Say no more!!

14:30 hours to Dubai - the movies I watched

Mama Mia - Here we go again

Pretty Woman

Ladies in Black

And half of I Tonya - (I’ll watch the rest on the way to Barcelona)

Phil watched:

Shawshank Redemption

Stand by Me

And a podcasts on the Worlds greatest speeches E.g. Churchill, Clinton, JFK, Obarma

Arrived save and sound in Barcelona after 27 hours from leaving Sydney - and both our bags👏👏 Our transfer guy was there to pick us up (holding a sign Philip Gane - and chauffeured us in a Merc - but he was shy and didn’t really speak English) and our Hotel is perfect!! 😍 right in the heart of Barca.

We had a tapas tea with sangaria and beer. And early to bed - hopefully for 12 hours sleep.

The Rambla outside our Hotel room - and heaps of places to eat.

Our Hop on Hop off bus

We got the Finicula to the top to see a view of Barcelona

The Fort at the top.

Archery practice

And down again

The 1992 Olympics Diving Pool + a perfect afternoon tea looking over the city.

The rest of the bus loop and a walk back to our Holel for dinner outside our Hotel - pizza + beer + sangria.

A fantastic day. 😊

PS - I’m so pleased they have a hand washing basin in the bathroom - I think they call it a ‘bidet’ 😜

So we did some washing and found a different cafe for brekky - so many to choose from.

We caught the bus - this time the blue route - the north side of Barca.

The Sagrada Familia is amazing - we have tickets for tomorrow so didn’t stop today.

Gaudi’s house is situated in a park and gardens.

There were magnificent views of Barca from this park - and the gardens were quite unique.

On the way back to the bus we passed a school where students were sitting around on the steps outside smoking!!

We were able to go inside Sarria - they were tuning the organ.

We had some MT/Lunch outside this church - as it was after 12 they only served beer - no juice 😜.

We stopped off at Barca’s home stadium.

And made our way back home for a siesta.

The architure is amazing and unique.

After our siesta we went for a lovely long walk. Choose a 3rd place outside our host 280 170

Our Hotel - we are on Level 2 to the far right.

Our room

Our ‘local’ - outside our room - see phot of Phil at brekky.

We walked down La Rambla to the harbour and beach.

The big markets:

Our Hop on Hop off bus of the last couple of days:

The Marina:

Just amazing yachts

We made it to the beach:

A modern sculpture:

Back up La Rambla:

Posted 4 ‘grandson postcards’ 😂❤️❤️❤️❤️

Our lunch - delicious food:

A quick siesta before going to Sagrada Familia:

Sagrada Familia - a Gaudi design - quite modern in its thinking. Should be completely finished in 2026 - 100 years after Gaudis death.

When complete these will be the front doors:

The crypt:

Casa Battlo

Barca architecture:

After walking 18km today - we enjoyed a tapas meal at our fav place.

Up early tomorrow to make our to Madrid. We certainly have enjoyed Barcelona.

Fantastically comfortable seats and a terrific view of the countryside. Train reached speeds of 300km/hr.

Our train and unusually organised way of getting a cab in Madrid 😂😂.

Our Hotel is just perfect - friendly staff and a great location. Our wasn’t quite ready so we had a walk to the main square (Mayor Plaza) and had lunch at the gourmet market - which was packed!!

Back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta and settling into our new location.

We walked back to the Plaza Major for a parella + sangria dinner.

Back to the Hotel rooftop for a ‘nightcap’.

Real Madrid Stadium:

Lunch at the Gourmet Market:

The town is packed - there is a ‘football’ match on tonight - Real Madrid v Portugal.

While eating our ’Gourmet Lunch’ we started a conversation with a family from Switzerland - 2 girls and the mum is a teacher.

After a siesta - we are now getting ready to meet the pilgrim group.

Unexpectedly we walked 20mins to our 1st Mass of the Pilgrimage - and then had dinner back at the hotel. our Harvest tour leader is Val - very nice and very Spanish. And a nightcap if Sangria on the rooftop.

The Madrid Cathedral

The Chapel where we had Mass

The Palace (but King and Queen don’t live here):

Facing the Cathedral

Inside the Palace:

Oldest buildings in Madrid:

Architecture:

Narrowest street:

Today’s guide was excellent - he was knowledgeable and personable.

Free time this arvo. Phil and I enjoyed a pizza, beer and sangria in the main Plaza.

Out our Hotel window;

The front of our Hotel - a perfect place. Hotel Catalonia.

The country side from the bus:

A famous cross along the way that is causing controversy:

Our bus was checked by Federal police - a bit scary but fine.

The start of our walking to the Iron Cross (approx 4km) - where traditionally pilgrims leave a prayer / stone etc which we did - left 8 stones + plus a ’family card’:

Everyone was very excited setting off:

A really enjoyable walk:

These signs are everywhere to guide pilgrims:

The Iron Cross:

A little ‘anointing ceremony’ to recognise the start:

Our Spanish guide - ’Val’ - she is very Spanish and very lovely and knowledgeable

Going high up into the mountains

Through a very very narrow road - very skill fully driven by Alvaro our bus driver:

A late lunch at Molinaseca:

Mass at a Franciscan church at S Maria la Real O Cenreiro:

And the village of El Cenreiro:

We left Madrid at 7:45 this morning and arrived at Sarria at 8:15pm - a long travel day. In one of the 2 hour stints Val showed the movie ‘The Way’ on the bus.

Note: more than 300,000 pilgrims take part in some part of the El Camino.

