Madrid 5th June

Today I was determined to sort out my return ticket with Emirates. I thought I had found the correct address bu decided to hail a taxi as it was about 20 mins by car according to the Google map. Well that was true. The address I had was an outdated one and I found myself at an office building in one of these new commercial parks miles out of town.  Fortunately the receptionist was very helpful and gave me the new address and advised catching the metro as it was much cheaper. That was correct, about € 20 cheaper! I set off for my first metro adventure chiding myself for not checking the address carefully in the first place. A reminder to be vigilant on the web! What do we tell our students? Check and confirm from an alternative source! Anyway I find the metro in a gorgeous environment of gardens and plazas under a very modern building. 

The  attendant assists me with buying a ticket and directs me to the correct platform. I catch the train and head in the right direction for about four stops. At the next station all these people get off and a few get on so all seems okay but then the stations I pass are the ones I just left. I am heading back to where I started! Somewhat disturbed I asked the last person left in my carriage for an explanation and he advised me to get off and change platforms for the other direction. Hmm? I was back on the platform I started from. Another train arrives and I jump on and start going in the correct direction like last time. This time we get to the critical station and everybody gets off. I leap up and ask someone, who actually turns out to speaks English, what is happening and he tells me it is the end of the line and I need to change trains. This bit of information had been omitted from my other conversations and I didn't understand the public announcements. I follow this kind person and get onto the next train and voila, iit continues  in the correct direction to the desired station. As I get off I thank him again for his help. Next challenge is to find the office but when I actually look at the buildings I see both the number and the advertising. You need to ring to enter the office because the door is locked. I suppose they vet you before they open the door. Anyway Roberto a very kind man helped me change the departure date for the cheapest possible cost. I will need to return to Madrid but that is not hard as there are plenty of cheap flights around Europe. Mission accomplidhed eventually. The metro was easy to use and cheap, € 2. 

Now I have to find my way to lunch with the Diverbo English program people at the opposite end of town. Roberto says to take a bus but I figured I had the time so I would walk and in the process see more of Madrid. I haven't quite got the sense of North South yet but nevertheless  I feel confident and only need to check once I am heading in the right direction. I am wearing my new Geox shoes and I develop a blister of all things.  There are usually farmacias ( pharmacies) on every corner but not now of course. Eventually close to my destination I find one and buy some compeeds. She also speaks English though showing the blister explains all. The angels are watching over me today. 

There is a small group of English speakers outside the restaurant and we introduce ourselves. It seems like a good group. Several Americans, Canadians, Brits and Aussies. One from the Gold Coast and one from Melbourne. We have lunch and I spill wine on the Aussies who are sitting opposite. I don't know what happened. Talk about how to win friends and influence people. It is a cheerful lunch and we retire upstairs for an introduction talk and some Flamenco dancing and music. After the show I go off with three Americans, Campbell the social worker, Lawrie an ex marketing teacher and Paul who has been travelling around Europe.  They are of varying ages but younger than me by many years. Some in the larger group are going to do a Tapas crawl tonight but I am not so keen. I have been in Spain long enough to not feel like I am missing out.  I have to be up early and I would like to book a flight from Turin to Madrid.

Madrid 4th June

The train trip to Madrid was interesting and at times I saw where I had walked on the Camino which made me feel both sad it was over and amazed at what I had walked. I found the train comfortable but the scenery whizzing past made me somewhat queezy at times. I am the person who can get motion sickness driving herself out of a multi-story car park after all!

I am glad I opted for the taxi because the station was miles away and finding a bus etc was beyond me at 10 pm at night. Best € 20 spent. The hostel was in a square and hard for the taxi to access. That is what you get with a bargain place. It is full of young backpackers but a few oldies as well. I have my own room and bathroom and compared to some Albergues is luxury. How we get picky when we get back to the other world! I missed the official breakfast which is included in the price, but the waitress said there was food left so to help myself.  A typical Spanish breakfast of madeleines (little cakes) and pastries with large milk coffee. If there was anything else I will discover tomorrow when I get up in time.

