Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thank you for all the wonderful support!
Well I did not win the interview - but the experience was full of learning and reaching! A gal from Australia will be touring New Zealand with Entirely Kiwi and sharing her insights - while I continue on the trail. Please stay with me as I blog along the Camino de Santiago on TangoDiva.com!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Day 6: Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
I'm a girl who loves to know the history of the place I am visiting -- even more so when it's kitsch. And Santo Domingo de la Calzada has a great story to share!
I went to the Pilgrims' mass tonight and had a giggle at the loud "SQUAK!" every few minutes that came from above.
Today was my first day after a two day break, recovering from my nasty infected blisters and fever. I think the break was just what I needed because I woke up feeling GREAT and ready to take on today's nearly 23km walk.
The Cathedral is famous for the live cock and hen kept in a cage in celebration of a local legend involving a young German pilgrim and an innkeeper's daughter, and a miraculous intervention by St. James that saved that the pilgrim's life after he had been strung up on the gallows.
I went to the Pilgrims' mass tonight and had a giggle at the loud "SQUAK!" every few minutes that came from above.
Today was my first day after a two day break, recovering from my nasty infected blisters and fever. I think the break was just what I needed because I woke up feeling GREAT and ready to take on today's nearly 23km walk.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
TOP 10 -- Running Out of Time!
I REALLY want to win this contest and I know I am the best candidate for this position. Trouble is, I am having a really hard time making my blog as interesting as I know I could make it because I am seperated from my computer with all my pictures, videos and other items that show just how fun and interesting I am. Having only 20 minutes a day on the internet isn't helping either. PLEASE PLEASE help me to spread the word that I need to collect 100's of followers by September 7th -- and no double email addresses or anything like that. I need legit followers, not spammers or else I'm instantly disqualified.
PLEASE click FOLLOW on my blog to help me land an interview. I know I'll knock 'em out if I'm given a proper chance,
Cheers!
PLEASE click FOLLOW on my blog to help me land an interview. I know I'll knock 'em out if I'm given a proper chance,
Cheers!
Day 5: Logroño to Nájera
Hola! So good news, the fever is down and I am feeling much better. My feet however still are festering a bit and I was in no mood to lace up the boots. So I decided to follow my doctor's orders and take ONE more day off. Tomorrow, I start walking again!
Day 4: Los Arcos to Logroño
Bad news y'all. I woke up feeling worse than the day before and my feet were looking pretty scary. So I took the bus to the doctor in Logroño, and as it turns out, I have infected blisters! Yuck. Still not quite ready to give up on the Camino tho...
I've decided to turn today's visit to Logroño into the Camino de Vino and am just going to take it easy. No heavy walking and plenty of wine and tapas.
Cheers!
I've decided to turn today's visit to Logroño into the Camino de Vino and am just going to take it easy. No heavy walking and plenty of wine and tapas.
Cheers!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Day 3: Estella to Los Arcos
Today was a very, very bad day for me. I awoke from a fitful sleep feeling feverish and non-rested. After swallowing down some dry toast, I decided to set off from Estella just before 7am.
I got separated from the group I started out with very early on when a wave of nausea overtook me and I began vomiting a mere .5km outside the city. A group of septuagenarian Swedish ladies witnessed my episode, immediately handed me a breathmint and some dried mangoes and made sure I gathered my bearings before setting off.
Perhaps because I was feeling feverish and delirious, I blindly followed the ladies onwards. However my Swedish shepherdesses led me astray. .. and through a wooded path that was an extra 6km up a mountainside.
The path less taken was nearly completely covered with overhanging trees and in between my delirium, I imagined I was Little Red Riding Hood on my way to grandma's... however the only Big Bad Wolf I was running from was my own sickness and exhaustion.
I passed through a lovely mountainside town with only one bar... and they weren't serving food. I hungrily gobbled up the peanuts at the bar and ordered an orange juice, and cursed my own stupidy for not grabbing a few extra slices of bread at breakfast.
After leaving the town I happened upon a portly farmer who -- no questions asked or words exchanged -- handed me three pears, picked right from his tree. Perhaps he could tell just how weak I was feeling.
After about 27km walked (more like crawled!) I arrived in Los Arcos. The spritely Swedes had completely passed me the last 7km or so, and I never saw them again.
