Final Bits & Pieces of THIS Journey....

I've made it back to the States safely and am happily ensconced in the warmth of my sister's home in Indiana (Brrrrr.... 20 degrees certainly is chilly compared to the lovely 65-degree-days I just left behind)!! I'm excited to hang out with family for a bit (waiting for my niece's 4th baby to arrive!!) after what seems like a long, lifetime "wandering Journey" around Europe.... but in reality was only a few months! I was too exhausted to post anything in my last couple weeks (and had run out of words while I was participating in my final English Immersion Program in Spain), so here are a few Bits and Pieces from the end of THIS Journey (with more Journeying to come in the future, I'm sure)!!

As I mentioned briefly in one of my last posts, my last night with Sheryl was at an Airbnb on a boat/yacht in a marina in Lisbon! We thought it would be fun, unique, and interesting, and it was certainly all of those (let's just say it was MEMORABLE in the same way as the camel ride.... Yikes)!!! The thing we hadn't counted on was that there were no real stairs to get onto the boat, and certain types of "bathroom visits" required getting off the boat and using the marina bathroom!! Thank goodness we didn't have to make any of those types of visits in the middle of the night, or I probably would've just slept in the bathroom rather than try to get back on the boat!!

Our AirBnb for one night in Lisbon.... see how close the "step" (bouy thing) is to the dock?!?!.... a challenging way to get on the boat when we arrived!!! AND.... see how far the dock is from the "step" at low tide?!?!

Now picture this.... I had to step on this buoy on the side of the boat, then pull myself up holding onto some cables and get one leg over the railing, then get my other leg up and get balanced before "scooching" along the edge to reach the place where I had to step down, then crawl down the ladder into the bottom part of the boat that was our home for the night!! Once we made it to that point, it was quite cozy, but after FINALLY getting onto the boat the first time, I swore I wouldn't get off until morning!! BUT.... after a bit of rest and a few snacks (left by the VERY hospitable owners), I decided it would be silly not to venture out and explore a bit around the marina (and take our chances that I'd be able to get back on.... perhaps not the best idea)!!

I was sure I was going to fall getting OFF the boat (it seemed like a far stretch before my leg reached the dock, especially with my wonky bad knee!!), but that was NOTHING compared to getting back ON the boat the second time!! I tried and tried and tried, but I just couldn't seem to hoist myself onto the boat!! I couldn't figure out why it had seemed so much easier the first time (relatively speaking!!), and I kept trying every combination to get myself onto the boat.... good knee first.... Nope!!; bad knee first.... Nope!!.... we tried everything we could think of, but no success!! I even considered rolling onto the boat below the railing, but with the boat moving every time we touched it, I envisioned myself splashing into the COLD Atlantic water or getting stuck between the railing and the boat deck!!

I think Sheryl finally ended up pushing me from below and.... WHEW!!! I finally made it back onto the boat!! What we didn't realize until later is that the dock had dropped by at least a FOOT between the first and second times because of the tide!! It was hard enough (and scary enough) the first time with a higher tide and the owners helping me get on board, but I REALLY wasn't sure if I'd make it back onboard the second time!!! So the bottom line is this.... Chunky Judi + Bad Knees + Barely enough upper arm strength to pull myself up (using a buoy on the side of the boat as the "step") = an "interesting" (NOT to be repeated) AirBnb experience!! BUT it certainly was unique and memorable (and fulfilled one of Sheryl's dreams just before heading back home)!!

Sooooo..... even though I was only in Lisbon a couple nights (one unexpectedly), my time there was definitely interesting and eventful!! You would think that after the traumas of my "boat experience" and being abandoned by the BlaBlaCar driver I might not want to return again, but the people I met were so incredibly warm, open and kind, and being there definitely piqued my interest for a follow-up trip sometime in the future!!

After a night of rest and recuperation following the BlaBlaCar incident, I made my own "pilgrimage" to Santiago de Compostela by bus, and it was TOTALLY worth it!! It's of course impossible for me to pick a favorite place that I visited on my trip, but my days in Santiago de Compostela definitely provided a bit of respite and reintegration for my Soul after bouncing around from one place to the next for so many weeks!! My days there were filled with LOTS of meandering along cobblestone streets, cafe con leches in the sunshine, chocolate and churros, and the BEST (and I really mean the BEST!!!) hamburger I've ever eaten!! (Apparently Galicia is the best place for beef - according to the people here!!) And it's not just all about the food, it's about the FEELING there (laid back and gentle), and I met some of the most interesting people!!

