Happy Father's Day!

Last year while walking the Camino de Santiago, I hit a few low points and struggled a bit.  But in those low moments, I picked myself up and kept on walking.

One of the values that I learned from both my mother and father was the ability to overcome the many challenges in my life.  This really helped me on my Camino.  This was I photo I took the morning of the last stage on my Camino.  It was raining a bit when I first started out, but soon the clouds broke and I could see the sunlight breaking through.  It was a very memorable and fitting last day of my pilgrimage walk.

Thank you Dad for the many valuable things that you taught me.  Love you always, Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to Everyone!

Where Have I Been . . .

While I have not been very active here of late, I have been busily writing out my Camino de Santiago Trip Report and Journals.  If you would like to read more of my Camino de Santiago, you can find my trip report on Slow Europe. There I have also posted a thread (Walking the Camino de Santiago), which has some live posts while I was on my Camino.

You can also find my Camino Journals on my other website HERE. The reason I am using this other site over my Blogger site is so I can include a slideshow in addition to a YouTube video and narrative of each walking stage.  It also allows me to post links to PDF documents (ie., my Packing list, etc.).

While on my Camino it was much easier to post on Facebook so that's what I used to blog while walking.  You can find my live postings on my Facebook Trekcapri's Travel Adventures Page.

I hope to resume my postings here as soon as I complete my daily journals of my Camino de Santiago. What a wonderful life changing experience. I'm already planning to hopefully walk my second Camino in the very near future.

As you can see in this video, my most favorite part of my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage was meeting the extraordinary people (pilgrims and locals) along the way.

Buen Camino!  The Dream Lives On . . .

Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago: I'm Back

I'm back from Spain and my Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage. I had intended to blog while on my Camino, but time was very limited and I could only manage writing quick posts on my Trekcapri's Travel Adventures Facebook Page and on Slow Europe which is a great travel resource that has a wonderful travel community forum. 

I have a lot to talk about and now that I am home I will try to post some of my thoughts and reviews for anyone who is interested in also walking the Camino de Santiago.

At the top of my things to talk about is a review (before & after) of my packing list. This is a photo of my packing list contents "before" my Camino.  I will write a review (maybe even do a video) of what I would change from this original list. First and foremost, I would leave about 40% of it at home and I would take a smaller backpack. :) 

Stay tuned.  Buen Camino!

Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago: Hiking the Pyrenees Part I

It was a storybook start to fulfill a dream of mine to walk the Camino de Santiago. I arrived as planned (albeit over packed) in the small picturesque French town of Saint Jean Pied de Port, the start of the Camino Frances route. Met some lovely pilgrims on the way, arranged for my post Camino items and miscellaneous stuff to be transported on to Santiago de Compostela for me, had some good wine, a delicious meal and great company. It was just about perfect.

 

I had an extra day in SJPDP to help acclimate and on September 21, 2016, I took my first steps on the Camino. It was a beautiful clear day and even the 4-legged locals were out to greet me. I was feeling great.

This was the beginning of my steep and relentless up hill hike to Refugio Orisson. With every turn I kept expecting to see the Hostal or at least some flat terrain. It was not to be. There were more hills, some of which were steeper than the one you just climbed. 

In the mist of the pain and agony I couldn't help but to marvel at the beautiful landscape and my accomplishments. I'm hiking the Pyrenees.

View from Orisson

The people who run the Albergue and the pilgrims I met were wonderful and the view was just stunning. At night you can hear the cow bells outside our room (horses and sheep have them too), and it helps me to overlook the snoring. It's all in the Camino experience they say which I can appreciate, but I had probably 30 minutes of solid sleep the whole night. 

