Camino 2014: Day 1.11 New York to Portland, Oregon (James)

Camino 2014: Day 1.11 New York to Portland, Oregon (James)

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

Martin Buber

We are home!  For real this time!  

Our flight from New York was uneventful except for the the barely contained giddiness and excitement of the girls as the wheels touched the ground.  “Our parents are actually in there?” they said, half asking and half commenting.  After 52 days of traveling, family and friends were sorely missed.  I had to remind them not to run when we got into the terminal and that it would be nice if they all walked through together.  Sure enough, as we rounded the corner in PDX where people can wait for arrivals, each girl spotted someone to run to and they couldn’t contain themselves.  All I could make out were flashes of smiles and hugs from the crowd that had gathered for their return.  Thanks to everyone for making our return one last special moment on this trip.  

And just like that, it was over.  We quickly split up and we all made our individual way home.  Sometimes it takes a little bit of time to fully comprehend what we just went through so I will wait a couple of weeks to ask the girls to write a follow-up to finish out the blog for this trip.  As for me, thanks once again for everyone who supported this trip in any way shape or form.  Whether it was financially backing the kids or simply providing a kind word of encouragement, you all participated in making a huge impact on our lives.  I told the girls once that traveling, and specifically the Camino, will continue to give you gifts long after you step off the trail.  I hope over the coming days, weeks, and months they will continue to be recipients of lessons learned along the way.  On the plane, I wrote out a few of the ones we were fortunate to experience.

Simplicity:

We just spent the vast majority of our summer with all of our possessions in a little backpack.  We were perfectly happy.  

Vanity:

Make-up and brand name clothes don’t make us who we are.  A couple of us walked all day in garbage bags.  We were perfectly happy.

Gratitude:  A happy person is someone who can still recognize luxury in the simplest of things, a warm shower, nice bed, cold water, and good food.

Adversity:  People will ask how we walked 500+ miles through mountains, river valleys, flat plains, dark mornings and hellish afternoon sun, rain showers and biting cold.  Remember that it was most definitely not done in one day over a single step.  We achieved this through simple steps, one after the other, through injury, pain, boredom, misery.

Acceptance:  We accept that injury, pain, boredom, and misery are part of the experience of life.  Without them, we wouldn’t have had the laughter, the companionship, the loving kindness, and gratitude we also experienced.

Kindness:  Remember the sound of the door cracking open the morning of our first thundershower and the woman motioning us inside from the rain.  Remember the words of encouragement from your fellow pilgrims.  Especially remember that every pilgrim, just like everyone at home, is carrying a burden that may not be entirely visible.  Be gentle, be kind, and be accepting of everyone you meet.  

Thanks again for following our journey.  

Buen Camino,

James

Camino 2014: Day 1.10 Copenhagen, Denmark to New York (James)

Camino 2014: Day 1.10 Copenhagen, Denmark to New York (James)

We are home!  Well, kind of.  We arrived at JFK airport in New York late in the evening.  Customs, passport control, and airport shuttle pick up and drop off added to the time it took to finally get a chance to lay down.  It was nearly 1am by the time things settled down.  Our bodies are still on European time, 6 hours ahead, so needless to say, we are very tired.

The day started out great, though.  A nice little breakfast at Sahra's cousin's house had me really missing home.  After weeks spent in albergues, hostels, and hotels, we are all pining for a semblance of home and we certainly felt it here.  However, we couldn't linger too long because we needed to get back into the Copenhagen city center for a bit of souvenir shopping before heading out to the airport.  We also needed to say bye to Sahra.

Whenever we met other teachers or people on vacation this summer, they would give me a what would become a familiar tilt of the head and crinkled face in the expression of confusion when learning that we were traveling with students.  I'm still trying to sort out what exactly has motivated me to spend that last few summers trekking and biking with teenaged students in tow.  It certainly isn't easy and there are times when I really wonder what I'm doing.  I told Sahra once that I feel like a fool 99% of the time for doing things like this, but I also feel like a genius for that 1% for when everything comes together.  Those are precious moments and they always seem to make all the trials and tribulations worth all the time and effort for me.  I have had several moments like that on this trip with each one of the kids saying or doing something that made me immensely proud.  However, that is just for me.  I am the beneficiary of such events.  Sahra was here without the benefits of such motivations.  She came simply because I asked her to be here.  I can't thank her enough for helping me out throughout the whole process.  For the months leading up to the journey, I would ask her questions about metro systems, airports, schedules, hiking strategies, and lodging.  This was literally every evening.  As we began the journey, I continued to ask her questions about the same things.  Navigating the cities was made so much easier knowing she was there to figure out subway ticket systems, or what kinds of attractions we could do for the day.  She also orchestrated everyone's first taste of Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark and she continued that today by making sure we got to the airport safely by escorting us there.  

So what can I say to someone who donated 50 some odd days to help make sure our summer adventure in Europe was as amazing as it was?  

Thank you, Tak, Merci, Gracias, Danke, Grazie?  Take your pick.  She deserves all of them.  

So farewell, (briefly as I will pick her up at the airport in Portland on the 18th) to Sahra and the rest of Wonderful Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark.  We traveled and visited many places in Europe this summer, but we only felt at home in Denmark.  

We have no plans for New York tomorrow other than sleeping in and heading over to the airport for our date with Oregon.  See all of you very soon!

James

Camino 2014: Day 1.9 Munich, Germany to Copenhagen, Denmark

Camino 2014: Day 1.9 Munich, Germany to Copenhagen, Denmark (Mimi)

Today was a late start.  We got up around nine and realized we should get down to breakfast before it closed at ten.  Munich's hostel has a wonderful breakfast selection.  It varies from cereal with cold milk to toast with jams and honey.  We had apple juice, orange juice, coffee and hot chocolate.  They offered us bread rolls and even hard boiled eggs. It was exciting!

