November 12, 2015
It's been a while since I sat down
to write in my travel blog. The last three years have changed me. I
lost my mother in 2014. The dearest, sweetest woman anyone could ever
know. Truly the closest thing to an earth angel. So most of my travel
since the Camino was to Weirton WV.
Last year I turned
the magic age of...( you can probably guess) and spent my birthday as I
always dreamt it to be at an outside cafe in Rome Italy surrounded by my
children, friends and family. There were 17 of us in all . Italian
music appeared out of nowhere playing Happy Birthday along with vintage
Italian accordian tunes.
We finished the night at my cousin's villa on his terrace .
A wonderful memory I will always cherish.
In a few weeks I am taking a Viking River Cruise mainly to experience European Christmas Markets.
We
start in Paris for two nights, then travel through south west Germany
on the Rhine River ending in Nuremberg then to Prague for a few days
then home.
I have devised an escape plan from the
cruise if it gets boring. I'm thinking of leaving the cruise for a
couple of days flying from Frankfurt to Rome staying with my cousin
Achille the heading to Prague to pick up the tour at the end.
Always need an escape plan :-)
So my travel blog has been reactivated. Here's hoping there are many adventures to follow. Thanks for reading.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Monday, August 20, 2012
August 2012
My recent travels have taken me to the Weirton/Pittsbugh area to visit with my aging parents, my high school reunion, to Las Vegas and Montana.
On my last birthday I vowed to go to every thing I was invited to. So when I received the invitation to Lynea Seher's daughter's wedding in Montana I checked to see if I could financially do it. Since I have never had enough money for most things I checked my frequent flyer miles and sure enough I could do it. If I didn't buy anything, chose wisely what I ate at the airport, and stayed cheap...I would swing it.
And since I was planning a western trip I decided to route myself through Vegas. At my recent HS reunion I got a sober realization that life is short and friends are special...and old friends are the best treasure one could have.
I missed my old friends Gerry and Laverne. Gerry and her husband Mickie Crisci have lived in Vegas since the 70's. We went to high school together. Laverne and her husband Frank have been there since the 90's.Laverne and I went to nursing school together.
I hadn't been to Vegas for years. I always found it to be fascinating...bigger and bolder than any city I have ever visited. Tacky and over the top in many ways...yet when you meet the people there is a realization home is where the heart is. Away from the strip sitting at Gerry's kitchen table we could have been anywhere.It was a nice visit.
I lost $40.00 at roulette then off to Montana.
Wow talk about contrasts. As the plane landed between sharp mountain peaks to a town with no neon and no real buildings more than two stories high I smiled ...I felt I was on another planet.
Even the airport was quiet. It reflected the mountains that embraced it...lots of reference to bears, Yellow Stone, cabins and flannel. I saw an ..." Will work for Ammo"
Before I left HH I rented a car from "hotwire" and stated I wanted the smallest car.
Well in the land of mountains and bears everyone drives SUV's and trucks.
When I was presented with my keys at the rental car booth I didn't even notice that what was waiting for me was their smallest car.....a 2012 Mustang convertible. I guess in those parts a small car is a small car no matter what make or model. Wow did I have fun driving it about.
The wedding was wonderful..held at a historic mansion. The conversation bright, food from gardens, flowers wild and colorful and the bride and groom in love.
My recent travels have taken me to the Weirton/Pittsbugh area to visit with my aging parents, my high school reunion, to Las Vegas and Montana.
On my last birthday I vowed to go to every thing I was invited to. So when I received the invitation to Lynea Seher's daughter's wedding in Montana I checked to see if I could financially do it. Since I have never had enough money for most things I checked my frequent flyer miles and sure enough I could do it. If I didn't buy anything, chose wisely what I ate at the airport, and stayed cheap...I would swing it.
And since I was planning a western trip I decided to route myself through Vegas. At my recent HS reunion I got a sober realization that life is short and friends are special...and old friends are the best treasure one could have.
I missed my old friends Gerry and Laverne. Gerry and her husband Mickie Crisci have lived in Vegas since the 70's. We went to high school together. Laverne and her husband Frank have been there since the 90's.Laverne and I went to nursing school together.
I hadn't been to Vegas for years. I always found it to be fascinating...bigger and bolder than any city I have ever visited. Tacky and over the top in many ways...yet when you meet the people there is a realization home is where the heart is. Away from the strip sitting at Gerry's kitchen table we could have been anywhere.It was a nice visit.