I loved the communal dinner where we shared our names and where we are from.  A young girl from Liverpool (who sounds like the Beatles, two girls from Ireland, a girl from Israel, a couple from Ireland, a girl from San Diego and a 72 year old woman from Sweden doing her 2nd Camino (my hero), a mother and son from Minnesota (originally from Hawaii)

The pilgrim's life is simple. You walk, you shower, you was your next day's clothes (in hopes that it dries), you share a very brief Post dinner chat and then you go to bed by 9:00 am. Breakfast is  at 7:00 am to 7:30 am.

The Dream Lives On . . .  Buen Camino!

Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago: Every Journey Begins With the First Step

Tomorrow, I will embark on the Journey of a lifetime.  What first started out as a "Dream" will soon become a reality. In the morning, I will leave my comfy bed, my car and my fast internet service here at home to walk an ancient pilgrimage called the "Camino de Santiago (Wikipedia), also known as the Way of St. James.  

I will start in the small French town of St. Jean Pied de Port at the foot of the Pyrenees. From there I will walk 790 kilometers (close to 500 miles) through four of Spain's 15 Regions to the town of Santiago de Compostela which is where the remains of Saint James is buried. 

There are several other routes for this spiritual pilgrimage, but I will be taking the most popular one called the Camino Frances (The French Way) as seen on the famous movie, The Way, with Martin Sheen and Emilio Esteves.

I've been planning and preparing for my Camino for the last two years and I still don't feel prepared. Recently, I told a perfect stranger about my Camino when they asked if I had any travel plans. When I told them I'm excited, but that I don't feel prepared. This person shrugged that off and said that I'll do just fine, it sounds exciting.  It's walking. You'll have a lot of fun. Just then I realized that in the mist of stressing over my preparations, I had forgotten what an amazing experience my Camino will be.  I realized that I have done all that I can do to prepare and that worrying about what I can or cannot control was beginning to take away from the excitement and joy of looking forward to my journey. The Camino lesson in all of this is "to let go, live in the present and enjoy each moment to the fullest".

Some people are born with natural athletic abilities to make such a trip easy, just like some people are born with the natural talents to write classical symphonies. And then there are some who are not.  It is true that I'm not the fittest nor the fastest and I can't come close to writing a classical symphony, so I'm not sure how I'll do or even if I will be able to finish. But what I do know is that I have always tried to live my life and will go beyond my fears to do so. What I lack in natural physical abilities, I feel like I can make up in other attributes like having a strong desire to live my dreams, my faith in God to help guide the way for me and my determination to not give up.  Before I leave tomorrow, I wanted to contemplate on all the things I have going on in my mind and heart and what I hope to experience:

• my faith in God 
• my faith in myself
• the support of my family and friends
• my belief in the Camino pilgrimage and all the life lessons that it provides  
• spiritual/religious strengthening
• the opportunity for self discovery
• the opportunity to let go of some of the regret's in my life & to ask for forgiveness 
• the celebration of my new found freedom as a retired person after 41 years of being in the work force 
• my desire to full fill my dream of walking the 500 miles Camino de Santiago pilgrimage

Will I complete the 500 miles? I don't know. I will leave it in God's hands. All I know is that I would forever regret it if I didn't at least try.  And with that perspective in mind I feel like I have already fulfilled my Camino de Santiago dreams by taking my first step on the Camino Frances Route in the small town of St. Jean-Pied-de-Port.

I plan on blogging and tweeting along the way and on some of my other social media sites.  You can find the links to them by clicking on my Camino de Santiago Page located on the tab at the top of my blog or on the side bar. Follow along as I embark on writing my classical symphony entitled, "Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago, A Journey of Reflections & Gratitude."

I am definitely very thankful to have the opportunity to go on pilgrimage to walk the Camino de Santiago.  And whether or not I complete it, I am very proud of myself for trying and for living my life.  Before I go to bed, I'll say this little prayer and have faith that God will keep me safe, healthy (physically and spirituality) and inspired on this Camino journey.

May the road rise up to meet you, 

May the wind be always at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rain fall soft upon your fields. 

And until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the palm of his hand. 

May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son 

and Holy Spirit descend on you.

