Hiking the Torres del Paine W Circuit | Patagonia Day 2

18 May 2015 by Raul 13 Comments

After a successful day one in the Torres del Paine National Park, in southern Chile, we were ready to embark on day two. This day would have re-trace our route from day one in reverse to get us to Refugio Paine Grander where we would spend the night. It would be the only trail we would do a round-trip on. However, this day would start with a real treat. It would include a Grey Glacier hike!

Good morning from Refugio Grey

As the group was too big to go as one onto the glacier, the group was split into two groups. To my disappointment, I got assigned to the group that was leaving earlier that morning. I like my sleep when I can get it.

I woke up 30 minutes earlier than I needed to, not on purpose. Electricity had not yet been turned on at the refugio at that time in the morning, something I had not known (or stopped to think about) so it took me by surprise – and I had not been ready with my headlamp so I went out of the room in the dark. Off I went, fumbling my way to the restroom down the hall… Fun times!

Crossing the lake to get to Grey Glacier

After we all had breakfast, etc. we left the building to get going on the glacier hike. We broke up into our two groups and off we went to the shores of the glacier. The boat ride was uneventful, very short – around 20 minutes. Getting off the boat was tricky as there was a big gap. We had to jump to a narrow ledge on the rocks that was wet. Happy to report that we had no accidents in either group!

On the moraine

At that point, we had to walk some along the moraine in order to get to the ice proper. It took about 2 hours under a constant drizzle. It made me nervous that the rocks were wet with the soft rain so I probably went slower than my normal. The rock was slate which was surprisingly not slippery but the “doubting Thomas” in me wouldn’t take risks 🙂 I did not get to appreciate how beautiful this part of the hike was was until the return hike back to the boat when I was more awake, it was not raining, and I was riding high after the time on the glacier!

Grey glacier, Chile, Torres del Paine, W circuit, glacier hike, Olympus

Our group after making it to the edge of the icefield

Give me my crampons and set me off

In any case, we got on the glacier proper and we were excited to get to the spot where we would enter the ice field. At that spot, the gear was waiting for us. A brief presentation showed us how to walk on ice and not die – or something like that. Then, we proceeded to put on the crampons (mine looked like Peary or Amundsen used them over 100 years ago in their epic hikes through ice…), learned to use the ice pick, and climbed onto the ice.

Grey glacier, Chile, Torres del Paine, W circuit, glacier hike, Olympus, crampons

My crampons – antiques!

Finally on the real Grey Glacier hike

It had stopped raining shortly before getting to the ice. The timing was great so we could enjoy being on the ice and not deal with water falling on us. It did not rain again during the rest of our glacier hike – at least my group which went first. But it rained at the end of the hike of the second group. A good reminder to always be prepared for rain! Fortunately, the sun was out most of the time which made for beautiful pictures.

We greatly enjoyed looking down crevices (I have to admit being a little gun-shy of getting too close to the edge) Also, it was neat to see pools of water on the ice that looked like mirrors. In total, we spent somewhere between an hour and hour-and-a-half on the glacier itself. The hike on Grey glacier was a really neat experience that I would recommend as part of the W Circuit hike. Or, actually, anywhere else in the world you can do a glacier hike!

My friends Mira and Kim – real explorers!

Beautiful colors!

Posing with all my Grey Glacier hike gear on

Trekking along the glacier – so cool!!!

Coming off the ice field onto the moraine under MUCH better weather!

Comparing the Grey glacier hike to my Franz Josef glacier hike in New Zealand

I couldn’t help but compare this glacier hike to my helicopter ride onto the Franz Josef glacier in New Zealand. On the one hand, flying the heli to the glacier saved time so we spent more time on the glacier. Plus just the thrill of flying in a helicopter and enjoying a magnificent approach to the glacier. On the other hand, climbing the moraine at Grey Glacier was a fun experience.

However, I have to say I’d prefer doing Franz Josef over this one as we got to crawl in ice caves and do things like that over there. But I enjoyed the Grey Glacier hike nevertheless because glaciers are amazing. And I was with good friends, out on a beautiful day walking on ice!

glacier hike, blue ice, outdoors, adventure

Fun at the Franz Josef glacier

A brief stop at Refugio Grey

We made it back to the Refugio Grey after the glacier hike. There we enjoyed some lunch prior to getting going on part two of our day: hiking back to Refugio Paine Grande, where we had landed by boat the day before. The lunch was a delicious plate of spaghetti and meatballs as you can appreciate from the picture below!

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Delicious!

The main hike of day: headed to Refugio Paine Grande

We started off on our hike at 3 PM which felt late. It rained a good bit on the trail that day so I did not take as many pictures as I would usually do. The good news was that the rain was hitting us from behind vs. the front which is way more annoying. Not being able to take photos was not a big disappointment, though, because we were on the same trail we had walked the day before in the other direction to get to Refugio Grey. Things finally cleared up when we were getting to the end of the trail (around 7 PM) which was nice. I got a couple of pictures in anyway to remember the end of the day.

Torres del Paine, Chile, trekking, hiking, South America, Olympus

Not ideal weather but it was not hard rain either…

The weather was beginning to clear up…

My hiking partner that afternoon was Mira. We were thrilled to see the refugio ahead and blue skies!

The end of a fun but long day in Patagonia

Day 2 on the W Circuit was almost one for the books. In spite of the rain, it was a pretty incredible day on good account due to the Grey Glacier hike! And after a great meal (meat with mashed potatoes, red wine and a brownie!), the time to rest came. I gladly climbed on my bed as the wind howled outside – nice to be dry and warm inside!!

My bed was the bottom one!

——– Read more about the trek ———

Day 1 at Torres del Paine

Day 3 at Torres del Paine

Hiking around Fitz Roy in Argentina

Filed Under: Chile, Hiking, Patagonia, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: Chile, Grey glacier, grey glacier hike, hiking, Lake Pehoé, Patagonia, Refugio Paine Grande, torres del paine, trekking, W circuit

Iceland’s Northern Town – Akureyri

5 May 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

Akureyri is the largest town in northern Iceland and it sits pretty deep in the Eyjafjörður fjord. It is exactly at 12 o’clock if the island of Iceland were a clock (which it is not – in case you are wondering). The town sits tight against the mountains behind it, almost being on the verge of being thrown into the water.

Where we stayed in Akureryi… or across from it

Through airbnb we found a phenomenal house sitting on a hillside directly across the fjord from the town so we got to look at it at night. Er, in the evening hours in the daylight, since we were down there, er, up there, at the peak of summer when the sun did set, but not deep enough where it got dark (see the last two pictures in the sequence below).