From breakfast we packed up our bags and brought them down to the hostels holding room.  This was convenient because soon after we headed to the shopping area of the city.  We first went to the FC Bayern (Bayern Futbol Club) Fan Shop and took a gander at what they had.  There was anything from a coffee mug to a team jersey to keychains. It was really cool!  

After that the three of us girls went window shopping to pass three hours of our time.  There were plenty of H&M's, a store called Karstadt, a shop called Pimky, and plenty of others.  All of them had clothes that I enjoyed browsing at.  I was surprised at my enjoyment of looking because I dislike clothes shopping a lot. I think the endurance of wearing athletic clothes and sports bras took a toll on me.  I really did enjoy looking!

Following the shopping was our next flight.  We spent most of the day traveling to the airport, riding the plane, and landing in Copenhagen, but once in Copenhagen we quickly found our way to Sahra's cousin's house.  They were super nice and they had a very quaint black house.  There were three rooms and a loft for the television.  It was a beautiful house and suited the family nicely.  

They fed us a breaded tuna dinner with salad and snap peas as the sides.  Desert was the traditional milk-like yogurt and macaroon biscuits.  It was a very good end to our day.  We also showered and went straight to bed.  We were knocked out by 10:30.  

Back in Copenhagen! Tomorrow we head back to the states!  I am super excited! I can easily speak the same for Emily and Lanie! 

I would like to thank Halle and Tobias again for letting us stay in their beautiful house.  The whole stay was wonderful. 

50 Days Done: 2 More To Go!

Mims

Camino 2014: Day 1.8 Munich, Germany (Emily)

Camino 2014: Day 1.8 Munich, Germany (Emily)

Today we started off by going to Dachau, a concentration camp here in Munich. It made everything I have learned in school all the past years more real. We did a guided through the whole camp and I learned a lot. The lady told us about all the things one could get punished for (like something as simple as losing a button on their shirt) They could even kill them for no reason at all and just say "They tried to escape." The camp we were at was meant to hold 

Next we went to the BMW museum. So many cool cars!! One lady was driving a car around and you couldn't even hear it. Quietest car ever. It was really impressive. Then we went outside and looked at some motorcycles. 

Lastly we headed over to Olympiapark where they held the 1972 Summer Olympics. It was the prettiest park I'd ever been to. We climbed up to the view point so we could see the whole thing. There was a carnival going on so there were rides, and games going on everywhere. In the middle was a little lake where they had paddle boats and other things to ride. Everyone was riding bikes, jogging, or just walking around looking at everything going on. The best part of the park was the waterballs. So much fun!! You get in this plastic ball, they pump air in it, and you get to run around on the water. Well kind of. You attempt to run but it's a lot harder then it looks so you just end up falling and rolling all over the place. We couldn't stop laughing. 

We ended the day with some souvenir shopping and dinner at Henry's Deli (For the second night in a row.) Off to Copenhagen tomorrow!

Camino 2014: Day 1.7 Munich, Germany (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 1.7 Munich, Germany (Lanie)

After the longest train ride of my life, we made it to Munich! Thank goodness! The ride was nine hours and there was barely any sleeping involved. I probably tried over 20 different sleeping positions on that chair and only a few of them actually allowed me to sleep for a half hour or so. From here on out, we fly.

We swung by a cafe in the train station to eat breakfast and then we left to  find the hostel/hotel we'd be staying at these next two nights. For the first time in awhile, I was actually shivering and not sweating... Haha, it was crazy. I've been sweating this whole trip with all the heat and now it's cold enough here for me to shiver. It was a nice change actually. 

Check-in time wasn't until 3 so we put our bags in the luggage room and wandered outside. Yesterday, March told us there would be some sort of surprise for us in Germany. But we had no clue. He then announced we'd be spending the rest of the day until check-in at the zoo!!!! We were shocked! And extremely excited!! :) We'd all been talking about the zoo this whole trip so this was an awesome surprise. Thank you March and Sahra! 

We took the subway which was only about 8 minutes, and then a 5 minute walk to the main zoo entrance. It was called Hellabrunn Der Münchner Tierpark. We split up with our maps and us three made sure to cover the entire zoo so we didn't miss anything. It was split up into different worlds which was pretty cool. There was Polar world where we saw a mama polar bear and her two cubs, seals, and penguins. There was Jungle world where we saw leopards, lions, and tigers. There was also Monkey world where we saw chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and several other kinds of monkeys! We also saw elephants, giraffes, ostriches (Emily's favorite), zebras, and my favorite, lemurs! And there was a small aquarium too!  We pretty much saw everything and it was a blast. We ended our wonderful zoo visit with a few feeding shows, buying a postcard, and sharing a piece of plum cobbler. Perfect. 

Before returning to the hostel, we stopped by a cafeteria place and all bought a german hot dog. It was so good!!! We came back just in time and got our bunks. It feels weird to be back in a hostel with a bunch of people and share a room with them too. We all showered and then napped from 4-9pm. It didn't feel as long as it was, haha. At around 9:15, we all went out together and found a place to eat some dinner. I had some amazing potato soup with bread and sparkling water. The restaurant played really good music so Emily and I sang our hearts out (quietly) before having to leave. 

It's about 11:30 right now and it's crazy to think we only have 4 more days of this trip. It went by so fast, but you know what they say... Time flies when you're having fun. :) 

Lanie 

Camino 2014: Day 1.6 Venice, Italy (Mimi)

Camino 2014: Day 1.6 Venice, Italy (Mimi)

This morning started off encouraging! I woke up at 8:00am and realized no one had budged, wait, Sahra was reading but March was still sleeping.   I made the assumption that I could sleep more so... I went back to sleep.  Near 9:15am I woke up and was wide awake so... I got up. Funny how that works.

