A Polish Gem
We are in the city of Poznan, which has an authentic town square that is comfortable and not overly touristy. The food and the atmosphere are very good and you feel like you are one of the locals. It's a true European experience!
Peak Bagging
We are in Poland visiting relatives, and today they took us on a nice hike in the town of Karpacz along the Czech border. It was exciting to walk through two countries and summit the highest mountain in the Czech Republic.
A Tale of Two Cities
We are doing a housesit in Berlin for a couple of weeks. This great European city definitely has two distinct vibes about it. The eastern part of the city is coming on strong and catching up to the west, but at times the mark of Communism is still evident. The food, drink and sights have been fantastic. As an added bonus, pretty much everybody walks around everywhere drinking beer.
Relaxing in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a unique city in many ways. It's quieter and more laid back since the preferred mode of transportation is a bicycle instead of a car. If you look closely the buildings have a slight wobble to them...because they are over 400 years old.
We made it!
Walking from Le Puy, France to Santiago, Spain is about the same as walking from Houston to Minneapolis. It's not that hard as long as you have the time and aren't smart enough to know any better.
What are the odds?
There's a reason we are cautious in saying that we will arrive in Santiago until we are sure we are going to make it. Barbie was casually walking down the path just like the other 1,500 km's so far when she hears a noise and then, wham! she is hit by a tree limb falling roughly 20 feet and weighing probably 20 lbs. She was knocked to the ground and luckily was struck on the shoulder and not her head. After a bit of a shake up and some pretty good bruises, she is ok and now walking cautiously to the end. Moral to the story...you're not there until you're there.
4th of July by the River
We wish you all a happy July 4th. As the picture indicates, it's not widely celebrated here in Spain, but we still celebrated in spirit.
Spanish Wine Country
For a few days we will be walking through the Bierzo wine region. The scenery is great and so is the wine.
Jammin' with the Nuns
We happened across this pilgrims' hostel where each evening the Nuns do a sing-along of everything from pop tunes to Amazing Grace. There were people and languages from about a dozen countries, so it made an interesting sound. Definitely a memorable highlight of the Camino.
Living Large in Leon
It doesn't happen very often, but when the luxury is priced right, we do take advantage. This beautiful several centuries old monastery and museu is now a hotel. It was a great place to take a day off.
Half of Half = Sorta Close
Yesterday we crossed over the halfway mark of the Spain portion of our Camino. This leaves us a walk that is about the same as Kansas City to St. Louis. We should reach Santiago around July 4th.
World Class Food
If you're ever within a couple hundred miles of Burgos, Spain, make the trip to Cafe Morito. This small bar serves up beautiful food for about the same price as a meal at IHOP. This is a true culinary gem!
Down time = Beach time
1,000 km's down, 500 to go. So we decided to take a few days off of walking and head to the tiny coastal village of Orio, near San Sebastian.
Not Made in China
This man has a shop right on the Camino trail where he crafts iron items by hand ranging in size from tables to keychains. It's nice to do business where you get something truly unique and "local" really means local.
A Few Days Ago
We met this lady at her tiny 3 table restaurant in France, and while her food was great, I seemed to just immediately connect with her. There was something very special about her which I can't really describe...so I had to go back the next morning to snap a photo with her.
500 miles done...500 miles to go
After a rest day in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, we walk through the Pyrenees into Spain and then head west for about 5 weeks.
Don't mess with the French...cooking
France is a country with enough oddities and annoyances to drive you crazy, but when it comes to food, things get seriously good, seriously fast.
Shell Station...Camino Style
As we get closer to Spain, the spirit and influence of the Camino is getting stronger. The shell is the guiding symbol for all the Camino routes throughout Europe. Pilgrims attach them to their backpacks for identification and inspiration.
