~ Camino De Santiago : Pictures ~



~ Camino De Santiago : Blog Archive ~

La Posta Ultima (The Last Post)
Well, last gigging email for donations has been sent and this will be the last post. IMG_3318

This image is the last taken of us in Spain, in front of the Sagrada Familia a famed and unfinished work of Gaudi, in Barcelona. With the lighting and focus blur, it looks to me like we were pasted in the photo, as though it were some dream. Like all my past adventures, that is what our pilgrimage is slowly becoming, a surreal memory of places, people, pains, pastries, and many other elements that do not, in fact, begin with the letter 'p'.

I just checked our donations page for Esperanca, and it has topped $2000. At the beginning of this thing, I had hopes for just a quarter of that. TWO-THOUSAND DOLLARS! This will provide tens if not hundreds of surgeries to people who desperately need them in less fortunate countries around the world. That is no dream. That is real. That is through the love and encouragement of all who followed us along our adventure and opened their wallets in a time when that can be very hard to do. Thank you for the open hearts.

Charlie and I are already busy planning our next adventure, which in a couple years time will also fall to the same fate of surreal memory, along with Peace Corps and lives of past. But, for now, it is only an alluring anticipation. We plan to move to Buenos Aires, Argentina at the end of January, 2010 and stay for a couple of years. I will pursue the artist/writer dreams I've long held (with the requisite and pragmatic night-job, of course), and Charlie will be looking, as he always does, to find a job that will make the world a better place. In between there will be wine, beef, tango, athletic challenges, and good deeds. Not necessarily in that order.

I'll be redesigning this website to cater to the "Road of Skye and Charlie" in a more general sense. I'll need to start looking for a tango silhouette...

Until then~ Live Happy!
Skye and Charlie, Pilgrims
Posted by: Skye on 12/10/2009 12:47:19 AM
FOUND: Scallops
For Mac Barr, who donated before we even produced a pic. Thanks Mac Barr!
IMG_2107
Posted by: Skye on 12/9/2009 11:37:37 PM
FOUND: Someone Born in Texas!
This fellow actually approached us! He saw Charlie's Cowtown Marathon shirt and asked if he was from Texas. Charlie was DELIGHTED to find the guy! I think his name was Joe. Joe from Texas.
IMG_3261
Posted by: Skye on 12/9/2009 11:35:56 PM
FOUND: SUNRISES! (17 of'em)
For our wonderful friend Preston (off in Afghanistan at the moment, I think) who donated a $1 for every sunrise picture. Here is a slideshow of the ones we got!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Posted by: Skye on 12/9/2009 11:28:39 PM
FOUND: Return
From very generous souls - Charlie's Aunt Susan and Uncle Steve:

"A photograph of Skye and Charlie - tired but happy, safe and sound - getting off the airplane back in the US of A. "
return
Posted by: Skye on 11/30/2009 12:52:47 PM
A Rough Year for Tiny Beautiful Countries
I had meant to post this a bit earlier, but wrapping up our Camino has been a bit hectic. Mother Nature has been brutal this fall, and El Salvador, another country that has a special place in my heart not only because of the times I´ve visited, but because of my dear friends from there, has suffered. If anyone is interested in helping, here is some information:
http://www.sahf.org
toll free in the US 1-800-992-8858.
Posted by: Charlie on 11/22/2009 2:02:31 PM
FOUND: Skye doing a handstand in a funny place
haypino
There was much consideration about where/how I was going to do a handstand. My original plan of getting the singing nun to hold my feet while I ´make a pine tree´ (as doing a hand stand is called in Spain) didn´t work out. SO..I organized an international handstand in the basement of a bar. The fellow holding my feet is Nick from Belgium. Then Markus (from Germany) is holding Kim´s (from Korea)feet, and Isabella and Ralf (both from Germany) make up the third pino! Good times!
Posted by: Skye on 11/18/2009 4:05:43 AM
The End of the World
thebeach
We arrived at Finnis Tierra, Finisterra, Fisterre, yesterday, the Atlantic Ocean! Miserable, miserable weather, HEAVY wind, pounding rain, 35km day in soaking wet boots, it was so much fun! Today I walked out to the cape with some German friends to the 0.00km Camino Marker, the lighthouse, and the westernmost point in continental Europe. The camino is officaly finished. There is, of course, the mixed emotions of sadness, relief, elation, resignation, but mostly a deep warmth and happiness, and a *very* deep gratitude to my friends, family, and the world that I live in that I had the opportunity to do this. And very especially that I got to do this with Skye. And that I got to have all of you so closely with us in mind and spirit.
Tomorrow we bus back to Santiago, the next day fly to Sevilla for 2 days, then two days on the beach outside of Cadiz. My legs are trembling with excitement...that, or exhaustion, I´m not quite sure.
I can´t wait to see you all in a couple of weeks!

