So much to see in Madrid.

Last few days we have followed some of the city's walking tours from an ipad app. Lots to see and we do get side tracked. The greatest impression is that things in Madrid are BIG! Not skyscraper big. Most of this part of the city is centuries old, and nothing appears to be over 10 stories, but grand!! massive buildings, and gigantic statues and adornments on rooftops. Huge!!

 

Yesterday we came across San Miguel Mercado - more like a food, wine and tapas market. Enjoyed a few tasty treats.

Impressive sights from today's walk were

• This amazing vertical garden. Covered the entire side of a building. Stunning.
• Retiro Park is massive. Looked for a few geocaches here, but didn't find them- too many people around.
• Love the rose garden. Gma would have loved this too.
• Spent quite a bit of time in a museum. Saw a couple of school groups there too. Prep age. How amazing would that be to take a group to an art museum, sit down in front of a huge painting, and talk about it.

 

Art galleries. We visited a couple - one from masters. Amazing, but something new for me was some framed wax reliefs. 3D effect reminded me of your textile work Sophie. So intricate. Picture doesn't capture it.

The other gallery we visited was quite out there. Huge displays. This one featured an American teepee made of 6,000 bank notes from American countries, erected over 3 tons of bones, and installed in the centre of a circle made of 69,300 candles. Mmmmm I'm sure it makes a statement.

Tonight we ate at the Bazaar Restaurant. Not far from our place. Another find from our Madrid Tours app. Great food. Best red meat I have had in Spain! Lex enjoyed his baked tuna with mango chutney. We ate well!

Should have taken this pic before we ate most of the meal, but it was soooo good

Not sure when people sleep here. It is daylight until almost 10pm. People don't seem to eat until after 9 pm at least. Our street is busy all night. There are soooo many bars, cafeterias, restaurants, EVERYWHERE! Shops open around 10am, close for siesta between 2 and 5pm, and reopen between 5 and 9pm. Even construction work seems to function in those hours. So different from our lifestyle. Or mine anyway. ;-).

 

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On to Madrid

Last night in Santiago and we once again stayed out after dark. Not being exhausted from walking helps. The streets were so alive, and even the plaza outside the cathedral was buzzing

After 11pm, and people still arriving and sitting around.

Earlier in the evening we sat near an impromptu jam session. Spanish bag pipes and percussion box. Great sound.

 

Amazing myself sometimes. So unused to public transport systems as we are, organising and actually travelling by public transport can be stressful. However, we managed to purchase tickets to Madrid at a reduced senior price (no sure if we should be insulted that this option was offered to us), and at a more favourable time than we were originally told at Tourist Information Office. And we also got on and off the train at the right places.

Very interesting train ride - 5-6 hours, across lots of mountains. Probably should say through the mountains, and above the valleys, and at times reaching speeds up to 240km/hr. So smooth. Spectacular sights... But camera couldn't keep up.

As we neared Madrid, we could see more high, snow capped mountains. These soon disappeared from view as once again we shot off through an extremely long tunnel, totally avoiding the mountains. Amazing.

Long distance trains terminate some distance out of the city centre. Next challenge! Find a way to our accommodation. Another huge success!! Managed to get the right platform and Metro train (different station) and caught a train to a station in the city centre, and even more amazingly, it is incredibly close to our accommodation. What luck.

Short walk an we found our home for the next week. Not the Ritz, cheap and cheerful, but we only plan on sleeping, showering, and using wifi. As I look around this area there are many similar style hostals to this one, not a whole building, just a floor in a building. One I was looking at housed 6 different hostals on various floors, and all accessed initially via a buzzer.

Interesting flavour tonight. Lex has a taco - pollo con spicy chocolate salsa. Not very chocolatey, but tangy and tasty. 1€. Mexican style apparently. But no salad on it.

Big bonus tonight, I managed to get help with my 3G/Orange sim problem. I only recharged with10€, but it was a 15€ plan. So I am back online, thanks to very helpful staff at the Orange outlet on Gran Via. Woohoo.

 

Notes to self

• So pleased we were able to get an earlier train. Would not have been nice trying to find or way here at night, or find the entrance to this Pension. Haha. We are so naive, and still have much to learn. Then again Spanish cities come to life after 10pm.
• Prices vary greatly here in Madrid, but one thing is for sure, Pilgrim prices and benefits are a thing of the past.
• Pack felt heavier today. Whoa!

 

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We took a bus.

First time in a vehicle for more than a month. Strange feeling.

