Sabbatical 2019

We pulled into the central square at Santiago at about noon yesterday, June 23rd.  16 days, 800 kilometers, 9000 meters of climbing and descending, dodging pedestrians (other pilgrims), cars, trucks, snakes and a variety of other objects we made it.  We've had an eventful couple of days since leaving Sarria.  The landscape changed, yet again.  In Galacia it's hilly, mountainous even and covered with lush, rain forest like vegetation.  It's somehow a bit of a cross between the Canadian Shield and some of BC's lower mainland with a huge amount of human history to explore and uncover. Our stops were both in rural areas off the beaten track.  On Saturday's ride between them about 20 kilometers was added to our ride simply going from the Camino trail to the hotels and back.  We'll kind of.  Our second night was in a beautiful building nestled in a gully beside a creek next to the highway.  It was set along the Camino Norte, another of the Cami...

We left Astorga two days ago, or is it three.  We rode from Astorga to Ponferrada, then to O Cebreiro, and today into Sarria.  Sarria's significant because it's one of the significant starting points for pilgrims on the Camino.  The Cathedral in Santiago has decided that to qualify for the certificate of completion a pilgrim must travel at least 100 kilometers.  Sarria, about 140 kilometers from Santiago, is the most convenient starting point for those wanting a certificate of completion without a longer commitment.  There are as many reasons for doing to pilgrimage as there are pilgrims.  Sandy and I talked about some of the people we've encountered, or haven't encountered, along the way at lunch today. The city square and Templar Castle at Ponferrada Our experience of the Camino has been somewhat unique - although in saying that, I realize it's probably true of every single person who follows the trail.  Because we are cycling we are trave...

After our rest day in Leon yesterday we were back onto the bikes this morning.  A shorter, easier ride from Leon to Astorga before climbing over the final mountains on our way to Santiago.  We're aware that we're getting closer to the end.  In Leon a couple of alternative routes of the Camino join with the Camino Frances.  The numbers of pilgrims begins to increase somewhat notably as the other routes join, and as people who aren't completing the full trail begin to appear.  All that is required of a pilgrim to complete the journey is a trip of 100 kilometers; that is, to achieve a certificate of completion from the Cathedral in Santiago.  Pilgrims carry a passport which is stamped each day; cyclists are required, we're told, to get two stamps per day.  So, as a result there are lots of pilgrims who travel different itineraries.  Some begin from Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon, and (yet to come on our journey) Sarria. The ride itself was a relat...

It seems like ages ago that we were in Santo Domingo, although it has only been five days.  From Santo Domingo we rode to Burgos; from Burgos to Carrion de Los Condes; from Carrion de Los Condes to Sahagun; and, finally, from Sahagun to Leon.  In Leon we are enjoying a rest day before completing the second half of the journey.  Yes, second half.  We have ridden approximately 350 kilometers and have remaining approximately 300 more to go.  We have also been travelling for a little over 1/2 the time we will be away from Edmonton.  Our rest day coincides with Sandy's birthday and father's day and in many ways, celebrations have been a part of our trip. Readers will recall that in Pamplona we arrived to the celebration of their cities marathon, and some other festivals we were unable to establish.  In Logrono we arrived to the cities saints feast day.  The theme continued when we arrived in Sahagun for their cities saints feast days celebrated with ...

We've taken a huge number of photos between the two of us - landscapes, art, people and more.  Here are a few of our best. From Santo Domingo... part of an alterpiece in Santo Domingo Cathedral Santo Domingo from the roof of the cathedral where the highway narrows from freeway the road to Burgos From Burgos....  Burgos Cathdral one of many city squares city street dome of the Burgos Cathedral From Burgos to Leon...along the road down to the Meseta Roman Bridge Meseta fields Monastery at Carrion de Los Condes Grain Bins (?) The road to Leon Bull run in Sahagun just outside Leon And, finally, in Leon... Roundabout in Leon River in Leon Just a Saturday evening walk - note the falcon on his arm the Peregrino (pilgrim) Saturday car show pregnant madonna Leon Cathedral Cheers from the Birthday Girl!

Everything is getting blurred together.  We've travelled from Estella to Logrono to Santo Domingo to Burgos to Carrion de Los Condes.  Approximately 250 kilometers of riding.  It hasn't been easy riding.  Estella to Logrono was a beautiful day.  We followed a stage one of the 2017 Vuelta de Espana routes with lots of up and downs - including hills covered with painted names of the riders on that stage - Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and more.  There were picturesque communities along the way. When we arrived in Logrono we landed in a city in full party mode.  We began to wonder what we'd gotten ourselves into.  First Pamplona celebrating their Marathon.  In Logrono the celebrations were somehow more substantial.  If I understood the translation correctly it was the intersection of two holidays - the feast day of Saint Barnabbas, and the celebration of the cities' successful defense during a seige by an obscure French Lord in 15...