Hello Ireland!

As mentioned in the last entry, we are now actually in Ireland. There were not many/any good internet options in Portugal, so we weren't keeping up with the posts as much as we would have liked. We have been out a little here in Ireland, these pictures are of the day trip to Dun Laoghaire.

I (James) am still getting over the stomach flu/food poisoning that was my going away present from the Portuguese...may they lose against England on Friday. My driving is getting a little better and I think that we may live to see our return to the right side of the road (that's Maggie's, she's pretty proud of herself at the moment).

Tonight we are going on a literary pub crawl that will illuminate the pubs that a bunch of Irish writers got drunk in before composing their masterworks. Other than that, we're just wandering around planning our stops based on when I have to go to the bathroom.

That's all for now, we hope everyone is doing well and we'll try to check in again soon!

Goodbye Portugal...

Just when you were beginning to think there might be something...? Here we are in Ireland. We hope you're still with us after all of this time ; )!

We had several really nice days in Portugal, but most of our trip there was spent trying to kill time, as we ended up with more than we had anticipated. In the end we were glad that we had an extended stay as we feel that we got a better idea of what Lisbon and the surrounding area had to offer, both the good and the bad.

We went on a day trip outside of the city to a charming little town called Sintra. I would liken it to Sedona, only a little smaller, but easily as picturesque and also brimming with local artisans. Oh, how we wished we had the space and or ability to get some things home! We visited many of the local sites, castles, and towers, in the older parts of the surrounding city. In the other pictures you see us in an old monastary in Lisbon and also at the nearby Torre de Belem. We did a lot of hanging out and relaxing, and finally, because my leg healed, a lot of walking. During our last couple of days in the city we took in a couple of American movies at El Corte Ingles; the only "department" store where you can fully remodel your home, do your new spring wardrobe shopping, and pick up you freshly waxed skis, all while enjoying free samples of fine Portuguese wine ; )! An additional pleasure was the weather. It was a little hot for two of the days that we were there, but overall we couldn't have asked for more perfect out-and-about weather (like 75-82 degrees with a light breeze and cloud cover rolling in and out).

We also encountered more drug dealers than we have anywhere else we have ever traveled, I think we were asked if we would like to buy some marajuana or hash like 58 times in the week we were in Lisbon. At least this took place in broad daylight, around police and everyone else, so that it was never a threatening experience. Also, now that you all know that we are safe and sound, we did decide to leave a line once because a vagrant forced his way to the front of it and was openly tapping his knife on the counter...even James' beloved McFlurry wasn't worth tolerating threatening behavior nor the possible, albiet only imagined, aftermath. Things could have been even worse in another incident, if it weren't for James' recently perfected vision (thank you laser eye surgery), when we came across a pistol wielding mad-man by the docks and immediately high-tailed it in the other direction (even bigger thank you doctors of Barnett, Delaney, & Perkins).



But, that was Portugal. We are now, as mentioned, in Ireland and everything is beautiful and safe, if a little gray and wet. Anyway, we rented a car and it's making me (James) wish that I had brought some Prozac. I am a nervous wreck after learning how to drive on the left in the middle of downtown Dublin and I don't recommend it to anyone. We drove down to Dun Laoghaire today, a port area to the south of the city that is near the university. There are small cobblestone streets and little shops that make for a very relaxing afternoon (we have parked the car).

Goodbye for now!

Lisboa

Here we are in Lisbon! This is Maggie standing in front of the entrance to the Plaza of Commerce.

Our first day here was overshadowed by a long bus ride from Porto with a driver who was reluctant to turn on the air conditioning. This means that I was sweating to death and needed a shower after we checked in to our pension, or pensão as they are called here. Ours is a little dive that I can´t imagine anyone we know staying in for long, although it seems pretty safe. (Hi mom!)

Today is actually our second day in Lisbon, we went out of the city a bit to the Parque das Nações. It is an enormous new park that was built for the 1998 World Exposition. We spent the afternoon at the oceanarium, one of the larger attractions, and rode the cablecar for a view of the bridge across the river Tejo.

We bought unlimited travel passes that are good for the next three days and so we should be seeing a lot of the city. There are roman ruins to visit, a hilltop castle that was built by the moors, and various palaces built by wealthy Portuguese monarchs who didn´t know what else to do with all the money they made from plundering Africa, America, and Asia. This history (the colonial one) is also evident in the foreign workers/residents here in Lisbon. Banks advertise that they send money back home to Senegal, Angola, and Brasil, just as occurs with Mexican workers at home. To the foreign observer this doesn´t seem to be a super wealthy country, but they must have many opportunities that these people don´t have at home.