At this time, Emily and Lanie were still sleeping in the loft above, and I was cold because we had turned on the air conditioning the night before.  It continued to freeze our room all night long and I was fortunate to sleep right under it.  As they were waking up, I got my banana's cut into small slices so I could have it as a nice topping for our Rice Krispies cereal.  The other two got up shortly after and we ate breakfast and packed up because today we are heading to our next destination, Deutschland (Germany)!

Pietro, our host guy, came to check up on the house and thought we'd already be out and about, however, because we weren't, he offered for us to join him in getting espresso. he bought our drinks. That made me like him even more. Cool Italian accent, bomb huge muscles, and a gentleman! This was a cool dude!

We went out and experienced an Italian market, fruit stands, fresh fish, and butcher shops with fresh meats.  It was cool.  As we made our way to a park, we stopped and browsed a little more before we relaxed under the shade.  I made myself at rest under a tree, managing to find a comfortable position on it's roots.  

Around 14:00 (2:00pm) we decided to stop by Nico's to allow March and Sahra to experience their ice cream also (they got semi-lost and missed out on the ice cream yesterday).

Afterwards we spent some time getting back to the apartment to get our bags, find food and wait for the train.  Not much special occurred in that time.  I will most certainly miss Rome, but I will definitely miss Venice.  I know we must go home, but Venice is absolutely beautiful.  The canals, cute couples, adorable dresses and altogether Italian culture will come home with me.  The Murano Glass is something to look into when you travel, save a little cash, because it is not something to miss out on (not that you can, the colorful glass is everywhere)!!

Germany is next.  I do not have any expectations really except that it will be comfortable to sleep in.  Right now I am sitting in a train car that has no air conditioning at 22:00 (10:00pm). Italy is hot, this train car is hot, perhaps Germany will not be hot, nor cold.  That is my one expectation. But about Germany, I know it plays a huge part in the World Wars... so I do expect to see some historical places, or things.  Oh, I have two expectations. I think besides that, I will wander there with an open heart, and an open mind.  Let us see what Germany holds.

To Italy, Ciao!

To Germany, Hello!

Mimi

Camino 2014: Day 1.5 Venice, Italy (James)

Camino 2014: Day 1.5 Venice, Italy (James)

It started with a couple drops here and there, enough to give us all the time to think about how we were in the middle of the canal with no protection from the coming downpour.  Perhaps it was punishment for choosing the most overpiced, touristy thing to do in Venice, the gondola ride, where for thirty minutes we were slowly guided through the narrow, aqua green canals.  Pointed out to us by our oarsman was the Mozart house, Marco Polo house, and of course, the Realto Bridge over the Grand Canal.  The only problem was, of course, that it started to rain, and heavily at that.  We heard a heavy Italian accent reassuring us from behind, "No problem!" as he threw various umbrellas our way.  We opened them in a futile attempt to stay dry and for a solid ten minutes saw nothing but the inside of an umbrella.  The rain eventually abated, but long after we were soaked through.  Still, smiles were shared and we all agreed that we really couldn't have gone two days in Venice and not have done a gondola ride.  It's just something you do.  I guess we could have picked a better time than the afternoon when thunder showers were predicted, but that's for next time.

Our morning was spent exploring by foot, the only other mode of transportation around here.  We joined the throngs of tourists and meandered our way through pedestrian walkways and alleys that somehow or another eventually led somewhere.  I'm amazed, but we never found ourselves terribly lost or disoriented.  I suppose we just went wherever we saw people and that tended to keep us on track.  We stopped at the Realto Bridge where we looked into the various shops selling the famous Venice glass and the masks.  A little further had us emerging into the enormous St Mark's Square.  It was there, after a few pictures, where we split up.  I really like to give the kids a chance to explore on their own and Venice, with it's water on all sides, gives a nice natural boundary.  Sahra and I explored as well and after a few hours we all met up again having seen some of the same sights.  

One would think that all that walking in Spain would give us super powers around a town like Venice where your feet are paramount, but it was quite the contrary.  We all felt tired and slow. It seems we are still recovering from the 500+ miles.  On top of the that, while in Spain we got in the rhythm of ending our day with a nap around 3pm.  Our bodies were craving that nap as we exited that gondola ride soaking wet.  After a brief pit stop at the grocery store to pick up dinner supplies, we were all back at the apartment lounging about.  

Because me and Sahra wanted to try a pizza place right next to the apartment, we got to watch the girls prepare a seafood pasta similar to the one we made last night.  For all you parents reading, please know that despite any pleas of incompetence, they all know how to make a dish.  I came out of the shower to the lovely aromas of fresh garlic in olive oil, seafood, and the sounds of pasta boiling.  Hopefully they will offer to make something upon returning before it is requested or downright demanded.

Tomorrow should be a somewhat relaxing day.  We have to check out of the apartment, but Pietro, our host, arranged for us to leave our bags until the late afternoon, sparing us the trouble of having to lug our backpacks around all day.  In the evening, we have to make our way back to the Santa Lucia train station where we will board the city nightline train to Munich.  Like all train travel, it will probably be slow and somewhat uncomfortable, but these are small prices to pay to get to see and do some of things for which we have had the opportunity.  Plus, it is one stop closer to home.  As much fun as it is to be out here, it has been a long journey and we are anxious to see our friends and family.  Just a few more days and we will do just that!