I had intended to go to the Emirates office and sort out my return ticket but decided to take a hop on hop off bus ride instead to get an idea of the city. Also Emirates is about 30 mins walking so when you don't have a map it is a bit risky. It is really warm in Madrid and I have browsed several shops with a view to buy a dress for the wedding and fancy sandals for Italy. My trousers are hanging loose but I just can't make up my mind what to buy. It is too soon I think and I am loathe to add to my suitcase. I am missing the simplicity of my pack and Camino wardrobe. Having said that, Spain is my sort of place. Colour is the thing. The shops are full of gorgeous bright colours for summer. And the SHOES are gorgeous. I am being restrained but will need a dressy pair for the wedding and summer. Boots and Teva sardals are very comfy but I don't think they will cut it in high fashion Northern Italy. If I was six foot tall and twenty it might work. I did succumb to having a haircut. I just couldn't stand it any more. After twelve weeks it had grown wild and I am trying to present a reasonably professional image at this program! Luck would have me find an English speaking hairdresser so I had a trim. I also bought a sun hat. I have become so used to wearing my walking hat that sitting in the roofless bus seemed too much in the heat withou a hat. I asked two Spanish strangers, one young and one older if it looked okay. I think it is quite smart and definitely better than my walking hat for the city. Vanity hasn't been entirely wiped from this little Aussie I am afraid.

Madrid unlike most other cities in Spain does not close for Siesta. It is open all day and night. It is a very attractive city with a lot of parks and grand buildings. There are many plazas and roundabouts with fountains gushing water. The main avenues are broad with smaller streets radiating and lots of one way streets.

I saw the changing of the guards at the palace today. The horses were so beautiful and the soldiers very smart in their uniforms. The hairdresser a local has been to the palace lots of times but never seen the guards. The guide on the bus said it only happens on Wednesdays.

 I haven't seen many cyclists unlike Paris and the other Spanish cities. Lots of parks, museums and art galleries to visit but they can wait till I return. You can tell this is a capital city because it seems quite " glossy", neat and busy. 

It seems a bit strange being on my own again but the upside is I just make a decision and do it. Everything is about finding balance. 

Last day in Santiago De Compostella 3rd June

Andy, Karen and Peter have left to return to England this morning. They have quite a long journey back  via bus, plane, bus to Herefordshire and won't get home till about 10 pm English time. I am here in the apartment for a bit longer because my train to Madrid doesn't leave till 4pm this afternoon.  I will be arriving in Madrid about 10 pm too.

My bag seems so much more full than when I started but I really haven't bought much at all, a few t shirts and a small puffy jacket. I don't seem to have packed as well or is it that I am so used to my minimal backpack everything else seems monstrous? I have to admit I wish I could remain just in the minimal style because it is so easy. 

I feel sad about saying goodbye to this stage of my trip. It has been a wonderful, interesting, physically challenging but mentally restful adventure. I have made exceptional friends who I will see again soon. 

I feel very optimistic about the future and settled in myself. I have remembered that it is life's pilgrimage that is important and what we do to make that experience worthwhile. This Camino is ending but a new Camino of sorts is starting. There will be new challenges and life will be more complicated  but I feel up to the challenge and look forward to meeting a whole lot of new people at the end of the week.

I feel a little homesick for my family and friends at home in Australia  and now in England, but that is part of all travel and exploration of life.

One thing I learned on this Camino was that perseverance when things look tough and sticking to the goal are vital and ultimately immensely satisfying.  Our attitudes make such a difference to everything we do. I was getting so negative at work and this break has returned me to my core optimism and cheerful self.

Next stop Madrid and the English conversation program.

Santiago day 5

Today we finally caught up with Katharina our German friend from Berlin. She only arrived on Saturday. She said she felt she wanted to delay her arrival in Santiago because she felt sad it was ending.  She  leaves on Monday for Bilbao where she had flown into Spain. She wants to adopt a Spanish dog to take home and needs to give herself time to find a dog. It must be love at first sight for both of them, she says. I asked why a Spanosh dog and she said because it is a poor country and the dogs may not get many opportunities for being adopted. She has a kind heart and has helped some of the young ones along the way.

