Travel Day!

Day 21 Spain to Germany

This morning we packed up and walked to the bus station. From there we headed to the airport. We enjoyed our last Spanish coffee at the airport before boarding our flight to Madrid. In Madrid we barely had time to say goodbye to Keith and Dina before boarding our flight back to Munich. As we boarded we could see Keith and Dina boarding the plane right next to ours which was headed to Paris. I wish We could be continuing my on to Paris! When we landed in Munich and went to collect Michael's luggage I heard an announcement in Spanish that sounded like they were asking Michael to check in at the customer service desk. I was right and at the kiosk we found out that his luggage was still back in Spain! This is exactly why I always try to fly with just a carry on! Anyway, another airline is supposed to bring his luggage later tonight and we should be able to pick it up tomorrow when we check back in to go home. Next stop was the Movenpick Hotel that we stayed in the first night we arrived. We pretty much just relaxed until we realized that if we didn't go down for dinner we wouldn't be eating tonight and I had an awesome veggie stir fry that I had eyed up the first time I was here. Even though it was our last night in Germany we pretty just relaxed as if we were at home.

     

Goodbye Spain

Goodbye Spain!

Good bye beautiful people

 who helped us even though we didn't speak their language. 

And didn't jack up their prices like people from my own country would have if I didn't speak their language.

Goodbye amazing coffee 

that will be impossible to replicate back at home. 

And goodbye to the freshest orange juice 

I've ever had! 

Goodbye to olives and lemons 

that have no trace of bitterness whatsoever. 

Goodbye to rugged coastlines and sandy white beaches with shells. Goodbye to 1€ wine and 1€ beers. Goodbye to pretty orange clay rooftops 

and windows that open like doors. Goodbye to the forests that feel like they are refreshing your soul with each delicious breathe. 

And goodbye to the freshest, brightest orange egg yolks 

I have ever had. 

And goodbye to all of the windmills lining the the mountains as far as the eye can see.

Goodbye to my beautiful friends

Until we meet again.

The Cathedral

Day 20 Santiago de Compostela

We woke up to grey skies and rain. I'm so glad we aren't hiking today! Dina made us another amazing breakfast and by the time we were ready to head up to the cathedral the rain had almost stopped. The cathedral was incredible! It's hard to imagine how it was made so many centuries ago. Inside it was easier to see that the building is shaped like a cross and every section was filled with some ornate feature. It's too bad I ran out of room on my camera but I know that Dina and Michael took pictures today so I'm not too worried. We could easily have spent more time inside but the crowds were ridiculous! There were people everywhere and it was hard to move. I'm glad I got to see in the cathedral but again I was reminded of how rich the church was compared to how much less the people of that time had to live with. The architecture is amazing but the contrast of how fancy the cathedral was to to the simple the buildings we had seen in the surrounding country kind of ruined it for me. Realistically I know that the same happens today, I guess it's just easier to see when you are looking back at something that has already happened. After the cathedral it was sunny and we had no agenda. We walked around and discovered a free art exhibit that had some really cool pictures of the area. Next we went to the museum of the Galician People (Galicia is the area we have been hiking in). It was awesome and explained some of the buildings we have seen while hiking. I'm sure I would have learned a lot more if I could read and understand Spanish or Galician (they have their own dialect here) but they did a really good job portraying the life and history in the exhibits that it was fairly easy to get the just of it. The museum was in the old convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval which was build in the early 1200's. The staircase was really cool and wasn't one staircase but three that started at the bottom and swirled around a turret as it went up. It also had a giant cathedral that was empty! No one was inside only us and it was like they were just letting it decay. There was even a bird flying around inside. Unfortunately we got kicked out because it was siesta time and the museum closed for the afternoon but again I could have spent a little longer inside. We went back to our apartment and relaxed during siesta and waited for the restaurants to open again before heading back to the same place we had eaten yesterday because the food there is so amazing! We weren't disappointed tonight either.  We had a quiet night back at the apartment each of us thinking about tomorrow's travel plans. Good night world!

Leaving the Coast

Day 19 Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela

We headed out this morning in search of a breakfast spot. In Spain breakfast is usually coffee and a pastry but we were looking for bacon and eggs. We walked around town, up hills and stairs getting a work out before going almost back down to where we started and settling on pastries. Then we packed up our stuff and said goodbye to our amazing Finisterre home and headed down to the bus stop. Michael got excited when he saw the double decker pull up, he's never been on one before and was determined to get the front seat up top. He did it! While I loaded our packs under the bus he started a line by the door and we ended up with the best view on the way back to Santiago de Compostela. It's a little sad to say goodbye to Finisterre, it has felt like we were on a holiday rather than an adventure. Back in Santiago de Compostela we (Dina our navigator) had to figure out how to get to our new Arbnb place. It's right near the cathedral and just on the edge of the old town. The place is cute and on the top floor. My room is bright yellow with a skylight window on the sloping roof ceiling that I can open. I love it! We arrived at that awkward time of the day where nothing is open because it's siesta time. We were hungry though and couldn't go out to eat until at least 7:30 (dinners are very late here because the work day doesn't end until 8pm). We found an awesome place though and. Had the best meal ever! 

