JULY / AUGUST 2009 : FRANCE AND SPAIN : MEMORIES OF LE CHEMIN DU PIEMONT PYRENEEN

Enthused by our previous pilgrim walks, we decided to walk on another pilgrim route in the European summer of 2009. The Chemin du Piedmont Pyreneen begins on the southern French border, from the Mediterranean to St Jean Pied de Port in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. We planned to visit some other cities on the way.

TURIN

We began our holiday by flying into Turin and had an interesting day sightseeing  Turin, with its reputation of being an industrial centre, was surprisingly sophisticated, having been established by the Savoy dynasty. We loved the architecture, particularly in the centre, the medieval village, the Shroud of Turin, the buzz of the crowds for passeggiata hour and the eateries near the Piazza della Republica.

AIX -EN -PROVENCE

Provence and the quintessential heart is Aix. Style, precision, colour. Fabulous.

Avignon - the Palace and the bridge ( Sur la point….) was a fascinating day too.

LE CHEMIN DU PIEDMONT PYRENEEN

NARBONNE

Having missed our train from Avignon and having to find our way in the heat of the afternoon was not an auspicious start to our walk. Again, as in our experience with the Via de la Plata, there were high summer temperatures and not much accommodation in the small towns along the way. Many businesses were closed for the .summer, so locating cafes and small supermarkets for snacks and water was very difficult.

CARCASSONE

The first major town we walked into was Carcassonne. A town with a fascinating history and one, which we had read about before our trip. It is the story of the Cathar sect that was persecuted during the Inquisition in the 12th century and the horrific tortures that they endured from the wrath of the Catholic Church. We stayed in the Notre Dame de l’Abbaye across from the picturesque castle.

FANJEAUX

A night in a convent, established in 1207  by Saint Dominic. Notre-Dame de Prouille.

A very enjoyable meal with a group on retreat from Toulouse.

MONTREAL

Through the Chemin community we were able to find accommodation in Montreal with an English family who had bought a 3 story derelict home 6 years ago and are gradually renovating the large home. They had two engaging sons who have embraced their French schools and community life.

MIREPOIX

The next day we took a taxi to Mirepoix. The heat and blistered feet have encouraged us to have a rest day in this enchanting medieval village. We arrived on Market Day - all local produce spectacularly displayed. The following day was Bastille Day - the French National day - so we enjoyed the pomp and ceremony of the local community.

WALKING ON …

The heat has beaten us. The rare pilgrim we encountered shared our concerns for the lack of shade, the nil opportunities for buying water and other refreshments and the dangers of heatstroke.  We walked on for two more days staying in Pamiers and Mas d’Azil, where we realised that this was not the summer for walking. 'So we had a contingency plan…

TOULOUSE

Off to Toulouse. A fascinating city with excellent museums , particularly Musee de Augustin, the Cathedral with my heroine, Joan d’Arc, well displayed and honoured. Impressed with tea houses and cosmopolitan restaurants.

A train to…

ST JEAN PIED DE PORT,

 the starting point of the Spanish section of the Camino Frances.

WALKING TO PAMPLONA

Four days walk to Pamplona. We particularly enjoyed the experience of staying in the Orisson Hostal high in the Pyrenees and the Roncenvalles albergue, at the base of the mountains, which was like a military hospital and caters for up to

120 pilgrims. Ear plugs essential. We met a few interesting walkers along the way. One French lady we discovered writes the French translations for the books of the  Australian author, Tim Winton.

Then we took a bus to…

BILBAO

A few days in this interesting Basque city. We stayed in a local B&B in the city centre. We witnessed some summer festivals, enjoyed the evening in the plazas with local families, the Guggenheim, museums and exhibitions, walks up the river, the funicular to look at the city, lots of wonderful pinxas ( tapas) and seafood meals.

TOLEDO

A train to Madrid and then a local train to Toledo.

A fortress town with a maze of streets, to confuse the enemy and tourists. It is built on rock and thus absorbs the heat, so a real hotbox in the summer months. Fascinating Jewish and Muslim sections of the city with ancient pasts.

MADRID

Two final days in Madrid, soaking up the summer attractions. Festivals in the Plaza Mayor, relaxing in the beautiful Retiro Park in the same vicinity as the Prado and the modern art museum, Reina Sofia.