Akureyri, Iceland, fjord, mountains, beauty, nature, travel, photo, Olympus

The main “window” of the house we stayed at!

Looking from inside the “main window” across the fjord towards Akureyri – who cleans this window?

Akureyri, Iceland, fjord, mountains, beauty, nature, travel, photo, Samsung Galaxy

“Front” of the house I stayed at – and our nice rental vehicle

Our house looking towards the end of the fjord; see the bridge to town on the right

Late night in Akureyri in late June

My friends’ young girls loved running on the deck of the house and the field around it while we enjoyed sitting out there, soaking the view, with a beverage in hand (perhaps…).

In any case, I digress. The town is small and is quite charming but is large enough to have a small airport for those who do not want to drive there from Reykjavik – which would be a crime if you skip the drive on the ring road!

Akureyri was a site for Allied forces in WW II which seems quite interesting given it is still a town of under 20,000 yet one that was first settled in the ninth century! Something must have been right about it to be picked by the Allies during WW II given how far it is from Reykjavík. You’d think they would have picked somewhere easier to get to. In fact, Keflavík, where the modern Reykjavík international airport is located, was a U.S. air force base in WW II.

But I digress. One night, we were wanting to be sure to have a good bottle of wine to have at the house so we rushed into town after we looked online where to buy some. We knew we were tight on time as we had learned that liquor sales ended soon that day (I think maybe it was at 7PM but can’t recall) so we rushed out with a map on the phone marking where we needed to go (thanks wifi!). The drive over was nothing short of spectacular, rushing downhill, crossing the end of the fjord via the short bridge and then driving into town trying to find our way to the store (without wifi or GPS!). We made it on time, like 10 minutes before it closed. My friend ran in to get the wine while I stayed in the car – no time to find parking. I sat there and watched people literally running into the store to make sure they could get their alcohol before liquor sales ended for the day. People are people no matter what country you are in!!!

So what does Akureyri look like up close?

Alright, here are some images of this very northern town to close up this post…

Akureyri, Iceland, fjord, mountains, beauty, nature, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Hof Cultural and Conference Center by the waterfront

Akureyrarkirkja (church)

Akureyri Junior College

The town from the house I stayed at

“Downtown”

Sculpture in the image of a ship

Of pylsur, ice cream and pastries…

And of course, a post here cannot leave out a mention of something food… Icelanders love their hot dogs or “pylsur”. They are everywhere.

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They love their hot dogs (“pylsur”)in Iceland!

And, when in Iceland, well, have ice cream! Brynja is one of the national brands. We indulged.

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After the liquor store, we found the ice cream store. Priorities.

And, when everything else fails, go pastries!

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Pastries at a local bakery

Akureyri is definitely a place far away but, having spent three days staying there, it is like any other place on earth: food and drinks matter and, where there are good views and you are in good company, it is all perfect! Even if my family is only with me on a photo 🙂

My family always travels with me…

——– More on Iceland ——–

My itinerary for my week visit to Iceland

A stroll around Reykjavik

Hallgrímskirkja Church in Reykjavik

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

The Blue Lagoon

Goðafoss: The Waterfalls of the Gods

Whale Watching in Iceland

Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik

Postcards from Iceland: Dalvík

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: Akureyri, fjord, food, Iceland, Keflavik, northern town, photo, pylsur, Rekjavik, travel

Hiking the Torres del Paine W Circuit | Patagonia Day 1

30 April 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

My first visit to Patagonia left me wanting to go hiking the Torres del Paine National Park. That was 2010. Luckily, the opportunity arose in 2015 to return to Patagonia to trek the W Circuit, the set of trails that goes around the Torres del Paine peaks in the park.

Back in 2010, I was not into hiking but I recall seeing people who had just finished the hike. I was left wondering what it would be like and wishing I got to do something like that. So, the wish became true when the opportunity arose with my friends from Trekking for Kids. And now here I was on day one of the five day trek!

Getting to the starting point at the Torres del Paine NP

We had made it to Puerto Natales, the gateway to the Torres del Paine, from Argentina where we had gone hiking around Fitz Roy. That was one long and mostly forgettable drive – hours and hours. At least the bus the group had was fairly comfortable. And the group was fun.

In any case, on day 1, we left Puerto Natales early in the morning. We had to cover the 2-hour+ route to get to the port where we would take a catamaran to cross Lake Pehoé. The boat ride took about 30 minutes. But, before getting on the boat, we got a preview of the majesty we would be getting ourselves into and explore during our hike.

The peaks or towers of the Torres del Paine stood before us in simple but great majesty. Do you agree??

Chile, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, W circuit, hiking, trekking, travel, photo, lago Patos,Olympus

The Paine Grande on the left and the towers/peaks on the right. Awesome view!

This boat ride would take us to the Refugio Paine Grande, the starting point in our hike. Right at the departure “port,” we saw evidence of the fires that ravaged the area a few years ago. The trees were reminders of the fragility of the environment there (or anywhere, for that matter).The map below shows where we took the catamaran (A), where we landed at near Refugio Paine Grande (B), and where we were going to hike that day, Refugio Grey (C). The next day we would return to and stay at Refugio Paine Grande again.

But, before hiking the Torres del Paine, let’s have lunch

The ride was smooth and the views were awesome, especially because the day was so beautiful. By the time we got to the refugio, it was about lunch time so we had lunch at the refugio. The meal was simple but pretty tasty and, certainly, hefty enough to help us with the trek ahead. However, by the time I was done eating the lentils and rice dish, I was longing for a nap, not a hike 🙂

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My first lunch on the trail!

Off to Refugio Grey

We got on our way to Refugio Grey around 2 PM. The landscape started a little on the bland side and then we moved through forest of burnt trees before stepping back into the beauty of life with purple, pink and yellow flowers as we bordered lakes. Approaching a high point overlooking Laguna Los Patos, we got our first taste of strong winds – and our first long break. The route is not overly signed but I did like the signs located along the way.

At this point, we had covered 1/3 of the total hike for the day as the sign at Laguna Los Patos shows. We would encounter a couple more of these signs before reaching our destination.Soon after we could see the end of the lake facing the Grey glacier. In 2010 I had visited that edge of the lake and walked it, resigned to see the glacier from a distance. This time, I would get to walk on it!!

Chile, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, W circuit, hiking, trekking, travel, photo, Grey glacier, Samsung Galaxy

Behind me, the grounds I walked on 2010!

