I mentioned that we stayed in an apartment in Barcelona, for an extra few days after our tour finished and we have been so glad we did. The Spanish are friendly and gregarious people and being on our own has meant we have had more of an opportunity to chat. Our Spanglish is really improving … Continue reading Last days in Spain

Well, it's been quite sometime since I last wrote. Sorry, I've been very lax, I know. We have now finished our tour of Spain and Portugal and I thought I should bring you up to date. Being on a tour in isolation is not a good reason for not providing an update but, in my … Continue reading Karen on tour..

Jeff's a gem, he hasn't forgotten anything on the list!!

We've been here for a few days now and have loved every bit of it. The 'hop on, hop off' bus trip was perfect to get an over view of this beautiful city and we took full advantage. Since then we have pounded the pavements, strolled the avenues and sat back in cafes, sipping many … Continue reading Colours of Madrid..

In no particular order... 1) Pulpo. There are signs for it everywhere and even specialised restaurants called  'Pulperia's'. So what is it? Octopus, boiled, cut into chunks and then drenched in oil and pimiento. Have I had any? Not likely, but Jeff will love it...   2) The Spanish are a short race. We've seen … Continue reading Spanish Snippets..

Well, our relaxing few days in Santiago have come to an end, but we made the most of our time in this wonderful city. We attended a pilgrim mass at the astoundingly beautiful cathedral, ate tapas in bars, shopped, plus walked from one end of the town to the other. You'd have thought we'd have … Continue reading Adios Santiago and Hola (again) Madrid!!

We did it!!! We're here and arrived this morning at 11.30am after a very easy walk of 10 klms. It's hard to believe that it's over, it's done and tomorrow morning we can sleep in!!! And our home for the next few days...the Parador de Santiago. Previously an old monastery, it's now a very, VERY, … Continue reading Snapshots of Santiago…

Today we walked 11 klms, from Rúa to Lavacolla. We'd decided, all those months ago, that the last few days walk heading into Santiago, would be relaxing, rather than strenuous. A very good plan, as it turns out. We arrived here at 11.30am, after walking through some wonderful countryside, even if it was a bit … Continue reading Sacrificial cleansing…

....I won't miss after Tuesday, when we arrive in Santiago.    

I love the song of the same name by Crowded House, but today we've experienced exactly that. Yesterday we walked 15klms, (or was it 18klm? 20klm? we'll never know..), from Melide to Arzúa. The walk was quite easy in comparison to other earlier experiences, but still included some significant hills. Have I mentioned that we … Continue reading Four seasons in one day…