History

Day 18 Finisterre

We slept in a little enjoying the peace of having a place to ourselves. When everyone was up we went out to find coffee and breakfast. Then we searched for the alter of the sun (Ala Solis) which Celtic Druids had built but we couldn't find it. Next to find was the ruins of a hermitage from the 11th century. After hiking straight up a mountain steeper than anything we encountered on the Camino we arrived just as a local was leaving the site and he confirmed that this was the right place. The ruins were nothing more than crude stone foundations built around giant boulders that we climbed and relaxed on enjoying a 360* view of Finisterre and the surrounding mountains and ocean. It was beautiful! I didn't want to leave! Then Keith started reading from his guide how these rocks we were sitting on were actually known for increasing fertility. Time to move on! Our next stop on the other side is of the mountain was the Abalar Stones, two rocks used in pagan rituals that could move back and forth but only if pushed on the right spot. If a woman could move the rocks, she could be a priestess. It was a little disappointing though because there were no signs and we had to guess which rocks might move. It was so beautiful up on the rocks though that we didn't mind. While we were up there we saw a path below us and decided to see where it went. It took us along the coast and passed above a sandy picturesque beach with rolling waves. The trail was steep though with lots of little rocks, I thought for sure I would fall or slide if I wasn't careful. It led us back to town between two giant moss covered rock walls that were maybe 10-12 feet high. Although it was steep we realized that this is the path we originally should have taken to get to the top rather than head straight up a mountain through thorns and poison oak. We arrived in a section of town we hadn't ventured through yet and were amazed at the little windy roads and narrow alleys that were shortcuts to the next street. Back in town we stopped for a drink at a restaurant and then walked a little closer to the waterfront and stopped again for lunch. After lunch we went back to the apartment where we all fell asleep! Luckily we didn't nap for too long and decided to go check out the beach and dip our feet in the Atlantic! I was surprised by how  soft and fine the sand was and by how many shells there were. The water wasn't that bad although I'm sure if I was actually swimming in it I would feel differently. We sat and enjoyed the waves for awhile and then headed back to clean up before dinner in front of the docks. 

The end of the earth!

Day 17 Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre

It was beautiful out today but we knew the good weather wouldn't last. We decided to go to Finisterre to the ocean while it was so nice out and come back to Santiago de Compostela later. We bought return tickets and went out for a quick coffee before the three hour bus ride. The route took us over the mountains and through villages along the coast. It was gorgeous! We are completely surrounded by beauty! At Finisterre (which means the end of the earth by the way) we had a few nervous moments when we realized the lady meeting us at our Arbnb couldn't speak a work of English. It all turned though and the place we are staying in feels like a resort! Marble floors everywhere and a view of the waterfront! I am going to learn Spanish before I come back here though! Why should these people have to learn my language to talk to me in their own country, it's been a little embarrassing! After dropping our packs in our new home we headed down the Main Street and stopped for dinner at a seafood place on the waterfront. It was probably the most expensive place to eat but the food was delicious! Keith finally got to try octopus, he said it was good! We walked out to the lighthouse (6km trip) and took our time enjoying the ocean view. At the bottom of the lighthouse Keith and Dina met a lady who was selling her book about her Camino in 2013. She had carried watercolours and painted a picture everyday of her hike. The book was beautiful, they bought one as a souvenir. After a cheap light dinner we came back to the apartment and just relaxed checking out the books that the host had left out for us. Good night world!

Santiago de Compostela day!

Day 16 O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostella 20km (116.5 so far)

We slept in a little later this morning and stopped for coffee on our way out of town. There was supposed to be only a little bit of elevation gain but we kept going up and down. By the time we stopped for breakfast I was so hungry I ordered a full meal and then immediately regretted it on the next up. Meanwhile Keith and Dina cruised along ahead of us. We caught up just outside of town (and only because they stopped to take pictures and wait for us) at Monto Gozo! I expected it to be a short walk into town from there but it took forever! We finally made it to the Santiago de Compostela cathedral! I was disappointed though because it was being renovated and had scaffolding in front of most of the building. We decided we would come back later to check it out and headed to the pilgrims office where we could get our certificates. The line up was long! After waiting an hour, we decided we didn't really need the certificate anyway and went to find our albergues. It is really neat! We are on the third floor and from our window we can see the spires of the cathedral. The room which sleeps 12 has been divided into mini rooms for four that have a storage locker for each person and sliding doors that make each bunk area more private. I like it! After showering and laundry we wanted food and ended up having the cheapest meal so far! The food was great and we had the best wine so far but we ruined the savings by stopping for dessert later where we spent almost as much as on dinner. The pilgrims office was open till 9pm so we decided to go back and try to get our certificates again. This time there was only a small line so we decided to wait. Success! It seems silly to get a certificate for hiking such a small section especially when I compare it to the AT, maybe I should send away for that certificate too! Back at the albergues the set up here is awesome! We are in an ancient building that has changed mole rely remodelled. In the basement there is a kitchen/self serve cafeteria that has a walk out to a solarium. On the main floor there is a gift shop that has a really cool map of the Camino I am eying up. 

Hot, hot, hot!