zeropoint
Posted by: Charlie on 11/16/2009 10:25:04 AM
FOUND:The Santiago de Compostella cathedral
Here we are!
cathedral
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:57:17 AM
FOUND: ferocious windmills
We actually took this picture a while ago and I forgot to post it. You can tell because Charlie´s beard is so short!
windmill
Many thanks to Mike Schon for the Quixote reference!
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:50:47 AM
FOUND: Charles smelling port wine
IMG_2101
From another giving soul who suggested an item she knew we´d surely find and thouroughly enjoy! Thanks, Traci!
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:39:51 AM
FOUND: Spanish Instrument
You might think...´Wait a second..Spanish Bagpipes?!´As a matter of fact...yes! See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galician_gaita
spanishbabpipe
They have a bagpiper playing next to the Santiago Cathedral during the day, which really adds to the emotions upon seeing it after a long journey.
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:28:42 AM
FOUND: Chile Flag
An item in honor of my grandma Tony, a native Chilean.
chileflag

This was across a busy street..so we could only zoom in on it. I wish I´d have stood next to it!
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:17:21 AM
FOUND: Field of flowers
fieldoflowers
From Jessica... who I hope will give us a little slack on her request "A picture of Charles and Skye in a field of flowers" as one of us had to take a picture. We are both standing in the field though!
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:07:41 AM
FOUND: Singing Nun
We made it to Santiago! This is a picture of the nun singing at the ´Pilgrim Mass´at the cathedral...more about the city soon...

singingnun
Posted by: Skye on 11/11/2009 7:02:59 AM
Chocolate & Octopus
2 days out from Santiago, the weather cleared for the day and we had a beautiful walk through Galicia. It´s very much like France. Recent adventures included a day in Astorga, which was once one of the Chocolate capitals of the world and has a great little Chocolate Museum, with big chunks of a variety of chocolate to sample. Also in Astorga is the Palacio Gaudi, which is a bizarre little castle designed and built about 100 years ago and houses a contemporary art museum, church relics (not the pieces-of-people type relics, but old art, crosses, santos, etc) and Roman and Prehistoric artifacts.
Before Astorga we were priviledged to spend Halloween night in the Commune-village of Matavenero. It was built on the ruins of an abandoned hillside village by a group of Germans about 30 years ago, and spending the night there was an interesting experience that we will no doubt be describing in more detail when we return. It wasn´t a pleasant night, but we were both very glad that we decided to visit and feel that one night maybe wasn´t enough to understand or see the positive things that may be happening there.
We have been thoroughly enjoying the other pilgrims we´ve been meeting. Very few Americans, though we are bunking next to a woman from North Carolina tonight. Of the dozen or so Americans we´ve met, half have been from North Carolina. For lunch today we were very strongly urged, by a gigantic Spanish muscle-man-pilgrim, to try a specific Pulperia in Melida. We had the pulpo, which is a huge plate of octopus parts boiled in butter, and a plate of salted & grilled sweet green peppers, with cheese and membrillo for desert. Yummy! More octopus in one sitting than I´ve ever had.
As our Camino is coming to a close, we´re mulling over options for the several days we´ll have between Finesterre and our flight out. Options include walking south to Portugal on the Camino Portuguese, or taking a train or plane to a beach in Southern Spain, or visiting Seville or Madrid. We´re open to encouragement if you have an opinion!
octoskyeoctocharlie
Posted by: Clucking on 11/8/2009 2:49:51 PM
FOUND: Rainbow
FInally! After many a rainy Galician day, we got a rainbow. It isn´t the strong, bust through clouds, Care-bear kind of rainbow I was hoping for, but it was the strongest one we´ve seen thus far.

