Sometimes I just miss everywhere I've been... ♥

No matter how much I may enjoy where I am, I'll get a wave of missing where I've been. As a traveler I've been asked over and over, "Where's your favorite spot?". That's the hardest question to answer. Like when someone asks, 'What's your favorite movie, book, song?" How do you pick a favorite song when there are so many great ones? I don't think I'm the only one afflicted by this.

When I want constructed beauty with secret spots, I miss Paris. When I want loud laughter, sunshine and instant friends, I miss Barcelona. When I want to walk for miles from sun up to sun down, I miss the Camino. When I want to refuel on love, good food, and easy living, I miss the South of Spain. When I want to sit on the floor drinking wine, chatter over coffee, and laugh till I pee my pants, I miss Toronto.

I have one month till I return to Toronto. Ask me a month ago and I had very solid reasons for returning. I was very firm in why I was going back. I knew myself so well though that I bought a ticket then... because if I didn't, I'd get caught up in the moment, and who knows how many months it would be before I felt the pull to go back. I have important people to see, jobs to attend to, a life to 'get in order'. Right? Well, listening to the waves of the ocean, that all seems impossible. I've made promises that I need to keep, but otherwise I feel like everything else can wait. Maybe I have Bocas fever and a case of Hotel California Syndrome but I think it's safe to say, the 'live by the seat of your pants' is the lifestyle for me. I don't think I'll be grounded in one place for too long, even a place I've missed so much. I give myself three months before these itchy feet are ready to roam again. I cringe and smile to start the ticking clock, 30 days till I touch home snow.

  

WEBSITE COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Photo credit starting from top, Paris by Jenn, Barcelona by Nat, Camino by Alex, South of Spain by Alex, Outside Toronto with Jus by Kate.

Coming home for realsies!

I'll be coming home Jan 10th, 2013. To buy my plane ticket I put my residence as Canadian, my passport as Canadian but my card as French with a French address that's linked to my Spanish passport while buying in American dollars... I though I had fritzed the system because it refreshed three times to tell me it was changing currency and did I approve? Then took me to a page that didn't seem quite like a confirmation. A few hours later I got the ticket delivered to my inbox so it's really true. Bitter sweet but coming and going always is.

October 2nd was the first time I ever cancelled a plane ticket. I was to fly from Panama City to Florida and figure out where to go from there. On cancelling my ticket I got half back. The ticket was less than $200 to begin with so it wasn't a big loss considering I get to stay in paradise. I learned recently that paradise came from 'walled garden' or 'enclosed park', also referred to as a limbo then finally as idyllic place. I would agree to all of the above.

This year I've been on more planes then I could remember so I've made an effort to track them. It's been a hell of a year:

Toronto to Paris (Train to Spain)

Malaga to Paris

Paris to Barcelona

Barcelona to Ibiza

Ibiza to Barcelona

Barcelona to Paris

Paris to Calvi (Train to Paris)

Paris to Toronto

Toronto to Miami to Panama City

A quick search on Goolge of "make a map of your plane trips" allowed me to make this map:



Fun Facts since my plane trip from Toronto to Paris on September 24, 201l:

Approximate time spent in flight: 28hrs

Miles covered by Plane: 12,749

Kilometers covered by Plane: 20,518

A year since boarding a one way ticket

A year ago today I was repacking my bag for the umpteenth time wondering where my one way ticket would take me. To France, Spain and beyond. Tonight I sit under the stars and a bright moon in a bay on a boat. Today's events I couldn't have foreseen even from yesterday's vantage point. When I woke up this morning I thought I would be going on a trip nearby then waiting to welcome the new house sitters. As the saying goes "If you want to make god laugh, make plans."

Jenn and I have been housesitting for just over two months now. We've had hiccups but it hasn't deterred us from loving the house and our time here in Bocas del Toro. There was one week where we had no boat, no fridge and no internet. We still don't have a boat, our internet is not great but the fridge is on the mend. Its problem seems to be a matter of cleaning the back pipes out regularly from all the bugs that lodge themselves in the back. It's a propane fridge, the first one I've seen but they are very popular here. (A $6.40USD tank of propane lasts about 12 days)

Today I came inland (we're also boat sitting) and walking up the steps at 6:30am heard the Genny running. We hardly ever run the generator because we monitor our power and do laundry on days that are rich in sunlight. We unplug everything when we're not using it so there's no phantom charge and we don't use a lot of water so the water pump doesn't have to work hard and use up the power. As I was walking up the steps I thought maybe Jenn had been keen and started a load of laundry so we could hang it before we left for our day trip and it would be dry for the new house sitters.