One of our vantage points, the Mirador Lago Grey, was close to the highest point on this trail sitting at around 250m over sea level. By virtue of its location and altitude, it offered phenomenal view of the glacier straight ahead. And it was WINDY up there!!!

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About to have the best views of the glacier at this point

Our first full frontal view of the Grey Glacier

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The next day, we would be hiking on the glacier (the left corner in this pic)!

Fellow trekkers Jose and Kat fighting the wind to take photos of the glacier

At some point, one must pose for a photo with the glacier!

Among the beautiful scenes I saw was this marsh or bog (not sure what it was, technically) which sat, across the lake, the Grey glacier. Out of a movie!Another neat spot was when we crossed the small but quite powerful Rio Olguin. We were getting close to the destination!

Overnight at the Refugio Grey

And finally, we arrived, 4 hours and 15 minutes later! The Refugio Grey was very welcoming and a great place to rest and relax. The outdoor seating area hosted us as we sipped some wine after showering. Eventually we made it inside for a great meal (carne mechada and rice chased by chocolate mousse!) and camaraderie.

Soon thereafter, I crashed, ready to let my body recover before our fun-filled day 2. The sights from this day confirmed for me that hiking the Torres del Paine National Park was a great thing to have aimed for!

Chile, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, W circuit, hiking, trekking, travel, photo, Refugio Grey,Olympus

Welcome to Refugio Grey!

Chile, Patagonia, Torres del Paine, W circuit, hiking, trekking, travel, photo, Refugio Grey,Samsung Galaxy

Outdoor porch – very nice!

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Read more about hiking the Torres del Paine NP

Day 2 hiking the Torres del Paine NP
Day 3 hiking the Torres del Paine NP
Hiking around Fitz Roy in Argentina

Pin this image to your Pinterest board for -perhaps- a future trip to go hiking the Torres del Paine!

Filed Under: Chile, Hiking, Patagonia, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: Chile, Grey glacier, hiking, Lake Pehoé, Patagonia, Refugio Paine Grande, torres del paine, travel, trekking, W circuit

Perito Moreno Glacier: A Most Fortunate Re-Visit

22 April 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

The day after our memorable hike around Fitz Roy, we got to visit the famous Perito Moreno glacier an hour plus from the town of El Calafate, Argentina. I got to visit Perito Moreno back in December 2010 and never expected to ever come back, except this Trekking for Kids trek brought me there!

There were some key differences in this visit which made it certainly worthwhile to return. Starting with the fact I was about four years older and that my cell phone camera was much more advanced too…

Perito Moreno, glacier, South America, Patagonia, Argentina, nature, wonder, travel, photo, Olympus

The side facing the bigger arm of the Lago Argentino

Furthermore and more significantly, this time, I got on a boat to see the glacier from another perspective: from the south side of the Peninsula Magallanes. It was neat to get to the glacier from one of its sides and from water level where the height of the glacier is much more impressive than from the visitor center viewing platforms. As pure good luck, the skies cooperated with creating a nice backdrop for some of the pictures as you can see.

The dark skies and the mountains were the perfect backdrop

The shades of ice blue were stunning

The obligatory portrait of the artist…

The Perito Moreno glacier is known for its progression crossing the full length of the body of water at its feet to “kiss” the other side of the lake. Eventually, the water creates a tunnel under the “front” of the glacier and, eventually, the bridge that forms over that tunnel collapses, a moment worth watching except that it takes years for that to happen and it is not really predictable as it can vary on how long (years) it takes. In any case, when I visited in 2010, I saw the bridge/tunnel and, now, in 2015, I saw the post-bridge scenario. Pretty cool.

2010 – The bridge

2015 – No bridge!

Visiting Perito Moreno requires the drive over to the visitor center. Once you get there, there are facilities (coffee shop, clean bathrooms, and -of course- a gift shop). But the main attraction is right in front of you. I was impressed in 2010 and continued to be in 2015 with the great job done in building viewing platforms to appreciate the glacier in front of you from different angles and from different heights via a network of sidewalks, staircases (“pasarelas“) and viewing platforms.

The start of the platforms

There is an elevator shaft (appropriately designed to mimic one of the “icicles” of the glacier) that can take those with limitations a little bit further than they may be able to go on their own; additionally, to get to that spot, there are ramps (as opposed to stairs).

The tower is the elevator shaft

Of course, there is great signage explaining the various routes to take along the staircase network and offering advice/warnings as well as naming all the mountains behind the glacier.

Indeed – keep your ears open for falling ice – pretty cool!

No worries, I did plenty of that!

No matter how far you get to go and explore, this glacier is truly a marvel of nature worth the drive to see firsthand. Fortunately, I got to do that twice!

Perito Moreno, glacier, South America, Patagonia, Argentina, nature, wonder, travel, photo, Samsung

OK, I had to play with the Samsung…

Filed Under: Argentina, Travel Journal Tagged With: argentina, glacier, nature, Olympus, Patagonia, Perito Moreno, photo, South America, travel, wonder

Goðafoss: The Waterfalls of the Gods and Water Art

15 April 2015 by Raul 4 Comments

Goðafoss, (“Godafoss” for ease of my typing!), or “Waterfall of the Gods“, is one of the must-see waterfalls in Iceland. The Godafoss waterfalls are about 36 ft high (12 m) and are located at the Skjálfandafljót River. It is located somewhere between the northern towns of Akureyri and Husavik. More precisely, it is on the ring road going east from Akureryi, right after the road to Husavik branches off (route 85). The story goes that a key Icelandic chieftain in the year 1,000 AD was trying to decide whether Icelanders would adopt Christianity. After deciding in the affirmative, he returned home and threw his images of the pre-Christianity pagan gods into the waterfall and, hence, the name for the waterfalls.

Godafoss, Iceland, waterfall, travel, photo, water

The waterfall from the highway

The water was gushing generously, as one would expect a proper waterfall would do. Perhaps this time in June was still a time of heavy melt?

Fast-flowing!

Yours truly

Looking from the waterfall back towards the road along one of the trails

Majestic!

The main part of the waterfall

Not only was the waterfall impressive but the flow over the one closest to me drew my eye as the following pictures attest… I need to figure out how to turn some of these into neat art pieces for my home!

