looking for a water fountain and a place to just meditate and quiet my mind. Hopefully the rest of this trip will be a little less eventful. 

I’m hoping to get some sleep on the plane and arrive in London a bit more refreshed than I feel now. Only a one hour layover there to catch my flight to Madrid where I’m hoping to arrive around 5:30 PM.

Paula will already be there. She got lucky with a flight through Amsterdam and arrives around 2:30  

The only thing we have scheduled for Madrid is to see the art museum, so I’m hoping after a good nights sleep, we can enjoy it  

Praying for an easy flight

Love, Annie

And the Trip Begins With...

 

Yesterday I woke up to a message saying my trip was on alert because of bad weather in Dallas Fort Worth and I should rebook.

After an hour on hold, I was told by the Capitol One Travel agent to wait and see what happened - that Iberia had not yet decided to cancel the flight and if I changed it would cost me around $1200.

I woke up this morning,
all excited to leave on my trip,
to this message above.  

After contacting American Airlines,
I was told to contact Iberia.

After contacting Iberia
I was told to contact Capitol One,
who I made the reservation with. 

Capitol One told me to contact Iberia.  

::::MANIACAL LAUGHTER!!!:::

I told them I needed a supervisor. 

And after another long wait
he helped me find my new booking.

I now leave from PDX

at 7:30 pm instead of 2:30.

He was so kind.

His name was Calvin.

Thank you, Calvin!

It's actually a better flight because
I can go to sleep at my normal time
and wake up at my normal time,
which is about 4 am PST
(and noonish in London). 

I do hate flying through LHR,
but at least I change in the same terminal
as my flight to Madrid. 

So now I arrive around 5:30 pm
instead of 2:30 pm.

Not so bad. . .  

So... onto my hot bath, breakfast,
and a trip to the airport.

I plan on arriving several hours early
because there's some weird thing
about my passport
I need to take care of.

I hope from this point forward,
my trip goes smoothly.

I'm too old for all this stress . . . 

The 10th, The 10th, The 10th!

You would think after all these years
of flying from Oregon to Madrid
that I would understand
the time difference. 
But I awoke from a dead sleep
this morning in a panic,
as I remembered seeing something
on my reservation app for my flight.

I jumped out of bed, opened the app,
and there is was. . .

Tuesday, April 09

Wait.
Look at it again.

Wait.
Am I arriving in Madrid on April 9?
But our hotel reservations are for the 10th!

I went to the internet
and looked at time change conversions,
looked at hotel reservations for April 9.
Holy heck, they were expensive!

I looked at time conversions again.

I texted Paula 3 times,
who was obviously sleeping,
like I SHOULD have been.

I checked the app again.
There it was, April 9.

Wait!

The time in Madrid is 8 hours AHEAD of me.

I'm arriving on the 10th.

It's ok. 
It's ok.

My brain hurts.

I need a cup of coffee.

Two more sleeps.

We Have Decided

Paula and I talked about walking the Camino Madrid, the Aragones, and the Montserrat routes. Because she has a hurt foot, and because COVID kicked my stamina in the butt, we thought we might need more support this year than what was offered on those routes. So, we've finally decided simply to jump up to the Camino Frances and walk the Meseta before heading back to Pamplona to pick up my group. From there we go to SJPP to walk to Santiago - skipping the Meseta. So it will mean we're doing the entire Camino but in a disjointed way!

I've got my pack down to 10 pounds. I made a packing video but cut back a few things after posting it in my final pack. Below is my list for this 6 week Camino - you can see the video on my YouTube Channel at Anniesantiago13. 