Well, that´s all for now. We will try to give an update again soon, and we love and miss everyone. James and Maggie

Bem vindo ao Porto!

Well, here we are in Portugal. We arrived in Porto on Saturday and must admit that we were taken a little off guard. We had gotten spoiled to small-town Spain. All of a sudden we found ourselves navigating steep one-way streets and a new hustle and bustle. While the original expectation had been for a culture and infrastructure much like its Iberian neighbor, Portugal seems to be quite different. It is possible to see, shortly after crossing the border, that this country lags behind the rest of Western Europe in economic terms. We´re adjusting now and we are going to focus on taking it easy for the next few days.

Our first day in Portugal was spent immersed in Brazilian Portuguese. We met two Brazilian men on the bus from Spain who had also walked the road to Santiago. One was doing the trip before he started med-school in New York and the other owned a computer business back home. The latter was staying overnight in Porto and became our companion for the evening (he spoke very little English). We walked the new city together and got to be lazy, enjoying the services of our native-speaking tour guide.

When we first set out the city seemed unnaturally quiet and subdued. This was because everyone was watching the Portuguese national football team in the match that would advance them into the next round of the World Cup. This is the first time in over 40 years that Portugal will make a showing in a later round. After the game the streets were flooded with people in the national colors, cars were honking, and everyone was celebrating. The energy was astounding!

Later in the evening, we were also pleasantly surprised to find that a local festival was being celebrated, complete with a parade of residents in costume for the occasion. Street vendors lined the path and created a festive atmosphere. At the end of the night we dined at an Irish pub with live music, and shared a few drinks with our new friend. It was definitely an international experience!

The next day we enjoyed lesiurely strolls through the streets and a Port wine tour/tasting. We found, to our surprise, that we actually enjoy a good Port wine.

We hope to check-in and add some pictures soon. Look forward to news of Lisbon...Love, J&M.

¡Vámanos a Portugal!

And now for the latest in, "The Misadventures of los Stuhan."

This morning we set off on a day trip to see one of the best preserved Celtic villages in Europe. Given our heritage, and the fact that our status as Irish citizens is what is allowing us to empart on this fantastic voyage, we were quite excited to do so. We got up first thing to take the earlist bus available out to the coast. Not only does the bus system provide cheap and convenient travel accomodations, but it also saves injured travelers from having to walk great distances. We were to be dropped of at a quaint seaside resturaunt, overlooking the ruins. Fantastic oceanside sight-seeing and fresh fish lunch! Who could ask for anything more?!?!?

We set out before 8:00, our trusty guidebook in hand (it has never failed us), and full of anticipation for an easy and fun day. As we have mentioned before, the people have been incredibly helpful all over Spain. They maintained this record of courtsey and kindness today. Our bus driver, and the little old ladies on the bus, made sure that we knew exactly where to get off in the little town, Porto do Sol, that we had intended. It wasn´t difficult, they assured us, as the town is so small there is only one stop. Our luck seemed to just get better and better.

When we arrived in Porto do Sol we were to be on the look out for the little restaurant mentioned above. In fact, we were to be dropped of directly in front on it. We didn´t worry when we didn´t see it immediately, as eveything looked new, we thought there was maybe a new bus stop. We hopped out and set out to find the famed Celtic ruins.

Alas, we had not gotten off the bus at the correct stop. This became apparent quite quickly. We asked another helpful local where we had gone wrong and he pointed us in the correct direction, just a little ways up the road. We would be there in no time...No time turned into 4K. It wasn´t planned for, nor expected, but it was beautiful. We walked along along the western coastline looking down on the clearist water that either of us has ever seen (other than in a backyard pool). There was also a wonderful breeze that blew in off of the water. This was well recieved as the sun was beating down on us, thank goodness we had remembered our hats!

We finally arrived, only a little worse for the wear. The ruins were neat and the location just incredible! We had fun taking pictures and learning how to set up our camera so that we can take pictures together. We almost lost James taking one of them he was running so quickly to beat the timer (see below). After seeing what remained of the village we headed in for our fishy lunch and then caught the bus back to Santiago. It was really a nice day, all in all.




Tomorrow we are off to Portugal. O Porto, where port wine comes from, will be our first stop! James made a seamless transition from Spanish to Portuguese when he called today to make our reservations, and he is also the author of this final sentence. Goodbye for now!