rainbow
Posted by: Skye on 11/8/2009 2:45:47 PM
FOUND: Spanish Sangria Recipe
From our friend Stephen Bodwell: handwritten sangria recipe
receta
from a spainard:
carlos

Carlos, our hospitalero in Ruitelan, was quite the trooper. He had said that he would write out a recipe the evening before, while serving us a wonderful dinner of spaghetti with ham and cheese and salad. However, there was a bed-bug scare that morning and he had to deal with washing/drying every piece of clothing another pilgrim had. He still wrote out the recipe, but the exasperated expression on his face is telling. Thanks Stephen and Carlos!
Posted by: Skye on 11/8/2009 2:42:41 PM
Email to Mom
It´s late and has been a wet and tiring day, so this is copy-pasted directly from the email I just sent mom:

"Hey Mom! Happy Birthday (in a couple of days)!
We just crossed the last set of mountains into Galicia today, it´s all flat I guess to Santiago which is 5-6 days away. The weather in Galicia is all wet all the time. The mountains were beautiful but we were rained on all day and the Albuergue we were shooting for was closed, so we had to walk an extra 8km (in the dark!) to where we are now, which i can´t remember the name of offhand. The walking in the rain isn´t unpleasant or depressing, it´s just not quite so hedonistic as walking in the sun, which has been the vast bulk of the trip. Galicia is called so because it was settled by Galic folk many hundreds of years ago, so they have a bagpipe type instrument they play, the houses are round stone houses with thatched roofs similar to irish-scottish ancient houses. It looks more like France here, verdant, mountainous, heavy-laden apple trees lining the path. Skye´s been feeding the apples to the cows we pass...they really enjoy them, to my suprise.
Our flight out of Toulouse is actually on the 24th, and I think we get into Phoenix that same evening. Glad to hear Cookie is ok. Skye plays with every dog along the way, most are huge and playful. I´m excited to get a dog with her when we´re in Phoenix a couple years down the road."
Posted by: Carlitos on 11/4/2009 2:39:05 PM
FOUND:Charlie and Skye Exhausted in the Rain
Smiling, yes, but very, very exhausted!

IMG_2876


Okay...so this was about kilometer #28 in a 30ish kilometer day in which 3/4 was climbing up mountain. We had gone off the Camino the day before to visit a ´hippy commune´of Matavenero (which merits a blog post of its own). The commune didn´t have any room in its communal kitchen..so we ended up sleeping on the wooden floor of a defunct bakery, getting up at 7:45, and climbing 10k up a hill to get back on track. About 25 minutes before the pic was taken, there was a a torrential downpour that kept ripping my garbage bag off my pack..so we had to stop and put it back on. A car with a friendly spanish couple just stopped by us to say "Sorry..that looks like it sucks!"