Day 15 Ribadiso to O Pedrouzo 23km (96.5km so far)

We saw giant slugs almost immediately after leaving the albergues and I thought we had a giant up. It turns out we did most of the up getting to the albergues last night making this morning easy! Within a few km we were walking through Arzua known for its cheese. We forgot to stop and get some though. We mostly walked through eucalyptus forests and countryside today. At brunch we stopped for breakfast and while we were sitting there a farmer and his wife came by with those herd of cows. It was funny to be sitting outside of a cafe and have them go by within feet of us. The clouds burnt off quickly this morning and the sun just beat me up! I kept putting sunscreen on but it wasn't enough and the heat slowed me down. At one point I could see waves of heat coming off the ground. We finally made it to our destination and because it is a bigger town we had to search for the albergues. Actually we are staying in a pensiones which is more like a bed and breakfast. The room is nice, has bedding and we have towels and soap. After we were all showered up and some of us had naps, we all felt better and headed down the street to find a place to eat. We ended up at a busy cafe that had a pilgrims menu. The food here has been amazing and it was several hours later before we made our way back to our rooms. I probably spent way too much time trying to delete things on my phone to make more space for pictures but now it's bed time and I'm giving up. Good night world!

Eucalyptus Trees!

Palas de Rei to Ribadiso 27km (74.5km so far)

This morning seems so long ago, like I'm trying to remember what I did a week ago! We woke up to an overcast sky which isn't unusual on a mountain in Spain. It usually burns off by 1 or 2 pm. Today seemed different though so we started out in rain jackets but that was overkill for me and soon I was burning up. I stopped to take it off the first chance I got. We made our way through town following the Camino shell symbol and soon we were on a muddy path up a hill. Today was gorgeous! We hiked through eucalyptus forests and it smelled amazing! I've always said that walking through a pine woods is my favourite well eucalyptus is just as nice! The towns seemed a little more spread out today and we had more views of rolling hills between the trees. I enjoyed every minute of it. Well maybe not the last few ups or even the last down when my feet were done for the day but most of it was awesome! We crossed three medieval bridges today, one that has been continuously been rebuilt since the 6th century. Again I am too tired to put much thought into this. I ordered a glass of orange juice at lunch today (it's always juiced as you order it here) and it was so good! Not even remotely comparable to any orange juice (even in a juicer) at home! Later I noticed the same thing with the olives here, they taste so much better here! Almost everything we have ordered so far has seemed fresher and better quality to its equivalent at home. I think I might actually gain weight on this trail! Anyway, I can already hear people snoring (there are only six hikers in my room tonight so it shouldn't be too bad)! Good night world!

Another great day!

Day 13 Portmarin to Palas de Rei 23.6km (45.7km so far)

So it turns out that staying in a giant room full of beds (even when all of the beds aren't filled) is a terrible idea! First of all the light stays on till 11pm and that really sucks when you are on the top bunk and the light bulb is just a few feet away. Secondly the snoring! Ok, so Michael was one of the loudest and I am used to him but still! And thirdly, even though quiet time is from 11 -7am people were up and making noise at 6am! Keith said someone even got up at 3am and packed up. Even though I sound like I'm complaining about it, the place wasn't that bad and I did want to stay at a huge place at least once. Now that I've stayed there, we will look for smaller places or private rooms in the future. Anyway, after two rounds of coffee and after almost everyone else had left we headed out crossing a bridge and heading up, up and more up! So far the ups haven't really been that bad and I've been very surprised at my ability to keep up but I was definitely winded today. It's funny because I really expected to wake up with sore muscles this morning. But so far so good. The trail didn't have the jaw dropping views that it did yesterday but we did walk through several little hamlets each with their own churches and interesting out buildings. Nothing seems to be wasted here. We have seen what look to be ruins for sale and laughed only to come across really modern construction being done on an ancient, dilapidated building. Oh and we saw a lot of cows today! We stopped for breakfast about 7km into our day and took a decent break before heading out for another 7 before lunch. We did take a short coffee break at a place where some Americans were over visiting for the summer and had coffee and tea for a donation. Spanish coffee is WAY better than North American coffee, I'm not sure how I'm going to live without it when I get home! When we stopped for lunch Michael ordered pasta for 4€, we expected a small plate and were surprised by the giant full meal he got. For me the last few kilometres of the day dragged on. Not because I was tired or wanted a break but because I was dying to use a washroom and the Camino is so busy and you can't just easily get off the trail and go like on the AT. I practically dropped my pack and ran when we came to the first albergues. We didn't end up staying there though, it was already full but we found an amazing place where we have a room to ourselves with our own private washroom and shower! When we asked the owner where we should eat he pointed across the road. It obviously isn't where most pilgrims eat, there was no pilgrims menu and the proprietor didn't speak English but the place came recommended and had a fire in the fireplace so we stayed. The place was amazing! As we were trying to figure out the menu the owner suggested something we didn't really understand but we agreed. He made us a three course meal that clearly wasn't on the menu and it was spectacular! It made me feel guilty for not making more of an effort with my Spanish. We did our best to try to make him understand how much we appreciate it before coming back to the albergues. There the owner (Manuel) was busy helping the new arrivals which all happened to be on horseback. He was showing them where to keep the horses for the night. How cool would it be to travel across Spain on a horse! Michael has been making friends everywhere he goes and just came back to pick up our credentials (Camino passports that we get stamped everywhere we stop) because he just met a priest who was closing up his church and is waiting for him to get back to give us a stamp. There are so many details I know I am leaving out like how Manuel called ahead to an albergues for us and reserved our space for tomorrow night or how the guide book has really hilarious tidbits of history in it (today's had Dina doing reenactments while we were going through the woods). Even though it's still light outside I'm totally exhausted. Good night world. 