~ Celtic Blessing

To keep myself motivated, I did this cool word art a while back. I love it. I will say these words to myself as I walk.

And you know I had to do it. Here is my traditional trip announcement video for my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage:

The Dream Lives On . . .  Buen Camino!

Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago: A Journey of Reflections & Gratitude

I have only 24 days more to go before I leave on my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.  I have named this trip "A Journey of Reflections & Gratitude.  My traditional Trip Announcment Video, will posted closer to my departure date. Meanwhile, here's a look at my newly created trip logo. :) 

Why do I deal with the dry dust in my mouth,

the mud on my aching feet, 

the lashing rain and the glaring sun on my skin?

Because of the beautiful towns?

Because of the food?

No. Because I was summoned!

~ Anonymous Camino de Santiago Pilgrim 

Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago: Bad Ass Pilgrim

On my 4th trip, I gasped for air and paused 5 steps from the top!  The Redondo Beach stairs are used by many locals for their fitness training. I'm using them for my Camino Training.  

As I finally reached the top, a girl who was watching me cheered "Bad Ass" and then lifted her hand to invite an encouraging high 5 with me. I laughed, thanked her and gave her a high 5! And so was born my favorite Camino Training phrase, Bad Ass Pilgrim!  I enjoy staying inspired in a fun and kooky kind of way while training. :)

By the way I am now only 28 days until I leave for my Camino. Packing is still a work in progress and my training and trip preparations are ongoing.

If you want to catch your dreams, 

you have to drop your fears.

~ Anton Rubaclini

Trekcapri's Camino de Santiago: I'm On My Way

I recently purchased my plane tickets and I'm finally on my way to Spain to fullfill a dream of mine to walk the Camino de Santiago.   I'll arrive in Paris (luckily snagged a direct flight) where I'll spend one night before taking an early train to Bayonne and then on to St. Jean Pied de Port (SJPDP) where I'll start my Camino.  I booked a hotel (close to the Gare Monparnasse Train Station in Paris, two nights in SJPDP, one night in my first Refugio, Orisson, (to break up that first tough stage over the Pyrenees) and one night in Hotel Roncesvalles (I'm a really slow walker and wanted to ensure that I have a bed waiting for me after this long and difficult stage).  I have most of my packing list contents and as I train, I'll be testing out several shoes to see which one I'll be taking on my Camino. 

For more than a thousand years, pilgrims from all walks of life and from all over the world walk the Camino de Santiago.  Some people do it for spiritual/religous reasons while others do it for self-discovery and/or to have a grand walking adventure.  Although there are several camino routes to choose from, I will be taking the more popular Camino Frances route made famous by the movie, "The Way", starring Martin Sheen and his Actor/Director/Producer son, Emelio Estevez. I will walk 500 miles through 4 (Navarro, Rioja, Castille/Leon and Galacia) of Spain's 15 regions.  I last visited Spain in 2008 and I am so excited to return. Since I will retire in July after working 32 long years with the City of Los Angeles, I will have the luxory to walk my pilgrimage with no work restrictions.  After my Camino I plan to take a very cheap ($26) one-way flight from Santiago (after I walk onto Finisterre and Muxia) to Barcelona (my fly out City) where I will spend the rest of my weeks exploring the wonderful Spanish Region of Catalonia.  

Now that I've booked my airline tickets, I'll be posting more about my Camino de Santiago Journey. Until my next post, Buen Camino.

The Dream Lives On . . .

Staycation, Life Transitions & A New Perspective

This year for the first time in 10 years, I'm taking a "staycation".  It's not fun to know that I won't be traveling to somewhere awesome again this year, but there are two very good reasons for this decision. First, after 32 long years working for the City of Los Angeles, I will officially retire on July 23, 2016.  I guess you might say that I am planning my permanent vacation.  Whoo Hoo!  Second, I have to train and save up for my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, which might potentially take up to two months to complete.  I just may even stay another month in Europe traveling around by backpack. 