ROME AND MONTECASSINO

A quick stopover on our way home to see our nephew, David, who lives in Montecassino south of Rome. It’s main claim to fame is the large Benedictine monastery, where Benedict established his order in the 500s. It has suffered destruction through the centuries, including being bombed in WW2, but it has been beautifully restored. A very happy day with David and Antonio on their very productive fruit and vegetable orchard.

A lovely end to our holiday.

M&M

JUNE / JULY 2007 : SPAIN : MEMORIES OF THE VIA DE LA PLATA

Having being awarded another four weeks of Covid lockdown in Canberra we must turn to a virtual life, including international travel. I’ve been going through old diaries and photos and thought I’d add our failed Via de la Plata walk to our blog cohort. We enthusiastically planned this walk after a wonderful experience of the Camino Frances the year before. What we hadn’t banked on was the remote, difficult terrain in Spain’s Meseta region, the extreme dry and hot summer conditions and the long distances between accommodation. These facts coupled with my ongoing issues with blisters, and subsequent shingles made this a very interesting trip. Despite our naivity and lack of fitness we were able to turn the three week holiday around enjoying much more of Spain than we expected.

Our planned walk is the yellow line marked on the map.

Our trusty guidebook and my detailed diary which I meticulously wrote, in the days before mobile phones and unreliable Internet cafe connections.

MADRID

We flew to Madrid and had a day’s sightseeing planned before we headed off to the northwest. Our packs were mislaid during our journey which was a little unsettling but were returned to us just before we were to leave Madrid. We enjoyed our first experience of the capital, staying in a hotel near the Plaza Mayor and close to many of the sights, like the Prado and the Royal Palace. Summer in Madrid is magical with so much on offer.

SERGOVIA

Our first stop was Sergovia, an hour and half bus ride from Madrid. It is a walled city with impressive Roman aqueduct and an enchanting Moorish alcazar, which many Disney castles have copied. We had excellent accommodation in the main plaza, which came to life after dark.

SALAMANCA

A further two hours west we arrived in Salamanca, which is one of the main centres for the pilgrim route, the Via de la Plata. The oficial route begins in Seville and is becoming more and more popular. Salamanca was invaded by Hannibal in 220BC. Loved exploring the main square, the cathedral, climbing the Jeronimus Torre, and visiting the most exquisite Art Noveau & Art Deco Museum.

VIA DE LA PLATA : DAY 1 : SALAMANCA - EL CUBO - 35.3 kms - a long, long day

It became patently obvious early in the day that we were not adequately prepared for this adventure. It was hot, dry and there were no facilities along the way. My feet began swelling and producing blisters on the first day. Despite beginning the day at sunrise, we arrived in El Cubo late in the afternoon. We had general instructions about locating a local woman to get a key for the basic accommodation in the little church in the main square. We wandered around aimlessly for some time and we were eventually approached by a little old lady who had let us in.

VIA DE LA PLATA : DAY 2 : El Cubo - Zamora : 31.6 kms - another long, long day

Another strenuous day with little respite from the heat and a lot of the day tramping on sealed highway.

ZAMORA

Zamora was a revelation, like an oasis after two dry days’ walking. Another town with a rich history - Roman, Visigoths and Moors. It was buzzing with their annual garlic festival of San Pedro and local dancing.

DAYS 3 &4 : Zamora - Granja de Moreruela - Tabara : 59 kms

It was clear after another two days walking that my feet would not recover well enough to continue but we were proud of our efforts on such an isolated route.

At Tabara we decided to catch a local bus back to Zamora and then take an 8 hour bus ride to Seville to recuperate,and do some sightseeing.

SEVILLE

We felt we had arrived at the tourist central with thousands of tourist groups being led by guides with coloured flags around each major attraction, including the largest European cathedral built in the 12th century in 9 months on the foundation of a mosque. We loved the tiles, the gardens, the architecture, the plazas - just a sparkling city with so much energy.