Ciao,

James

Camino 2014: day 1.4 Rome to Venice (Emily)

Camino 2014: day 1.4 Rome to Venice (Emily)

Rode on a train for the first time today! Even though it was only 5 hours it felt like 10. The coach we were in didn't have air conditioning, and with it being almost 90 degrees outside it made for a long ride. With around 2 hours left a guy came to tell us we could move to a coach that had air conditioning. It felt amazing! Me Lanie and Mimi went in one that had 2 other people in it. One lady with a cute dog that sat in her lap like a baby while she petted its stomach, and a guy that smiled to himself while the song My Girl blasted through his headphones. It was so funny. Every time you looked over he would have his eyes closed and a huge grin on his face. Sometimes he would even laugh to himself. A little over an hour later they both had got off and us three had the compartment to our selfs. Mimi went to pull on the bottom of a chair to make it lean back and it went all the way flat! You could say we got pretty excited. We pulled all three on each side all the way out making the whole area flat and cushioned, laughing the whole time. Then we sprawled out and enjoyed the rest of the ride. It was so much fun! First time we actually didn't want the train ride to end.

After we arrived at the station we hopped on another train, this one only 10 minutes, that took us to the station where we were meeting Pietro. He was the one we were renting the apartment from. He was super nice! While showing us the way to the place he pointed someone out and warned us she was a pick-pocketer. Then he picked up his phone and when he hung up told us he called the cops on her. Turns out he volunteers with the police to catch people like that. 

The apartment was so cute!! You walked in to a little living room that had a bed off to the side, a red futon couch, and a small kitchen table against the wall.  There was a small kitchen off to your right, and on your left, stairs that led up to a little loft where two more beds sat. Pietro gave us a map and wrote all over it. He showed us good places to eat, things to see, and two good ice cream shops. On one he wrote down their specialty gianduiotto and recommended we try it. They put freshly whipped cream on the side of some hazelnut ice cream, and you mix it together yourself. He made sure we didn't need anything else then headed off. 

March and Sahra made dinner for us and it was delicious! We had seafood pasta. They also mixed together oil and vinegar for the salad and bread. I had never tried it on bread before, but I really liked it. Finally we had some yummy ice cream for dessert and were off to bed. Tomorrow we have all day to explore Venice, and i'm really excited! If its anything like the little I've seen so far, I know I'll love it. 

Ciao!

Emily

Camino 2014: Day 1.3 Rome, Italy (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 1.3 Rome, Italy (Lanie)

We all woke up this morning refreshed and ready for our sightseeing day and went down one floor to the breakfast room. Breakfast consisted of very tasty rolls with strawberry, cherry, and peach jelly. There was also nutella, sugar coated croissants, and hot cocoa! Yum! 

First stop, train station to buy our bus tour tickets. Then onto our two story hop-on-hop-off tour bus. It was the same kind of thing we did in New York.  We listened with the head phones about the history of specific buildings and it was really neat! Our first hop-off was at the Colosseum and it was probably my favorite. It was ginormous!! And I couldn't believe I was standing in front of it!! We even got to go inside for free because we were under 18. The lady actually argued with Emily telling her she was already 18 and Emily kept telling her 'No, I'm not 18 yet. I will be in December.' Turns out we forgot that here they read dates different so on her license it read 12-02-1996, making it seem to the lady she already turned 18 on February 12th since they write the day first and then month. Haha it was the funniest thing... Anyway, the inside was so flipping cool!! It's as big as autzen stadium and before they built underground storage long long ago, they'd fill it up with water for sea battle reenactments and shows like that. Also, in the morning there would be executions, and in the afternoon, the gladiators would come out and perform. They would juggle, do magic tricks, and other entertainments. It was incredible! 

We made our way to the Ancient Ruins and that was also very cool to see original bits and pieces from thousands of years ago. Then we got back on the bus and got off at the Vatican. We didn't go inside, but we took many pictures and basically just tried to stay out of the sun for awhile. We also got some delicious ice cream! 

Next stop, Spanish steps. We didn't know what it was going to be or what the story was behind it but it was just a long set of white marble stairs. At the top were a bunch of painters and caricature artists and those were pretty to look at. We had passed all the major shopping streets and stores so we walked back down them to check em out. We stopped in the Ferrari store first and everything was way over priced, but there was a cool race car inside that I got my picture with, haha. Across the street was a beautiful Magnum shop!!! You could make your own Magnum bar!! So Emily and I took advantage of this awesome opportunity and made our own. I got a vanilla bar dipped in milk chocolate covered with chocolate crackle candy, chocolate pearls, and mini colored macaroons and drizzled with white chocolate on top with the little chocolate Magnum M logo. It was the best ice cream bar I've ever had in my entire life... Haha! 

When we got back to the hotel, we all showered because we all felt super sticky from the humidity and heat. It was really nice. We left for a later dinner at 9pm and went to the same restaurant as last night. The waiter asked where we were from and said the US, so he sat us near a table with other Americans who were from LA, haha. We all got pasta and shared and it was soooo good. And we decided on a third ice cream to end the night! 

Venice tomorrow!

Lanie

Camino 2014: Day 1.2 Rome (Mimi)

Camino 2014: Day 1.2 Rome (Mimi)

Often traveling allows excitement and joy to fill the traveller.  Many may have the assumption that because 'we' are on a vacation, or something out of the daily routine, that all will go perfectly and that there will be no negative occurrences.  I had completely forgotten.

Last night or this morning in the airport was dreadful! I would have rather walked another day and gotten a full nights sleep than try to sleep on the hard ground!  Walking is far better than that experience.  People were still loud at 2:00am and there was no comfort and I was so exhausted, that alone hit me hard.  

Despite, we got up at 5am which seemed super late, and we headed out into the bus terminal.  We found a bus that would take us to downtown Rome, where our hotel was placed.  Around 9:00 am we arrived at the hotel and we gave them our packs because they didn't check people in until 11:30am.  From there we spent the lapse time finding breakfast and waking up, but mostly trying to find energy.  When 10:30 hit, I had woken up 98% of the way because of the cool schedule your body maintains.  