Ps. I love Spain!

On the trail!

Day 12 Sarria to Portmarin 22.1 km

What an amazing day! I love Spain! We slept in a little and packed up quickly, stopping to sit and have a coffee just as most of the pellegrinos (pilgrims) were leaving town. It is unbelievable how many of us there are and how many languages I have heard today. At the same time We met people who live in Aurora (a town a few hours from home) and a guy who had been to Ste Marie (in Midland) as one of his ancestors was a Jesuit there in the 1600's and he was learning about his family's history. How cool is that! After our coffees (which are excellent here by the way) we hiked out and within minutes of being out of town Dina said exactly what I was thinking, she said "this makes me wish we had hiked the whole thing." It's true but at the same time we loved Germany and the the old cities in Switzerland, I'm pretty sure we will be back here again one day anyway! The Camino is so different than the AT, we walked through several small towns/villas today and stopped for coffee and later on lunch. We were on roads or paths that were lined with trees or old rock fences through farmers fields for most of the day. We got into town around 4 I think and the albergues we wanted to stay at was  full. We ended up next store in a huge place that has a giant room of bunk beds that could sleep over 100 people. Luckily it's not that busy right now! After showering and laundry we went next door and again had an amazing dinner for a fraction of what we would have spent at home. Then we walked up the street to check out an old church! This town looks like the perfect place to live! It's beautiful here and we have a waterfront view! It isn't even 9pm yet and it's still light out but I have to get some sleep! The sun got me pretty good today and I need to recover. Good night world!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Day 11

We woke up early and made it to the airport just before 6am for our 7:30 flight to Madrid. We flew over some pretty amazing looking mountains! In Madrid we had a few hours before our next flight so we sat and enjoyed a delicious and really cheap (especially for an airport) breakfast. After waiting a bit to board we were finally on our way to Santiago de Compostella! When we arrived we stored everything we didn't want to hike with in Michael's suitcase and checked it into storage. Now that we all had our backpacks on we felt like hikers again! First we had to figure out which bus to take from the airport to get to the train station, remember now the language is Spanish but luckily Dina had really brushed up on her Spanish and did a great job all day long ordering train tickets and later on lunch. The train turned out to be a great idea! Actually we had to transfer and took two different trains but it was a great way to see the countryside. There was so much to look at from the really old homes and churches to the new modern buildings and homes. It was so frustrating not being able to take any pictures (the train was moving so fast that all the pictures turned out blurry). On the second train we had an entire car to ourselves and moved around to different seats depending on which side of the train had better views. We followed a river for awhile that turned into a big gorge with steep hills on either side and scattered along the steep hills were ruins and foundations from a way earlier time. By the time we got off the bus I had already fallen in love with Spain! We got off in Sarria and headed to the old monastery at the top of the hill to get our credentials (passports) and shells to hike the Camino with. The monastery is actually also an albergues (hostel for pilgrims) and we thought about staying there (because how cool would it be to stay in a momentary) but decided that maybe something smaller with less people might be better for our first night. After walking through the town up to the top we had to come halfway back down (we will have to hike back up to the top when we leave tomorrow) to find the other albergues. The first one we entered was also a restaurant so we thought it was perfect. It got even better! After paying to stay (we though above the restaurant), the owner led us down the street and around the corner to an apartment building. We have a whole apartment to ourselves and it's amazing (all for €12.50 each)! After cleaning up a bit we headed back out to find dinner and were absolutely amazed by the place we found! For €8.50 each we got wine and bread, our choice of appetizer (each), our choice of main course, and our choice of dessert. And it was all delicious! We were happy and stuffed when we left to find our way back to our home for the night.  It's way past hikers midnight (it's almost real midnight) but it feels so good to be here. I'm so excited to start the Camino tomorrow. Good night world!