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: art, Canon EOS Rebel, flow, Godafoss, Iceland, Olympus, photo, travel, water, waterfall

An Outdoor Vintage Car Museum | Colonia, Uruguay

9 April 2015 by Raul 14 Comments

Colonia del Sacramento, as I wrote earlier, is a very historic town that belies the complexity of the colonial times in this part of South America, when Portugal and Spain fought for control of the massive land expanses. Charming architecture and the old ruins of forts and walls take you back to olden times. However, there is another element present in the town that takes you back to older times, though not as far back as colonial times. Vintage cars – like, really cool classic cars. It is veritable vintage car museum without the signs and curation!

A vintage car museum that may not be intentional

I was not expecting this vintage car museum. It was neat to run into old, parked cars as we explored the town. This is the kind of thing that makes me wish I were an expert in old cars. In all likelihood, I would have greatly enjoyed naming models and years as I saw them. It was a little concerning, though, that these gems of the automobile industry are just out there. Sitting out curbside for anyone to touch, stumble onto, or perhaps hit (with another vehicle).

So, the only thing left for me to do was to capture the images and let any of you out there, via comments on this post, share your knowledge of these gems! And check out the last one – ingenious re-purposing of a vehicle!

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This one has been turned into a planter!

Vauxhall

Ford V8

Austin

Ford Super Deluxe

And this old geezer has been turned into… a restaurant table! Ingenious!

Creative use of an old car: restaurant table!

What to do besides admiring vintage car museum?

Colonia is perfect to stroll around. The colonial architecture is well-preserved. The town looks well maintained but done so it still feels ‘aged’. That is, everything has not been restored to a perfectly fresh look. I feel this actually lends more charm to the town. Colonia is easy to walk about exploring the old town. The town was built on a settlement first established by the Portuguese in 1680. This territory flipped flopped between Portugal and Spain (mostly being under the Portuguese). That is, until Uruguay attained independence from Brazil in the first half of the 19th century.

You can walk around the old fortifications and city walls right by the water (the main gate or Porton de Campo with its wooden drawbridge being a key sight to see – and climb), see the foundations of important colonial period buildings (like the ruins of the old convent), and climb the faro (or lighthouse).

Getting to Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia is about a two-hour drive from Montevideo (or four hours from Punta del Este). I got to Colonia from nearby Buenos Aires which connects to it via several ferries. I took the Buquebus which has a modern terminal in Buenos Aires and offers convenient fast service to Colonia. The port in Colonia is tiny and we actually just walked to the center of town – a sign at the exit of the port showed how to walk to the old town: very simple and quick. We meandered a little bit to see less historic residential and quiet streets. All a great and easy day trip from Buenos Aires – and a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the Argentine capital!

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Pin this image to your board – and explore vintage cars and the colonial architecture and feel of this lesser known South American town and jewel of Uruguay!

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Have you seen such an open vintage car museum anywhere in your country or travels??

Filed Under: South America, Travel Journal, Uruguay Tagged With: Colonia, cool classic cars, Ford, outdoor museum, Sacramento, Uruguay, Vauxhall, vintage auto, vintage automobile, vintage car

What You Will See in La Boca, Buenos Aires

31 March 2015 by Raul 3 Comments

Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, is composed of many “barrios“, or neighborhoods, from humble to wealthy; from drab to colorful. Few are as colorful or as well-known as La Boca, on the southeast corner of the city, close to the Riachuelo which feeds the Rio de la Plata. La Boca started very much as an Italian immigrant neighborhood, working class and fairly poor. It remains mostly so except that its center has become not only quite colorful but also a magnet for tourism with its famous street “Caminito” and the tango dancers all around. La Boca is deeply tied to Argentina’s music history and is a gem in this city of monuments, great architecture, and delicious food of all kinds.

How to Explore La Boca

La Boca can be easily explored by walking around – it is not a large area. I explored it as part of a bike tour of the city, something that would seem as life-ending in a city like Buenos Aires but that turned out to be a lot less scary than I thought (except when I ended up in the space between a bus and the curb… good thing it was on a side street with very slow traffic!). We biked to La Bombomera, the local football (soccer) stadium with its storied history full of great rivalries and then we biked to the heart of La Boca.

Once there, we parked the bikes at a local park in front of a large colorful mural and we went off on foot to explore some. Again, it is a small sector so there it is not tons of walking. There are cafes and the like in the area if you need a break. Once there, always be mindful of pickpockets or petty thieves that take advantage of the distracted visitor…

What to See in La Boca

Though La Boca seems a little over the top these days (code words for “tourist trappish”), it nevertheless conveys a sense of Buenos Aires’ past history and current charm. La Boca hosts the Boca Junior football (soccer) team at a stadium whose real name does not matter much. Its nickname is what counts: La Bombonera! (bonbon box) so perhaps catching a match would be in order?

Tourist souvenir shops, cafés, street performers, colorful buildings, tango performers, peddlers, and some historical markers all form part of this area of town. It is a great place to take pictures (as you can see below). Oh, and don’t miss the colorful figures that are perched on balconies, sidewalks, or windows – you may recognize Evita, Pope Francis, and Maradona (druggie, druggie!) among others. It feels like one is walking in a great outdoor museum of Argentine folklore.

Here are, as promised, the images of this barrio. Check it out if you go to Buenos Aires!

Click on the image for full-size viewing.

La Boca, Buenos Aires, barrio, Argentina, colorful, historical, travel, culture, photo, Olympus

One of the many “markers” conveying aspects of La Boca’s history

The homes in the Caminito street – lots of colors!

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Reminder of the rough past Argentina has had…

Boca Junior, La Bombonera, La Boca, Buenos Aires, barrio, Argentina, colorful, historical, travel, culture, photo, Olympus

Boca Junior’s stadium: La Bombonera!

Typical scene in Camino street: unclear if this is someone famous (let me know if you know!)

La Boca, Buenos Aires, barrio, Argentina, colorful, historical, travel, culture, photo, Olympus, Evita, Maradona, Gardel

Maradona, Evita and Carlos Gardel make an appearance

Pope Francis must be a recent addition in Boca!

Filed Under: Argentina, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: argentina, barrio, Gardel, historical, la boca buenos aires, la boca neighborhood, La Bombonera, Maradona, what to see la boca

Colonia del Sacramento: Uruguay’s Historical Gem

26 March 2015 by Raul 2 Comments

When I started to plan my trip to Argentina for my trek, I thought maybe I’d arrive a couple of days early and do something other than eat and walk in Buenos Aires. Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with those things! Those are indeed very noble activities in my book in that great city. But I was looking to just do something different. I looked at one-day or half-day tours, and I looked at museums and other similar attractions. One thing caught my eye due to my eternal wanderlust: Uruguay was just across the river and it would be really easy to cross by boat.