Near noon after we had checked in, we decided the Trevi Fountain would be a good start to our Rome introduction.  When we got there, the fountain wasn't really what a fountain should look like.  It was drained and under construction.  I think it looked cool, behind the metal fence and under all the wood and beams. 

From there we walked to a Church in the Plaza de Repubblica, but I don't know it's name.  It was very pretty, but there was a dress code; they were serious.  Uhm... Everything was a blur that day. I think I managed to get by with enough energy to keep walking.  

Oh!! I remember what we did after! We all went back to the hotel and napped! It was wonderful! We napped from 3:00ish pm until 6:00 pm and went out to dinner.  After our Italian dinner of pasta, and pizza, we found a gelato place. Actually it was more like it found us.  The Italian restaurant and the gelato bar were side by side, directly across the street from our hotel.  It was fate and delicious. 

This also allowed us with the ability to walk back to the hotel and fall asleep, quickly.

Buonanotte! Ciao!

Mimi

Camino 2014: Day 1.1 Santiago to Rome, Italy

Camino 2014: Day 1.1 Santiago to Rome, Italy

We slept in on our first day off from walking.  It's always a strange transition from pilgrimage to tourist.  For a month straight we were simply walking and then, quite suddenly really, we were done.  We gathered our belongings, packing up our items without haste or fear for too much noise for the first time in over a month, and boarded a bus bound for Santiago.  Two of us promptly became car sick with the winding coastal roads and the strange sensation of moving faster than, well, walking speed.  

Santiago was bustling as usual with new crops of pilgrims arriving.  You tend to move along in a herd while walking the Camino, bumping into familiar faces along the way.  Today gave us a sense of the longer trail, of how there were groups ahead and behind.  Once we reached the city center, me and Sahra sat with the bags, enjoyed a coffee and waited for the girls to pick out gifts they had sighted the last time we were here.  Particularly sweet was Emily wandering back over to us to present Sahra a gift of a Camino style "buff" like the one she had been wearing on the trip.  I, too, was a recipient of nice t-shirt.  The others followed and soon we caught glimpses of all the little gifts many of you families and friends out there will receive.  You won't be disappointed!

A quick bus ride brought to the Santiago airport where we spent a little extra time strategically packing so as to avoid the 10kg carry-on wait limit.  We got through, but barely.  Hopefully, the other places we fly simply won't really check, but you never know.  The flight to Rome is only a couple of hours, but we arrive after midnight.  Because of this, and because of the high costs of lodging in the city, we elected to just take a nap at the airport for a few hours until the early buses and trains can take us to the city-center.  It should be an interesting night!

Here is the schedule for the next few days.  

July 31-Aug 2 Rome

Aug 2-4 Venice

Aug 5-7 Munich

Aug 7-8 Copenhagen

Aug 8-9 New York

Aug 9 Portland and Home!

Thanks for reading!

James

Camino 2014: Day 33 Olveiroa to Finisterre (Emily)

Camino 2014: Day 33 Oliveira to Fisterra

Miles today: 19.8

Miles total: 541.2

We did it!! Fisterra was a perfect way to end the walk. At about 15 kilometers into the walk we got to a point where we could see the ocean and two of the towns located by it. It was an incredible view. Then we got to the beach...Absolutely gorgeous!! It was like what you see in a magazine. But it was better in person. The turquoise waters with the boats floating off shore, white sparkling sand, mountains stretching off into the background. Prettiest thing I have ever seen! I can't even put it into words to do it justice. It was really hot out so we took advantage of the water, took our shoes off, and walked along the waters edge till we got to the town. It was so nice. Me and Lanie decided we are going to just move and live in Fisterra for the rest of our life. We didn't want to leave! We had to go find our hostel but as soon as we got there we instantly got all our stuff settled, and gathered our things to go right back. We had about an hour there before we had to go back. We walked around, picked up cool shells we found (they have pink and purple ones!) and just enjoyed the amazing view. After a while though we did have to go back. It was time to finally, after 33 days, finish our walk.

The end of the walk is at the top of a ridge by a lighthouse. It is marked by a milestone with 0.00 km. It was a beautiful sight! Me, Lanie and Mimi held hands as we walked up and then ran across the line. After we had a huge group hug, and took pictures next to the stone. We had just walked 862 kilometers across Spain! Crazy! Amazing adventure and I am so glad I got to experience it with those two girls. When we get back to school I know we will have our own friends that we will spend time with, but we share something that we don't share with anyone else. We can tell everyone about how incredible the views were, or how bad our feet hurt at the end of the day. We can try and explain how sometimes while on the trail even your own voice seems out of place. They might think they understand but really only those who have experienced it can. And we did, and we did it together. Every 541.2 miles of it :) To end the day we sat down and watched the sunset. It was amazing! Perfect way to end the day.

Fisterra was by far my favorite place on this trip. You couldn't help but be happy out there on the beach. It made every rough day on the trail completely worth it. Every step of the way that I was hurting, tired, or homesick, came down to this moment and I couldn't have asked for it to be any better. I learned so much on this walk. Everything from how different people live over here, to things about myself. I now know I am capable of more then I ever thought. I am so thankful for this opportunity and experience of a life time, and I can't wait to see what Italy and Germany has in store!

Emily

Camino 2014: Day 32 Negreia to Olveiroa (Mimi)

Camino 2014: Day 32 Negreira to Oliveira (Mimi)

Miles today: 20.6

Miles total: 521.4

This morning started off strange! Someone new woke me up and I was so confused at to who it could be. I turned and looked at my watch and then at the stranger.  Then she started talking and I realized it was Lanie.  She relayed the message from March which said something like "No one is up yet, it will be quieter if we one at a time, bring our belongings into the hall to pack up." It wasn't quiet and there were plenty of people also up and preparing for the next day. And so we walked.