Construction of a ‘board walk’ - should be finished next time we come. 😂:

It was just lovely walking through the rainforest.

On this Stage a fair bit was on the road:

Ha ha:

Overlooking Samos and the Benedictine Monastery:

Our driver Alvaro

Samos Monastery:

Mass in a little side Chapel at the Monastery.

Our Hotel:

Back at the Hotel after a 25.5km walk - pretty wet, and exhausted - but feeling great. (Aldona, Ned, Jenny, Sherrol, Phil)

Val - guide showing the correct route to take - not the ‘complementary route’

Let loose now - 2 check-ins. Lots of pilgrims walking today from all over the world and all ages. The scenery was fantastic - but was more hilly than I had expected.

100km out of Santiago de Compostella.

We missed our 2nd check in point - we came across this lovely cafe - very lovely people but spoke no English - eventually they understood they had to ring our guide for us - we missed the checkin point by about 10km!!! All sorted out ok. We had a couple of beers and plate of hot chips - yummy.

Get more beer!!!

Cattle being herded past the cafe.

We were just about to start walking again and Ned, Jenny and Aldona came around the corner - we walked the rest of the way with them.

Portomarin in the distance.

Long bridge walk into town

Then stone stairs up to the town:

Yay we made it!!

Our Hotel

Phil Sherrol Jenny Ned Aldona

Nice set up

2. Government offices:

3. Expensive Hotel - formally a teaching hospital:

4. The Cathedral:

We attended a Pilgrims Mass at St Francis Church:

Downtown Lisbon and to the River Tagus:

Our Scenic bus:

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

A long line to get in

Padrao dos Descobrimfntos

A special treat Portuguese tarts 👍

Belém tower

Maritime Museum

Looking towards the Atlantic Ocean along the Tagus River

Sherrol matching the photo shoot of the blonde lady in blue and white

On the spot locals hawking goods - came from nowhere to sell to 1000s of tourists.

Writing postcards on cork!! Hope they arrive ok 👍 😜.

An example of the pastry cafes.

A 2 story shop selling tins of fish.

A sangria break

Plus Austrian sausages + saukraut

Chatted with a family from the Cezk Republic - the girl was doing an internship at the Cezk Embassy - her parents and boyfriend were visiting her. We drank hot, spiced red wine.

Our bus for the trip:

Coimbra University

Mathematics faculty

Our lunch - Coimbra

Porto

Sighting our boat for the 1st time.

The Port Museum

Henry the Magnificent

El Camino 👏👏

Porto train station

Another Camino

A guide dog is travelling with us

The Stock Exchange

Scenic Azure

Our room is just perfect.

Got to love relaxing

The Captain

El Camino!!! 👏👏👏

Ucanha

The Ucanha Bridge - Portugal’s first toll bridge.

The ‘stow mason’s markings:

The bridge

Portuguese scenery

Monastery of St John of Tarouca - Benedictine

Inside the Chapel - very ornate - a very old organ - not in use

The Monastery ruins

Amazing and unique Portuguese scenery

The other Scenic bus - there are 3 buses following our boat

Mateus Palace - a Family home and business - beautiful gardens. \240

The library

Built in cupboard

Alan and Darlene

A local violist

Valeria Lock - a very tight fit.

Our Cruise Director Filipe (in the middle)

The Captain

Passing under the bridge - we could touch the bridge

Pocinho Lock

Bruce is giving ‘assistance’ to the Captain.

Cocktails (pink port and tonic) on the Sun deck - our butler Alexandra

So much salted meat everywhere

On the bus

Salamanca

The markets - where we sampled the produce - excellent

Plaza Mayor

Etchings on the wall that represents each time a PhD is awarded.

Salamanca University

Spot the frog.

Salamanca Cathedral

Astronaut

Two amazing organs in this Cathedral that are in working order and complement each other

A Portuguese lunch plus dancers

The cook sneeking a look 😂

Another Camino reminder

Came back after being out all day and our room had been scrubbed. (Albeit the cabin is completely serviced twice a day)

Docked right next to another boat - the 2 Captains conversing.

The little village of Casa Painova in the Coa Valley. A very old isolated village about 2 hours from a main town and facilities. An elderly population.

A little Family Chapel.

Our friend Wendy

Her husband Bruce

We visited a family home that had been turned into a small family business in combination with Scenic. We were shown around the typical Portuguese home - an roasting almond demo and tasting as well as Port and olive oil tasting - a terrific excursion.

Mrs \240Isabelle doing the demo

The amazing countryside back to the bus - vivid autumn colours and heavily terraced vineyards - don’t think the photos do justice.

Our Portuguese BBQ on the sun deck while cruising. Just perfect weather.

Arsenio the cruises muso - aka Richard Gere 😂😂

We weren’t so keen on the sardines.

Bruce - a fanatical photographer.

Still kept playing while in the Pocinho lock.

The Matues Rose 😂😂 (one of the waitresses)

Wendy

The Scenic bus following our boat

The Galley tour - Daniel and Andrea

The porthole in the Galley

The head Chef

A description of the guests 😂😂

Head pastry chef

Pedro

Hugo

Relaxing arvo in our cabin - cruising

Visited and hiked through Croft Vineyard

David, Camille, and Egan

Tasting Rose Port and Tawny Port - both excellent

Walked back to our boat

The factory is a mixture of manual and machine.

A tasting - very good

Our room to the right of the pole

Fish - mackerel??? A walk along the river

Our boat from the other side of the river