Llegados a Santiago de Compostela

First, a note of apology...I (Maggie) am still learning my way around this site. Making it more difficult, accessing it from here, everything is in Spanish. Due to that, I accidently erased a response instead of responding to it...it was:
Wonderful!
but...it makes me cry.
Love,
Mom
Our response is:
We agree, it is wonderful and, at times, it makes us cry too.

Thanks to so many of you for your kind responses and encouragement. They really help to keep our spirits high!

Day 5 ---> a Santiago de Compostela

Well, unfortunately, the tendonitis in my left knee got the better of me. Seeing the countryside by bus wasn´t nearly as exciting or cathartic as walking would have been. However, we decided that, even though are hearts were in it (and otherwise our bodies had adapted), attempting to hobble into Santiago would do more harm than good. We are still entertaining the idea of attempting the journey again another time, employing the knowldge and wisdom with which we are now equiped. For now, we are resting in this beautiful and vibrant city, healing our bodies and spirits.

The city has an energy reminiscent of that which we fell in love with in Léon. They both have delightful old city centers, rich histoy, thriving culture, and beautiful old Cathedrals.


The people have been great and the food here is unreal! Our hostal is in a building that is about 400 years old, and right in the middle of the old city...within minutes of everything.

We will endeavor to do a more detailed update soon and will, regrettably, see you all in hell. Except for those of you that we will not be seeing, you know who you are.

¡Hacia Santiago, con fotos, fotos y más fotos!

¡Hola! Here is the latest installment of los Stuhan: We are currently in Sárria, the last of the larger towns on the road to Santiago de Compostela. However, this is still rural Galicia (the province of northwestern Spain), with farmhouses and pastures that lend the area a special charm. This part of Spain is lejos (far) from the sunny beaches of the south. The weather here is more like Ireland, it has been wet and rainy since we arrived. Everything is green, and when it´s not raining there is still a bit of moisture suspended in the air. Our progress has been substaintial, until today, as I (Maggie) am suffering from a minor muscle ache and tendon inflammation. Fortunately, last night we had dinner with an Irish doctor and an Australian massage physiotherapist. From our Irish friend we got lots of good advice. From the Aussie, I got a couple of free deep tissue massages. They hurt like hell, I hope that they pay off over the next few days! Here is a quick summary of our progress: Day 1 - Ponferrada a Cacabelos (21k) Our first taste of walking. We were quite optimistic for the first 10k or so, then we realized that there were no signs (the path is marked with arrows and shells). Additionally, as this was our first day, each subsequent kilometer became exponentially more difficult to endure than the last. It was a relief to pull into town and find clean showers and private bunks. Day 2 - Cacabelos a Vega de Valcarce (22k) Okay, these packs are getting heavy! We enjoyed a lovely early morning walk through Spanish vineyards that evoked images of Napa Valley. This second day was also the beginning of our ascent of the mountains that seperate Galicia from the meseta (the large plain of central Spain where it doesn´t rain). Now that you have repeated that to yourself a few times, we will continue. Day 3 - Vega de Valcarce a O Cebreiro (13k) Now, before you go thinking that we took it easy, this was our hardest day yet! The toil was all uphill. Due to the rigor of the climb and the developing injury/blisters, we had little energy to devote to enjoying the scenery. That being said, it was the most beautiful day yet. We arrived at a tiny stone village at the summit just after noon. There was Celtic music playing and you could be forgiven for thinking that you had arrived in Ireland. This part of Spain was the stopover for the Celts before heading over to Ireland. The tradition is still strong here, and they participate in all of the international Celtic games and festivals. In the village we continued to make friends from all over the world, replacing people like the zippy little Italian guy who does 40k a day and with whom we could never keep pace. These encounters are one of the little delights that make the camino our own "moveable feast." Well, that and the menu specials that come with a bottle of wine, two courses, dessert and cafe con leche, all of which, are necessary to sustain the weary pilgrim. Day 4 - O Cebreiro a Sárria (46k) Does this seem like a super human feat? Possibly a little unrealistic for your beloved pilgrims? Actually, it was done by taxi. Due to schedule concerns and the injuries sustained, it was necessary to advance a bit to make it to Santiago on time. This also gives us a much needed day of rest. It is still 120k to the apostle´s city, which we will hopefully begin at sunrise tomorrow. In order to finish the camino and receive a full plenary indulgence for our sins, we must do the last 100k completely by foot and get our pilgrim´s passports stamped at least twice daily on our journey. If we are not able to finish it in this way, we will only get our certificate of completion and a coupon for a free meal in Dante´s Inferno. Please wish us luck, and remember, everything depends on this. (Well, that and Spain winning against Ukraine tomorrow. Otherwise, the bar that we are watching the game in may go up in smoke.) ¡Hasta luego!

