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Spain

Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza

We went and explored the Palicio de la Aljafería located in Zaragoza Spain.

Shelley and Ray outside of the Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza Spain

As we approached the palace it was obvious that this was a fortified palace build several centuries ago. We went through the main gate and into a beautiful inner courtyard. There were orange trees and the smell of orange was prominent in the courtyard. 

Centre courtyard of the Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza Spain

There was an overwhelming islamic architecture design in the palace. 

From ornate islamic designed frames of doorways to unique ceilings.

Shelley in the Palace of Aljaferia checking out the islamic architecture

We soon discovered that the Palacio de la Aljafería palace was built during the second half of the 11th century in Zaragoza, Spain.  It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2001 and known for its Spanish Islamic design.

Shelley and Ray in one of the palace rooms with an ornate ceiling design

We wandered through the different rooms and were amazed by the size of the palace even the staircase was massive.

Shelley on the large staircase
One of the staircases in the Aljaferia palace

The palace reflects the amazing details and ornate design during the period attained by the Taifa of Zaragoza. This history was preserved and today the palace is home to regional parliament of Aragon. 

Parliament room in the Aljaferia palace

It was a great place to explore and learn about the rich history of Islamic influence here in Spain. 

“Muchas flores diferentes hacen un ramo”. ~ Proverbio islámico

Spain

Happy New Year and welcome 2022

Ray and Shelley at Fisterra Spain

2021 has been one tough year and we are glad to say that it is over. We now hope that 2022 will be a lot better and the world will find some sense of normal. We are making plans for some new and exciting adventures for this year. We hope to incorporate a lot more travel and to see more of our family and friends. Until then we want to simply wish everyone a very healthy, safe and Happy New Year.

We say good bye to 2021 with a few photos of our travels and adventures from the past year.

The view of the beach in Alicante in M
Ray and Shelley in a Winery in the Rioja Regions of Spain
Ray sitting on a chair of a statue of a shoe shine man in the town of Haro Spain
Shelley overlooking  a valley in the Rioja region of Spain
View of the town of Bastida in the region of Rioja.
The river of Ebro in the Rioja region of Spain
Shelley and Ray with fields of grape wines in Rioja region of Spain
Part of the fortified castle in the town of Sajazarra
Shelley with fresh Pomegranates picked from a wild tree in the mountains near Alicante
View of the sunset from our terrace in Alicante
Ray and Shelley at Christmas time 2021 in Alicante

“Feliz año nuevo y deseándote un próspero y seguro 2022”

 

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Highlights of some of the Camino De Santiago -Primitivo

The different days along the Camino De Santiago are unique and yet very similar in some aspects. Although each day brings new vistas and experiences they also bring similarities and rituals. Each morning we would awake early and get ready for the day.  There was a ritual of cleaning up, stretches and applying our anti blister balm on our feet before starting the days camino.  We would start out without breakfast or coffee. Walking the camino until we would find a place to stop for breakfast and coffee. On other days we would take our coffee and snack to go.

snacks and coffee on the go.

We carried a small amount of food in case of long gaps between places. On some days it was not until noon or even later before we came to our first cafe or food spot. 

From the town of Salas we continued to head upwards higher into the mountains of northern Spain.  It seemed at times that we were always ascending or descending. 

Shelley along one of the many climbs towards the windmill along the Camino Primitivo

At this point Shelley had twisted her knee and it was causing her difficulty and pain. We decided to send out packs ahead to lessen the weight on her knee. We would take more breaks along the way. This was also a chance to stop and enjoy the amazing views. 

Going up towards the windmills on the Primitivo
The Dam at the reservoir of Embalse de Salime on the Camino Primitivo.

This dam was amazing to see and is a designated world heritage site.

Ray along the ridge area of the camino de Primitivo
The view along the primitivo in the upper section of the mountains.

The further along we went unfortunately the worse Shelley´s knee became until we decided that we would stop at Lugo and take a few extra days to recuperate and see if her knee would get better. 