Today was a rancid day.  It smelled like Fisterra's toilet. I don't remember a moment when I smelled fresh air.  Every corner I turned, there was cow poop, horse poop, sheep poop or a field full of smelly animals.  One very clear moment, a perfect example, of this experience happened to me as I walked today.

According to my calculations, the weather was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (28ish degrees Celsius), the wind was blowing a good three or four miles per hour to the south, and there was not a creature in sight except me, March, who was a good 60 meters ahead of me, and the farmer dude in the truck.  Now as I turned the corner off the main road, I trained into a wall of manure.  The smell hit me so hard I had to step back. My eyes instantly watered and I knew, this was my test of strength.  'How much manure can Mimi take in one sitting?'   

This Farmer Dude was driving one of the huge metallic trucks you would put methane, or gas in for transport, however, on the back of this truck was a hole that was shooting out...yup... Manure.  It looked like the manure was being spread out in the field for new crops, being dispensed in the same fashion as grass seeds; flying in every which direction.  But this, this was traumatizing. Never have I almost cried from the smell of manure.  I could taste it in my mouth, feel it on my skin and most definitely smell it.  If I return with PTSD, it will not be from the men in spandex, or the homesickness. No, it will be from this experience. It lasted a good 20 minutes over a 2km (1.2 miles).

I can say on a positive note, that I have seen a truck poop. Legitimate manure came out of the backside of a truck. Smelled like poop and looked like poop.  I can't say I tasted it, touched it, or felt it, but from what I experienced, it was enough for me to say, the truck pooped.

 

We walked near 33km today to sleep in a hostel next to a barn.  The hostel looked very nice, but smelled awful. I am grateful now for clean Oregon air, clean water, and warm showers.

Other than that experience, we walked, got lost three times, and found our way back again. Most of all, our day was spent in full anticipation of the next day to Fisterre.  Often referred to as the 'End of the World,' we will be walking our last day tomorrow.

I am so excited! Thanks for following us on this trip! One more day!

Special thanks for the day go to:

Paul and Ruth Westlund, Patrick March, Kevin Overton, Linda Carlock

Camino 2014: Day 31 Santiago to Negreia (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 31 Santiago to Negreia (Lanie)

Miles today: 13.9

Miles total: 500.8

One day down, two to go! It's exciting to think about. Sleeping in until about 6:30 was also an exciting thing today... Haha. We left around 7am and as we were walking down the street, we heard; "I haven't seen you guys in awhile!" And we all turned around and it was one of the friends we made way back on day five of the trip. Her name is Nadine and she is from the U.S. also! It was so awesome to see someone we knew because we hadn't seen anyone yesterday in Santiago. We talked and walked and then she went ahead to have her special moment entering the cathedral. Then we met up again after and took pictures with her and said goodbye. I'm so glad we met such a nice, friendly person like Nadine! 

This morning it was light out which was nice, because we usually can't see anything in the morning. The air was still and mysterious, and as we walked a bit further down the trail, we saw a white fluffy dog laying in the middle of the trail, not even moving a muscle. We all froze in our step, and March kept going to take a closer look. It was still breathing and it's eyes were open, but it looked like it was paralyzed or something because it didn't even twitch it's ears. March and Sahra decided to go down to some houses below and ask around so us three stood away from the dog, and just watched it. After about 10 minutes, it's head moved. Then I whistled to see if it would respond and after another 2 minutes, it got up. It was THE scariest thing to be standing there and have a dog that wouldn't even move a muscle, start walking unsteadily toward you with its iced blue eyes. It stopped to look at us and then started walking down to where March and Sahra went. It walked like it was drunk so it definitely wasn't healthy. It was so sad, and scary too! I hope someone found him. 

It got hot in the afternoon, but we took our time and took longer breaks because we had reserved beds at the hostel. A certain stop we made was  near a bridge by a river and it was gorgeous! The sun reflected off the water and the peaceful sound of the wind and the birds was so relaxing. Then we took off and arrived at the hostel around 2:30.

Before showers and washing clothes, we sat downstairs and all bought a coca-cola. But it wasn't just the coca-cola... They served us a bowl of nuts, a plate of chips, and each a bowl of pasta salad that had egg whites and tuna. Delicious! It was a full on meal when you ordered a coke! Then our dinner that night was the same thing only 5x bigger, haha! It was soooo filling and still amazingly good. And as we ate, we watched the Tour de France on TV and kept shouting "Hey we went there!" "Hey we got pictures in front of that!" Haha it was funny. The hosts there even served us dessert for free. It was like apple pie with cream cheese filling and melted cheese on top. It was to die for... 

Can't wait to get to the coast!

Lanie 

Special thanks for the day go to:

Patrick March, Ryan and Staphanie Gardiepy, Kevin Overton

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Daren and Sandy Harmon, Patrick March, Kevin Overton, Todd Wiese

Camino 2014: Day 29 and 30 Arca do Pino to Santiago de Compostela & Santiago Rest Day (Mimi, Emily, and Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 29 and 30 Arca do Pino to Santiago de Compostela & Santiago Rest Day (Mimi, Emily, and Lanie)

Miles today: 12.8

Miles total: 486.9

Lanie: WE MADE IT!!!! AHHH!! :) Haha, it was an easy short walk into Santiago this morning and we arrived at the ginormous 200-bed hostel at 10:30, and guess what? It was completely full... Seriously?! So our backup plan was to just go ahead and walk into the cathedral and have our special moment. And that's what we did, and let me tell you... It was unreal. It was huge and the fact that we just walked 500 miles and I was standing right in front of it! We did it! It's a huge accomplishment and something that we can say we did that nobody else can. 