Lucerne

Day 10, Lucerne, Switzerland

We woke up early this morning with a plan to hike a mountain in the Swiss Alps! We knew it might be cold so we wore our warmest clothes and packed extra layers. We headed out past Lucerne but when we got to the mountains which were impressive it quickly became obvious that we wouldn't be warm enough and we probably needed boots to trudge through the snow we could see above us. The other thing was that is was very overcast and we wouldn't get any good views or pictures today. Sadly we decided to change our plans but it turned out to be a great day! Lucerne was even more impressive than Zurich. I couldn't get over what I was seeing. If someone had taken a picture of the waterfront here with the mountains in the background and asked me where in the world I thought this was taken, there is no way I would have guessed Switzerland! Japan maybe, but not here! The town was surrounded by a wall with high turrets that we could climb up and walk along the top of the wall. Again everywhere I looked there were fascinating buildings to check out. After hanging out on top of the walk for a bit and taking lots of pictures we walked the cobblestone streets stopping at anything and everything that caught our eye. We wandered for hours! The town boasts the oldest covered bridge in Europe and it was cool! In the rafters of the roof of the bridge were painted pictures depicting another story or legend. I wish I knew what the story was about but I took as many pictures of it to ask someone later. Before we left we stopped at a chocolatier and it was so hard to only order hot chocolates, everything looked delicious and the homemade ice creams were hard to resist. We had just started driving away when the rain started - perfect timing! We all had a nap when we got back and then Dina made us an amazing spaghetti dinner with a salad. We are all just repacking our backpacks for Spain tomorrow and trying to shave ounces however we can. We aren't quite ready to turn in for the night but it will be soon. We have an early flight tomorrow. Good night world!

Zurich

Day 9 - Zurich, Switzerland

We woke up before Keith and Dina and went to the little grocery store across the street and got the basics for breakfast. Michael made everyone coffee and Dina made us an amazing breakfast. We took our time getting ready because the weather did not look co-operative. We headed to the city centre of Zurich and walked around sightseeing. One of the first places we came to was a Tesla store! I couldn't believe it! We have seen a lot of expensive cars here. Lots of Porsches and a few Ferraris and Maseratis. I love how the old and new is meshed together here. Most of my pictures had modern buildings right next to buildings from the 16th century! We pretty much just walked around in awe! It seemed like every street corner had a fancy water fountain and every door was ornately decorated.  We toured St. Peter's church which was much more modestly decorated and seemed to fit in with the architecture in the area much more naturally than the rich, gaudy churches we had seen in Germany that really stood out. What's really funny is that we later looked up the history of St. Peter's and it turns out that it had been a holy sight since at least the 8th century with a temple to Jupiter then over the centuries it was replaced by different styles of churches (a Romanesque church in 1230, a gothic style in 1460 and what we saw today was built in 1706). The church tower acted as the towns watchtower/fire tower and was checked every 15 minutes up until 1911. It also has the biggest clock face of all the churches in Europe. Then we went to Fraumunster which was a gorgeous cathedral that had been built over the remains of an 8th century women's aristocratic Abby. It was stunning. Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures inside but the stained glass was like nothing I've ever seen before. The people depicted in the stained glass were very fairy like and the glass seemed tinted with fades rather than panes of solid colour. The pictures were beautiful and probably displayed a story but certainly not one that we recognized. There was also a skeleton etched into the wall. It seems like at one time skeletons were a thing in churches. I've been surprised at how many we have seen. Outside of the church there was an attached garden with beautifully painted hallways and arches that again told a story. You couldn't leave one church without without seeing something else of equal interest from the doorway. I took over a hundred pictures in just a few hours. Even the narrow alleyways were interesting! Our next stop was Grossmunster which is believed to stand over the graves of three 3rd century saints (there is an interesting but unbelievable legend about them). The church was completed in 1230 but a fire in 1763 prompted an immediate rebuild with restorations in both the 19th and 20th centuries. The church was fairly simple inside and there was a tower that could be climbed to the top for a fee. The stained glass was again very different from anything I had seen and looked almost like thin slivers of rocks but I'm sure that was the effect the artist was going for. There are amazing pictures I could post from today but instead I'm going to post a picture of the side door of Grossmunster so that you can see the intricate detail even in the side doors and you can get a vague idea of that the stained glass was like (although from inside it was stunning). After our tour of Zurich we stopped at a large supermarket that was very overwhelming (lots of people and it was hard to read in another language what we were getting) and then came back to the apartment to relax. Michael and I went out for a short walk and were surprised to find ourselves out in farmers fields within minutes. The street we are staying in seems so busy yet within steps we were in the countryside and there was no evidence whatsoever of the town. We got back just before it started to rain and we all had to don our rain gear to walk to the restaurant for dinner across the street. It was a ridiculously expensive meal but the food and company was great! We even treated ourselves to the most expensive desserts I have ever paid for but hey, we are on holiday! After dinner we pretty much just turned in for the night. Good night world! 

On to Switzerland

Day 8 Switzerland

We woke up to another feast for breakfast (thank you Tina) but then it was time to go. Tina and Mario have been amazing hosts and its too bad they couldn't joint us in Spain because hiking with them would be a lot of fun. After our goodbyes we headed towards Ludwigsburg. We were hoping to walk around the grounds of the palace there. The palace was impressive and the grounds looked amazing but the weather didn't co-operate and it didn't make any sense to pay to walk around in the pouring rain. So instead we drove to Switzerland! I think we were all just a bit disappointed when we crossed the border and weren't immediately in the Swiss Alps. We were also surprised by how expensive everything suddenly became. As soon as we crossed the border we needed to buy a sticker for the rental car that allows us to drive on highways. Oh and the gas prices skyrocketed. Later we would find toilets that cost 2 francs per use! As we drove into Bruttisellen (a small town just outside of Zurich) the roads became a nightmare. We are so used to a grid system that when we missed a turn we thought we could just take the next road and loop back around. Nope! There seems to be no rhyme or reason to these roads. After a bit of frustration we made it to our new Arbnb home. The place seems nice and has a cute balcony overlooking the street. We were so hungry when we got here but all of the restaurants close here around 2 and re-open at 5:30. Keith saved the day with his leftovers which held us over till we could go out to eat. In the meantime Dina had googled all of the local restaurants discovering how much more it cost to eat out in Switzerland. She did find a Texas Steakhouse with a cheap takeout menu. We ended up ordering a family combo with 4 burgers, 4 fries, 4 drinks and a salad. I was amazed at how big the burgers were and it only cost 43 Francs making it the cheapest meal so far. It was a bit of a nightmare getting to the restaurant and back again, I felt bad for Keith having to drive.  Back at the apartment, Michel has already met a few of the neighbours here and everyone seems friendly. He has also checked out the bakery, the butcher and the grocery store all just down the street. Although many people do speak English here everyone has understood Michael's German. 