That was not the case. A lot of learning happened today. Apparently the house wanted to make sure we learned a lot more about water pressure systems, batteries, generators and the whole system and how it works together. Sometime in the night a switch that is activated by a pressure gauge on a water system stopped working. Instead of turning off the pump kept going sucking so much power that our displays were angry with a red light indicating power was getting dangerously low. Having recently been told the damage that can happen to batteries when depleted we were anxious (to say the least). We called next door to Carl and Mary for advice and to cancel our trip.

I wont bore you with all the other things I learned but after being very sad to leave the day before Jenn and I are ready to embark on other adventures. If only the new house sitters had shown up! I've been a little bummed that the new house sitters aren't as chatty as I would have liked. Particularly after waiting all day and receiving a message just before sundown that they were only in Panama City. I've only had a very short chat two days ago with the newcomers, my favorite question so far was: "Are there bugs?"
To which I replied "yes, it's not a sealed house. There are lizards, geckos and the very occasional scorpion"
I looked up at Jenn and asked "I don't have to mention the cockroaches that are the size of your hand right? Those fall under 'bugs'?"
At least they don't bite or bother, they just hang out on the walls really.

So it's been a really tiring day and I've enjoyed recalling where I was last September 24th. So many new faces, places, changes and learning's. So many airplane rides, boating lessons and land exploration. If you walk out your front door, not sure where you'll end up some interesting things will happen. I guess that one way ticket was just what I needed to see the world of possibilities.

Spoiler alert: I'll be living on a boat!

Figures and the Teatre Museu Dali

The Dali Theatre-Museum is the largest surrealistic object in the world. I loved exploring the different floors, each more disjointed then the last. It's inspiring to be surrounded by art that seems to hold no inhibition. I've been wanting to visit this Museum every time I've visited Spain and it lived up to the expectation. Although, what can you really expect from a building that is half a pink castle with eggs on top?

This was my favorite excerpt from the guide map:

"A Warning! If we take into account the idiosyncrasy of Salvador Dali... then perhaps we we recommend you not to follow the preconceived route... It does not have, not does it wish to have, any systematic function nor chronological sense."

Here's a short clip showing some of the jumble that the museum holds:



My favorite section was a room playing with reflection. Paintings seemed a blur until looked at in the reflective sphere placed on top of a painting, forming a perfect image that wrapped itself around a 3D surface.  If you want to see Dali's more then just weeping clocks art, stop in. If you're in Spain near Barcelona, its a quick day trip by train (see Renfe approx. 10-15€ each way). See where this place is on a map. I'm sure you'll be highly entertained by this ostentatious expression of art.

Quick update

I jumped on a plane from Paris to Barcelona on May 5th, it was only 121.98€ return and I used my fave airfare search website, kayak.com which led me to easyjet.com. Since I was working a lot I woke up on Saturday at 1pm with three hours to do my laundry, shower and pack. I want to say it's the first time I've had to run through a terminal to catch a flight but I think it might be my third. I got into the line to board with fifteen minutes to spare and just my regular small backpack as a carry-on. It saves sooo much time and money to only travel with a carry-on.

I met up with some friends from Toronto and as soon as I put down my bag and changed we were off for paella and a beach party. The next day I was convinced to go diving for the first time and although the water was cold it was a really cool experience that I'm eager to try again. If I end up somewhere tropical I'll get my licence for sure. It's really like entering a whole new world, photos and video to come. 

Then before I knew it we got on a 6€ flight to Ibiza. Party season doesn't start until the end of May but any complaints were soon forgotten with the distraction of beautiful beaches, sun and sangria. It's such a small Island we saw each of the 'big towns' and quite a few beaches. I'm starting the summer with a great tan and two new travel buddies. 

