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