Madrid

We flew Vueling from Barcelona to Madrid and caught a taxi to the historic city centre.  We stayed at the Hostal Luz Madrid for three nights and were within walking distance of the major historical attractions.

The fixed price (30 E) taxi took us from the airport taxi queue directly to our door at #10 Fuentes Street.  The cabbie dropped us staring at a large double wooden door devoid of any markings. The Hostal Luz Madrid was nowhere to be found.  We tried ringing the buzzer to no avail.  Finally a man opened the door as he was leaving.  We asked him about the Luz and he said it wasn’t there.  He was staying at the Hostal Fuentes on the second floor.  Regardless, he let us in.  We then phoned the hotel and the lady answering couldn’t speak English but she was able to tell us she was looking at us on close circuit TV. and invited us up to the fourth floor and lo and behold, the Luz was there.  This happens a lot in these small, old city hotels.  This one was rated 8.8 on Trip Adviser.

The Elevator Size Was Similar to the Room

We dropped our bags in the room and headed out map in hand.  We were within 100 meters to the Mercado de San Miguel, the Real Theatre, Puerta del Sol (geographic centre of Madrid), the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and the Cathedral de Almudena.  The streets were packed with people and the restaurants began filling after 9 pm.  

It has become increasingly difficult to come up with adjectives to describe these great European cities.  Descriptors seem to always reach a common pattern: great architecture, cathedrals, boulevards, plazas, restaurants, street entertainment, etc.  Not to diminish Madrid but to simply underscore, Madrid is everything the others are. We became very familiar with our neighbourhood during our four-day stay but were always surprised to discover a new little square (plaza) to enjoy tapas, beer, and to people watch.  There are things that stand out but one has to look closely to differentiate between the great cities.  I’ll try to hit on a few that we experienced and believe to be “must sees”.

Firstly is the Mercado de San Miguel.  It is an old iron framed building about a small city block in size.  Inside there are vendors serving every kind of tapas, from beef & fish, pastas to pastries and gelatos.  You buy beer or wine from a variety of vendors and then wander the market sampling tapas of all sorts.  We sampled: i) lasagna & empanada carne, ii) olives & dolmades & stuffed peppers, croquettes of iii) shrimp, iv) roquefort cheese, and v)spinach, then finished with vi) gelatos. 

The Mercado For Tapas

Just Shave A Little Off the Leg Please

Secondly, is the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour.  We were up at the crack of 9 am and finished our café breakfast and coffee on the street by 11 am.  The hiking boots were brought out, the feet taped and off we went for a day of sightseeing.  We started with a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the old city.  We could have walked but then we would not have known what we were looking at.  We had a great morning in the open air double-decker and saw more architecture than I can remember to relate here.  We were back at the hotel for a pit stop before the San Miguel tapas and then back on the bus to the art gallery. 

On The Bus

Peddle Powered, Keg Flowing, Cigarettes Smoking - Stag Madrid Style

Hopped Off For A Stroll

Real Madrid's Stadium - 70,000 Season Ticket Holders

One of the four main gates to the city.

Thirdly, is the Reina Sofie Modern Art Gallery.  We arrived at 3 pm expecting to get free admission (according to the guide book it was free after 2:30) only to find that that was last year.  We paid our 16 Euros and cursed the book.  We spent three hours wandering the exhibits.  We cannot truthfully say we were inspired by the art.  It was cool to see Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali’s work but we’re not sure we would want it hanging in our house.  I was most interested in the photograph collection depicting the revolution between 1936 and 1937.  The various photographers captured the misery, violence and despair.

No Pics in Sopie - Selfie with Gallery in Background

Fourthly was the Palacio Real Madrid. While touring a palace is a staple on many city tours, this one was special.  We agreed this was the “best ever”.  We spent three hours touring the various rooms.  While the royal family no longer lives there, it is still used on occasion and each room is set up as if a member of the royal entourage had just stepped out for a minute.  We think it is better than a visit to Versailles.

Harpist At Night In Front of Palace

Deborah dwarfed by Palace Light Standard

Fifthly, a visit to the Prado, Spain’s National Museum, is a must.  We spent over four hours there and only stopped because we reached culture overload.  By the end we were blowing by Rembrandt’s like they were graffiti on CN grain cars. 

We started with the main exhibition, El Greco.  We didn’t know much before but discovered that he was a great 17 Century Spanish artist that influenced a great many others.

The Permanent collection of the Prado comprises works of Italian, German, British, Flemish and French artists.  Deborah did her homework and we targeted, Goya, Velazquez, Patinir, Brueghel, Raphael, El Greco, Rubens and Rembrandt.  While I cannot say I am fully informed about the intricacies of the fine art produced by these guys, I can say Brueghel (and the works of his two sons) are my favourites.  I would have a Brueghel hang in my living room any day.