GRANADA

While we in the vicinity we thought we’d tick another destination off our bucket list. Granada and the famous Moorish fort of Alhambra, established in the eighth century. As there is such a demand for tickets, there are two sessions a day and must be pre-purchased, or so we thought. Fortunately we were able to get tickets on arrival at the site - only 8,000 people per session!! It was fabulous. Three hundred staff are employed for the upkeep of the gardens, excavations etc. All the original fountains and ingenious water features are all in working order. From a dusty plain the Moors created an oasis with exquisite architecture, gardens and sheltered pools. It was a wonderful experience.

OURENSE

An overnight bus to Ourense in another valiant effort to complete more of the walk…maybe.

Ourense - another surprise!  Long and interesting history, beautiful central plaza and shopping area but the highlight were the hot natural springs!

RETURN TO THE VIA DE LA PLATA 

OURENSE - CEA -OSEIRA - ESTACIÓN De LALÍN : 58 kms

Two more days on the road was enough. Blisters…heat…and lack of regular accommodation. We even spent one night in the grandstand at a public swimming pool. I espied a railway station, checked the timetable and as luck would have it there was a train passing through in an hour, just in time for a quick lunch at a workers’ canteen.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

We arrived in Santiago as tourists not pilgrims. We had a few extra days to play so we did lots of the tours, attended concerts and exhibitions, visited museums, did a rooftop tour of the cathedral and thoroughly enjoyed the city. There was a traditional dance spectacular over a few nights in one of the cathedral squares. Very pleasant sitting watching such enthusiastic entertainment on summer evenings.

BARCELONA

Our last few days we spent in Barcelona. Again, another perfect summer destination. Vibrant, fun and we absolutely loved all the artwork - especially Gaudí and Miro. 

Unexpectedly, one of the most fascinating holidays we’ve had!

M&M

PS In the next 5 years I managed to overcome all the issues with my feet and have walked thousands of kilometres without blisters. We look forward to the opportunity to do it again soon.

SEPTEMBER 2021 : CANBERRA : KINGSTON, ACT : An afternoon walk in the Jerrabomberra Wetlands

Australia has been under the Covid spell for over 18 months. While Europe and the US have lifted restrictions, our eastern states are in continual lockdown with the Delta variant reeking havoc. We are confined to our local areas, which means no trips to our coast house and limited activities. Just on our doorstep, ten minutes from our apartment, we made an interesting discovery.  We have walked and cycled through the Jerrabomberra Wetlands but had no idea of recent additions.

When Lake Burley Griffin was formed after damming the Molonglo River in 1964, the wetlands was a natural result.

It has become home to much animal and bird life, in fact to an incredible 170 species of birds.

Walks in our vicinity have become a mainstay for our Covid survival. It’s amazing what you find and what you.take for granted.

Essential for Canberra’s water quality and the survival of many wildlife species.

An oasis in the middle of the city, with opportunities to view native species in the protection of hides.

More professional shots of this unique environment

M&M

JULY 2021 : BROULEE, NSW and CANBERRA : what we did on our holidays.

We still have dreams of international and interstate travel (particularly walks) but the Covid 19 Virus continues to play havoc with our lives and plans in Australia.

Nick, our son, and his three children were planning to spend the school holidays in Perth but suddenly Sydney has become a hotspot and WA closed its borders but fortunately they were able to escape the lockdown and spend the vacation at our Broulee coast house with us.

It’s winter temperatures but still lots to do with the beach and parks.

Lots of coffee at the Muffin Shop.

A bus trip to the nearby town of Moruya

Re-creation of the bus trip

Lots of bike riding and beach time

A very successful visit to the Mogo Zoo

Meanwhile in Canberra, cold temperatures and our nine month- old granddaughter, Indi, succumbs to a virus and is hospitalised with dehydration. We returned to Canberra for a few days to support our daughter and her three older children. Recovery has been slow and steady but such a worrying time.

With the freezing temperatures and kids with colds we had a few days of playing indoor games. We created a shopping game, designing catalogues and spending Monopoly money.

One afternoon we devised a four mountain challenge, driving up 4 high points - Red Hill, Dairy Farmers’ Hill, Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie and appreciating the stunning views around our capital city.

A perfect time to celebrate Mitchell’s 3rd birthday!

How lucky we are to live close to family and to be able to support them!

M&M

PS An unexpected find on the beach. A woebegone shark!