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Camino de Santiago: Into Rioja
Many pilgrims walk from Los Arcos to Logroño in one stage. I divided it in 2 shorter segments and stayed a night in Viana – relaxing and enjoying vino rosado (rosé) with some other pilgrims on the main street in town. Los Arcos to Viana – 18.5 km Viana to Logroño – 9.5 km The sun was rising behind me as I left Los Arcos. The flattering light set the landscape aglow in orange. And elongated my shadow diligently accompanying me. The landscape was changing. More and more vineyards with bunches of grapes positively dripping from the vines. The smell of fermented grapes perfumed the air. Some pesky little mosquitoes were…
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Camino de Santiago: Windmills of Navarra
It’s been a good three days of walking across, up, and over the landscape of Navarra. Green mountains, distant chalky cliffs, red soil, small villages, a hilltop castle, and, oh those lovely vineyards with deep purple grapes. Pamplona to Puente de Reina – 27 km (includes 3 km detour to Saint Eunate) Puente de Reina to Estella – 22 km Estella to Los Arcos – 21.5 km The first part of the walk to Puente La Reina was defined by wind. As soon as I left the outskirts of Pamplona I could see a line of modern white windmills along the crest of a mountain. The more I walked the…
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Camino de Santiago: Over the Pyrenees
I have arrived in Pamplona. I feel my legs, for sure, they have been worked, but I am feeling quite happy with the journey. It’s been a great 4 days of walking. Saint Jean Pied to Port to the Virgin of Biakkori – 12 km Virgin of Biakkori to Roncesvalles – 13 km Roncesvalles to Zubiri – 22 km Zubiri to Pamplona – 21 km On my first two days I climbed up and over the Pyrenees past caramel coloured cows and herds of sheep with griffon vultures cruising overhead. The skies were clear as I climbed the first segment so I had expansive views over the beautiful green mountains. The…
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Stratford in sound, movement and flavours
We are sitting at the small counter at El Cactus Taco Shop in Stratford. The decor is bright and fun like the neon set of wings on the wall. The service is cheerful. It’s a contrast to the grey outside. Pouring rain. I resist the Mezcal Negroni artfully scrawled on the chalkboard menu and order the Agua Fresca instead, a blend of watermelon and blueberry juice. I need to stay sharp for the theatre. This is the reason we are in Stratford of course. Yet the intriguing flavour combinations in this little taco shop hint at another reason to enjoy a visit to Stratford. We are off to a great…
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Chasing waterfalls
I love hikes. It’s tail wagging fun. My family takes me on many. Sometimes I encounter squirrels to chase. Bunnies here and there. I like that a lot. I can be speedy when I have something to chase. Sticks are good too. Here’s something new I learned that are super fun to chase. Waterfalls! We took a short car ride to get to this hike. I am not so crazy about car rides. Except when my whole family is together. If only one person is in the car I am in trouble. We are going somewhere where they poke and prod me or where they cut my hair. Either way,…
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Boulders and big rocks at Niagara Glen
My Spanish teacher is quite interested in Canadian nature. I have been showing him photos, like our cottage scenery or the Niagara escarpment, to discuss in class. It’s helpful to learn vocabulary about nature. It seems there are a variety of coastal related words in Spanish, like la cala (cove), la orila (shore), el litoral and la costa (both meaning coast), cabo (cape) but not so many for rock formations. As I was trying to describe the landscape of Niagara Glen I learned there is no Spanish equivalent for boulder. The best translation for a boulder is una roca grande. A big rock. There are certainly a lot of big…
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Wildlife encounters at the cottage
Four hummingbirds were fighting over the last dredges of sugar syrup this morning. When the battle was over I refilled the red plastic feeder. Third time this week. A steady stream of tiny shimmering birds have been zipping over for a snack. It’s so popular they knock each other out of the way. Even without any sweet enticement I have been fortunate this summer to spot plenty of wildlife at our Little Straggle cottage. On a walk in the woods, I had a staring contest with a lone fox. He spotted me and stood utterly still in the forest. I admired his lustrous red coat and full bushy tail before…
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The scallop shell: a symbol of the Camino de Santiago
On my last visit to Spain I was fortunate to visit Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca. The facade of this unique building is decorated with 300 scallop shells. The house was built by a knight of the order of Santiago. These knights protected pilgrims walking the long journey to northwestern Spain to pay homage to Santiago (Saint James). The pilgrimage dates from medieval times. Around 813, the legend is a hermit Pelayo followed a trail of stars into a field and discovered the burial place of Saint James, one of the first disciples of Jesus Christ. News of the discovery spread. People from across Europe began to walk to…
