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Pretty towns and sweeping beaches in Cantabria
From Santander I headed west into Cantabria. I travelled by bus except for the last day. I very happily walked, and it was my favourite day of all. Santillana del Mar is a pretty little medieval town. Despite it’s name (del Mar) it is not on the sea. The first building I encountered was a convent. If a convent gate is open I always like to peak in. Why? To see if there are nuns cookies for sale. Sure enough I was rewarded with a tempting assortment of baked goods displayed on glass shelves. I debated the options with the help of a couple from Prague who came off the…
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La Bahía Santander
When I say I am going back to Spain it’s sometimes met with this response: “Don’t you want to go somewhere else?” Well, yes. Yet I am drawn back to Spain. There are 17 comunidades autónomas (similar to provinces) and each offers up its own traditions, landscape, climate, food, drink, and in some cases its own language. For me, returning is a nice combination of familiar Spanish traditions I happily anticipate (like vermut and fresh squeezed orange juice) and new customs to discover. Each trip I pick somewhere new to visit. On this latest trip I headed north. If you trace your way on a map from Madrid directly north,…
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Potato leek soup
My husband and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house. Roast chicken, potato and celeriac purée and a medley of colourful roasted vegetables. My brother and sister-in-law made the trek from Ottawa with my two nieces and nephew. My daughter was home from university. The grandmothers were happy all kids and grandkids were present. Eleven family members packed around our table. We all had many things to be thankful for as we went around the table: family, friends, health, peace, homes safe from hurricanes and tornadoes, good food, a week off school, swimming, donuts, molasses Halloween candy. It was a good long list. After dinner we played the game Listography.…
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Pilgrim statues on the Camino
Besides the yellow arrows and scallop shells connecting the days on the Camino, another familiar feature dotting the Way are pilgrim statues. These statues pop up all along the Camino. You may find one as you enter a village or take a pause in a plaza. They may greet you high atop a summit or next to a water fountain as you fill your bottle. I stopped to admire these works when I happened upon them. Some were whimsical, crafted from metal or reclaimed objects (such as those above from Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Sahagún). The bronze cast sculptures (such as those below) were particularly expressive. It was easy…
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Joyful Caramel
It’s Caramel here. You know I love to run fast and jump high. My legs are not long, but they are springy. I bet I would be good at Hurdle Jumps. I get good air. I can leap up 3 stairs at once. Easy. I can stop super fast too. I skid to a halt, point my nose in a new direction, and bam, I am off again. That’s how I am so good at chasing squirrels out of my yard. You might say it’s my super-power. Put a cape on me and I could fly. Get this? Now when I get ready to run or jump, my family yells…
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Disconnecting at the cottage
It’s a warm evening at the cottage. We finish dinner and start to discuss our post-dinner game choices. There are three generations this evening as my Mom is visiting. A boardgame? Cards? My niece proposes another option: “Anyone want to go for a swim?” She is a mermaid at heart. “I’m in,” I reply. The two of us quickly change into our bathing suits and head for the lake while the others settle on Euchre. Floating in the water I ask my niece what she likes about the cottage. “Freedom,” she says. “I get to do what I want. No school, parents telling me to do things.” I get it.…
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A drinking fountain with personality
On a recent hot humid day, overheated from walking a few blocks in my neighborhood, an image popped into my head. Not of a water sprinkler to jump through, which would have been most welcome, but of a water fountain. A fountain I encountered in Paris. Or rather a fountain that encountered me. It got my attention before I even noticed it. This is the delightful side of Paris. Of beautiful things. Elegant things. Window displays that make your mouth water. And drinking fountains disguised in pretty designs. Functional and good looking. I was in Paris on a stifling hot day last September before heading to Saint Jean Pied de…
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Unpacking Camino lessons
I was hiking the Bruce Trail and was quickly reminded of my days on the Camino de Santiago. Scallop shells and yellow arrows were simply replaced by painted white trail blazes on the trees. If you go more than 20 meters without seeing one, you’re off track. I welcomed the familiar Camino feeling as I walked the familiar landscape of the Niagara Escarpment. Follow the markers, breath in nature, one step after another. My Camino experiences merge in many ways with life at home. I may have unloaded my backpack but the gifts offered up on this ancient pilgrimage need not end on the trail. Whether it’s walking in nature,…