Strictly No Pics in Prado - Deborah In Garden Out Front

Lastly, there are the more everyday things.  One night we went for dinner at the Gran Cafe de Madrid restaurant and bar.  It is on the Calle Mayor, near the Mercado San Miguel. It has been in continuous operation as a bar/restaurant since 1873 and is a great place to watch a soccer game with the locals.  We arrived at 8 pm and had the pick of seats.  By 9 pm the place was packed and folks were turned away.  As well, there is shopping.  Apparently Madrid is the place to buy leather footwear.  Deborah found knee-high brown boots and she found me blue leather shoes.

Beer Always Goes Well With Football (Soccer)

They Love Their Meat in Spain

Deborah Got A Kiss From the Toreador Barman

A Cup of Wine With Lunch

P.S. We also learned a little more about the always confusing (in Europe) tipping policy.  We were advised at the Tourist Info Centre that there is and there is not, tipping.  On one hand, all workers are paid a good living wage and do not require tips to make a go of it.  On the other, if you feel you received exceptional service, go ahead and tip but don’t exceed 10%.

That’s it for now.  Off to Seville (Sevilla).

Tossa de Mar

We have thoroughly enjoyed our five days in Tossa de Mar.  After the previous two weeks of feverish activity it was great to get up in the morning without an alarm and with nothing to do but walk around the village, sit by the Mediterranean, and plan our meal in which restaurant.  We are fully relaxed!

We discovered this little seaside village, a two-hour bus ride northeast of Barcelona, over 33 years ago on our first trip to Europe together.  There are some obvious changes centred on the growth of condos and hotels but the village, fort, and beach remain essentially unchanged.

We arrived in Tossa without part of our pilgrim contingent.  Linda, Phil, Sam and Cheryl chose to stay in Barcelona and explore the city while Nola, Glen, Diane, Warren, Deborah and I chose the beach to recover from the rigours of the long walk.  We stayed at the Gaudi inspired, Diana Hotel, situated on the beachfront.  We highly recommend the hotel and the folks who worked there.  It is old but clean and located in the centre of the beach walk.  The staff could not do enough for us and put up with our congregating in Warren and Diane’s room for evening appys, drinks and laughter before heading out on the town for dinner.

Diane with Goddess Diana at the Diana's Courtyard

The Diana (Tall White Old Hotel Left Centre)

Two Views From Our Second Floor Window

Our days evolved into a simple pattern.   Breakfast in the courtyard, a little exercise (a walk of the shops or fort for some – a rigorous hike into the hills for others), some beach/water/reading time in the afternoon, predinner drinks, dinner & drinks, and the search for the perfect gelato for “afters”.

Diane and North Beach

Inside the Old Fort - First Inhabitants 14 Century

Still Looking For The Perfect Gelato

We did have two out-of-the-ordinary events.  First was a thunder and lightening storm between 1 and 3 am.  The sky was more light with lightening than dark without.  The thunder was continuous - literally non-stop over our heads.  The water rushed down the hillsides and flooded a few of the roads leading to the old town.  Secondly, we experienced a different side of the concept of "cleaning fish".  The guys paid five euros each to dip our feet in fish tanks to allow the little guys to feed off our feet battered from the long trek.

Ok Little Fishies - Do Your Work!

The evening before we were set to leave, the missing pieces of our group arrived from Barcelona for a reunion before going our separate ways home.  We had a great night sharing stories of the Barcelona and Tossa experiences, as well as reliving parts of the Camino.  All had a great time and the drinks flowed.  There were many hugs to close the evening, as Nola, Glen, Diane and Warren were to be up early to return home.  Linda, Phil, Cheryl and Sam were set to stay in Tossa for two more nights and Deborah and I were set to continue our trip to other parts of Spain for another ten days.

Reunion On Diana's Deck

Last Pilgrim Supper Abroad

Pilgrim Beardos

Pilgrim Princesses

Most often we don’t book our travel and stays much ahead of time.  This leaves us open to other opportunities but can also cause some minor panic attacks.  When we got up in the morning our intention was to catch a bus to Barcelona and a train to Madrid. As we enjoyed our breakfast, Deborah perused the train schedule and discovered that we could not catch the train we hoped for.  Disappointed, we quickly switched our minds to flying.  Our planned fast train to Madrid would have cost 120 Euros each, Vueling Airlines offered seats at 86 Euros.  In the space of an hour, we bought plane tickets, checked in online, printed boarding passes, upgraded our bus passes to get us to the airport rather than the train station, and were on the bus to Barcelona.

We flew Vueling to Madrid and caught a taxi to the historic city centre.  We are staying at the Hostal Luz for three nights and are within walking distance of the major historical attractions.

The Camino Portuguese Is Complete!

We did it!  Our Camino Portuguese is complete! 

We Did It!

We are tired and some of us have sore and blistered feet but we all made it.  We are all proud of our accomplishments, as well as our group’s demonstrated endurance and tenacity in the face of some adversities.  There were times when there were thoughts that some of us might be forced to give up.  None of us did. 