El Camino de Santiago

O.k., this will be a quick one as the internet services are pretty limited out here--so no pictures this time. We covered 20km by foot today, it would have only been 15km without the ¨shortcut¨ (seriously). Our bodies are a little weary, but our spirits are high and we are looking forward to getting going again first thing in the morning. Between what our feet and backs are telling us, and the impending rain, we aren´t sure what progress we will make tomorrow.

While the trip is challening, everyone along the way is more than willing to help. We had cars slowing and drivers pointing us in the correct direction at forks in the road. Also, there has been no shortage of old Spanish men and women who have been willing to stop and talk to us, taking a short break from their own caminos.

We will try to check in again soon and provide more of an update. All our love.

Bienvenidos a León

Well, the picture doesn´t do it justice, but imagine rounding a corner at night and seeing this brilliantly illuminated gothic cathedral...amazing! This is the kind of sight that the pilgrims look forward to. We see people arriving all day long with backpacks, walking sticks, and expressions of joy and relief.

We´re excited to be getting underway tomorrow morning. We went to the Post Office today and shipped all of our extra baggage ahead to Santiago de Compostela. Hopefully they won´t lose it like Iberia did on the way here (we got it within 24 hours, but man did I need a change of socks)!

We were also lucky to get a special tour of León when we arrived. A professor of mine from ASU was here visiting his parents and we met up the night we got here. We enjoyed a late night stroll (we met at 11:00 pm) and sat at a café full of locals. He and his family took us around and we saw the wall around the old city that dates from Roman times, a romanesque church on a cobblestone square, and a more contempoarary building designed by Gaudí.

The charm of this city is difficult to communicate in a short description like this. It is a very Spanish town, bereft of large-scale tourism apart from the humble pilgrims that pass through as they follow their path, marked by sea shells and arrows.

We went to the convent yesterday and got our pilgrim´s passports which are stamped along the way as proof of progress. The love and exuberance shown by the volunteer who helped us demonstrated the piety and passion that is found in the pilgrim community. Tonight we are going back to receive a blessing from the sisters that will inaugurate our journey. Our excitement is palpable.

We send everyone our love, please wish us ¡buena suerte!

Las Canarias parte 2

Our trip to the Canary Islands has drawn to a close...here are some of the highlights. Dining and dancing in a cave bar, an absolutely smashing time! The indigenous people, customs, and food of the islands are reflected in some of the more remote areas and are well worth enduring the narrow roads to get there. This is a cave house! ->

On our last full day on the island we made it into Maspalomas, still a tourist spot, but also a historical one with an old lighthouse and stunning beaches. There is an area of sand dunes along the beach that would nearly make you believe you were in the middle of the Sahara, of course we were only about 20 miles from Africa. The sand was abundant and conducive to building fascinating castles and scenes, including the Last Supper a la Sahara.



We are currently in Leon, which comes from 'legion,' not 'lion,' as this was once an old Roman outpost. We look forward to exploring the city, the old wall, the (Roman) baths, the renowned Cathedral, and all the other charming things, as I am sure there will be many. This is also OUR first stop along the Camino de Santiago Compostela. Last night we met some young people who had already been walking for a month and were taking a well deserved break. By local estimates it should take us, and them, about 8 to 10 days to reach our final destination. I think, that is I hope, that we are hearty enough to make it. We will wish ourselves a good trip and all of you happiness and health! Until later, we love you all!

N.B. Comments are now working for those of you who inquired. They are added after we review them, talk about a police state!

Desde las Canarias

Hello! Here we are in the Canary Islands, enjoying some well earned down-time. Of course, that is after the flight delay in Chicago, that lead to the missed flight in Spain, that lead to three service counters in Madrid, and a late-night arrival at our hotel. It was only about 30 hours of travel, altogether.

So, these pictures are from our trip across the island yesterday. In the distance behind me you can see the volcano, Teide, that forms one of the other islands. The landscapes are pretty incredible.

The resort is beautiful and the weather couldn´t be better! As we are surrounded by other tourists, namely English and German, we have not had much opportunity to stretch our Spanish legs yet. I am sure that the proper humility, for me (Maggie), will set in when we arrive back on the mainland.

We are happy to have each other and love spending time together...we manage to keep from taking ourselves too seriously. For instance, when you find that you have locked yourself out on your balcony...

Look forward to further postitings in the near future ; )
We love you all! James and Maggie