Lunch at Altulla

We all go to lunch at our favourite whole in the wall, down an alley, Galician restaurant that serves both vegetarian and general menus. The owner is pleased to see us back again. It is really busy today with  lots of locals having Sunday lunch.There is this continual drumming and Peter gets up to investigate as it goes past the end of the alley. It is a whole group of young people with all sorts of drums moving through the city.  it sounds phenomenal and reverberates off the walls along the street.

Katharina is looking for a bed as the Albergue she stayed at was run by this very strange lady who accused her of staying two nights and not paying. She had only just arrived and the woman was demanding money for the previous night. This is most odd and very unusual behaviour for an hospitalaria. She packed her bag and left early this morning. We invite her to stay at our place and she can have my bed. I will sleep on the couch and let her out early in the morning to she can get her bus.

Peter and I have a tour of the cathedral which includes the museum and the roof. The museum was really interesting and much more than we expected. The tour of the roof was also fantastic and we both decided it was really worth it. We learnt so much more than we expected. 

These figures only come out on St James Day. They are huge and represent all the races of the world.

The roof of the Cathedral

Back home we sit in the garden until the others come home. I felt odd going through our neighbours service area to get to the pretty garden. It has artificial lawn but flowers and a tree so it looks very neat. I don't think it would get much full sun at any time but is probably a cool spot in high summer. A lot of these places seem to have a dampish smell because the sun never penetrates very far into the houses.

We have seen a poster for a concert which is a tribute to John Lennon that is being held in an audtorium at the university.  It is not far from our flat so we  set off in search of it. The map ileads us in a wide circle but we eventually find it next to a park that has swans, geese, assorted ducks and a Muscovy duck that wags it's tale as we talk to it. It is very funny. The concert is in aid of Medicin sans Frontiere and is another reason we are attending as Karen and Andy have walked to raise money for the group too. It is a very funny concert with some excellent acts and some average acts but not a lot of music that was actually John Lennon's. In fact he seemed to have little to do with it at all. It went for three hours and they had a raffle as well. It was an interesting night anyway. The audience sang along at various times in both English and Spanish. We didn't get to bed till midnight and Katharina needs to be up at 4:45 to get her bus. She will have to sleep on the bus!

Finisterre and Muxia

Finisterre from the top of the hill

Pilgrim statue on road to lighthouse

Today we hired a car and drove to Finisterre and Muxia. We parked at Finisterre village and walked out to the lighthouse and the"end of the world". 

Lighthouse and end of the earth

This is a traditional Camino ritual to go out to Finisterre and then to plunge nto the Atlantic-frequently done as a naked dash. To get to the beach we had to walk over the headland, a steep uphill and then down the other side to the beach. 

Beach for plunging into the ocean.

Andy was looking for a path he took once before but it seemed to take us into the blackberries and I have had more than enough encounters with that plant so Peter, Karen and I  preferred to use the more well trodden path. The view from the top was magnificent, a little reminiscent of Wilson's Prom Waterloo beach I thought.  We made our way to the beach intending to do the naked dash but there were too many people on the beach and we chickened out. We changed into our swimsuits and then ran into the water. It looked so beautiful, turquoise  and enticing but it was freezing, especially for a little Aussie. I stayed in until a wave washed over my shoulders and my legs began to ache with cold, then ran out squealing.

 I dressed pretty quickly to warm up. We weren't the only ones who did the plunge and rushed out just as quickly. It was good to be out walking in the country even though we only did about 8 kms all together then headed into town for a hot lunch.  I had delicious squid and salad and our favourite vegetable, Pimentos padrons ( small green peppers quickly fried),

Next stop Muxia. It was sunny but very windy. We parked in town and walked out to the  church on the headland. I was quite upset when I saw the church.  It was struck by lightening and then burnt om Christmas Day in 2012. They are working on stopping further damage but it doesn't look like much else is happening. 

No roof and burnt out.

Last time I was there in the June of 2012 it was intact and rather lovely.  That day was cold and misty. what a contrast. We also identified the huge rock that is supposed to be  the sail on the boat in which the Virgin appeared to St James.

By now it was about 7 pm and we headed back to Santiago. It is so easy to lose track of the time when  there is a siesta and everything comes alive at 6pm. We return the car to the station and congratulate Karen on a fine job driving us around. As we walk home through the old town it is 8:45 and the place is hopping.