Prior to the rain..though..it was a great day!
Posted by: Skye on 11/2/2009 11:40:24 AM
FOUND:a food market picnic
From Lindsay Bryant (a name from the past I was so delighted to see on the suggested item list!):a meal made from fresh local food market
"a meal made from fresh local food market"

A few pics...
IMG_2684IMG_2685IMG_2688

IMG_2702IMG_2706

We woke up to find a local market setting up right below our window! We bought two kinds of chorizo - sweet and spicy, a cheese (fuerte),onion, and five peppers from the pimiento lady. WE asked her which were sweet and she pointed to three of the five. When we asked for one of each, she misunderstood and only gave us the sweet..when we said we wanted the picante ones as well..she thought it so funny she threw them in for free.

Once we got to the town we were staying in, we went to the local grocery there and got pasta, crema, a tomato, and a local wine (you can tell as the bottle has no label)..and ended up with 5 Pepper sweet and Spicy spaghetti. YUMMMMMY!

THanks, LIndsay!
Posted by: Skye on 11/2/2009 11:21:51 AM
FOUND: UNICORN
We found this in the same shop that had the Elvis statue...go figure! There are actually two bonus unicorns in this picture :)
IMG_2679
Posted by: skye on 11/2/2009 11:06:31 AM
FOUND: fossil, stone tool, petroglyph
We were delighted to find these ancient stone tools in the basement floor of the Gaudi Palace in Astorga...

IMG_2789

THanks, Ed, for an interesting suggestion!
Posted by: Skye on 11/2/2009 11:00:40 AM
FOUND:llama (artistic rendering)
From our dear friend Zolondek..thanks for adding the caveat that it could be an artistic rendering! This was on an old learn the alphabet/vocabulary in three languages poster at the Museo de Chocolate in Astorga. Sweet, sweet success!

IMG_2787
Posted by: Skye on 11/2/2009 10:52:56 AM
FOUND: Elvis Statue
skye_elvisThanks so much to Toya Harris for her most unusual and unique suggestion..which we were very skeptical we´d find. The shop, called Gnomos, was a total kitsch shop with a full size Johnny Depp pirate, many a skirt blown pictures of Marilyn, and this fan-tabulous crooning Elvis that they situated outside.
cwl_elvis
Posted by: Skye on 10/27/2009 10:58:25 AM
FOUND: Twins!
Through a lot of confusing pantomime and a waiter that was kind enough to help me out..I did confirm that these two were twins..which was obvious at the sight of them but not as obvious in this picture given their different expressions.
Twins
Posted by: Skye on 10/27/2009 10:53:10 AM
FOUND: Queso Tetilla
Finally! We found at least one item Janet k. Miller suggested, having the unique knowledge of being a pilgrim once herself. Thanks so much, Janet!

QuesoTetilla
Posted by: Skye on 10/27/2009 10:49:48 AM
FOUND: "puente" en Puente la Reina
Thanks to Dennis Alvarez who also pledged for something that was a given! The older couple in the pic was kind of irksome, as they totally knew they were walking into our picture! BAH!