It's funny, but one of the adventures I've always dreamed about having since I was child was to go on a backpacking trip through Europe. This was something I didn't do because I had school, then work, and all the responsibilities and obligations that came with it.  It was a dream that I never thought could ever come true.  After (God willing) I finish my Camino, I hope to take my backpack, hop on a train or low cost flight and visit other parts of Europe for a few weeks.  How cool would that be. Retirement and my Camino seems so far away, but I know that time will go by fast.

After announcing that I will be retiring next July, I have been asked this question so many times . . . . What will I do when I retire?

Most of the time I reply with my standard, I want to do more traveling, take fun classes, exercise, get healthy and do some home projects. However, lately I'm been thinking about this poignant scene from the movie, The Way, when Daniel (Emilio Esteves) and his father, Tom, discuss life.  Daniel was on his way to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago.  For over a thousand years, pilgrims have walked 500 miles from St. Jean De Port in France over the Pyrenees and across northern Spain to the City of Santiago de Compostela where the body of St. James, a disciple of Christ is entombed.  

Daniel's father, in the movie and in real life (Martin Sheen), doesn't agree with his life style and tells his son that his life may not be much but it was the life he chose.  Daniel responded and said, "Dad you don't choose a life, you live one."

It's been a very long road, this journey of mine.  First my education, my career path and job were all choices I made in my life.  It was the 9-5 job to pay the bills, it was the long commute day to get to and from my 9-5 job, it was the once a year big vacation trip (limited to 3 weeks), and it was the long 32 years working for one employer in order to earn my retirement allowance that would allow me to secure my future. 

Lately, I am beginning to quickly realize just how short and precious life is becoming.  I'm no longer that 20-year-old who had no worries about the future nor thought about ever getting old one day. But as you get older, your whole perspective about life changes.  There is no rewind button, no going back and no do overs.  This is it!  No matter what path in life we may have chosen, we have to live for the here and now and follow our passions.  We should not put things off for another day because that day may just never come.  

My life has been filled with so many experiences and for the most part I've lived a good life.  I grew up with the best parents and sister, I have some really cool friends and worked with some very good co-workers and I've had the opportunity to travel to see some beautiful parts of the world.  I think I've made the best choices that I could possibly make for myself and I am so appreciative and grateful for where I am today. But as I enter this new phase in my life, I'm ready to move on with a new perspective.  Not working or aiming toward something, not taking the safe and predictable road and not planning for the future (well except for any travel trip planning that I have to do that is), because technically the present is the future.  I want to really start to enjoy living in the moment and not worry about tomorrow.  

So the next time someone asks me, what I plan on doing when I retire, my response will be short and sweet.  I'll simply say . . . . "When I retire, I plan on living my life."

Trekcapri's 2014 Portugal Travel Adventures: Muito Obrigado Portugal!

Thank you so much Portugal for a fantastic time!  It's been wonderful visiting this amazing country. I had such an incredible time learning about its history, sampling their cuisine with an emphasis on their delicious desserts, meeting the locals.  

There are so many highlights which I'll try to summarize;

Day Trip to Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca - I had read that you can do a day trip circuit to Sintra, Cabo da Roca and  Casais, so I purchased my combo round trip train ticket/bus pass and made the 1.40 hour train journey. I loved Sintra a lot because of it's beautiful surrounding and I enjoyed visiting the Pena Palace. The palace is painted in such bright happy colors. I loved it.  

There were other things I wanted to see but had to head to Cabo da Roca and Cascais.  Cabo da Roca is touted as the western most point in Western Europe so I wanted to stop there on the way to Cascais. It was a beautiful spot and I spent an hour there before catching the bus to Cascais.  To be honest, I was a little meh on Cascais.  