Tina and Mario's

Day7 

This morning we woke up to a feast spread for us on the dining room table. We had a traditional European breakfast of yogurt and bread/buns with cheese and meats and honey and jams. Oh and the coffe here is so good!  After breakfast we went to the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart. I wasn't really into another car museum but this one was amazing! Way better than BMW's. It includes all of the history of transportation and had cultural information from each time period. I really liked it and laughed at the obvious misinformation we are taught in Canada. FYI Henry Ford did NOT invent the car! After the museum we stopped to get a new SD card for Michael's camera and then Tina and Mario treated us to lunch. Thanks again! By the time we got back to the apartment we were all tired but it was the perfect time to watch Tina's AT movie! It was so good! She did an amazing job of combining pictures with short videos taken all along the trail. The videos really made the difference and brought back the feeling of actually being on the trail and what it was really like. Again she could sell this. I wish my friends could see her movie because she really did capture what the trail was really like. Her soundtrack was great and she even added in a cute animated intermission. I loved it! There many places where I had taken an identical picture or realized that we had stayed at the same place in town on the same night. After reminiscing a little while longer we walked to dinner. We went to an authentic Italian restaurant and the food was so good! And so filling I couldn't even finish my plate! We had to fight to pay the bill or Mario again would have ended up treating us. I'm so glad I got to meet Tina and Mario. They are awesome hosts and have become good friends. Almost as soon as we met them we started planning a future hike together. When we got back after dinner it was sad to say goodbye to Mario (he had to leave for work before we would be up and we are planning on leaving in the morning). We are exhausted. Good night world!

Silent and Giggles!

Day 6 - Baltmannsweiler near Stuttgart

Today we packed up and left our cute little home in Munich and headed to the BMW museum. It was mostly for the guys but It was fun seeing all the old cars. Then we left town for the countryside and it was beautiful! I was a little nervous about being on the autobahn especially as the cars zoomed by but Keith is a great driver and I had nothing to worry about. In fact the autobahn seemed less stressful than the narrow streets in town. We stopped at a small town in the middle of nowhere for lunch, the food was great and about half the price we would have paid in Munich. After treating ourselves to a decadent dessert we went for a short walk down the Main Street before getting back on the autobahn and heading to a small town outside of Stuttgart to visit Tina and Mario (Silent and Giggles) who hiked the AT the same year I did and had spent time hiking with Keith and Dina. Tina and Mario live in a small town out in the countryside surrounded by cherry trees and grape fields. Their main floor apartment was gorgeous and way bigger than I had expected and had a really nice landscaped backyard. It didn't take very long before the conversation was all about hiking and reliving memories on the AT. Tina grabbed a big hard cover book and started thumbing through pages and that's when we noticed the book she had made of their hike. It was amazing! I wish I had thought of making something like it. She did a great job, she easily could sell copies and she said she had also make a 2 hour video of the AT. Of course we wanted to watch it right away but it was time to go eat. We drove to the town at the bottom of the hill and met in a modern underground parking lot. Within minutes we were walking on cobblestone and gawking at the traditional Bavarian buildings of their town centre. I took a lot of pictures! Still in the old section of town we headed up a steep hill taking a set of covered stairs. I soon was way behind everyone else (well Mario stayed behind to be nice). Up ahead Dina called down to warn me. She said "remember all those mountains with false summits, these stairs are the same." We all laughed. I wish I had thought to count the stairs but I stopped several times to take pictures of the town below and to catch my breath. When we finally got to the top we came out in a manicured park that was surrounded by castle looking walls and turrets. The place was amazing! We went up a few more stairs to end up on a terrace at the restaurant. We did have to move inside as the food was arriving though because it was just starting to rain. Oh and the food was delicious and again traditional fare! And Tina and Mario treated us to the dinner! I felt a little awkward in that we had just met them and here they were not only letting us stay at their home but also taking us out and treating us to a really nice dinner. Then I realized how awesome it is that even though we aren't on the trail I am back with my trail family and if a hiker came to visit me in my country I would want to do the same. Thank you Tina and Mario for your awesome hospitality! After dinner we took a different route through town before heading back to for a few more hours of trail talk before hitting the hay.

Palace Day!