The primitivo is an amazing route with spectacular views. Here are just some of the vistas we saw along our way to Lugo from Salas. It was an amazing section of the primitivo but not for the faint of heart as the route is very taxing and difficult with steep and long ascends through the mountains. 

We arrived at Lugo and we were grateful for the few days of rest before continuing on the camino. The city of Lugo is beautiful and we enjoyed being a tourist in the city for a while.. But that is for another post.

“Disfruta de cada momento y experiencias de la vida”

Camino de Santiago, Spain

Grado to Salas on the Camino Primitivo

We walked from the town of Grado to Salas on the Camino Primitivo. The trail was more enjoyable than our first day because the rain had finally stopped.  We started the day around 8am with a coffee and tea to go. It was a nice way to start the camino.  Soon this section of the camino began to ascend upwards to the pass of Alto del Fresno.  It was not too long of an ascend but it was fairly steep. We stopped several times along the climb to catch our breath and to enjoy some of the beautiful views.

A view part way up the ascend from Grado towards Salas.

As we reached the top, Ray took a photo with his Valerie flutter key chain, which he carries with him when he travels. This is in honour of Valerie Goneau his second cousin.  (see previous post)  https://wp.me/p6PTzi-1zS  

Once we reached the top, it was not long before we then began walking downwards. The walk down was challenging because of the strain is was causing on our knees and feet.  

Shelley walking down the incline after reaching the pass of Alto del Fresno.

The trail was not always easy going, there was a fair amount of mud because of the heavy rain the day before. There were times that the terrain was quite slippery and uneven. We were glad we had our walking sticks to help navigate through the muddy areas.

 

The mud and water on the trails of the camino Primitivo

We walked a total of 26 kilometers this day and the trail and views were quite enjoyable. Here is a video and a few pictures from that day.

Shelley on the Camino Primitivo

Shelley taking a well deserved rest along the Camino

Some of the Camino trail brought us close to farms and at times we walked through the cow trails between the barns.

Selfie with one of the local cows
One of the cow trails along the Camino Primitivo

We arrived finally at our next stop in Salas. Our feet and bodies were glad that we had reached our destination for the day.

We rested and enjoyed some down time before starting our next day.

¨Buen Camino¨

 

Camino de Santiago, Spain

The start of the Camino Primitivo

We started our camino de Santiago by taking a train from Alicante to the town of Oviedo in Asturias. We stayed the night in Oviedo before starting our camino the next morning.

The cathedral of St. Saviour  in Oviedo which is the starting point of the Camino Primitivo

Oviedo is the starting point for the Camino Primitivo and was the starting point of Alfonso II the Chaste King of Asturias who took this route in the 9th century to see the recently discovered tomb of St James the Apostle. 

We began the camino in the pouring rain from Oviedo. Our spirits were high with excitement and determination.

We set out at 7:30 in the morning from the Cathedral. We walked for a short while and before long we were in the countryside.

Park on the edge of Oviedo
At the outskirts of Oviedo,

There was lush greenery everywhere and the camino soon began to narrow into a trail. 

We walked through the rain into some steep declines and inclines along the rail. Some of the trail was very rough and required that we walk slowly and carefully to avoid slipping or falling. 

Part of the trail along camino Primitivo between Oviedo and Grado.

Although it was raining the entire day, along our journey we came across some beautiful small communities, sites and views. 

Our first day was a challenge, we walked the entire day in the rain.

Rain water flowing down the road like a small river.

Although it was difficult at times, our enthusiasm and spirits remained high. 

Shelley and Ray on the Camino Primitivo between Oviedo and Grado

We walked around 28 kilometers and finished our day in a town called Grado. We were tired but content for completing day one of our camino.

We settled into our room and although we had ponchos and rain jackets we were partly soaked. Our waterproof hiking boots had been exposed to rain, mud and water the entire time.  It turned out that the hiking boots were not quite waterproof. 

Feet wrinkled by walking in wet shoes

We cleaned up, changed into dry clothes and enjoyed a well deserved refreshment.

We enjoyed a well deserved refreshment and celebrated our achievement of day one.

¨Buen Camino¨