Home Sweet Home

Hello everyone! We are now home, safe and sound! All the kids were at the airport to pick us up...Grandsons too.....so wonderful! What an amazing adventure....a real test of endurance .....mental, physical and emotional. Thanks again to each and everyone of you for your emails and comments over the past 5 weeks......so so appreciated! Farewell from the blog world xo B & D    Ta da!

Stonehenge!

Wow, we got to see Stonehenge! I've seen it so many times on TV, never thought I'd be there in person. Chilly day, but still a thrill! Also went to the famous Harrods department store today.....so unreal....can't wait to show and tell more when we get home. Canada bound soon!Cheer - E- O!! B&D 

Can't believe it!

Guess who we saw!  Can't believe it.......ok I'm kidding.....this is a picture from our tourist book lol. 

England pics

Jolly old....

ENGLAND.....Believe it or not, that is Buckingham Palace way behind us! It is fall in London, rained all day yesterday, today is cold & grey. We are trying to make the best of it.....saw the palace, Big Ben, etc. tomorrow we have booked a tour out of London to the famous Stonehenge! After that we fly home!! Looking forward to home, the travel a bit exhausting at this point. Bye for now B & D xo

HAPPY B-MARCIE

Happy 28th Marcie! Hope the year ahead is filled with all wishes come true! Love ya tons....sending BIG HUGS from across the pond. Mom & Barrie xo

Leaving Spain....

Today is Sunday Oct. 12th. Tomorrow we fly out of Spain to a detour destination! We decided to take in one more quick adventure before heading home......stay tuned to our blog for a picture of where we went, LOL! B&D xo

End of Land!

Waa Hoo! We made it to the edge of Spain!! Today we traveled by bus, two hours, to Finisterre! Finisterre is beside the ocean....last land of Spain. Here there is the zero km marker, last cross and lighthouse. Here ,at the last cross marker, is where Dian left her pebble with all her precious babies names! What an experience.....there are no words. Hope the pictures show well on the blog, even though it is raining still!!!  Love and more pictures next entry...xoxo B & D

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone, Happy Turkey Day! We are missing you and the fabulous Canadian festive feast! No turkey or pumpkin pie for us....but we did see a turkey, and YES....on ostrich a few days ago. Saved their pictures for today's post!  We went back to the cathedral today for the pilgrim's mass. Very moving. Will send those photos in a separate post. Big Hugs, as always....B & D :-) 

Santiago!!

Today's photos are pure joy! The one of our grandson Ethan, was sent to us many weeks ago from Chris & Dee-Jay.......we'll we did do it Ethan, thank you! The other picture is of our certificates of completion...." The Compostela". We want to share more photos but it poured rain all day again.....so hard that we couldn't take out the camera! ( Barrie's I pad ) . We were soaked rats when we reached the cathedral. Mass was already done for the day, so we just stood in the long line to await the pilgrim office, at the foot of the cathedral, to check all our stamps before awarding us our certificates! We will go back to the cathedral tomorrow for the celebration mass at 10:30 am.  Over whelmed with emotions today! Of the 800 km journey, we managed to walk 574 km with our own two feet!  The rest we mentioned along the blog, because of Dian's painful knees & feet. All in all, still very proud and astonished at what we achieved. Be sure to keep checking our blog, as we hope to have more cool pics tomorrow......as well....a few more mystery locations, before we head back to Canada! Biggest hugs ever.......and thank you again for your comments, love & support!  It really means more than words can express. So helpful to press us on!  B & D xo

The Rain in Spain...