Santiago day 3

We return to the Mass today hopefully to retrieve Peter's jacket and the keys to the apartment. Karen joins us this time and while it is the same priest he gives a different homily, which is just as down to earth and just as inspiring about living joyfully. The jacket had been put in the confessional box.  Not too many people would be looking there! We all stay for the pilgrims mass because the choir is singing. I had hoped the botafumeria might swing but alas no. Now they state that only Catholics can take communion which I thought was disappointing, especially as that was not the case at the English mass or when we did the Camino Frances in 2012.  Anyway the choir sang well and then had a further impromptu performance following the mass. 

We decide to go to lunch at this great little restaurant down a lane. The food was delicious and I was cracking jokes to the waitress when I handed her a clean plate that it had been a struggle and she understood the joke and said that it was famous Australian irony. I was surprised and delighted that she really understood. After the meal they brought coffee and liqueur that is local and practically singes the hair up your nose but was good in the coffee!Andy asked for a Cola Cao, which is like hot milk cocoa. In true Galician style, which is direct and earthy, she told him this was not a children's place! We all laughed.

A shop selling Galician products including the liqueur.

We pass the pilgrims office and there is a growing queue, mainly Camino Frances completes but no one we know from the Via de la Plata. We are waiting on Katharina and Almutt.

We all have errands to do but as it is siesta not much is open so we try to take a cathedral roof tour. No English tour is available so we need to try another day. It is the beauty of being here a few days that we can come back another time. We are all a bit tired now and need our own siesta. I finally get some new knickers on the way back. Mine are looking a little worse for wear after 7 weeks of hand washing and wringing day in and day out. Peter elects to take a bath. I have never met any guy who so loves a soak in a bath as Peter!  I snuggle under my blanket with a coffee and the blog.

Santiago de Compostella

We have been exploring the city even though it is very wet. Peter has done a lot of souvenir shopping but I have a couple more months travel so I am wary of getting too many presents that I have to cart around. I have been to collect the parcels of clothes I forwarded to Santiago. In the process of finding thus we found the market, other uni versify faculties, squares and plazas and finally practically outside I give up and ring Ivar who tells me to look up! I had walked right past the door. This has been a great service but un fortunately all the extra clothes are for hot weather and it is cold still here. The jeans at least will be useful.

On our way back to the flat we bump into Franwyn from Gippsland who is now on her own.  Almuth has continued on to Finisterre to make up the kilometres she missed going to Madrid for her Chinese Visa, and Jeanie has flown to Barcelona on her way home to Australia.  We invite her to join us in a visit to Gaias, City of Culture a fascinating set of buildings on the top of Mount Gaias a hill overlooking Santiago. It was designed to link Contemporary Galicia with the world and a place for programs of all types, art, concerts, education. Entrepreneurship and the cultural industry are the priority.  Unfortunately it has not been completed due to the collapse of the EU funding and the fact it cost four times the budget planned. We visited an art exhibition on the theme of water. It was really interesting covering water represented in art, earth, engineering, the home and space.  They had Australian dot paintings that were of waterholes and billabongs etc but the explanation was about Albert Namatjara and not appropriate.  We were impressed by the building but it left us wondering. It would be perfect for skateboarding as it mimics the shape of the mountain and you could practically walk onto the roof. 

One of the sculptures. It was old text books!

When we left there was a group of school kids all clustered at the top of one of the slopes like birds. On our walk back down we came across this park area with flourishing community gardens and three mazes made from camellia bushes which we proceeded to wend our way through.

We were all starving now and in search of a vegetarian restaurant that was supposed to open at 7 pm but wasn't when we arrived. We went off looking for a bar to kill time or look for an alternative. It started to pour heavily so we retreated inside. Then Karen saw a light go on outside the restaurant; It was now 7:45 pm. So back we went. Punctual opening isn't a common practice and as most Spanish eat at 9 onwards early eating is seen as a bit barbaric anyway. The food was worth the wait and I had razor clams and salad, while all the others had vegetarian. It was a very successful day.