I lost $40.00 at roulette then off to Montana.
Wow talk about contrasts. As the plane landed between sharp mountain peaks to a town with no neon and no real buildings more than two stories high I smiled ...I felt I was on another planet.
Even the airport was quiet. It reflected the mountains that embraced it...lots of reference to bears, Yellow Stone, cabins and flannel. I saw an ..." Will work for Ammo"
Before I left HH I rented a car from "hotwire" and stated I wanted the smallest car.
Well in the land of mountains and bears everyone drives SUV's and trucks.
When I was presented with my keys at the rental car booth I didn't even notice that what was waiting for me was their smallest car.....a 2012 Mustang convertible. I guess in those parts a small car is a small car no matter what make or model. Wow did I have fun driving it about.
The wedding was wonderful..held at a historic mansion. The conversation bright, food from gardens, flowers wild and colorful and the bride and groom in love.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Reality sucks
It's only taken three weeks to realize how wonderful The Camino was and how much I dislike my reality.
Anyone looking at my life from a far would say...what in the world is she talking about? She lives in paradise
has a great family and able to work ( three jobs) I guess it is the freedom I miss, the quiet, the simplicity.
Often I've stated I love the European way of life, keep things simple, walk more, market daily, eat more from the garden than the store, drink more wine, rest after the mid day meal........maybe the grass always looks greener...but I've decided my new goal is to go back, perhaps to Italy and stay for a long period of time and see if it's just a phase or for real.
Anyone looking at my life from a far would say...what in the world is she talking about? She lives in paradise
has a great family and able to work ( three jobs) I guess it is the freedom I miss, the quiet, the simplicity.
Often I've stated I love the European way of life, keep things simple, walk more, market daily, eat more from the garden than the store, drink more wine, rest after the mid day meal........maybe the grass always looks greener...but I've decided my new goal is to go back, perhaps to Italy and stay for a long period of time and see if it's just a phase or for real.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Plug for Brands
Before I contemplated walking the Camino I had two sections of clothes to pick from...clothes for work and clothes to wash the car. No adventure clothes. I wear mostly fashion sandals for my carefully pedicured feet, so I had to make some changes. First the shoes. I read blogs, asked hikers, then started the grueling challenge of finding the best fit for my pampered feet. After a month of trial and error I went with a Merrell, thick soled low cut hiking shoe,water resistant. I purchased two different insoles and my feet were happy. From the advice of just about every hiker I went up a size. They say with long distance walking feet swell..and they did. After researching socks, I took four pairs of Smartwool, three different thicknesses.
Two pair TravelX hiking pants from Eddie Bauer, light weight , lots of pockets and dry easily fabric worked out great. I didn't like the feel of the zip off pants. These could be rolled up at two heights.
At the Columbia outlet I found a longsleeve turtleneck zip front to be my favorite. The fabric kept me warm in the cool mornings and cool as the sun came up. Some sort of wick-away property. And it was turquoise ..a perfect color for the field guide to spot when I was deep in the forest.
Melissa suggested a sportsbra, I had tried before and thought they were very difficult to hook..until she showed that I was trying them inside out. :-)
I brought a fleece vest, and two jackets and a rain slicker...luckily there was no need. I brought 2 hats. A traditional wide brimmed hiking hat from Columbia, a Steeler ball cap. I bought a Buff..which serves as a headband, neck scarf or total head covering. And another headband Debbie bought me from Hawaii.
I became a little superstitious. I wore the same earrings each day ( the turquoise ones from Afghanistan. ), A hand crafted Camino bracelet, a bandanna around my neck. A few items from others made the journey with me. I carried a small pouch which contained a few things I got from Mom and Dad. A Madonna, St Christopher medal, a WV lapel pin, an American Flag/Italian Flag lapel pin. Debbie had given me a St Paul coin and I took a 1 Euro from a jar of Seth's coins.
This I put in a special zip area of the backpack. Tissues, lip gloss and my cell went in the same pockets each day . Isha had given me a bracelet with the saints on it and I wore it in honor of Aunt Marjorie.
I traveled with about 10 Euros handy the rest tucked in a hidden waist belt.
Through most of my journey I was alone, but I never felt lonely.
Nothing frightened me nor did I feel unsafe.
After a while the sounds and smells of the country side were comforting.
Two pair TravelX hiking pants from Eddie Bauer, light weight , lots of pockets and dry easily fabric worked out great. I didn't like the feel of the zip off pants. These could be rolled up at two heights.