puenta
Posted by: Skye on 10/27/2009 10:46:53 AM
FOUND: Bell Tolling For Thee
We wanted to get a good pic of a bell in mid-toll. Here it is!
Bell Tolling for Thee
Thanks to Sarah V. for pledging for this, knowing it was a given. As she said..."those countries are littered with bells"
Posted by: Skye on 10/27/2009 10:44:02 AM
Blood, Rain and a 50k-day
Skye and I are in Leon, dead-smack in the center of Spain. We are taking two rest days here, badly needed by me, for the both the feet and the respiratory system. I´ve taken a bit of a cold... We found ourselves an Indian restaurant and had a Korma/Tikka Masala feast this afternoon, and we´re about to go find a statue of Elvis to photograph.
Middle-Spain is big on the blood. We had Revuelto de Morcilla for dinner a few nights back, and have eaten the Morcilla in several other dishes including some amazing bean soup called Alubias (maybe that just means beans, not sure). Morcilla is blood-sausage by the way. Yummy and choc-full of iron.
Past Burgos we entered the great plains of Spain, and the rain began, as we expected, a day or so later. Skye´s rainpants that she bought in France turned to tatters in the heavy wind, but an Albuergue-owner was kind enough to drive us to a nearby town to buy some new ones. It was supposed to rain for a week straight, and so we decided to curtail our plans to walk 50km in one day, a personal challenge that we were excited about. The morning we set out on the portion of the walk, between Boadilla del Camino and Ledigos, that we had decided was the perfect place for our 50k-day, there was a swathe of blue sky just a hair wider than that, so we set out with storm-clouds behind us, and ended the day sunburned, and HEAVILY windburned, at the next clouds, having walked the entire 50km length of the blue sky. The wind was crazy, by the way, and directly in our faces, all the pilgrims were talking about it for the next few days.
That was a few days back, today and tomorrow we´re resting, and then setting out again the following day. We spent last night at a Benedictine albuergue in a warehouse-style dorm with about 70 other pilgrims. We´re 10-12 days out from Santiago, and it gets a bit more crowded the closer you get. For tonight and tomorrow we´ve taken a room at a pension. Tonight, more blood for dinner!
Oh, that photo below, is Skye and I right after we finished our 50 kilometers. SO HAPPY to be in a warm place with beds and a hot shower!
Posted by: Carlitos on 10/26/2009 10:24:19 AM
More on this picture later...
Yesterday I wrote a LONG blog about the day this picture was taken, but when I went to copy it..ctl+c only replaced it all with that infuriating 3rd letter of the alphabet staring back at me. Ctrl+z only laughed a zed on to the screen. More soon...via Charlie or meself..
50k
Posted by: skye on 10/24/2009 9:01:37 AM
FOUND: Australian Flag
ozflag
Posted by: Skye on 10/24/2009 8:58:07 AM
FOUND: South African Flag!
Eagle eyed Charlie found this South African Flag on a TOOTHPICK in a locked glass case that had monies of the world taped all over it. Good job, Charlie!

saflag
Posted by: Skye on 10/24/2009 8:56:49 AM
FOUND: An American Flag
A suggestion from Susan Rogers, one of Pit´s knitting friends. Thanks, Susan!
flag

p.s. - The red one has Che on it...
Posted by: Skye on 10/15/2009 10:29:17 AM
FOUND: The badge of St. James worn by pilgrims
From our friend Arianna Shwer...thanks Arianna!
badgeofstjames
Posted by: Skye on 10/15/2009 10:22:34 AM
Chickens in the Church
Today we walked 15k to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where there is a cathedral with chickens in it. We intended to eat lunch, then continue another 12k to Redecilla de la Camino, but the Cathedral was closed until 5, so we decided to stay. The Pilgrims´Albergue here is beautiful, new, has Enya playing over the sound system, which is perfect pilgrimage music, I must say. The walk has been wonderful wonderful for, well, the whole time, but continues to be recently. We have walked through Rioja over the last several days, and the the grapes are ripe, both domestic and wild.
The story behind the chickens in the Cathedral is that in the 12th century, a family of pilgrims passed through the village, and a village girl tried unsuccessfully to seduce the chaste pilgrim-son. Spurned, she planted some valuables in his bag, and accused him of stealing. He was sentenced to be hung, but the parents prayed to St. James for help, and when the noose went taught, St. James held the boy up so that he wouldn´t die. The parents went to the mayor of the village, who was feasting on two cooked chickens, and asked that their son be freed, as obviously his rescue by St. James was a sign of his innocence. The mayor looked up and declared, ¨Your son is as dead as these chickens!¨ at which point the chickens came to life. The Cathedral chickens are the decendants of those very chickens. There will be pictures forthcoming. We´re having a fantastic time, by the way.
Posted by: Carlitos on 10/15/2009 10:21:48 AM
FOUND: Che Guevara
From our friend Dennis Alvarez: "someone wearing a Che guevara tshirt, a mural of Che or poster."

che
Posted by: Skye on 10/15/2009 10:21:29 AM
FOUND: Beard Down to Chest
Tyring to be stealthy on this one as well...