Mimi: We have arrived! It didn't seem like anything important.  It was a big city in Spain! Huge in fact! Compared to the tow of a population 100-200 people jumping to a population of 250,000 people, the size of Santiago was impressive! Honestly, the idea that we had just finished our 500 mile, (29 day walk) had not hit me until we saw the Cathedral.  It was glorious! We gathered with so many pilgrims, and tourists and people.  We could hardly move without bumping into anyone.  The Cathedral was packed and we stood in awe at the size and importance of this place.  After hearing about this place for 29 days, we were excited to finally see it.  It definitely made the full hostel incident a lot better.  The only let down was the Cathedral was under construction.  

Emily: The moment we have been waiting and working for, for 29 days, finally came. We arrived in Santiago! The cathedral was bigger then I imagined. It was sad it was under construction but it was still really cool to see. March walked us over to the front of the church and sat us down. He handed us each a stack of letters from our family and friends that congratulated us on finishing our walk. It was the perfect surprise and way to end it. I loved reading what everyone wrote me especially after not seeing them for over a month. March had organized it and picked one of our friends/ family members to collect letters from other people for us. Thank you so much to everyone who helped with this and wrote me letters! I have re-read them about 5 times now. Thanks to all my friends for their letters, all of which said something about boys, giving me a good laugh. Thank you to my family for all the heartfelt letters and encouraging words. Of course once I got to my dads letter I started crying, and a little boy next to me just stared the whole time. So special thanks to you dad! :) Thank you Nikki for the inspirational quotes!! And Ms.S thank you for the nice treats you sent.

Lanie: I would also like to say a quick thanks for my letters to a few people. Thank you Mum and Dad for the letters that brought tears to my eyes :') And thank you to my brother for his little letter and by the way, Cade, I'm not your little sister! Also thank you Luis for your very sweet letter that also made me tear up, haha :). And lastly, thank you Nikki Danner for your encouraging letter! You all rock! 

Mimi:  I will finish the thanks off with the people who have contributed to my special letters.  They made my day! I would like to give a wonderful thanks to my Mom and Dad for their letter! I appreciate all people preparing these letters for my surprise! It was a dear surprise I will not forget.  I have read them over five times already. Nate, Sam, and Joe, I love your letter and I miss you much! Thanks to my mentors, Miss Carla and Rachel, my cousins; Rynnie and Lele, and Nikki Danner for her joyful inspirations.

Emily: After the letters we found a hostel and ended up staying there the rest of the night. So... Fast forward to the next day! First things first, it was time to get our certificates for finishing the walk, and our certificate of distance.

Lanie: We waited anxiously in the rather long line for about 45 minutes to get our official proof of completing the Camino. When a pilgrim walks out with a little red tube, another enters to receive theirs. I was crazy excited to get mine and I can't wait to show everyone at home! We walked in one by one to a separate counter with a man or woman. I filled out some information and got my certificate!!! Yay!!! We all also got an additional certificate for the distance we walked. How cool is that?! And our cute little shell covered tube to keep it nice and safe. I'm sure all three of us will be framing them when we arrive back home. :) 

Mimi: Our certificates were cool.  We got them after the long line, but it was totally worth it! We went to get a map with March so we could go shop, shop, and more window shop! We still have three more days of walking so we put off our shopping spree until we come back so we don't have the extra weight.  We first went to get draw-string bags so we didn't have to carry all of our stuff.  After the ten or so shops we looked at we gathered information on the cheapest, best, and highest quality souvenirs.  We decided on finding food and found our way to AquiGalicia.  

Lanie: So AquiGalicia is one of Spain's news broadcasts and it was filming live right in front of us! We sat down right in front of the stage and watched most of it. The camera was on us a couple times too, haha. The woman who was the main reporter was all over the place with all the other reporters walking around the cathedral area. A bunch of groups performed and it was awesome! A lot of them sang, there were break dancers, karate, Galician dances, and cooking segments. ALL in front of us. We all clapped along to the songs and waved to the camera. And if anyone wants to see some performances, search Aqui Galicia 2014 performances and it'll say July 26th and show a couple singing groups. (If you watch very closely to the audience, you might even see us, haha) 

Emily: It was really interesting to see how everything works behind the cameras. The guy in charge of everything was just loving life. Before and after someone would go in front of the camera he would laugh and joke with them. And boy could he dance! Whenever someone would preform a song I barely even watched them, I was entertained just by him. He would dance around with a huge grin on his face. It was hilarious!! We ended up leaving early to go to the mass that was being held in the church. It was really cool to experience and it was beautiful inside!! Of all the churches I have gone into on this trip, this one was one of my favorites.

Lanie, Emily, Mimi: Our trek to Fisterra begins tomorrow! Just three more days of walking! Wow!! 

Camino 2014: Day 28 Ribadiso to Arca de Pino (Lanie)

Camino 2014: Day 28 Ribadiso to Arca de Pino (Lanie)

Miles today: 13.8

Miles total: 474.1

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Time flew by and it has been one big amazing adventure. 

I woke up this morning ready for a short, quick day to Arco de Pino. It felt like I only got a few hours of sleep because of our insanely loud roommates... Oh my gosh, they stayed up talking and laughing until midnight! It was a group of 5-6 girls our age who were apart of some group and only doing the last 100km to Santiago. You could tell they were newbies because they had they're regular bras hanging all over the room. Everywhere we look there was underwear or bras or bikinis. They blabbered so much that I hardly got any sleep. So in the morning, us three didn't try to pack quietly. 

It was dark and scary in the morning and I had seen too many scary movies or heard too many scary stories because I was constantly shining my light in the bushes and waiting for a monster to jump out. (I know.. I'm a little old to be a scaredy cat, but still) We walked 3km for breakfast and all bought warm ham and cheese croissants. They were so good! Then we did the usual... Walked. We all found our very own walking stick too. It was Emily, Mimi, and I who walked together through the whole 22km. We tried passing people and just had a really fun time laughing, talking, and joking.

