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Amsterdam,Netherlands
It was the start of the holiday rush so I had to decide if I wanted to spend another Christmas alone and bored at home or go explore. Hmm let me think….this is definitely a no brainer! I decidedly took advantage of the cheap winter airfares. Arriving in Amsterdam in winter the city had many tourist, but they were mostly europeans. It was a short visit and I only had 3 days before my train trip into northern Germany, so I needed to make the best of the opportunity. I secured a room in a very nice hotel in the heart of the city directly across from central station, reasonably priced and a…
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Switzerland WoooHoooo!!!!
At first glance Geneva looks like any other European city with everyday people doing everyday things. Graffitied walls and art everywhere, heavy traffic, multi cultural people, Turkish, African, Chinese and I hope to explore more in the coming days of what makes Geneva unique. This town has all the stans … Kurdistan , pakistan …. and great Kebabs. The first full day in Geneva I took a tour just across the French border to Mount Blanc, the tallest mountain in Europe, Chamonix and a glacier with an ice cave. An amazing day even with a little bit of rain. Across the border at Mount Blanc the mountain was a bit…
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Santiago De Compostela, Spain: Official end of Camino del Norte 2019
I’m sitting here in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral main square staring at the cathedral and the pilgrims and I feel nothing … even with the scaffolds down from last year.. I feel no emotion no focus on the cathedral, no tears, no sadness. My thinking is pretty clear but I am perplexed.So many people yet I feel nothing, in fact I have a headache, and the crowds make me uneasy. The sun is shining and the cold breezes blowing and I still feel nothing. This time in Santiago I booked an apartment outside the main area just above the cathedral but I believed the hype. No more albergues and hostels…
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Spain Camino Del Norte: Ribadesella, Viveiro, Muxia and more
After making the agonizing decision to pick up a rental car in Gijon I decided to take the bus from San Vincente De la Barquera. My walking the Camino Del Norte was officially done. I am a tourigrino now, a day hiker, but out of a desire not fully realized I then drove 2.5 hrs backwards to the town of Ribadesella back on the camino and checked into a lovely casa rural . Bajo Los Tilos is a sweet little place with chickens, fresh eggs set below a rock face mountain and forest but not far from the ocean. The owner and staff, amazing! Since it is still early season…
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Spain Camino Del Norte: San Vincente De la Barquera and Llanes, and Camino interruptus the Unofficial camino begins
I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed but I kinda knew this was going to happen. Not accepting it was being foolish however I did do well over 650 km of the toughest part of the Norte. Something to be proud of but to be honest I don’t feel so proud. Before leaving home even with 1 cortisone injection months on crutches and two plasma injections I was only thinking of losing the money I paid for my airline tickets, which is truly a valid concern, But now I am getting to see Spain’s northern coast. I admit it’s not the same. I feel I’ve lost my spirit on…