It was the best getaway I could have asked for. Airbnb.com was used for all accommodations around Spain, so we always had the nice comfort of being in a home with a kitchen. I got to show off my mojito making skills and cook a few well received meals. I got a much needed dose of Toronto and Spain in the same trip. 

I left for the weekend to make a short visit to the South of France which allowed me to pass by Figueres; The home of Dali's birthplace, first art show and current theatre museum. I've been wanting to stop here since I saw the first castle with eggs photo years ago. Post on just this museum to come. 

I'm sure I have a lot more to say about the past ten days but I just wanted to give a quick update on where I've been running around. Right now I'm on a beachside cafe in Barcelona drinking my last cafe's con leche and people watching. I have six hours until my flight back to Paris, so I'm going to soak up as much Spanish sun as possible. (Don't worry Babi, I am wearing suncream) 

Ps. My Spanish has gotten so good I've had three Spaniards confused as why I speak such good English or how I'm from Canada! Maybe my French has hope to get that good when I start consistently reading in French. 

Lots of love!

♪ Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble, if I stay it will be double ♬

I've been in Paris for three and a half months now. I've been tutoring and working at a really fun bar. I've been offered more hours at tutoring and a manager position at the bar as well as two other small jobs. I had to really think last week if I wanted to stay in Paris for a year. Really make this my city and commit to being here. If I stay in Paris I could visit other parts of France on my days off, other parts of Europe even.

If I took the manager position I could have stability while continuing to live in a city I've always wanted to explore. The thing is, I've been here for three and a half months and Paris is nice but it's not my city. I feel like it's a well built amusement park. The structure of everything is so precise and unchangeable. Everyone wants Paris to stay the same because it's a beautiful city, brimming with history and renaissance.  It's charming when you want to wander around and appreciate the details of the architecture. But even the parks are manicured and the trees like the buildings are forced to not reach too high. Talking to Parisians it doesn't feel like a place to grow or be motivated to improve yourself. It's been unchanging since it landed on the hottest travel destinations and the first black and white photo was taken.

As much as I appreciate it and find it romantic it's set in its ways but I'm not ready to be settled into anything just yet. I think its safe to say that Paris will always be Paris and I can come back another time when I'm not so restless. I'll be here until the first week of July and then I'll jump off to some other place. I started a note on Facebook 'In the Hat' where from now till June destination suggestions can be added for consideration.

Why July and not just leap frog now? Well that's when my friend Jenn finishes her contract and we've been talking about traveling together again since our trip to Finisterre which I just posted Photo's of here!

Also we met a turkey on our journey, here's how that went...

A Pilgrim’s Perspective By Jenn Ambrose

My awesome Camino friend Jenn was recently published in www.americanpilgrims.com
I've mentioned Jenn in a previous post Will you walk with me to the ends of the earth . I hope you love this article as much as I do...

A Pilgrim’s Perspective By Jenn Ambrose

The night before I leave for Roncesvalles, I am furiously typing to my best friend: “What if it’s just a walk? What if there isn’t anything more? What if I’m trying to make meaning, and there really isn’t any?”

After four and a half long years of college I had become jaded and stuck in the world of conceptual rhetoric that comes with the ivory tower of higher education. I needed exposure to the tangible and the real, a lesson in existential geography where my learning was based in relationships instead of study guides. So, I fell victim to the same serendipity that has brought many pilgrims to the Camino de Santiago.

I had an incredible 30 days of walking 400 miles of the Camino. I found a rhythm that brought my feet to the path hours before I would have even questioned if I wanted to get out of bed that day. I met people who seemed to arrive in my life exactly when I needed them to, challenging and altering my perspectives of achievement and value. Every day, autumn leaves in the resting vineyards of La Rioja and the enchanted forests of Galicia would whisper of change and beauty.

I reached Santiago in a state of gratitude and elation that was to be expected; yet I had no sense of completion. The cathedral was beautiful, but I continued west. For three more days I walked, and at the sight of the ocean, I suddenly felt like I had walked a long way. I was overcome with something I will never attempt to explain, and wrote this:

I reach a crest and see the end of my pilgrimage. It is not a construction of man whose importance or glory has to be taught from an early age and constantly reminded by images, books, or lectures; no, it is a place whose glory is so immense that it cannot be captured in images, books, or lectures, even when we try. Meaning does exist. And we attempt to explain it with words. When our metaphor of language fails to communicate meaning, it is not that meaning doesn’t exist. It’s that our language is inadequate. 

