Trip to Europe

life got busy in September and October.  Trish finished the Coast to Coast walk in September in one piece.  It was difficult.  John's walk on the AT was also successful.  Then in October we were off to Europe, first to serve in Lourdes then to visit our friends Linda and Jay Ward in Naples.  That trip was equally successful, including good comrades in Lourdes and a wonderful trip to Sicily.

Below are a few pix:

Big Day

Yesterday we handed out sample ballots at our local polling place.  Our guy won. Wow.

The Woods and Hills...ain't easy

Day two on the coast to coast was wet and difficult. Fortunately hikers with GPS were available to keep our intrepid duo Trish and Pat, on track. They are hiking on!

Meanwhile day two and three on the ATare quiet and dry, but rocky.  But consider ProBars  and Gorp vs. Guinness and pub grub. Hmmm... We all make our choices...some obviously better - at least in the cuisine department - than others

Day 1 on Two Trails

Yes, Trish and John are hiking separate trails: Trish the Coast to Coast across England for two weeks with companion Pat Hogan, and John the Appalachian Trail, south from Harper's Ferry, for 4 days. 

The word from England is that it's tough with high hills and obscure trails easy to mistake.

This stretch of the AT is very rocky- an. Excellent place to break an ankle. It is also reteaching sone old lessons about the difference in weight of the pack in your living room and going straight up a steep, rocky slope. 

Outward Bound

Many of you know that John attended Colorado Outward Bound School in 1972. He has always wanted to return and this month he did, spending 8 days near Marble, CO, with a patrol of 6 other over-50's, backpacking in the Rockies, mostly over 10,000 feet. 

It was a blast!

Steubenville Conference

At the Defending the Faith Conference at Franciscan University, learning techniques to engage the culture. Amazing music and speakers, a who's who of US Catholic thinkers and writers. 

Back to Paris

On Sunday, June 19th. We returned to Paris to friend Dominique Boatwright, who had a wonderful surprise in store for us - lunch at the famed Tour d'Argent restaurant on the Seine across from Notre Dame. The Picture is  sort of dark, but the food and atmosphere was fabulous- truly a once in a lifetime experience. 

On to Germany

We flew from Madrid to Paris on Wedesday, June 15, parting from our companions, Helen & Robert Feliz for the first time since April 20, eight weeks together. What good friends to put up with us for so long!

We drove our rented car across Belgium into Germany, staying overnight at Andernach, near Koblenz. 

The next day we visited our loved Schoenstatt Shrine in Vallendar, for the first time since just before our 2013 departure. We made a new friend in the new English-Speaking Coordinator there, Sister M. Lourdes, who offered us the affectionate greeting characteristic of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. 

Madrid

Spent two days in Madrid at very end of our trip. Highlights were finally seeing the Prado museum, which truly is magnificent, especially the El Greco's. Also got to attend Mass at the Schoenstatt Shrine, near the US Embassy and had dinner with Spanish friends, Almudena and Pedro. 

The view from our rooftop pool deck. Walking the streets of Madrid was really fun.

The Valley of the Fallen

Sunday was at the Vallee de los Caidos or the Valley of the Fallen, the Franco-era, monumental memorial to Spain's Civil War dead. Like the war itself, the monument is about religion, with a gigantic cross towering over a huge church carved into a mountain, and presided over by Benedictine monks. No pic of the interior allowed, but the exterior is grand enough.

We stayed overnight at the monastery guesthouse and went to Vespers, in Latin of course, with the monks.

Toledo and the Greek

Friday and Saturday were in Toledo, the city of Steel, seat of Spanish Catholicism, and the working home of El Greco, the artist whose works are featured prominently in a museum and the city's cathedral. 

The painting above is in the sacristy of the cathedral, along with several others. Imagine being a priest, preparing for mass, surrounded by such majesty.

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Sevilla and Grenada

Sevilla and Grenada were stops this week for the Alcazar in Sevilla and the Alhambra in Grenada.  These Islamic palaces are the stuff of legend, places all of us hear about all our lives, and we finally got to see them.

They are very different, with the Alcazar located in the heart of old Sevilla, while the Alhambra is on a mountain crest, overlooking Grenada. Both defy description. 