I was aware of Montevideo and Punta del Este. The latter seemed to require an overnight. Montevideo seemed a tad boring but I thought, “why not? it’s the capital?” And then I ran into Colonia del Sacramento (or simply, “Colonia”). I had never heard of this place. Quick research led me to find out it was listed in “1,000 Places to See before You Die” so I had to learn more.

Funny how history runs its course…

Colonia del Sacramento was established by the Portuguese across the river from another small town called Buenos Aires in the late 17th century. The town was part of a ping-pong match in terms of who ruled it: Spain, Portugal, Spain, Portugal, …, Brazil, and then independent Uruguay. Must have been exhausting! The modern town’s old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a population of roughly 25,000 folks.

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French map dating from the 1740s made into a mural

Getting to Colonia del Sacramento

Certainly one can get there by road from Montevideo but, if you are in Buenos Aires, the Buquebus ferry leaving from Puerto Madero is quite efficient and convenient. There are fast ferries that make the crossing in one hour (the river, at that point, is really no longer a river but the sea meeting the river) and slow-poke boats that make the crossing in three hours. Needless to say, three hours on a boat when I can do it in one was a no-brainer…. The one hour ferry was at 8:30 AM so that was a bit of a sacrifice since there was a line or two to make at the port… But it was the right choice. On the way back, since we wanted to have dinner in Buenos Aires, we took the ferry that arrived around 6 PM. One thing to mind is that there IS a time zone difference between Uruguay and Argentina (crazy).

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The walkway to the ferry in the port in Buenos Aires

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Welcome to Uruguay!

Oh, and another thing to mind is that you MUST bring with you the reciprocity fee receipt for Argentina (if you are a U.S. citizen)… When you leave Uruguay, right at the port in Colonia, you will go through BOTH Uruguayan and Argentine immigration officers. When you get to the Argentine officer, if you do not have it, you are in a for a nervous wait to see what the officer will do with you. No, it did not happen to me, but it happened to a friend. Note: the other friend hanging with her volunteered to the officer “Oh, I don’t have mine either” – lol! Somehow, the officer did not care about her but did about the other one.

The town – ruins

The thing to see in Colonia is the old quarter. When you exit the very modern port facility, you go out of the port and go on that same street uphill and, eventually, you will hit the main street where you will make a left and walk for like five minutes before you hit the old quarter. (There is a tourism info office outside the main building of the port but I did not go in.)

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The old quarter is on the left side of the map

The old buildings have been beautifully kept up or maintained and the quarter is easy to walk around in. The old quarter is in a peninsula so you can’t go too far without hitting the water except in one direction (as you can see in the map above). The old quarter has ruins of fortifications from those centuries when the European powers were trying to take control of the river. You can also see parts of the foundation of the former Portuguese governor’s house and ruins of the old convent. Most of these ruins are, one could say, ruins of ruins but, nevertheless, they help understand how the town was set up and defended.

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Ruins of San Francisco Convent in front of the lighthouse

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Ruins of Bastión de San Miguel

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Ruins of the Portuguese Governor House in the Plaza de Armas

The town – buildings and structures

There old church, the Basilica del Sagrado Sacramento (Basilica of the Sacred Sacrament) was heavily restored starting in the 1950s. It is simple in its design and decor.

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Basilica del Sagrado Sacramento

Inside of the basilica

The town is clearly oriented to visitors from Uruguay and abroad with many cafés, restaurants, gifts shops, and art shops.

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Local shop

Colonia, Sacramento, Uruguay, colonial, UNESCO, World Heritage, Places to See, travel, photo, café

Outdoor café near the basilica

Eclectic café chair and table

But the best this charming town offers is just the simple yet beautiful architecture of the streets in or near its old quarter. A peaceful setting graced by history and architecture!

House near the lighthouse

Shop in Calle de los Suspiros

House in Calle de los Suspiros

Detail of the local architecture by the Plaza de Armas

Home

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A local street right outside the heart of the old quarter

Lunch time in Colonia!

Of course, we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch where I enjoyed an incredible pasta dish and we all enjoyed trying Uruguayan red wine – an unexpected treat (later followed by a cup of Freddos ice cream!)

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Lunch was this delicious butternut squash gnocchi in a pancetta cream sauce!

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Surprised at how good the local wine was!

A resident enjoying summer…

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Dog days of summer in Colonia are awesome!

Filed Under: South America, Travel Journal, Uruguay Tagged With: architecture, Buquebus, Colonia, history, lighthouse, pasta, Rio de la Plata, ruins, Sacramento, travel, Uruguay, Wine

Buenos Aires Re-Visited (Again)

19 March 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

When I sat down to write this post, my first thought was: “What can I possibly write about Buenos Aires that has not been written before?” Good question.

My visit there was triggered by its being the location of two children’s homes we were going to help via a trek to Patagonia with Trekking for Kids. I was not disappointed in that being the location as my prior visits to Buenos Aires, even the overnight trip one, were always good: good city, good vibe, good food, and good wine.

I decided to go two days ahead of the official start of the group trip so that I would have some time to tool around some. Tooling around soon turned out to include a day trip to nearby Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, across the river from Buenos Aires.

So, I turned my attention to determining where to stay. I had already paid a good bit to be able to trek in Patagonia after the time in Buenos Aires so I was looking for a good alternative to just paying a hotel room. Two others from the trek decided to come early too so, immediately, I decided that an apartment rental was the best option. Using FlipKey, I found a great 2 bedroom apartment in Palermo on a high floor and with some good views. Mercifully, it had A/C as it was summer in Buenos Aires. (FlipKey did a great job of showing me apartments based on my criteria which included not only location and price point but availability of A/C and wifi!)

apartment rental, Buenos Aires, FlipKey, travel, comfort, lodging, Olympus, photo

My room at the apartment: nice corner and a balcony!

The landlord was very friendly and flexible but was spot on on restaurant recommendations – bonus! And when I looked out of the balcony, I recognized the small square by the building as one I had seen on HGTV’s House Hunters International a couple of years ago.

After the couple of days on our own, we moved to the hotel were the group was going to stay while we worked with the children’s homes outside of Buenos Aires in Moreno. The hotel was located in Recoleta, another nice neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The hotel was located across from the Recoleta cemetery where Evita is buried. I lucked out with the room assignment and had a great view of the cemetery and could even see the ocean, er, the river.