The Camino gives space for a visceral voice to arise, one that is usually clouded by thoughts. May we all seek a truth and meaning that is grounded in our experiences. Buen Camino.✦

For the full publication click here

Paris (Week 3)

I'm living in Paris. So far I get giddy buying baguettes, chocolate croissants and pastries. The name 'bread-face' may follow me from Spain if I'm not careful (My Abuela stuffed me full of bread and cookies in Spain and they started calling me cara-pan or bread-face) I'm just outside Paris with a job in the centre of Paris. It seems I was a little over zealous and now I have a job, a part-time job, an apartment and a back-up apartment.
I have a Paris phone number but I can't figure out how to unlock my Spanish phone. Truly I don't mind not having a phone or internet in my apartment. It's really nice to just have some silence. As much as I love being a social butterfly I'm also part loner and hermit at heart. I more often seek solitude and quite places.
Yesterday I just cleaned my new apartment and walked around Paris by myself. Enjoying my first official day off where I didn't have to move house or work.
I like both my jobs and the apartment is so big it allows for an easel and a yoga mat. If I'm here long enough I'll have to get a sewing machine.
I've been contemplating a quick trip to Toronto. I miss everyone and I am homesick for the comfort that only a home town can give. As fun as exploring is I don't really want to explore for where to do laundry. As much as having no clean clothes is a great excuse to buy new clothes, I don't have the funds right now to keep doing that everyday. Although being a well trained bargain hunter (thanks Babi) I've found some amazing deals and spent less then 50€ on a new sweater, jeans, top, work clothes, pjs, leg warmers, leggings.
It is COLD in Paris this week. It actually snowed to nobodies delight but mine. The flurries didn't even touch the ground but it made me really happy. I missed snow.
As slowly as I try to sip my coffee it's at its end which only means one thing, time to seek out that laundromat...

More photos!

Click here for: Santiago Album 4

love affair with castle-like ruins

love affair with castle-like ruins , a set on Flickr.

I know there may be too many photos of this one tower but I just really loved how it looked

Hi from Paris

I'm getting ready for bed on my third night here in Paris. I flew in from Malaga for less then $150 on Sunday afternoon and was greeted by the two lovely friends I met here in September. (Who are both willing to host me during my two week contract!) I landed having a two week job confirmed that started Monday. I was so nervous my alarm might not go off that I hardly slept. Even though I left crazy early in order to get to work I got very lost and was the last to arrive. (I got lost again today but still arrived with ten minutes to spare) I'm teaching at Ipsa in a special English immersion "pool" they do bi-annually. I have 7 to 8 students and everything is so organized I just have to follow a schedule all day long. The kids and other teachers are all great and nice so far but someone walked off with my notes and popular science magazine at the end of todays class... Hope that mystery gets solved tomorrow.

I have job interviews and coffee dates set up for the week. I'm not wasting any time in Paris. I really love this city right now, even though I walk up a million stairs and get myself lost around each corner.

As of today I'm not sure if I'll just enjoy the two weeks and move onto something else or stay here and let this be my city for a few months.

Hot Apple Cider Recipe

It's been cool (but not Toronto kinda cold) in these Europe parts so I've taken to making spiked hot apple cider for my hosts. It's been very well received and I'm learning that maybe it's more of a Canadian thing then 'of course everyone knows about this' kind of thing. (maybe?)

How To: make four cups of yummy apple cider 

In a double boiler or Baño Maria (Big pot has water, ingredients go in smaller pot that sits in the big pot)
4 mugs full of Box or can of Apple Juice (most natural possible)
About a Spoonful of Cinnamon (Use sticks over ground when you can)
About a Spoonful of Cloves or Allspice
Orange peel (approx. 3/4 of a regular sized orange, just skin it like you would a potato)
About a Spoonful of Maple Syrup (or honey)

Then you let the big pot boil to let the apple juice get hot and it will change colour. When the juice is almost boiling get out the mugs and add a little bit of rum at the bottom. Use a sieve (if you didn't use cloves then you probably don't need a sieve) and pour in the hot goodness. Serve, everyone enjoys.