We saw the interiors of The Alhambra at night- a very different perspective- and the fabulous gardens by day.

Porto and Fatima

Saturday and Sunday were our Portugal days with one day stops at Porto and Fatima. Both lovely places. Had sun drenched days in both. Toured the Sandeman winery on the quay in Porto old town and gained a new appreciation for port wine. Below is the Atlantic from our hotel with the Portugese War College in the foreground.

Fatima was lovely; different from Lourdes but similar. Devotion and love for the Mother of Jesus is always wonderful to behold in a world short of both.

Old Friends left behind

Also the end for John's faithful boots. Worn out after nearly 2000 km and two caminos, we gave them an honorable comittal to the Sea at Finisterre.

The End at the Sea

After Santiago we got our rental car and saw Muxia and Finisterre to bring an end to the pilgrimage part of the trip on Friday, June 3. Muxia above with the shell pointing downward, symbolizing the end of the trail. Below the sunset at Finisterre- truly, Lands End.

The last day

Wednesday, day 39, was beautiful; warm, sunny and clear blue skies. We walked our final13+ miles, stopping for a relaxed lunch and entering Santiago with Camino friends, Mark & Barbara from California. 

After receiving our Compestelas - the certificate of completion

we got to 7:30pm mass and were so happy to see the famous "Botafumerio" incense burner swung across the church, usually seen only on Fridays! 

Rainy Approach to Santiago

Gallicia is famed for its unpredictable weather, and that continues. The past three days have been cloudy, chilly, and wet. 

Yesterday was just a tough 16+ miles, finishing in a nice rural hotel as we had also the night before. But the long days and later arrivals leave little time for drying out.

Today, Tuesday, day 38, was finally sunny again. We have one more day of walking into Santiago tomorrow. 

A Rainy Anniversary from Sarria

Saturday, day 34, took us out of Sarria to Portomarin. It was also our 32d Wedding Anniversary, celebrated with Trish's favorite KitKat!

This was the day we broke the last 100km milestone above. 

Lots of rain but also beautiful views. And champagne and chocolate at the end provided by Helen and Robert!

The Way to O Ceberio

Wednesday, day 31, was the 18+ mile walk up to O Ceberio, the mountain village of Napoleonic War fame where the British got away from the French, getting their rather inept commander killed in the process, and making way for Wellington to take command, which ultimately ended badly for Napoleon at Waterloo, some time later... 

Anyway, O Ceberio is a 30 km walk from Villafranca, 20 km flat; 10 km up. That's 6 miles on muddy tracks, shared with horses, after already walking 12 miles. In 2013 we did it over 2 days; this time in 1. 

Yeah, we did it. And arrived in time for 7pm mass to boot! 

The Longest Day and the Best Wine

Ponteferrada to Villafranca del Biezos was another 15 mile day, but now nearing rainy Gallicia, we got a taste of rains to come. 

The path out of Ponteferrada took us past familiar spots from 2013 and to an important new discovery. In mid afternoon, looking for a place for a short beer stop, we instead entered a cafe with the most wonderful white and red wine we have had on the entire journey. Our short stop turned into an hour and, had we had less far to go, would have turned into a second bottle. 

Small Miracles in Ponteferrada

John's boot situation had been getting worse; tape on the bottom was coming off on the very rocky paths and the tear in the worn through sole was getting worse.  We needed a real shoe repair and we couldn't wait hours for it at the start of another 15 mile day. We also needed money as there are banking riots here and fears the banks could shut down. And a pharmacy. But opening hours in Spain are iffy. 

Well, we started walking out of Ponteferrada at 9, looking for all of the above with some vague directions from our hotel, and stopped into the large church- which had an English mass going on for a group of Australian pilgrims on a bus tour. So of course we had to stay, even though we had another long day ahead. 

Afterward, a shopkeeper sent us to one shoe repair place that didn't open til 10am (and actually did open 15 min late) where the repairman looked at John's boot and said he could do nothing. As we were leaving he mentioned a "zapaterria" around the corner. Thinking that might be a shoe store with "shoe goo" for a makeshift repair, off we went. Of course it was this little key cutting shop that also did shoe repairs. The proprietor took one look, said "no problema" and demanded both boots for patches that took 5 minutes!