beard1
Posted by: Skye on 10/15/2009 10:14:29 AM
FOUND: Lovers in a romantic spot
There were a few times that Charlie and I tried to take pictures of ´lovers in a romantic spot´ and only succeeded in being creepy.

inaromanticplace
Posted by: Skye on 10/10/2009 10:29:23 AM
FOUND: Skye storming a castle!
10th century castle in Ruesta. We stayed the night there and stormed it the next morning. Fun!
castle
Posted by: Skye on 10/9/2009 2:45:33 PM
FOUND: Bull in Pamplona
Those poor bulls are tormented enough in this city...so we found our our own bull in Pamplona!
(My jacket is zipped up, but there is actually a bull´s head sticking out on my Ft. Worth Cowtown Marathon tee-shirt. -C)

bull
Posted by: Skye on 10/9/2009 2:43:42 PM
In Spain!
espana

"The beauty of this trip is in its simplicity. Our job is to walk and everything else facilitates that."

Charlie said this and it really stuck with me. It is so true. Our routine has been that we wake up, have breakfast, walk, stop for lunch, walk to our destination, find our accomodations, shower, hand wash and dry our clothes, figure out dinner, go to sleep around ten and then wake up to do it all over again.

The best part of it all is the variations in all of the above, especially the walk (good thing as that is the lion´s share of our day!). You never know what is around the bend or over the horizon. It could be a man on a horse (as it was this morning), a heard of goats, a foot stopping visage of textured sloping lands harmonizing with the cumulus above, a man with a lamb he´s ready to put in your hands, or the city, finally the city you´ve been walking toward which isn´t a city at all but an abandoned castle with a hostel with in its crumbling walls. The variation is also in showers and clothes washing or places to sleep, also interesting as is the symphony of snores that assembles as the lot of pilgrims set their heads down in our shared space for the night. (The latter I´m done appreciating and plan on picking up ear plugs here in Pamplona :) The food, ah, the food should be left for a passage of its own...I think we should be researching that, as a matter of fact, right about now....
Posted by: Skye on 10/9/2009 2:32:42 PM
Spanish Castle Magic
We are in Pamplona for the evening…It´s not on the route, we took a bus from Puente la Reina, a 30 minute/2euro ride, but a fun city and we´re due for a rest day. Since arriving in Spain we´ve been doing about 25k a day, with a couple of really long days (the day we passed across the Pyrenees at Col du Somport was LONG). We´ve stayed at the ruins of a 10th Century castle, in an ancient village at the top of a hill, and at the site of a mysterious 12th Century octagonal church. Skye´s feet have toughened up, and mine have softened up while I break in a new pair of boots, the diet has altered somewhat with less cheese and more bocadillo, and our skin and sinuses are getting used to the dry after 3 weeks of very moist. Today we ended the Camino Aragones, tomorrow we begin the Camino Frances, 30 days to Santiago, and another 4 to Finisterre!
Posted by: Charlie on 10/9/2009 2:23:46 PM
FOUND: Paella
paella
This was in a village we were passing through...it was their once-a-week vegetable/cheese/meat market day, and there was this huge plate of paella...it looked delicious. It was 10am, thinking back, I wish I would have gotten some.
Posted by: skye on 10/3/2009 12:18:53 PM
FOUND: Original Mini-Cooper
mini
This was actually the first of three original mini´s we saw in this town...they must have had a club or something.
Posted by: Skye on 10/3/2009 12:17:51 PM
FOUND: MULLET
not the most flattering pic of me...but we found a mullet!
mullet
Posted by: Skye on 10/3/2009 12:16:34 PM
Alofa ia te oe Samoa
We have been out of the internet's broad reach for the past week, and today, arriving at Jaca on our second day in Spain, we were, 45 minutes ago, once again connected to the broader world beyond the narrow one of the Camino, and learned the heartbreaking news about Samoa. Skye and I both did our Peace Corps training on the South side of Upolu, which I see was hit the hardest by the Tsunami. I am very worried about my village of Poutasi, as the only piece of information I was able to find is that the school was destroyed and the town more than less wiped out. I was prepared to post a long description of our amazing week crossing the Pyrenees (and it was an amazing week) but I think today I will just say that a beautiful country in which I experienced a great change in my life is in the very front of my thoughts, and will continue to be as I continue to walk.
Posted by: Siale on 10/3/2009 12:15:26 PM
FOUND. Camino Vetran of 4+ times
vetransç
These ladies were SO nice! We bumped into them a few times over the course of a couple of days. They´d done the full Camino 5 times.
Posted by: SKye on 10/3/2009 12:15:08 PM
Uploads of a different Sort
Adding the scavenger hunt to our trip has given it all of the wonderful dimensions I'd hoped for: inclusion of friends, funding of good deeds, always a sense of purpose and wonder. Thanks to all who have suggested items or made pledges! The sacrifice (a small one to be sure) is the upkeep of this part ~ or more aptly, the uploading.