Day Trip to Fatima - This was one of the highlights of my trip and I had the most moving experience here.  To think that I almost didn't make this day trip because I felt I wasn't going to have enough time to do it.  This goes to show that sometimes you need to follow your instincts and your heart when making decisions on the fly when traveling.  Sometimes some of the things you didn't solidify in your plans can turn out to be the best experiences on your trip.

Day Trip to Evora - This was a lovely town which is only a  1.5 hour train ride from Lisbon and it has this Roman Temple in the historic center.  It had a nice town square where locals hung out at in the evening.  The cobble stoned streets within the town walls are lined with charming white buildings trimmed in gold (yellow).   I would recommend Evora as a nice day trip.

Day Trip to Obidos - Obidos is a very small village only a one hour bus ride away from Lisbon.  I had a very relaxing time here walking the Castle Walls (even if it was raining the whole time) and enjoying a new drink called Ginja which is a sweet Sherry liquor. You drink it in a little chocolate cup and then when you're done you can eat the chocolate cup. :) At the entrance to the town center is this beautiful tiles.

Day Trip to Porto - This is the second largest city in Portugal but it didn't feel like a big city. It was only when I took the City Hop On/Hop Off Bus did I see how really big this city is. It is a picturesque city because of the bridges and old port area near the Douro river which is where I stayed and colorful old buildings with laundry hanging out to dry.  It reminded me so much of Venice. 

I also went on a cool wine tasting tour at the Taylor Wine Cellars.  Can you guess which one I liked the best.  You can see the difference in the colors that they are two different types. My favorite is the one on the left, the 10 year Vintage wine which was a bit more fruitier.  I'm not a big wine drinker but this was so good. 

And then there was the food.  I already posted on those delicious Pasteis de Nata, but at the Landeau Chocolate Cafe located in the artistic LX Factory which Jonathan from the Slow Europe Travel Forum recommended I had the best chocolate cake ever. 

Since the City lies on a series of seven hills, it offers some stunning views at strategically viewing points called Miradouros.  I visited as many as I could.  

From St. George's Castle.

MIradouro da Senhora do Moniz.

Miradouro De Sao Pedro de Alcantra.

Miradouro Santa Luiza.

And although this isn't a Miradouro, this little side street in Barrio Alto offers a stunning view of St George Castle in the Alfama District.

I've written about my experience visiting the Coach museum but I also made time to visit the National Tile Museum which was wonderful. 

After spending 3 weeks here, I finally figured out the layout and how to catch the right tram going in the right direction. They aren't the smoothest ride ever but they are fun to ride in and watch go by. 

I love my neighborhood in the Chiado District but I also loved strolling through the old Alfama District where everything seem so old, authentic and  charming. 

In some places the streets are so narrow, you have to step to the side when the tram rolls by.

Up the street from my apartment there is great place where street musicians entertain patrons at the famous A Brasileira Cafe.

And then there are are the people and random little delights that I noticed each time I ventured out to explore.  As always I seem to find the most pleasure in the little details of these snapshots. 

At one of the Miradouros I saw this local gentleman greet this little kid he saw running around with his father.  It was so sweet.

Here in Porto a local woman watches out of her window after hanging her laundry.

At the popular cafe up the street from my apartment a little dog sits at the door waiting for her owner.

I saw several Camino de Santiago arrows during my trip.  The first two photos knew about and looked for it when I went to visit the Cathedral Se.  I even think I saw a pilgrim in there praying.  She had a big backpack with a pair of crocs hanging on the side.  It was very exciting!

These next two arrows I stumbled upon during my visit to Porto.  Here are a couple I found in Porto. 

I had a wonderful time here in Portugal and I would recommend visiting here for any traveler.  I am so thankful to Annie (Blog: Churches in Venice) & Girasoli (Blog: Shave Ice & Gelato) for your kind comments and for following my blog. I appreciate it so much.  

I want to say thank you to my family, friends, blogging and travel friends and co-workers for all of your support and for following my blog posts.

And the Dream lives on . . . .