Three days of rain! This picture is from day one, spirits not damp yet.....but by day three we are soaked and exhausted. Day one of light rain for three hours, then we took a room. The room was ok but the radiator heating only came on from 8 pm to midnight. The rest of the time....damp and cold, too bad. Day two we were up before sunrise again, wishing for sun & warmth, but instead we had to trudge 8 hours in steady rain. It was a 28 km day that had to be done, but our room that night was five star! Well deserved we thought. Today was day three of rain and it was terrible! We walked for 7 hours in monsoon down pours and wind. The trail flooded in many places and we were forced to walk in water over our ankles. Shoes and socks soaked through to trudge in all 7 hours. More blisters to prove it. Each soggy step now felt like an additional five pound weight to haul on each foot?  Trying to stay positive is a struggle now. Weather forecast for tomorrow is sadly, rain again.....only bright spot is we shall arrive in Santiago!!!  We will spend several days in Santiago....more info and photos to follow. Bye for now, Dearest family & Friends. B & D xo

Road side cafe...hay!

Sharing pictures of the beautiful walk, the 100 km marker & the hilarious lunch guests at our road side cafe! Feet, ankles, shins, knees, all hurting....but spirits high as we now have less than 100km to Santiago!!  Love and miss our family and friends. Xoxo. B & D. 

Still trying

Hello, here is our update.....yesterday we left Rabanal before sunrise. We hiked up the mountain, 8 km, to Foncebadon. 2 more km took us to La Cruz de Ferro....." The Cross of Burdens"  here each pilgrim is to leave a pebble or stone that represents their personal burden. You are to leave your burden here, at the cross before continuing the Camino. It was very spiritual and moving......many pilgrims.....in tears here....many with great sorrow. You could see and feel it. Very deep place.  After spending a good hour and a half here, it was time to continue our Camino, our way.......Dian's knee and shin splints would not allow her to move down the steep mountain without extreme pain.....so, regretfully we once again had to call in an express pass. Lol......that meant calling a cab. The cab took us to the amazing city of Ponferrada. The castle pictured here is from there. Spent a great night in Ponferrada and then took a train to the town of Sarria. This train ride cut out a good portion of steep steep mountains, which Dian could not handle with her knee. Sarria is 115 km from the finish line in Santiago! Each pilgrim must walk all of the 115 km without help of transportation to earn the compostela certificate. Dian says she will hobble or crawl like a snail, but she will walk in to Santiago, the last 115km, just as required!!!!  Today Dian went and got her hair coloured and cut, at a real salon! Says she feels like a new woman!......Bring on the Camino!  Miss all of you, back in Canada, big hugs, B & D xoxo

Blisters to Bliss..Wow

Once again it was a tough walk with great rewards. Blisters, shin splints and twisted ankle all plague Dian today, but just as her spirits start to doubt, an amazing town appears!  The Camino has a way of really testing ones ability. Heat, fatigue and pain all make you want to quit, however, there is no where to quit.....one can not just remove thy self from the middle of a hot open field! You must press on through, step by step until a town appears. Then when you have secured lodging and a shower your determination to finish the Camino returns. The cathedrals are once again like something from a fairy tale and our lodging is a real treat! The owner is eighth generation! The huge house is two hundred years old and is full of antiques and history. The owner is so charming and warm.....great pride to still have this mansion in the family. Our room is lovely, with a private terrace. Ahhh.....I can keep walking....lol.  Love to all our family & friends, B & D xo

Wow...Jousting!

Today we walked an excruciating 29 km, but the reward was to stop in the town of Orbigo! This town is very big on medieval jousting, too bad they are-not  having a tournament today. We walked in to town over the famous jousting bridge and grounds. only cool part of our day is pictured here. Our Accomodation is less than desirable again, but one must adjust. Lol.  21 days of walking and Dian's feet have finally caved into the blister ravaged zone. Boo hoo! Off to the pharmacy for help, shortly. We miss our privileged lives in Canada and our most precious family and friends! Thank you again for your comments, they often make Dian cry....but it's the good kind of tears.....girls you get it, right? Lol. Bye for now, big hugs to all!!! B & D xo

Leon Cathedral...Wow

Gypsy Parade!