At the Columbia outlet I found a longsleeve turtleneck zip front to be my favorite. The fabric kept me warm in the cool mornings and cool as the sun came up. Some sort of wick-away property. And it was turquoise ..a perfect color for the field guide to spot when I was deep in the forest.
Melissa suggested a sportsbra, I had tried before and thought they were very difficult to hook..until she showed that I was trying them inside out. :-)
I brought a fleece vest, and two jackets and a rain slicker...luckily there was no need. I brought 2 hats. A traditional wide brimmed hiking hat from Columbia, a Steeler ball cap. I bought a Buff..which serves as a headband, neck scarf or total head covering. And another headband Debbie bought me from Hawaii.
I became a little superstitious. I wore the same earrings each day ( the turquoise ones from Afghanistan. ), A hand crafted Camino bracelet, a bandanna around my neck. A few items from others made the journey with me. I carried a small pouch which contained a few things I got from Mom and Dad. A Madonna, St Christopher medal, a WV lapel pin, an American Flag/Italian Flag lapel pin. Debbie had given me a St Paul coin and I took a 1 Euro from a jar of Seth's coins.
This I put in a special zip area of the backpack. Tissues, lip gloss and my cell went in the same pockets each day . Isha had given me a bracelet with the saints on it and I wore it in honor of Aunt Marjorie.
I traveled with about 10 Euros handy the rest tucked in a hidden waist belt.
Through most of my journey I was alone, but I never felt lonely.
Nothing frightened me nor did I feel unsafe.
After a while the sounds and smells of the country side were comforting.
Passport
When you begin to walk The Camino before the 100 kilometer marker you pick up a Pilgrim Passport.
It's a fold out form about 18"X 5"
Each lodging, cafe, chapel or Alberguer ( hostel) along the path has their own mark/stamp.You must get at least two official stamps per day.
When you get to Santiago past the cathedral on a small street to the left of the piazza there is the official pilgrim office. There you wait in line and single file you are asked to go before a clerk behind a counter. I had clerk #6.
Our last night was spent about 4 miles out side of Santiago. That next morning our field guide said we were going to walk into Santiago as a group...(which kindly meant as slow as Donne).
As we approached the city it is like any other European city...till you begin the "old town" section. As we approached old Santiago the streets begin to narrow...and then you spot the cathedral steeple. A knot developed in my stomach...Could it be possible? Did I really finish the 100 kilometers? Were those days of huffing and puffing up and down hills finally paying off?
We came to an underpass just before the Cathedral, the weather was sunny but chilly. Sitting on the steps of the underpass was a young man playing bagpipes...the sound filled the air as it reverberated from the underpass.
The next thing we were at the Cathedral Santiago de Compostello standing in the center of the giant piazza. Groups found each other ...tears, hugs seen all around...even the cycling Italians with their spandex still in place circled and embraced as they found others in their group.
It was a memorable moment.
As I handed my passport to clerk # 6 I asked him if I was the oldest pilgrim he had seen that day...he smiled and showed me his list of previous pilgrims..with his long pen he pointed to a number in the age column it said ..".82". Wow . All I could think about was finding that person and congratulate.
He reminded me to finish filling out the form ...It asked for my name, country of origin, age and why I choose to walk The Camino.
I handed to him.
A few moments went by then clerk # 6 handed me a certificate...in Spanish with my name on it. It proclaimed I was officially A pilgrim of The Camino, The Way of St James.
I burst into tears.
It's a fold out form about 18"X 5"
Each lodging, cafe, chapel or Alberguer ( hostel) along the path has their own mark/stamp.You must get at least two official stamps per day.
When you get to Santiago past the cathedral on a small street to the left of the piazza there is the official pilgrim office. There you wait in line and single file you are asked to go before a clerk behind a counter. I had clerk #6.
Our last night was spent about 4 miles out side of Santiago. That next morning our field guide said we were going to walk into Santiago as a group...(which kindly meant as slow as Donne).
As we approached the city it is like any other European city...till you begin the "old town" section. As we approached old Santiago the streets begin to narrow...and then you spot the cathedral steeple. A knot developed in my stomach...Could it be possible? Did I really finish the 100 kilometers? Were those days of huffing and puffing up and down hills finally paying off?
We came to an underpass just before the Cathedral, the weather was sunny but chilly. Sitting on the steps of the underpass was a young man playing bagpipes...the sound filled the air as it reverberated from the underpass.