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The Recoleta Cemetery

Argentina, Buenos Aires, Duarte, Recoleta, cemetery, travel, photo, Olympus

Typical scene at the Recoleta cemetery

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Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Pilar right at the cemetery’s entrance

I had visited the cemetery in 1991 but still went back in to look for Evita. Of course, there is a sign indicating where the famous’ tombs are but if you look for Evita under “P” for Perón, you will not find her. You must look under Duarte, her maiden name.

Evita, Eva, Peron, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Duarte, Recoleta, cemetery, travel, photo, Olympus

The family mausoleum where Evita’s remains rest

Eva looms large in the Argentine psyche – and on the side of buildings too…

Evita, Eva, Peron, Argentina, Buenos Aires, building, travel, photo, Olympus

That’s Evita up there

The other plus for the hotel -and another thing that loomed large for me- is that it was a few storefronts down from my favorite ice cream place in Argentina: Freddos, first discovered by me in 1991!

Freddo, ice cream, gelato, Buenos Aires, Argentina, foodie, food, foodporn

I could not even wait to snap a photo before taking a bite (or 3)

Oh, the food in Buenos Aires…

Maybe the city should be renamed “Buena Comida”, instead of “Buenos Aires”… In my time in Buenos Aires, I probably gained weight. The likely contributors certainly included my almost daily Freddo’s ice cream cup but it also included the incredible beef, pastries, desserts, and wines enjoyed at places like Cabaña Las Lilas (which serves some of the highest quality of beef I have ever had as well as an incredible appetizer plate), Campo Bravo (where we enjoyed a highly diverse plate of cow components…), El Trapiche (a locals place with not only great beef but amazing pasta), and even Biking Buenos Aires (a bike tour that provided delicious pastries during our break)!

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The appetizer plate at Cabaña Las Lilas was a home run!

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The parrillada at Campo Bravo: name that part

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Butternut squash stuffed pasta with an outstanding blue cheese sauce

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Pastries served as a snack during the bike ride

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Mate cups

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Don’t forget dessert: this beauty courtesy of Cabaña Las Lilas

A place to stroll around – and bike around!

Buenos Aires is such a walkable city. Trees and parks everywhere and, as I shared before, PLENTY-O monuments in this South American metropolis. Walking down Ave. Libertador, which is bordered by a park between it and the river, is a good way to stretch the legs after an overnight flight – or after a massive lunch on beef and wine… #justsayin

Libertador, Argentina, Buenos Aires, bike path, jogging trail, Olympus, photo, travel

Ave. Libertador is good for walking, jogging or riding!

One thing I had not contemplated to do is in Buenos Aires is to ride bicycles. I mean, ride a bicycle in a large metropolis in Latin America? Nuts, right?? Well, let me tell you, it was so much fun and, actually, safe! I did not realize it but Buenos Aires has built bike lanes in some parts of town which meant that about 80% of the bike tour I did with Biking Buenos Aires was on bike lanes. For about 13 of us, we had the main guide who shared a lot of great information about the sights, and two additional guides who supported the group, handled crossing intersections, and were just great guys.

I had never visited La Boca (more on it later) and got to re-visit the Plaza de Mayo and ride around the Casa Rosada. We rode around Puerto Madero were we had a snack. And then we hung out at the bike tour office to eat delicious empanadas that we had bought. Enjoy these final pictures of what we saw during my bike tour and don’t forget to eat and explore to your hearts’ content in incredible Buenos Aires!

Cabildo, cathedral, Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo, Argentina, history, architecture, bike tour, travel, photo, Olympus

The Buenos Aires Cathedral in the back and the old Cabildo on the left

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The Women’s Bridge by Calatrava in Puerto Madero

Filed Under: Argentina, Good Eats and Drinks, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: argentina, beef, bike tour, Buenos Aires, churros, Evita, food, foodie, foodporn, pasta, Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta, travel

Essaouira: A Surprise on the Atlantic Coast of Morocco

20 January 2015 by Raul Leave a Comment

When I decided to go to Morocco, my images of the country were more of what I encountered when I got to Marrakesh (though Marrakesh was so pretty that I didn’t expect every town in the country to look like that). But, after an overnight in Marrakesh, we left the next morning to the coastal town of Essaouira (once known as Mogador a long time ago and pronounced something like “Ah swear” as the final vowel sounds silent to English speakers). I had signed up to do my third trek with Trekking for Kids to help improve the lives of orphaned or at-risk children around the world and the center where we were going to work was located in this seaside town. (Check out the work done at Bayti Centre here.)

The town of Essaouira – not the Morocco I expected

Upon arriving in Essaouira, it felt different. That was likely due to it being a coastal town with nice beaches and the accompanying tourism infrastructure (I suspect the main source of tourists is domestic followed perhaps by those from neighboring Arab or European countries). It looked clean and was not too crowded. The town, currently with about 70,000 inhabitants, was a fort originally established by the Portuguese centuries ago and was coveted by all major European powers. The town proper was begun to be built in the 18th century by Mohammed III. I learned after leaving that scenes of the movie “Othello” by Orson Wells were filmed in the streets of the city.

Essaouira, Morocco, beach, palm tree, Star Wars, travel, photo

No, those are not Star Wars characters but palm trees held while they grow so they don’t blow away

We got to our hotel, the Riad Zahra Morgador, and I was very pleased. It was beautiful and the staff very friendly. I enjoyed our stay there in every way, except the wifi only really worked in the lobby.

fruits, watermelon, grapes, photo, Morocco, Riad Zahra Morgador, hotel

A welcome treat!

Riad Zahra Morgador, Essaouira, Morocco, room, hotel, travel, photo

The room I stayed at, spacious and comfortable

The staircase at the Riad

Did I mention the pool guest?

Among the many surprises was the climate. Of course, I expected being on the coast meant sea breezes and slightly cooler temperatures than Marrakesh (which had hovered round 100 F when I was there). But they were much cooler, like in the low 70s for THE HIGH! A strong sea breeze contributed to actually feeling a little cold even before the sun set as we walked along the beaches one day. And on the beaches for the visitors, there are camels… for the ride. Some of my fellow trekkers decided to try their hand at riding a camel but first… one must successfully get on one!

Essaouira’s Old Medina

Another big surprise was the general personality, if you will, of the town. People were not all over you like in Marrakesh. They were more relaxed, I’d say. Even in the market (or “souk”), I didn’t feel hounded. People would certainly invite you to look at their wares, etc. but once you stepped way or said no, they were very respectful. Given my temperament, this was more conducive for me to actually engage in more meaningful dialogue with store clerks than I would otherwise be inclined to be. It led to a more enjoyable experience for sure. It also led to me buying more as I normally shy away from aggressive sales tactics (which I understand are normal in some places).