As we came to a road, March was sitting on the side waiting. He then said "It's right up the road and there is only about 30 bags in line." We all had thought we had another 3km to go for some odd reason so that was the best unexpected surprise ever! Haha! It was about 11:30 when we set our bags in line and rested. We went over to the supermarket to grab some snacks and sandwiches for dinner and got into the hostel and into our room by 1:30. After showers, Em and I napped for a good three hours and got up at 5:30. 

We headed to a market where we bought some snacks and then went to a cafe and had a slice of Santiago cake. That stuff is delicious.. And we just talked about tomorrow and what it'll be like. We were excited, but also sad that we have to leave all of our new friends that also walked the Camino. 

We walked back and there was a Galician singing group performing outside of our hostel. They had bagpipes and a guitar and they were all singing. It was so neat! We were clapping along too! Haha people got really into it. 

While they played, we walked down to where March was sitting outside at the side of the building and Sahra and Mimi were playing cards. Emily, March, and I started talking about body image and how the media displays a female. It's all fake... The women on magazines aren't even real and it's really sad how a majority of teen girls look at those magazines and want to look just like the models on the cover. Beauty isn't just on the outside, it's on the inside. The Camino has brought out the beauty in all of us. I've felt so real this summer without all the makeup and stuff. It's brought out the beauty inside of me and it's actually a really cool thing. That specific talk with March and Emily, I'll never forget.

As I sit in bed, it's almost midnight and I'm insanely excited for Santiago. It's an amazing accomplishment and I can't wait to show my credential and get my certificate! Ahhh! 

Hopefully I'll get some sleep!

Lanie 

Special thanks for the day go to:

Diane Yonker, Marvin and Janie Johnson, Kevin Kerns, Patrick March

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well:

Patrick March, Grandpa Joe Anderson, Luis Nieto-Varo

Camino 2014: Day 27 Palais de Rei to Ribadiso (James)

ICamino 2014: Day 27 Palais de Rei to Ribadiso (James)

Miles today: 16.4

Miles total: 444.1

We are currently at an albergue situated along a peaceful river some 25 miles or so from Santiago.  The town has no store, but a restaurant is nearby.  Two weeks ago this would have been an idyllic setting, but now that we are so close to Santiago, it is a different story.

In order to receive the Compostela, the certificate of the completion of the Camino de Santiago, one needs only to do the remaining 100k.  While this still takes an effort and a few days for most, what happens is that the trail we have been on for 450 miles now swells so much that there is rarely a moment all day without the clamoring of new pilgrims.  It is a literal train of people.  It has been a bit shocking for everyone.  Because these late arrival pilgrims are only out for a few days at most, they tend to approach the trail differently and can sometimes cause a bit of consternation from those of us who have been out for a while.  For instance, and this is indicative of the quiet that can accompany you on the trail, we have been startled by ringtones and loud conversations by those on cell phones.  Others are heavily perfumed and after a month or so of not smelling that stuff, it can seem overly chemical.  Even the peaceful river I now sit at is choked with new pilgrims more interested in tanning and drinking beer.  Perhaps the best example of this new trail we have found ourselves a part of is the strikingly quick willingness of those new pilgrims to take taxis to their destination, seemingly unaware that pilgrimage and vacation were two different words.  The look on the girl's faces when they first witnessed pilgrims flagging down cars was priceless.

This is all unfortunate because the trail is great through Galicia.  We climb and descend gentle river valleys, nothing too steep that our conditioned legs can't handle.  In between, we find ourselves on level, shaded paths lined with eucalyptus trees.  It is really quite pleasant so long as you don't run into the back of another new pilgrim who abruptly stopped to light a cigarette.  

The girls are taking it well, though.  On too little sleep, they are plodding through the early morning darkness to ensure we can secure a bed by the end of the walking day.  Emily's legs are still limiting her stride, so she is slow, but incredibly determined.  It is quite inspiring and it is a reminder of how impressed I have been will all of these kids.  Everyone of them has had to deal with aches and pains that can distract you and make an otherwise pleasant day absolutely miserable.  Everyone of them has in turn put one foot in front of the other, regardless of what was bothering them.  

In two days, that way of life, one foot in front of the other, will have us arriving in Santiago, the end of the Camino Frances, where 95% of pilgrims complete their pilgrimage.  We will take a day off, enjoy the sights and the symbolic end to our journey.  However, our legs will began to churn once again and for three days we will walk to the ocean.  It is there, looking out over the Atlantic ocean at a place called Finisterre (end of the world) where we will officially end.  It is with mixed emotions you greet the end of trips like this.  On the one hand, it will be nice to not have to wake at 5am and began a 6-8 hour walk, but on the other hand, we all intimately know that this was way more than just a walk.  In between the hypnotic rythym of our feet striking the ground, we found simplicity in life, peace in our hearts, and learned to quiet our minds.  We will strive to bring some of this home.  

I sincerely hope those of you reading from home have enjoyed the blog posts and pictures.  We have worked hard to post them in a timely fashion, so many apologies if you became addicted and we didn't post for the day.  More often than not we were limited by Internet availablilty and sometimes by sheer tiredness.  It is impressive to watch these girls turn out 20 mile days, but it is a whole other thing to watch them pecking away at the iPad at late hours in the night.  That being said, hopefully this will be my last post for awhile.  The teacher in me is way more interested in what the kids have to say anyway and more than likely, you as well.  

Cheers,

James

Special thanks for the day go to:

Kevin Kerns, Patrick March, and Paul and Ruth Westlund.

Many thanks to our mile sponsors as well!

Patrick March, Todd Wiese, Jan Cornelius