Day 5 - Munich, Germany

Dina made us bacon and eggs this morning and it was delicious! We took our time getting ready before heading to Schlosspark Nymphenburg. I was excited to see a palace and to be honest was a little disappointed when we drove up to what looked like a box style building. It turned out to be an amazing place though and we easily could have spent more time there. The palace was built 1664-1675 and I couldn't believe how well everything had been preserved but then again it has always been in use. Today the Duke of Bavaria lives there. The palace grounds or park is 490 acres and was absolutely gorgeous. We felt like we were hiking. We were surrounded by trees and lots of birds, it made me forget I was in a city. There were so many trails we could have taken but we chose one that follows the river to the lake towards some of the other buildings on the property. The other buildings were just as interesting as the palace! The first one we saw was a summer hunting home for an Earl's wife. If it wasn't for the musty smell I would happily have moved in. It was so cool! The last building we came to was a really old church or so we thought. It was built in 1725 and designed to look like an ancient church. It was amazing how much thought had been put into it. The ceiling was made of tiny coloured pebbles and the walls had shells and what looked like birds right in the walls. We originally had planned to spent a few hours but ended up staying the whole day. I'm kind of glossing over the day because I'm so tired. We got back to the apartment and decided to do our laundry before going for dinner. Even the laundromat was interesting. When we paid at a kiosk built into the wall (kind of like an ATM) we had to choose which machine we wanted and detergent is automatically dispensed and there is just a start button on the machine that is already set to go. For dinner we went back to the same place near our apartment where we had gone the first night Keith and Dina arrived. Again the food was spectacular! I'm exhausted. Good night world!

Castle Day!

Day 4 - Munich, Germany

I woke up before anyone else but was hesitant to leave without bringing Michael who has been our translator and spokesperson. I only needed to go to the bakery and stop at the grocery store for cream and sugar. Cream by the way isn't refrigerated and comes in tiny glass bottles. I waited for Michael and we ended up buying enough for a picnic lunch for later. Today is castle day!  We headed towards the Austrian border to Neuschanstein and Hohenschuangau castles. The drive was beautiful! We couldn't believe the difference the mature trees made along the highways. We passed so many farms and they all looked neat and tidy. It felt so good and exciting to be driving towards the alps! I tried to take as many pictures as I could of the traditional Bavarian homes we passed with the mountains in the background. It's funny how many pictures I took as we approached the castles only to discard them later for better pictures taken later in the day. It's free to roam around outside of the castles but there are paid tours for inside so we bought tickets and then headed down to the lake to wait for our first tour. Everything here is picturesque. Inside the first castle (Hohenshuangau) which was built on the remains of an older 13th century castle and owned by King Maximillan 2 of Bavaria was much homier than the second castle (Neushanstein). Every room was painted a different colour and instead of tapestries the pictures were painted directly on the walls. The queen's living quarters were on one floor and the Kings the floor above. Even the kids had their own floor. It's really too bad we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the castles.  Neuschanstein which is one of King Ludwig 2's castles (son of King Maximillan) seemed too ornate in comparison. Every room had too much going on with intricate details in all of the marble and stone and tiled floors. The walls were covered in pictures. And every square inch of the place has some kind of picture or design carved or painted on it. The castle had running water, a central heating system and telephone! It was cool to see but hard to imagine ever living in a place like that. It was also a little disappointing in that we only got to tour a small part of the castle. The castle was never finished and we only saw the rooms that had been completed. After the tours we went for a ride on an extremely narrow road up a mountain and then decided to take a different route home to see more of the countryside. We came back through Austria! We parked close to the apartment but walked to a local cafe/bar for a pork and dumpling dinner. I'm not a beer drinker at all but I've enjoyed the beers I've tried here. Even though we were all exhausted we managed to stay up at least another hour in bed talking. Good night world!

Dachau

Day 3 - Munich, Germany

We woke up to Dina making us bacon and eggs for breakfast and after the second round of coffee we all started to get ready for the day. Last night we all agreed to go see the things here that were nowhere else in the world first and then add in anything else that caught our interest. Unfortunately that meant that we would be starting our vacation with a trip to Dachau Concentration Camp. I know that it's kind of a strange place to visit on holiday but to just ignore that it is here seems wrong too. We arrived and made a very brief stop at the information building deciding to just walk around and explore on our own rather than take a guided tour. I'm so glad we made that decision! It was sensory overload with the information presented to us, I can't imagine listening to someone repeat the atrocities that took place here. As we entered through the iron gate a feeling of oppression came over us. It only got worse from there but at first I tried to shrug it off and took pictures of the watch towers and surrounding buildings. Inside the main building was set up similar to a museum with information stations everywhere. Within minutes I realized that I didn't want to read all of the horrific details and soon I was just glossing over the info and taking pictures of the walls and windows (which reminded me of the old Oakridge building at work). We decided to sit and watch a documentary about Dachau. It was one of the first concentration camps built and the only one to be used all 12 years. It was very graphic and stressed that the staggering number of deaths mentioned were just the reported numbers and that the actual numbers were likely much higher. We were all silent as we walked out of the theatre and I was ready to leave. Outside Dina confided that she felt the same but we hadn't seen the bunkers yet or the crematorium ...so we continued. I didn't actually go into the crematorium but Dina said that it wasn't as bad as she had imagined and that the pictures posted on the signs were more upsetting than the sterile rooms inside. By the time we left all of the muscles on my face hurt from trying to hold the emotions in and keep a straight face.  We drove back to Munich and stopped for a bite to eat and decided to do something more cheerful. We went sightseeing! We drove as close to the city centre as possible and then walked the cobblestone streets to see the cathedrals, churches and municipal buildings. The architecture was incredible and the details amazing. I'm glad I got to see it but at the same time couldn't help but wonder about the people who actually had to pay for all of this and what their quality of life was like back then. One of the churches from the 1300's was kind of creepy and had a skeleton on display and a skull in a box as well as gold covered skeletons as decorations on the walls. We went up the tower at the municipal building though and got to see everything around for miles. That was cool! By this time we were beat and came back to the apartment for a break only to get up and go again as soon as we were hungry. We walked till we found Impler Cafe and Bar where we had a delicious  traditional Bavarian meal with a beer and strudel for dessert. We were surprised when the chef sent us a round of pear schnapps. We had a great night and now it's nearly 11 and we are all already in bed. Good night world! 