Old Medina, Hats, souk, Essaouira, Morocco, market, goods, colorful, travel, photo, Olympus

Colorful wares!

Old Medina, pottery, earthenware,, souk, Essaouira, Morocco, market, goods, colorful, travel, photo, Olympus

And more color and patterns

I found it fascinating to see guys pushing these massive carts loaded with fruit through the throngs of people – masters of their craft! I enjoyed walking around the Old Medina where I felt very safe so I could admire the details of the architecture around.

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Pharmacy near the land-side gate into the Old Medina

A sweet tooth is always one in the U.S. or in Morocco!

However, all is not architecture and fruit carts. A stop at a local patisserie on the edge of the Old Medina towards the beach (Pátisserie Driss) delivers delicious sweets and coffee!

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Ahhhh!!!

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Mmm…

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Double mmm…!

Essaouira’s old walls

On my first day, we explored the North Bastion with its old Portuguese cannons and the sea walls. On another day, we got to spend time along the South Bastion next to Bab Marrakesh (the gate to Marrakesh from the walled Old Medina) where I took some of the sunset pictures shown later in this post.

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The Old Medina sea wall (ramparts) are now the perfect setting for shops

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Cannons along the sea wall

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The group of Trekking for Kids trekkers at the North Bastion

And the sunset photos…

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Approaching the Old Medina at dusk

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City walls and the Old Medina as seen at sunset from the South Bastion

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Sunset over the Old Medina from the South Bastion

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Sunset along the beach – and me

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Photobombing my sunset picture…

So, all around, Essaouira was a pleasant surprise; different than the Morocco I expected. Here is to good surprises!!!

Filed Under: Africa, Morocco, Travel Journal Tagged With: bastion, blue door, camel, Essaouira, market, Morocco, Old Medina, photo, ramparts, riad zahra, souk, sunset, sweets, travel

Santiago de Compostela: Food, Charm, and “New” Family

15 January 2015 by Raul 4 Comments

I wrote earlier about my arrival in Santiago de Compostela as a Camino pilgrim and the activities related to the end of the pilgrimage (getting the Compostela certificate, Pilgrims’ Mass, etc.). Though my stay in Santiago was brief (less than 24 hours due to needing to bring the group back to Madrid), there were some noteworthy things to share about my brief second visit to this incredible city in northwest Spain‘s Galicia…

Food

As ANYWHERE in Spain, food is spectacular. In Santiago, I had a quick lunch at a local tapas bar before going to meet relatives. I love tapas bars. These are not the unreasonable facsimiles in many U.S. cities that offer tapas. I loved sitting at the bar and looking at the tapas on display (salivating at, to be more accurate) and then making my choices. That and an adult beverage made for a quick and delicious lunch.

A splendid array

One of many had…

Later that evening, after dinner with my group, a couple of us took off in a chase for some hot chocolate and “churros” (fried sticks of dough and sugar; a favorite of mine from my childhood). Let me tell you, this hot chocolate is not of the watery style. It is THICK – and delicious.

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Churros and hot chocolate – the real reason the pilgrims came!

Great vibe to the town – charming architecture and streets

The great Cathedral of Santiago is not the only main architectural piece in this city. I love its side streets with or without arcades and the many small and big plazas all around. In fact, it is the whole town, not just the Cathedral or the plaza in front of it that is a World Heritage Site!

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Hanging out at Praza de Platerías along the south face of the Cathedral

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University building facing the north side of the Cathedral

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I ate at this café called Dakar 20 years before!

Santiago de Compostela, café, architecture, travel, food, photo

Small plaza and cafés near the Cathedral

The grand plaza in front of the Cathedral is named Praza do Obradoiro, which best I know means plaza of the workshop. It is large and pretty plain except for the buildings around it: the Cathedral, a palace, and a hostel built by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, back in 1492!

Plaza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, architecture, travel,photo, Canon EOS Rebel, arcade

Entering Praza do Obradoiro from the northeast corner

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The inn built by the Catholic Monarchs, now a parador

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Looking around the Praza do Obradoiro – Rajoy Palace

From here, once can admire the façade of the Cathedral (which was undergoing repairs/restoration) and then go into town in any number of directions. The site of the Cathedral has been the site of a church since the 9th century. Construction of the current church began in 1075 (!) and the church was consecrated in 1211 – THAT is patience! Of course, it has been added to in the many centuries since. It looks like a massive complex.

Praza do Obradoiro, Cathedral, façade, west facade,Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, World Heritage Site, travel, photo, architecture, Olympus

The massive west façade of the Cathedral

Praza do Obradoiro, Cathedral, west facade,Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, World Heritage Site, travel, photo, architecture, Olympus

Looking closer at the main façade ‘s exposed towers

Praza do Obradoiro, Cathedral, west facade,Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, World Heritage Site, travel, photo, architecture, Canon EOS Rebel

Detail of the Cathedral from the side

We stayed at a monastery-seminary called Hospedería San Martín Pinario next to the Cathedral but not within the Praza do Obradoiro – great location! The rooms, as can be expected, are spartan but clean and functional. Aside of the massive size of the building, I was surprised at the VERY wide hallways. I wonder why they made them like that?!

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Room at the Hospedería

One of the massive hallways, this one in the lobby

And the family connection

I mentioned meeting relatives earlier. The story behind that is that my great-grandfather was born right outside of Santiago in a rural village named Bastavales (made famous in Spain in a song). I had visited the hamlet 20 years earlier but, unprepared and not having a car, I got to see the church where he likely was baptized and walked past houses in which he and other relatives likely lived. Years later, I made contact with the parish to see about getting a copy of the records of his baptism, etc. and got some good information, courtesy of the local priest. I guess he told some of my great-grandfather’s local relatives about my inquiries – years later they reached out to me and we got to meet by letters, email and a phone call. So, I made it my purpose to go meet them in this trip. After the tapas lunch, I headed to a house in Bastavales using a taxi. Back in 1994, I had taken a bus and had taken a while. Now, with a brand new highway, it took about 15 minutes to get there. Sweet.

It was really neat to meet one of my grandmother’s younger cousins (only two were alive at this point; my grandmother had been born in Cuba and never got to go to Spain so she never met any of her Spanish relatives), a lovely lady with blue eyes named Flora.

My grandmother’s cousin and her granddaughter (my 3rd cousin?)