The next thing we were at the Cathedral Santiago de Compostello standing in the center of the giant piazza. Groups found each other ...tears, hugs seen all around...even the cycling Italians with their spandex still in place circled and embraced as they found others in their group.
It was a memorable moment.
As I handed my passport to clerk # 6 I asked him if I was the oldest pilgrim he had seen that day...he smiled and showed me his list of previous pilgrims..with his long pen he pointed to a number in the age column it said ..".82". Wow . All I could think about was finding that person and congratulate.
He reminded me to finish filling out the form ...It asked for my name, country of origin, age and why I choose to walk The Camino.
I handed to him.
A few moments went by then clerk # 6 handed me a certificate...in Spanish with my name on it. It proclaimed I was officially A pilgrim of The Camino, The Way of St James.
I burst into tears.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Film "The Way"
Now that I'm back I realize how very blessed I was with the weather. I've continued morning walks but the Hilton Head humidity has set in...walking the Camino with higher heat or humidity would have really slowed me down or brought my walking to a halt.
Someone asked about the people in our group...we were a group in only one definition. We all ate together each evening and slept in the same B&B farm house. Other than that we were solo. Someone else asked if everyone in the group was inspired by Martin Sheen's movie...The Way.
1. Joyce & Paul, A 72 yo couple from New York city...he is still a practicing attorney..bringing mal practice cases against medical device companies. They had heard about the movie...didn't see it.
2. Carmen & Winston, newly retired teachers from Malta, a couple married 45 years, they never heard of the film. I loved this couple..I learned alot about Malta...I never knew where it was before I met them.
3. Suzanne, a 43 yo theater actress from NYC heard about the film...did not see it
4. Patty and Solveg, two sister in-laws in their 50's from Reno NV and San Diego, had seen it
5.Boris, handsome Chilean man in his 50's , high official in the government of interior did not understand English..but very cute
6. Maria, 33 yo psychologist from Uruguay hardly spoke English...got tendinitis second day out.
7. Lisalette, Global HR director for the UN...mostly UNICEF positions ( German national), travels between Africa and North Korea lives in NYC and Germany. About 50...very interesting but regimented. Had the perfect hiking wear and walking sticks...never complained or got any blisters.
8. Janet, her co-worker another UN Human Resource person from Jamaica, quiet..never saw the movie
9. Edwardo, Puerto Rican, retired salesman. Very charming and fun.
10. Sue Duetsch my friend of 35 years from Boston who I hadn't seen in 2 years...but when I told her about my idea to walk The Camino..she said " I'm in" Sue is a grandmother, marketing manager and sells real estate now in Pinehurst NC....She saw the film after she was committed.
A happy pilgrim completing 100 kilometers
So for our group the film didn't impact them...except perhaps me.
Someone asked about the people in our group...we were a group in only one definition. We all ate together each evening and slept in the same B&B farm house. Other than that we were solo. Someone else asked if everyone in the group was inspired by Martin Sheen's movie...The Way.
1. Joyce & Paul, A 72 yo couple from New York city...he is still a practicing attorney..bringing mal practice cases against medical device companies. They had heard about the movie...didn't see it.
2. Carmen & Winston, newly retired teachers from Malta, a couple married 45 years, they never heard of the film. I loved this couple..I learned alot about Malta...I never knew where it was before I met them.
3. Suzanne, a 43 yo theater actress from NYC heard about the film...did not see it
4. Patty and Solveg, two sister in-laws in their 50's from Reno NV and San Diego, had seen it
5.Boris, handsome Chilean man in his 50's , high official in the government of interior did not understand English..but very cute
6. Maria, 33 yo psychologist from Uruguay hardly spoke English...got tendinitis second day out.
7. Lisalette, Global HR director for the UN...mostly UNICEF positions ( German national), travels between Africa and North Korea lives in NYC and Germany. About 50...very interesting but regimented. Had the perfect hiking wear and walking sticks...never complained or got any blisters.
8. Janet, her co-worker another UN Human Resource person from Jamaica, quiet..never saw the movie
9. Edwardo, Puerto Rican, retired salesman. Very charming and fun.
10. Sue Duetsch my friend of 35 years from Boston who I hadn't seen in 2 years...but when I told her about my idea to walk The Camino..she said " I'm in" Sue is a grandmother, marketing manager and sells real estate now in Pinehurst NC....She saw the film after she was committed.
A happy pilgrim completing 100 kilometers
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