I love learning how different parts of the world stay warm. In Spain they use a mesa-camia like a table-bed. There's a medium to small circular table with a table cloth over a blanket. Under is a little heater and everyone gathers around pulling the blanket over themselves to get toasty warm.

The coffee tastes better

Over the past couple years I've become a happy coffee drinker despite myself. In Toronto I buy and promote a 'disloyalty card' named The Indie Coffee Passport. While quietly enjoying a morning brew I would take that time to do a mini visualization, if only for a few seconds, thinking where else would I like to enjoy a cup of coffee?

Well this morning, I'm blessed to say that I'm enjoying my coffee somewhere in the Sierra Nevada. It's the tallest mountain in the Iberian Peninsula. I took the bus from Almuñecar on the most curvy, windy mountain road and was reminded of beautiful vistas I had seen on the camino. I love the mountains but I guess I never realized just how much. A feng shui practitioner once told me my life would benifit from seeing stones so I placed a few on my windowsill and by my stove. Somehow the way I talked about my favorite type of chair, high backed, told her I needed to be by mountains to be truly happy.
(Almuñecar is surrounded by mountains, it's name meaning such when ruled by the Moors, perhaps that is why I have such an affinity for it.)

Back to the mountain I'm on now though, I've never felt so close to the moon. I am in mountains and everywhere I can hear water running and usually see streams. I went on a moonlit walk the night I arrived and was awe struck the whole time that there was no need for streetlights, no need for flash lights, the moon is actually that luminescent. I was guided past a fountain that has natural spring water that tastes like bubbly water. It flows over iron and picks up the taste. All the taps here flow with mountain water. There are old wash basins in different parts where people used to wash their clothes with natural soaps.

On the moonlit walk there was an open space, a sort of terrace in the mountains, made of flat rocks and I was very moved upon stepping onto it. I'll get a bit airy-farie here but I believe energy can be felt and in this place there was an amazing energy that I walked into. It really took over me, not only was it incredibly beautiful but vibrationaly different. I later found out that the space was named 'Trance area'. When looking south, there are pointed mountains on the right and left that resemble pyramids and the centre fold makes you feel like your heart is meant to open. Then perfectly centred above at that moment was the moon. I didn't have to think about meditating, I just had to be and breath. There is much beauty to behold in the world and I am grateful for every glimpse of it I get.

I've since walked on other paths along this mountain (there are 300km worth of paths just in the Sierra) and I have acquired my own curvy crooked walking stick. My cousin and I are both very open to conceptualizing and philosophical possibilities so we really entertain a myriad of ideas. It's been a while since I've talked so openly about my spiritual beliefs so I've appreciated have someone who also believes that there's magic to be found in the world.

Well I just finished my coffee and my cousin just started juggling tennis balls so I have to go and show him that I've been traveling with real juggling balls the whole trip.

Spoiler alert, Next week Paris

Nochevieja!

Today is the last day of 2011, new years eve day or Nochevieja.
On this day I really enjoy incorporating everything I'm looking forward to focusing on in the new coming year. I find it's a great day to narrow my attention to what can realistically be done in a day and ask in a million ways, 'what do I want this year to look like?' As an example, this past year I wanted to celebrate a lot so I blew out a candle on a cup cake. My year was reflected by many celebrations that I really acknowledged and consciously celebrated.  It's not about superstition so much as giving myself a full day to really think about what I'm going to make the year about.

Although... last year I made sure that the friends around me ate The 12 grapes, which is a Spanish tradition and now here I am in Madrid where that tradition started! So maybe I'm a little superstitious.