Our cool little home for a few days!

After meeting Keith and Dina we picked up a rental car and headed into Munich (Munchen in German). Dina had found us the perfect little apartment on Arbnb close to the city centre. We arrived to find we have a top floor apartment with a nice balcony AND the apartment reminds us of a tiny house! It's around 350 square feet and so cute! Michael and I went for a short walk while Keith and Dina recovered from their long flight and then we all headed down the street for a traditional schnitzel dinner. We found an Olympic sized pool on the way home for Dina as she is training for the next Iron Man. Most of the evening was spent relaxing and chatting away. This is the first I've been to Germany and in many ways it is similar to Scotland except that the roads are a little wider (still narrower than in North America) and the cars are a little bigger too. Oh and there is definitely more sunshine here than in Glasgow! So far everything has a simple or understated look but it is absolutely beautiful here!  

Time Flies!

Day 2 - Munich, Germany

I fully intended to keep a daily journal again while I am on vacation. Actually I meant to start it earlier when we moved out of the house and into our tiny bus but I we have been so busy that my mind hasn't settled enough to write. I know it sounds like an excuse but before when I was on the trail I found it so easy to keep a journal and jot down my thoughts at the end of a day. Maybe because I had countless hours during the day to think and process my thoughts it was effortless to write at the end of a day. This is forced. I am on vacation and not on a trail yet and up until now put off writing.  But I know that if I don't start I will regret it later so here it goes. 

The past few weeks of working, packing, moving, elimination our stuff has really taken a toll on me. I thought it would be easy to make the switch to the bus. It is after all what I've wanted for over a year now! It was fairly easy to get rid of my own personal items although to be honest I should go through everything on the bus and eliminate a few more of my own personal things when we get back. What really surprised me was my overly sensitive reaction to Michael as he got rid of his stuff. Michael is the kind of person who sees something on the side of the road (read someone else's garbage) and finds a use for it (or imagines a possible future use for it) and stops to collect said item. He's not a hoarder but he does manage to collect stuff - a lot of it! On top of that, he hates change and definitely hates moving. I knew that this was going to be difficult for him and was very surprised at how smoothly things were going over the past month and how efficiently he seemed to manage eliminating extra tools and items he had collected over the past 30 years. The last week however has been difficult. As he became a little frazzled from the size of the move I became stressed the f*#% out by his moodiness. He would make one negative comment and I would be thinking "I'm forcing him get rid of all his stuff, what right do I have to be doing this" or even worse, "how  am I going to to live in such a small space with this negative person." As we moved the last items out and dealt with the last of the garbage I questioned everything. It was unnerving. At the same time we were leaving (in my state of mind read abandoning) our dogs with a friend for almost a month while we toured Europe. You can imagine how we both felt about that. Anyway, we do have amazing friends who have tried to make this transition as easy as possible and as I sit here in the middle of the night on a balcony of our Arbnb "tiny house" in Germany I know that everything is going to be ok. While we were at the Toronto airport waiting to board I sent a message to Dina (Canadian Bacon who I hiked with on the Appalachian Trail) just to say we were on our way and we would see them tomorrow in Germany. I had a panicky moment when I got her reply moments later questioning me on our arrival time and didn't I mean that I would see them on Saturday (not tomorrow - Friday). It turns out I has booked our flight a day earlier than them but at the time I was thinking "am I at the airport a day early?" Again, everything turned out for the best and upon arrival we booked a room at a nearby hotel and got to catch up on much needed sleep and start to unwind. We had an amazing dinner and went for a relaxing walk before turning in for the night. In the morning, the hotel provided an all you can eat buffet breakfast before we headed back to the airport to meet Keith and Dina. I don't even think I realized how much I missed them until I saw them again. I am so thankful for the many great friends that I have but this is different. It felt so good (like I  had just come home after a long time of being away) just hanging out with them today. This holiday/vacation/hike /adventure is going to be amazing! I just know it! It's really late and I have written for too long. I will fill you in on the cool place we are staying at tomorrow. Good night World!