I´m back on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). It's been raining here in Spain almost every day since I arrived. They say this isn´t typical weather for this time of year. At least it´s nice and cool for walking. We actually had 2 days of blue skies yesterday and the day before. My blisters are healing, and new ones pop up every few days... I'm soaking my feet in hot water while I type this message to you on the Internet. This hostal is an oasis... the owner is playing celtic music on her CD player and making [View Full Entry]

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I started walking the "Camino de Santiago" (Way of St. James) last weekend. So far, I´ve walked 72 miles and my feet are paying for it! Two words sum it up so far... MUD and BLISTERS. Besides that, it´s been great. The Camino is a pilgrimage that Europeans have been trekking for over 1,000 years. The goal... to reach the Cathredal in Santiago de Compostella in NW Spain, where it´s believed that the remains of St. James (the apostle) was buried. My average day of walking has been 8 - 9 hours with an hour break for lunch in the middle. [View Full Entry]

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I´m getting closer to the "Camino de Santiago," the famous pilgrimage across Northern Spain that I´m planning to trek... Now I´m in Basque Territory, visiting the brother-in-law of my good friend, Christi. Ivan´s brother, David, and his wife, Liz, have been hosting me at their house near Gernika for the last couple of days, about 20 miles east of Bilbao. They have a 10-month old baby boy named Iñigo. David is from Seattle, and Liz is from Vancouver, Canada, so it´s nice to hang with English-speaking people again. David and Liz have been living in Spain for 2 years now. They [View Full Entry]

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Pueblo Ingles has been a fabulous way to meet the people of Spain. I´ve been talking with Spaniards all week - so much so, that my voice is starting to go. In the mornings, we are assigned to 1 Spaniard each hour for 3 sessions of 1-to-1 conversation. Then we have discussion groups for an hour. We can talk about anything we want to, except for American Politics (which I hate talking about anyway) and the Spanish Civil War (when Franco took power in the 1930s). Lunch is at 2 pm (in Spain, they eat their meals much later than we [View Full Entry]

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Pueblo Ingles literally means "English Village." It´s a 1-week English immersion village for Spanish people so they can practice their English with "native English speakers" without having to travel to Enlgand or North America. I applied as a volunteer through their website at www.puebloingles.com. This week there are 18 Spaniards and 18 Anglos (from USA, Canada, Ireland and England). The schedule is structured and rigorous, but it´s a brilliant way to meet Spaniards in Spain without having to speak Spanish. As a matter of fact, it´s forbidden to speak Spanish at all! It´s located in Va [View Full Entry]

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It´s pouring down rain in Madrid today... And I heard it´s warm and sunny back in Seattle! Sometimes I wonder if the rain just likes to follow me around. Makes me feel right at home. I walked to historical Plaza Mayor last night and ate tapas for dinner. Now that´s my kind of food! For dessert I had churros y chocolate. It´s a dognut-like pastry that you dip in chocolate with steamed milk. Wow. The plaza was filled with live music and Spaniards dressed in their traditional costumes. It´s a holiday week in Madrid... something to do with their patron saint. [View Full Entry]

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I just arrived in Madrid, Spain... the first stop on my solo travel adventure. I´m tired and behind on sleep, but I´m excited to be here! I´m staying at a small hotel near Plaza Mayor and Puenta del Sol in the center of Madrid. I´m looking forward to exploring the old town and possibly the Prado Museum that I´ve heard so much about. I´m here for 2 nights, and then I head out to a small village about 2 hours from Madrid for my volunteer gig at Pueblo Ingles, an English Immersion program for Spanish business professionals who want to speak [View Full Entry]

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