Packing List
Featherweight down sleeping bag – 1 lb 6.5 oz
Everyday clothes:
1 pair Lightweight Trekking Pants
2 Short sleeve Smartwool merino teeshirts -
Underclothes:
Panties – 3 pair
Bras – I don’t wear them
Cold weather gear:
1 Cashmere sweater
1 silk undershirt
1 Smartwool long-john bottoms
1 Buff
1 featherweight large scarf (you can buy there)
1 Smartwool beanie
Shower & Bath:
1 towel
1 bar all-purpose soap for hair and body
1 toothbrush
1 tiny deodorant
1 razor
Laundry:
15 sheets laundry detergent fragrance free
1 elastic clothesline
1 dozen diaper pins for hanging laundry outside
First aid:
1 tiny Coleman first aid kit – Altoid size
Lambswool – anything else you need you can buy there
On Plane I layer clothes:
1 panties
1 pair leggings
1 long-sleeve Smartwool tee
1 short sleeve Smartwool tee
1 Macabi Skirt. – I’ll wear this almost every day, switching off with trekking pants.
1 featherweight puff jacket
I also carry within reach on the plane:
iPhone - 1 travel toothbrush/paste 1 sleep mask. 1 pair earplugs
Advil PM – about 6 for nights I can’t sleep on Camino too
Ibuprofen – 800 mg – about 6 – can always pick up more there
Bengay – because if someone has perfume, I smell it – it helps
Water bottle – fill up after going through TSA.
I cut back a couple of things after making the video.

Where Will I Walk This Year?

 I am walking with my friend, Paula, for 3 weeks before picking up my group. 

We made a plan.

Then we changed it.

Then we changed it again.

I THINK we have a plan now.

What I know for SURE is that we leave for Madrid on April 9 and after a couple of days there we go to Barcelona to see the Family Sagrada, which is finally finished.

From there, your guess is as good as ours.

Will we walk from Montserrat?

Will we walk the Madrid route?

Or will we hop up to Logrońo and walk the Meseta?

Stay tuned!

Feliz Navidad!

 

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!  I found this cool banner online - not sure who originally made it but it seemed fitting.

In April/May 2024, both Joe and I will be taking a group of pilgrims on the Camino. We're very much looking forward to being in Spain again!  I've been busy making reservations and let me tell you, it's going to be a BUSY season!  Many lodgings are already booked up for Spring!

I plan on leaving early, around 9 April, for Spain to do some training. My friend, Paula, is going with me and we'll walk half-stages for a while, slowing increasing distances until I pick up my group in Pamplona.

The last time I walked the Camino, I didn't get sick until I returned home and just a few days after my return, Covid hit. The illness itself wasn't bad, lasting only maybe 3 days, but the long term affect has been awful. It really kicked my butt and my stamina seems to have flown out the window. So it will be interesting to see how I do on the trail. That combined with the Oregon rain won't make it easy to train here, so my plan is to do light weights and walk when I can here at home, but do most of my training on the trail in Spain. 

I had a quiet Christmas this year. We agreed not to buy gifts for the adults and I have to say, I missed opening presents. Isn't that funny? There's really nothing I need, but since I was in Hawaii until the week before, I didn't even get out my tree and decorate, so it didn't feel like Christmas to me. Next year, I think I'm going to decorate and buy gifts, needed or not. I miss that.

My eldest son and his family did come to Dallas and we had a nice breakfast at my youngest son's home. Hiathan was home from Annapolis and it was so good to see him. 

Joe has left for the desert for the winter and my plan now is to clean and organize the house then get on a routine of diet, exercise, and Spanish. 

Wish me luck!

Annie

What's Goin' On

 

It's been a few months since I've posted so I thought I'd catch up.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

My middle son and ex-husband (the boys' father) came from Georgia and my eldest son brought his family from Portland. We met at my youngest son's house for a traditional Turkey dinner. 

Soon after, I took a two week vacation in Hawaii. 

My Camino friends, Paula and Gil, invited me. I spent 7 days in Kauai. It was my first time and it was absolutely GLORIOUS! We had so much fun!

The sunrises at breakfast . . .

Beautiful beaches

Museum Visit

Feather Lei

Waterfalls with Gil and Paula

Shaved Ice!

Malasalas (my grandmother never filled them!)

One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the nesting Albatross and learning about their lives. 

This male got up to let us see his egg.

More sunrises

Gil, Ollie, Frank, and Paula

Coffee and cake at the Lodge

More sunrises

Sadly, I missed the turtles but everyone else saw them

Breakfast at sunrise

Relaxing

The FOOD was sooo good!

We went tubing!

Warming our feet by the fire. 

On the 8th day I went to Oahu to visit my friend, Shelaine Carvalho. She was a very gracious hostess and I loved meeting her family and spending time with her. We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center one day/night. What a great adventure!
More photos...

Shelaine

Shelaine and her twin daughters

We met the King!

At the Luau we were right up front

Our wonderful guide

It was an incredible trip and I'm already saving my money
for NEXT winter!