One particularly difficult day stands out.  It was about half way through the ten trekking days.  At one point late in the day, after 10 hours/32 km of walking, we found that instead of arriving at our hotel, we had miscalculated our distance and we had another 3 to 5 km to go.  Seeing the struggles of some, caring members of our group phoned a taxi.  When the news of the taxi’s arrival spread, those suffering the most spoke out against and declared their refusal to take it.  It was a defining moment for the group.  We all knew that from that point on we were going to make it together regardless of the challenges.

The final day began in Pddron.  We had left ourselves 22 km to make it to the Cathedral in the centre of Santiago.  We were up early and left the hotel around 8 am.

And We Were Off One Last Time!

Old Time Cigarette Machines Are Still Prevalent Here!

We had travelled about 7.5 km when we stopped at a church to get our Camino Passports stamped.  As usual, I watched the packs while Deborah went inside to get the stamps.  She had a pale and shocked look on her face when she returned.  She had discovered that we had left our real Canadian passports back at the hotel in Padron.  Some hotels hold your passports for the duration of your stay and they had failed to return them when we checked out.  Panic set in.  It was quickly decided that the rest would go on without us and we hoped to meet up on the trail over the course of the day.  It was the group’s intent to walk into the Cathedral Square as one to complete the Camino.

It turned out not to be the greatest catastrophe.  While it took us close to 2 hours to walk the winding path to the stop, when we grabbed a taxi, drove to the hotel, picked up the passports, and returned to the path, we were only 15 minutes behind.  We overtook the group at the first trail coffee shop and made a show of our impressive return by jogging the last 100 meters and telling them we had run the whole way.  We will be sure to ask for our passports back in the future.

The final trail was much like the rest.  Very few roads or cobblestones.  Nice pack paths through village backyards, farmers’ fields, and vineyards.  The path became even more crowded than previous days.  At one point I could gaze about 400 meters in the distance and see nothing but trekkers all headed in the same direction.  Some were even moving faster than us (that didn't happen often) as they tried to make the mid afternoon mass in the Cathedral.

Many Folks Converge On The Final Path.

The Gorgeous Scenery Never Got Old.

Cheryl & Sam - Our Leaders

I mentioned a few general things learned on this trek in the last post and I want to add two more. 

Firstly, about walking sticks, I used to think they looked kind of goofy and that I didn’t need them to keep balance or help power up hills.  I have changed my mind.  Not only do they help you with balance and power, they stop your fingers from becoming gross, fat, sausages by the end of the day’s walking.  When your hands hang by your sides over 30 km, they swell to the size of baseball mitts.  At one point I lost my ring on my own hand.  Those with sticks did not have the same experience.  Without sticks to use, I improvised and held on to a sweat towel wrapped around my neck.  It worked.

Secondly, I have discovered I am 18-km/day guy, not a 30 km guy.  If I were to do it again, I would carry the same overall weight of 9 kgs. (Including pack and water bottle), but shorted my distance per day.  I can’t say I always enjoyed the final kms.

As we entered the city, we still had about 4 km of uphill climb to the Cathedral on a hilltop, in the centre of the city.  We were tired and it was very hot but the thought of the final stage carried us up the hills.

100 Meters to the End!

The actual finish was a little anticlimactic.  We did enter the square in front of the Cathedral as one, with some of us in great foot pain.  There is no “finish line” or object to touch.  We stood around, took some pictures and some time alone and in groups, to simply let what we had accomplished register in our minds.  You realize very quickly it was really all about the journey, not the destination.

We went to the Camino Office to get our final stamp and our certificates.  The line and wait was long before Deborah chatted up a Camino friend who informed us about a way to get a group processed certificate and avoid the rest of the line.  We gratefully complied.

We repaired to San Martin Pinario Hospederia Seminario Mayor, our hotel located nearby, just opposite the Cathedral’s north side.  We didn’t even go to our rooms before seeking out a spot for the last “Stinky beers” of this trip.  Fortunately the converted monastery had a fully stocked bar.  Beers, Rums, Wines were drank.  Congratulatory toasts were made.  Those not present, that wanted to be, were recognized. 

We Did It!

Our table of ten reminded me of a locker room after a sports team’s final victory.  Folks were partially dressed, all smelled of work that had been hard, bandages were visible, and the smiles and glow of victory were much in evidence.  No one wanted to leave.

As has been done before with this group, we went around the table as individuals to state our final thoughts on the journey.  It was quite emotional for many and meaningful for all.  Our group learned lots about themselves and others.  I was reminded of an old sports cliché, “When a team wins a championship, they never walk alone for the rest of their lives!”     In some ways this applies to our group.  We have accomplished something meaningful and difficult, together.  It is a shared experience that would not have been the same as individuals.  The Camino Portuguese will not be easily forgotten.

We have two days in Santiago before flying to Barcelona and busing to Tossa de Mar for some R & R.  The highlight of the stay here will be watching the end of the Vuelta 2014 as 180+ of the top riders in the world race to the centre of the square in front of the Cathedral to claim their championship.