August 6, 2015 Gordon: As we were grinding up the long grade we heard an odd mechanical noise coming from the cable span far overhead. Looking up, a torpedo hanging below the cable shot by us. "What was that?" We had no idea, until another one passed when we were closer to the span. "My god, that's someone in a prone harness riding the mother of ...
August 4, 2015There are days when I suddenly want to throw down my bike and yell, "Wait a moment, I'm not Catholic or even religious! What am I doing climbing a up a mountain to see another pilgrimage site?" Today it played out pretty much that way. At the lowest moment our road became smaller and then turned into a steep farm track accessing a ...
August 3, 2015The ride down from our village in Peneda Geres was breathtakingly beautiful. We passed through a couple of lovely villages set on the edge of the deep valley surrounded by ancient terraced slopes. Theses are just a few of the signs that this area once supported a much larger population. After twenty five years with Gord, he continues to be recklessly drawn to the ...
I am standing beside a cow pie in the only spot with any cell coverage in our village. Just moments ago Gord had to have a signal so that he could continue his 349th consecutive streak learning Portuguese on Duolingo. August 1, 2015Yesterday was was the toughest day so far on the trip. Starting from an elevation of 120 meters we climbed up to over 1000 ...
July 30, 2015It turns out there is much more to discover in Galicia after the Camino to Santiago is finished. Galicia is a verdant garden of Eden. Unfortunately there is a reason for that green lushness: rain. It has been a bit wet the last two days but our trusty Pocket Earth app delivered wonderful routes that wound up to ridges far above the deep ...
July 27, 2014Gord and I followed the Camino route all the way into Santiago today. It was an absolutely stunning ride but much more challenging than the 68 kms would have been on the road. Luckily I seem to be getting into shape, which allowed me to power up some terribly steep sections. In spite of my stiff legs and sore knees it was completely ...
July 27, 2014Gord and I followed the Camino route all the way into Santiago today. It was an absolutely stunning ride but much more challenging than the 68 kms would have been on the road. Luckily I seem to be getting into shape, which allowed me to power up some terribly steep sections. In spite of my stiff legs and sore knees it was completely ...
July 26, 2015Oh it was hard to leave Portugal, but also thrilling to enter Galicia again. The first kilometres in Spain were just magical. The beauty resumed after we made it passed Porriño with its ugly industrial section and competing arrow wars. Certain members of the community continually deface and cross out arrows re marking the Camino to pass by their businesses. By the end ...
ILooking over to Spain from Valença. July 25, 2015Gordon: Today is the feast day of St. James, the patron saint of Spain. We are intentionally two days ride from Santiago, to allow the crowds to clear so we can get a place to stay when we arrive there.Tonight we are staying in the Portuguese town of Valença, famous throughout northwestern Spain for ... towels and sheets. ...
July 24, 2015We have been having much too much fun to blog. When you have a husband like Gord, humour tends to stick, even to the serious moments. As he explains, "trolls are funny when they are not being creepy."The view from our bedroom in Ponte de Lima. For the last few days we have been zigzagging between the coastal and interior Camino routes, hitting all ...