I also met one of her sons and two of her grandchildren. She shared some family history and showed me some photos. Also, she pointed at a distance at the house where my great-grandfather had been born. I only had a couple of hours to spare and they did not have a car readily available so I had to be satisfied with having seen the house from a distance. I also saw the church I had visited 20 years earlier and noticed that I had walked in front of the houses she was pointing to after I got off the bus and walked a few kilometers to get to the church…

vines, green, Bastavales, Galicia, Spain, photo, Olympus

The side garden of their house has vines! Beautiful spot

wine press, Bastavales, vineyard, Galicia, Spain, photo, travel, wood, Olympus

Showing me the old wine press they used to use – pretty cool!

This week some other relatives have contacted me and have sent me photos they scanned of my grandmother. Apparently, she kept in touch with them (though her dad died in Cuba when she was a toddler) and sent them pictures of her as a young woman. They actually sent me a copy of the little “souvenir” with her baby picture issued when she was baptized; her dad must have sent it to Spain! I realized with the info they gave me that she had been sending pictures and writing to them because her grandparents were still alive. I was glad to hear she had some contact with them.

——————————————————————————————————————————

This was a special way to end the Camino: a pilgrimage to meet relatives my grandmother never met. I love Santiago de Compostela and now I must return to meet these other relatives that have given me such a wonderful gift. And this will give me more time to explore Santiago more and keep enjoying tapas, hot chocolate and churros!

Filed Under: Europe, Good Eats and Drinks, Spain, Travel Journal Tagged With: Bastavales, cathedral, churros, Espagne, España, Galicia, hot chocolate, Plaza del Obradoiro, Praza da Quintana, Praza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela, spain, St. James tomb, tapas, travel

On the Camino de Santiago: Day 7 from Lavacolla to Santiago!

12 January 2015 by Raul 9 Comments

The big day arrived on Day 7. On this day, we departed on the Camino for the last time as we left lovely Pazo Xan Xordo to enter Santiago de Compostela as many have done over the last 1,000 years on this ancient pilgrimage for the final 2.5 hours of our trek. We were excited but were also on a schedule as we needed to arrive on-time to attend Pilgrim’s Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela at noon. Since this Mass gets packed, we wanted to be there at minimum 30 minutes in advance. We wanted to sit on the nave on the side of the altar in case they used the “botafumeiro.” They did not, to our great disappointment, but if they had, it would have flown right over us!

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Waiting for Pilgrim’s Mass to start

Monte de Gozo

But I get ahead of myself. So we left Lavacolla sharp at 8 AM and made one stop at the impressive Monte de Gozo on the outskirts of town. It was from this vantage point that pilgrims would get their first glimpse of the final destination. “Gozo” means happiness which is exactly what the pilgrims would feel at this point after so many months/years of hiking their way across Europe and Spain. I was more impressed by the monument built here and taking pictures of the sun showing through the top of the monument.

The monument at Monte de Gozo

Each side of the monument commemorates something different

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Loved catching the sun through the glass cross

The great arrival in Santiago de Compostela

At some point in the walk (I think it was on a big downhill), we stopped being “outside” of Santiago and entered the outlying sectors of the city.

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One of the last villages we passed before entering Santiago proper (after Monte de Gozo)

We crossed a long bridge over a highway and we felt like this was the final stretch. OK, it was a long final stretch and we did stop at a café to make a final pit stop and to get a snack (not sitting down). We knew once we hit Santiago, we were likely not going to get a break until noon Mass ended so this was a smart choice!

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Welcome to Santiago de Compostela!

As we got closer, it seemed the streets got narrower which kept making us more eager to finally get there. I was eager to see the reaction of my fellow trekkers when they first saw the Cathedral (I had been there in 1994 already).

Getting the Compostela and Pilgrim’s Mass

Our plan was to hit town and immediately head to the Pilgrim’s Office (on rua Vilar) to get our “Compostela,” the certificate granted to those who complete the Camino. A nice volunteer from Ireland named (of course) Mary helped English speakers with instructions to be ready to step inside and get the Compostela; a few questions were asked and the credencial (passport) was briefly examined.

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Pilgrims filling out their papers while waiting for their Compostela

It was an exhilarating moment to get the Compostela (after standing in line about 25 minutes) even if I briefly embarrassed myself by telling the lady that she had gotten my first name wrong. She politely told me that they write the first name in Latin not in its regular form… As soon as I got to the hotel later, I took photos of the Compostela just in case something happened to it on the rest of the trip!

Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, Camino, The Way, pilgrimage, Spain, España, Espagne, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

The big moment of getting the Compostela!

We had been told we could not take our backpacks in for Mass so we then proceeded to drop off our backpacks next to the Pilgrim’s Office for 2 euros. We then were free to make our way to the Cathedral but, first, we took quick group and individual photos in the Plaza del Obradoiro in front of the Cathedral.

Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, Plaza del Obradoiro, Camino, The Way, pilgrimage, Spain, España, Espagne, travel, trekking, hiking, Trekking for Kids, photo, Olympus

Our Trekking for Kids group posing in front of the Cathedral

We then moved in to claim our spots for Mass and we took turns while we waited for the start of Mass to go behind the main altar to see the tomb of Santiago (St. James), after all, all this started because of him!

Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, Plaza del Obradoiro, Camino, The Way, pilgrimage, Spain, España, Espagne, travel, photo, Olympus

Another detail of the interior

St. James’ tomb

Details from inside the Cathedral

Cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, Plaza del Obradoiro, Camino, The Way, pilgrimage, Spain, España, Espagne, travel, altar, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

A side altar

During Mass, in the part where they greet the pilgrims, they mention groups by name. I had told them at the Pilgrim’s Office that we were a group, Trekking for Kids, from the U.S. and Canada and it was neat to hear us greeted during Mass.

We had heard that because 2014 was the 800th anniversary of St. Francis doing the Camino, the Church of San Francisco (St. Francis), not far from the Cathedral was issuing another certificate to pilgrims (the “Cotolaya“) so we went later that day to claim it (at this point, we would have taken any certificate issued to pilgrims, I think!).

Church of San Francisco, St. Francis, Santiago de Compostela, Camino, The Way, pilgrimage, Spain, España, Espagne, travel, trekking, hiking, photo, Olympus

Walking towards the Church of San Francisco (St. Francis)

Main altar at the Church of San Francisco

So our week-long trek along this millennial pilgrimage came to a glorious end. It was a unique experience and I loved returning to Santiago de Compostela of which I will write some more in another post. I have some suggestions for those considering the Camino. Keep an eye out for that post!

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