New years superstitions I've come across over the years...
- Take a suitcase outside (I actually helped someone cary in luggage by accident in 2011)
- Wear yellow underwear for I think travel or maybe just luck in general
- Wear red underwear for luck in love ;)
- Don't sweep, because you'll sweep out the good luck
- What you do on new years determines the rest of the year
- Dancing really crazy is just good for everyone involved and will help you laugh at yourself the whole year through

My absolute favourite tradition is this questionnaire that I've been copying out in my journal for the past 5 years

Questions for the New Year   

1. This year name one person that you will make the attempt to have a stronger relationship with?
2. This year what is one risk that you promise to take?
3. This year what is one aspect of your personality that you will be willing to change to make yourself more likeable?
4. This year, what is one daily ritual that you can commit to?
5. This year, what song could you choose to represent the year you are going to have and will you
download that song after reading these words?
6. This year, who is one civil servant that you will say hello to for the entire year?
7. This year, what is one body of water that you promise yourself you will swim in?
8. This year, name one person that you will truly thank who rarely gets thanked.
9. This year, what is an artistic experience that you promise to have?
10. This year, what is one argument that you will no longer have?
11. This year, what is one thing that you will do to give back to the world or community that you live in?
12. This year, what is one thing that you will learn?
13. This year, what is one thing you will let go of knowing you don't have the power to change it?
14. This year, where will your quiet place be?
15. This year, name three people you will surprise with a random gift?
16. This year, what is one thing that you will teach someone else?
17. This year, what is one fear that you will overcome?
18. This year, what is one food that you will eat more often?
19. This year, what is something wonderful about your personality that you promise to consciously appreciate?
20. This year, what will you do that you have always known you had to do?   

I've also started putting quotes on photos I've been taking and there's a special one for new years...here

More photos

click for: Santiago Album 3

♩♪♫♬ Mil Euros

Today was the craziness that is the Spanish lottery and from nine till noon you could hear the voices of children singing lottery numbers and their corresponding jackpot amount. If you want to actually understand it go here for fun facts.
This is what happens when more then 1,000€ is drawn...

Ten days to christmas...really?

I have grown up with the North American Christmas craze. Every store beacons you to gaze upon it's glorious gifts. Going into a store can be dangerous because it ends up being 'one gift for you, one gift for me'. Decorations for every religion are piled onto everything as the Hallowe'en decorations are being taken down. Holiday tunes blare from everywhere putting you in the spirit or making you miserable depending on the day.

This year though I'm in a small city in Spain where the decorations aren't glittering with the same gusto. There are very pretty lights in most of the main streets. There is a giant tree outside city hall made of poinsettias and a big white and blue tree in another square. The stores have hardly any signs or lights or decorations but outside most store doors are pots of poinsettias.
Here children write letters to Papa Noel who begins the holidays AND the Three Wise Men who mean it's back to school time. I know Santa has Elves to help him with all his mail but I haven't found out who is secretary to the Wise.
The public television here has no advertisements, so no holiday cheer there. Then the channels that do have ads are predominately for perfume (which make me blush), ham legs (which make me cringe) and lottery (which leaves me confused). Where is their sense of over dramatized commercialism to show your love?
The lottery is what people turn to when they're old enough to know that Santa isn't going to be giving them a gift. People here say "Happy Christmas, Prosperous New Year" in the regular tone then very animatedly say "but good luck on the lottery!" and have a five minute conversation about their numbers and where they'll be. Tickets cost 20-23Euros depending where you buy them and people wait in line for up to four hours (in Madrid, Port de Sol) for their tickets, so says the Spanish news.


In other news, I'm at the only internet cafe in Almuñecar where I asked for a coffee with chocolate and they brought me this...
It's not a Spanish morning if there aren't a few heaps of sugar.
... needless to say it was a delicious-warm-coffee-chocolate-delight

Immaculate Conception Day, Pasapalabra & Rum

This quote attributed to Winston Chrurchill was recently shared with me...

"Nowadays we have reduced the world to a twentieth of the size it was 100 years ago. People can rush about frantically through the air. They certainly do not see the beauties of the world, and it is surely their responsibility to show that they make it better. It is a delusion to think that being able to move rapidly about from place to place makes people happier or wiser. As for the advantages of travel, they may be greatly exaggerated. In order to know anything about a country you must walk through it. You must sleep on its soil, pluck its foliage with your fingers. You must light your fires by its fiords and streams, and watch the dawn break beyond strange mountains."

It fits beautifully with the way of life I experienced on the camino and the life I would like to strive for as I travel.