The cafe owners seem to understand that people are on a Journey, and they just allow for the flow.... letting people sit and chat for as long as they want, but graciously being there to refill whatever is needed. My guess is that it feels a bit different during the peak season when thousands of pilgrims inundate the Old Town area (and thus, much less relaxed), but my time there during low season was DELIGHTFUL!! I wandered all the cobblestone streets (leisurely this time compared to the streets of the Medina in Tangier); viewed (and took LOTS of pictures of) the Catholic - Renaissance/ Baroque architecture (which was quite different from the beautiful Moorish architecture in other parts of Spain and Morocco); and I had some lovely, quiet time to write, contemplate life, and recharge my battery!!

The city itself has an interesting history.... It was built up around the shrine of Saint James the Great (one of Jesus' apostles). The shrine became what is now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and it is the final destination for pilgrims who are on The Way of St. James (a well-known Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century). According to medieval legend, the remains of the apostle James were brought to Galicia for burial in the 1st century. Following Roman persecutions of Spanish Christians, his tomb was abandoned in the 3rd century and according to legend, this tomb was rediscovered in 814 AD by the hermit Pelagius, after he witnessed strange lights in the night sky. Legend has it that the king was the first pilgrim to the shrine and was so touched by his experience, he ordered the construction of a chapel on the site (which was followed by the first church in 829 AD).

Within the old town there are many narrow winding streets full of historic buildings, and every corner I turned seemed to hold an interesting nook, cranny or person to explore!! I met a fascinating man named Pablo who was playing a bagpipe (not what I expected in Spain) in the "portico" near the Cathedral where they usually do a Mass for the pilgrims! He shared more about the Celtic history of the people in Galicia (the Province in the northwestern corner of Spain where Santiago de Compostela is located) and all they have in common with the normally-thought-of Celtic cultures of the north (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc.) Thus.... he was playing bagpipes instead of something we think of as more "typically" Spanish!!

It was a fascinating conversation.... talking with someone from another culture on the other side of the world about the Energy on the planet, the vibrations of people and places, etc. (and all that metaphysical, "woo woo stuff" I don't usually get to talk about with many people)!! It's hard to describe why it was so powerful, but suffice it to say that we had a heart connection (not in a romantic way, just in a "familiar" way) - and I went away feeling like I had run into someone I had known before and had a lot in common with (a common occurrence, apparently, for many people who do the pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago)!! I think that's part of why I liked this city so much.... it had an indescribable, magical feel that couldn't be explained!! It was also busy and very "touristy" in some ways so it wasn't perfect, but it's definitely a place I would return to (in low season when there aren't too many tourists)!!

After exploring Santiago de Compostela and meandering through the Old Town streets for a few days, I had to shift gears and depart on a VERY EARLY (6:00 am) train to Madrid for another week-long English Immersion Program!! As with all the other Programs I attended, I was given the opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people as I listened and spoke with them in English. What a fun, wonderful group of people.... and a great way to finish up this Journey!!

As always when I travel, time feels surreal and I can't believe my time in Central Europe and Spain is over!! As I reflect on the last 3 months of traveling, I feel sad, happy and content all at the same time!! This trip has certainly been one of my biggest adventures thus far (moving and traveling from place to place, rather than settling down for longer stays like I've done in the past), and I'll be interested in watching how things unfold as I integrate all that I've learned about myself (and others).... and all that I've experienced on this Journey!!

I'm sure there will be more to share, but for now I'll leave you with some of my "meandering pictures" of Santiago de Compostela that won my heart, as well as a few others from Lisbon and my time in the Gredos Mountains of Spain!! There is so much to remember from this trip.... all the wonderful coffees and conversations.... the breathtaking, beautiful sunrises and sunsets....  but mostly the wonderful people I've met, friends I've made, and the wonderful memories of the Journey I've shared in person (with my sister, Sheryl) and with all of you who came along for the ride!! Until next time, my friends!!