Wow we made it to the big city of Leon! The cathedral here has some of the most amazing stain glass in all of Europe ....will attach more photos of that after this post. There was a great celebration today(Sunday) ....the whole town was out to see the old traditional wagon caravans, all decked out. So many from so many different villages. Like our floats, in modern parades. Some were pulled by horses, others by oxen or donkey. All the people walking with them were dressed in traditional costumes. Men with fine silk belts and wool leggings. The women in elaborate dresses and embroidered shawls!! Such incredible work. What a lovely day to enjoy another culture!  Bye for now, B & D 

No sword/ No kingdom

Couldn't  pull the sword from the stone so no kingdom for us! Lol. Accomodation has been a challenge the past two days, but once again we pulled through! Yesterday we walked 18 km only to find out that the B & B we reserved, had over sold and had no room for us. The lady running it felt really bad so she called a town 7 km away to find us a room. We went there and had a great time! The inn keeper was a spiked hair character who spoke not one word of English, but loved our smiles and Canadian passports, so we got on terrific! Will try to enclose a picture of him with Dian in this post. Today we trekked 18km to Las Mulas....we booked ahead but spent 30 mins. Going round and round trying to find our hotel! Asked several spaniards and all gave different directions. Lol.....turns out the hotel moved one block from its original site and does not have a new sign out side . A local Spanish guy finally took us into a bar that new where and what we wanted! Really funny now, but not at the time. The Camino is helping me learn to be way more chill about stuff and not freak out so much....tee hee, this is great! Tomorrow we walk to the big city of Leon! Should be amazing architecture there. Bye for now, B & D...P.S, miss my kids & grand babies tons. Xoxo

Emotionally taxed!

Hola....yesterday was a gruelling 24 km with list of heat, pain and terrible Accomodation . We walked a very tough section to the small town of Caldadillia. Exhausted and questioning my sanity, we were told the hostel was full and we must press on another 6 km to the next town.  Once we got there, the disappointment continued, as the filth and age of the place was very hard for Dian! The beds were too scary to even think about, we had no showers and slept in our clothes. The place looked like they converted old horse stalls into rooms. We were up before day light and glad to trudge to the nearest town that offered a hotel so Dian could regain her sanity! Lol. Even Barrie admits the hotel we found, with a real clean tub to soak in is pure joy! We are now in a town called Sahagun, we only walked 15 km today but are happy to stay in a clean place. Hope to find laundromat and food soon.  When the days are the "break your spirit" type....it is so, so wonderful to hear from all of you back home! Thank you again for posting to our blog or sending encouragement through Dee-Jay....it means the world to us! Two photos today, one being silly but fun, the other a reminder of our family on the farm! Love ya tons! B&D 

Photos

More photos

Tough haul

Hello!  The past two days have been hard & rewarding at the same time. Yesterday we pounded our feet across the meseta( rolling prairie ). 26 km in 30 degree heat, with very few clumps of trees for shade. Feet and spirits very pained. But we pressed on through ancient towns & ruins where the Roman soldiers once walked!  Today we walked another 21 km to the town of Carrion De Los Condes. We are treating ourselves to a night in the original monestary, which has been turned into a five star hotel! The rooms and food are out of this world! Darn won't be losing any fat this week! Lol I shall try to send more photos after I publish this blog. I find that more than 2 photos at one time makes posting difficult. Each day has it's good and bad.....one must be truthful.......mornings start out in the dark, walking with a small hikers lamp to avoid late afternoon heat. Each day some part or parts of the body scream....but we persist. We are tiring of everything being grilled in tons of oil, breakfast is especially challenging....greasy eggs & salty, salty prechuto ham. Every thing comes with greasy French fries....argh! But as I said earlier, the five star food here at the monestary has made us smile. This morning was cool and windy but it was a nice break from yesterday's heat. Walking does make one more phylisophical ....too many of us concentrate too hard on just getting from point A to B. We forget to find the joy of small things In between . The thousands of snails along the dew covered grass, spider webs glistening as the sun rises, a small clump of lingering corn flowers in periwinkle hue, a small town on the horizon just when my joints scream I can go no further.......these are my observations for today and I am so grateful for all that I have back in Canada. Buen Camino, hugs to each and every one of you that are reading this....love ya!!!