rusticrambler

With my hiking days behind me I set my sites on a week of exploring Spain. With the arrival of an old friend, Claire, I decided that Spain by foot was an irreplaceable experience, which I enjoyed to the fullest, but it was time to embrace modernity. We opted for the high-speed rail, bus, and metro to do our exploring. I met Claire in Madrid where I had already booked a hostel for the night. If Claire was not completely aware of the circumstances of our travel she was brutally introduced when she saw "Pop Hostel". On the advice of a fellow hiker I booked this hostel without knowing that it lacked hot water and was situated between a chinese dollar store and a strange smelling fish market. Claire took the realities of my economy travel ... read more

I finally decided that it was time to write out a rough schedule for my remaining time in Spain. Up until now I have been off the grid lines of calendars and dials of the clock, which is as it should be. However, time lines continue even without our participation and I had to plan my arrival into Santiago. I´m not proud to admit it but cheating was necessary. I hopped a bus to knock off about 5/6 days of hiking. Regrettably, I missed some of the middle section of the country but it was well worth it to spend my remaining time in Galacia. Galacia encompasses the northwest territory of Spain and has faint similarities to the Appalachian mountains. I feel at home climbing through the mountains, in between the trout streams and the hardwood ... read more

Our time in Roncensevilles had come to a close just as the torrential rains began. Just a couple hours south of us the roads had turned to rivers and small European cars had become life rafts for stranded Spaniards. KIA´s may be greener but a Chevy Silverado wouldn´t have been swept away with the first spring rain. Luckily the more northern parts were spared from complete flooding but it made for an interesting 12 mile descent into Zurig, our end destination for the day. A warm cup of coffee and a pastry for breakfast served to warm us up as we set off in the rain. Although it was pointless to attempt to keep our feet dry, we tried to dodge as many puddles as possible until we came across the inevitable- an overflown creek with ... read more

The Delirious Fandango Lesson one of the journey did not take long to smack me directly in the forehead. Preparing for a months long hike, coordinating and fine-tuning a pack-list, and finally taking an 8 hour flight across the ocean is best done without being a shade hungover. But, it felt improper to leave Burke County without one last round of celebration. Needless to say, the morning after, with shades pulled down, shirt haphazardly buttoned, and tylenol in hand, I jumped on the plane with Linsey shuffling along right beside me. In the infinite wisdom of the ariline companies, American Airlines had scheduled a layover in New York. Unfortunately for us, we flew into Luguardia and flew out of JFK. This airport shift in and of itself is not a great logistical hurdle. However, just as ... read more