The best part of the day? Arriving at the city limits and seeing a note taped to the sign with my name on it. The pilgrims I had started the day out with had left me a note, hoping I was OK.
I got separated from the group I started out with very early on when a wave of nausea overtook me and I began vomiting a mere .5km outside the city. A group of septuagenarian Swedish ladies witnessed my episode, immediately handed me a breathmint and some dried mangoes and made sure I gathered my bearings before setting off.
Perhaps because I was feeling feverish and delirious, I blindly followed the ladies onwards. However my Swedish shepherdesses led me astray. .. and through a wooded path that was an extra 6km up a mountainside.
The path less taken was nearly completely covered with overhanging trees and in between my delirium, I imagined I was Little Red Riding Hood on my way to grandma's... however the only Big Bad Wolf I was running from was my own sickness and exhaustion.
I passed through a lovely mountainside town with only one bar... and they weren't serving food. I hungrily gobbled up the peanuts at the bar and ordered an orange juice, and cursed my own stupidy for not grabbing a few extra slices of bread at breakfast.
After leaving the town I happened upon a portly farmer who -- no questions asked or words exchanged -- handed me three pears, picked right from his tree. Perhaps he could tell just how weak I was feeling.
After about 27km walked (more like crawled!) I arrived in Los Arcos. The spritely Swedes had completely passed me the last 7km or so, and I never saw them again.
The best part of the day? Arriving at the city limits and seeing a note taped to the sign with my name on it. The pilgrims I had started the day out with had left me a note, hoping I was OK.
Day 2: Puente la Reina to Estella
Got a bit of a late start this morning. I was feeling a little sore from my first day of walking and thought, only 21km today? psht! No problem.
The hike in general started out far easier than the day before, with less inclines. I passed through some really pictaresque pueblos of Navarra. I decided, whenever I get sick of Madrid (ha! unlikely) I want to live in a Navaresse pueblo.
It is only my second day, but already I'm starting to feel the warmth and generosity other pilgrims have for each other. They're here to help! Plus, the locals seem to have a real sense of admiration for us pilgrims.
There was the robust German man who pushed me up a particularly rough incline. And the quiet Navaresse woman who handed me a fresh apple with a wink. They always seemed to come at just the right moment that I needed them too.
I stopped in a small town for lunch around 2pm and was having such a lovely time relaxing in the shade, I didn't pay much attention to the time. Or the weather heating up. Foolishly, I set out for my final 7km of the day at about 3pm... the time when most savvy Spaniards take the siesta because the sun is too hot to bear.
However the heat and sun soon gave way to humidity and clouds... a storm was heading in! I arrived in Villatuerte -- some 4km away from my day's end -- and stopped to ask a local her thoughts: could I make it to Estella before the storm broke?
She took a look at the sky and told me I had at best, 1 hour before it began raining.
The clap of thunder and lightening on the horizon behind me spurred me on and I arrived in Estella just as raindrops began to fall.
Mission accomplished.
The hike in general started out far easier than the day before, with less inclines. I passed through some really pictaresque pueblos of Navarra. I decided, whenever I get sick of Madrid (ha! unlikely) I want to live in a Navaresse pueblo.
It is only my second day, but already I'm starting to feel the warmth and generosity other pilgrims have for each other. They're here to help! Plus, the locals seem to have a real sense of admiration for us pilgrims.
There was the robust German man who pushed me up a particularly rough incline. And the quiet Navaresse woman who handed me a fresh apple with a wink. They always seemed to come at just the right moment that I needed them too.
I stopped in a small town for lunch around 2pm and was having such a lovely time relaxing in the shade, I didn't pay much attention to the time. Or the weather heating up. Foolishly, I set out for my final 7km of the day at about 3pm... the time when most savvy Spaniards take the siesta because the sun is too hot to bear.
However the heat and sun soon gave way to humidity and clouds... a storm was heading in! I arrived in Villatuerte -- some 4km away from my day's end -- and stopped to ask a local her thoughts: could I make it to Estella before the storm broke?
She took a look at the sky and told me I had at best, 1 hour before it began raining.
The clap of thunder and lightening on the horizon behind me spurred me on and I arrived in Estella just as raindrops began to fall.
Mission accomplished.
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