We leave Finisterre by bus ... in sunshine. Still cool. Strange sight waiting for the bus, as backpackers continued to fill the road near where the bus would park..... Hoping to be first ones on in case everyone couldn't fit on. Certainly had a few people worried, but we all fitted.... just. A 71 seat bus!

Santiago has a whole different feel in full sunshine. So much more welcoming. People are sitting around, out in the sunshine. Outdoor cafes are busy. People are out and about.... without jumpers or coats. And sandals without socks, again. So nice.

We are staying in Santiago for 2 nights, in the Pilgrim rooms of a fancy hotel. Fourth floor, smaller room, but great position, sheets, big towels and our own bathroom. Not quite pilgrim quarters, but probably last chance for accommodation at cheaper prices.

View from our fourth floor, rooftop room in the Seminario. Reminds me of being up in the hills at Cusco

The whole place is full of inspiration. Just when we get to feeling really chuffed about our amazing adventure, and a little bit smug and superior ( such an un-pilgrim-like emotion) when we see others waltz in with small day packs, we come across others who have faced greater challenges and overcome greater obstacles than us. On arrival back in Santiago we saw a couple of bikes outside the church, one a low sit-down bike. A little later we saw the bike, and cyclist again and realised the bike had a wheel-chair attached on the back and the bike was operated by hand. The operator had ridden from Seville to Santiago. Incredible.

Chocolate (very thick) con churros.

Since we have been back in Santiago, we have managed

• To get a haircut. So much better now.
• To stay up late enough to see the lights on the cathedral. Haven't managed that since we have been in Spain. Spectacular
• And to buy train tickets to Madrid. We were offered senior's cards and seniors prices. We either look old (over 60) or very tired. So we purchased Senior Cards for 5.50€ each, valid for 12 months, and got 40% discount on our tickets. Loving it.

About the only plaza I've seen where it acceptable to sit or stretch out in the middle of it!  

Love the jet streams!

Notes to self

• San Martin Pinario - pilgrim room double 40€ including best buffet breakfast on the camino. Basic room, but clean and certainly value
• Train station attendant speaks English. Bonus.
• Good meals at pilgrim prices.

I've been everywhere. The shirt says it all!

Joe might have to get his own camino bike shirt, hey Lou and Mike.

Good sayings

Never say goodbye. Say 'See you.'
You never walk alone.

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On to Finisterre. Day 4. We made it! 1 June

We've been to World's End Pub in Edinburgh, and Fin del Mundo in Patagonia, now Finisterre in Spain.

Last look at Cee

Stunning garden in Cee

Well to be honest we haven't walked the extra 3kms out to the lighthouse yet. But we will later this afternoon, although I'm not sure that I will see sunset over the Atlantic. I'm usually asleep before that time, and it's still overcast. But we have checked into an Albergue, and now having a rest so you never know. We seem to have timed it just right. Fiesta day today. Have seen stalls being set up, and the beginnings of paella being made.

Did something unusual to celebrate - afternoon nap sure helps one to feel better. I feel better now, so much better now. Sitting here in the Albergue I can see 5 large arrows, yellow, orange and red pointing towards the sea and green and blue pointing back towards Santiago. They would represent the different paths to Finisterre. There are quite a lot.

This is Fisterre in the distant, and the lighthouse out on the point

It was a beautiful walk today. Steep up and down to begin with then gradual slopes after that. But so nice to walk near the coast and even better to walk along the beach.

This morning we spoke with an Australian girl who did our last 2 days walk in one day. But now she feels broken, and no longer has the desire to walk the Portuguese route as she had planned.

Going back for some paella later

Now that's the way to carve ham!

Have walked out to the lighthouse. Long, long gentle uphill in the wind. But really wasn't expecting the emotions I felt. There were lots of people scrambling down rocks (no barriers) to get close to the Atlantic Ocean. Many pilgrims, but even more day trippers arriving by bus.

Many were sitting quietly on isolated rocks, probably contemplating their journey. Rocks were stained by fires, and others had left tokens of their camino (boots, clothes, walking poles etc).

For me, reaching this point felt like the end of our camino, and was just as emotional as reaching Santiago. We will stay here another day, maybe tomorrow will be sunnier, after all summer has officially started, then head back to Santiago for a couple of days. After that, not sure, but we no longer feel the need to walk to Muxia.

Notes to self

• 16km - great to finally reach the coast and walk on the beach
• Albergue Cabo Da Vila. 12€ each for bunks. Private rooms also available, but can't manage stairs today. Anyway, I think we would miss camino company too much.
• Soft fluffy towels and cotton sheet.  Delightful

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