The past few weeks I have been relaxing here in the south of Spain. Spending a lot of time getting pushed around my Abuela's kitchen, having Spanish verbs corrected by cousins, and dipping my feet in the Mediterranean. This week has been especially busy, what with watching as the city workers tend to the palm trees, visiting a Medieval market set up near the beach, and observing two holidays! 'Constitution Day' a civic holiday that not everyone had off work and 'Immaculate Concepcion' day where the church bells rang and fireworks bursted.
Wednesday I dropped in on an acting class where I read the part of Dorthey Simple in the Tennesse Williams play, 'The case of the crushed petunias' it was a laugh and I learned a few Spanish acting warm-up games too! (I plan to go back every Wednesday I'm still in Almuñecar)
Also to help with my Spanish self-education I've been watching a game show called 'Pasapalabra' (pass the word) where two contestants compete against each other with two celebrities at their side answering word game related trivia questions to rack up time points. Then with those time points the contestants stand on their own and race the clock answering questions in an alphabetical order, saying Pasapalabra for the words they don't know and thus hopping over the letter of their alphabet circle. It's brilliant and I learn more words every episode. It's bliss when I actually understand the announcer (who speaks faster than an auctioneer) and can shout an answer at the tv.
To add to the busy week I've had a couple day trips. Yesterday I went to Malaga to visit family. Today I went to Motril, the city of the sugar cane. There I stopped at a museum and the Ron Montero where I tried their 'Superior Taste' Awarded rum with hot chocolate. It was velvety delicious and I can't believe as a cold Canadian I haven't always been spiking my hot chocolate!
Keep warm Toronto!

Photos from the first week!

Here are two photo albums from the camino. This is only the beginning!

Santiago Album 1    &    Santiago Album 2

one wonders how you're able to afford it.

I got this message from a friend on facebook just now:

"This trip of yours is awfully expensive. one wonders how you're able to afford it. you're not drug dealing are you?"

Nope, I'm not a drug dealer :P thanks for the vote of confidence that I'd be able to pull off that job! Actually one week in Paris was almost the same as four weeks on the camino. Some people do the camino on a budget of 12€ a day. Then in Madrid and the South, Costa del Sol, I'll be with family. I lived with my dad for a few months before leaving Toronto and waited tables and saved as much as I could. There were some other factors too, an old boss owed me some $, my family sent me off with some generosity. The Camino is doable on any budget really. I kept a record of my spending for the first four weeks. My cheapest day was 12€, my most expensive day was 111€. The expensive day I bought thermal long johns, a thermal top and a 16gb memory card for my camera. I thought I would be able to upload photos along the way but that wasn't the case. Those three purchases will last for a while so its more of an investment for winter and future travel than just splurging on things. The least expensive week was 144€ and the most in a week was 253€ (the week of my most expensive day) I ate really well, I slept in a Pension when I needed, I didn't hold back on my needs and it was still rare to spend more than 25€ a day.
I met one woman on the Camino who is staying in a hotel every night and having her pack sent to each hotel, and not doing very many Km a day. Her trip is costing $4000AUS. Another guy did his trip on 12€ a day. A few pilgriams do their trips on the kindness of others for reasons such as to humble themselves, learn how to ask for help, and trust in the goodness and generosity of others.

I did a lot of research before my trip, and I mean years of browsing online of how to travel on a shoestring budget. Any time I would have the opportunity to buy something I would weigh the options, 'If I'm thinking of buying X where else could I put that money? How many plane tickets out of YYZ is that purchase?' I read sites like The Professional Hobo, Matador, Mixergy. Where I read about all different types of ways to live, to make money and to travel the world. The Four Hour Workweek is one of my favorite books. I have three copies that I lend out frequently. It changed my perspective on how people can live. It shows you the extremes, but also the possibilities that are available to you. Why spend your life waiting for what you want? Why not see if you can do that now? Every day on the camino was a day where I realized I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but right where I was. How often can one really say that? Travel doesn't have to break the bank, it depends on what you want from your travel experience. People all around the world are house sitting for eachother, working on organic farms, hooking up with a multitude of programs. I have a lot of resources on my computer that I'll have access to in a few days so please feel free to ask me any questions!