I'd love to expound on our travels along the slopes of South France, describing the patchwork, all different hues of gold, beige, and brown sometimes littered with a cluster of cow shaped buttons. I'd like to describe a bramble's revenge, what looked like a knotted maroon thread across Charlie's arm, his mouth too full of blackberries to even notice. Or the way fields looked like they'd been tenderly brushed with cotton swabs one foggy morning, outing all the country-side spiders. Or, the thoughts I've thunk on hour 4 of a six hour walk, about chickens and eggs, reincarnation, that one episode of mythbusters, all those I've befriended and loved, laughed with and pitied...all the things I've aready learned on this trip. Here are a few things:

- There is much to be said about the adaptive and restorative powers of the body. There is also a goodly amount to be said about ibuprophen!
- Pantomime and a smile can get you a long way.
- Make sure the pants you thought were waterproof were indeed waterproof.
- Expecations about how it'll make you feel (anything)are best left unconstructed, your degrading the reality either way you build them.

Okay - the Office de Tourism will be closing soon. Luckily for me, the USB port was in an inconvenient place and I was able to do a different sort of uploading.
Posted by: Skye on 9/26/2009 10:53:11 AM
FOUND: GOAT EATING A FLOWER
We actualy have a video of a cuter goat eating a prettier flower...but upload times do not permit...
Posted by: Skye Brannon on 9/25/2009 11:24:17 AM
FOUND: BIRTHDAYS & CAKE!




Good times...although not so good that we got the 'birthday suit or partialy clothed' picture that my sister suggested!
Posted by: Skye Brannon on 9/25/2009 11:21:56 AM
The Red Cow
We are in Marciac, of the famous July Marciac Jazz Fest, and a good place to be in between Skye's and my birthdays, as this is the first village we've been in since Auch that has facilities to celebrate: restaraunts, cafes, artist studios, patisseries... Skye's birthday was a very rainy day with little in the way of food and less in the way of celebration...that is, until the incredibly kind residents of Barran, including a Scot named Barry, invited us to their sunday night carrousal, poured wine, shared their mountains of quiche, and sang Skye a Happy Birthday.
IMG_0141

The rain let up yesterday, and today was lovely. I picked and ate dozens of big ripe blackberries all day, we had lunch (bagette, cheese, sausage, and fresh-picked apple) sitting in a graveyard by a 15th century church, and past by an *11th* century church of red brick nicknamed La Vaca Rojo, or La Vache Rouge, depending on your preference.
We are sweaty, and need bathing.
Posted by: Siale on 9/22/2009 9:03:36 AM
FOUND: Funny (?) Signs
Okay... all you folks who pledged for funny signs, interpret the humor:donations as you see fit...we are at the very beginning of our trip so I'm sure there are more to come!

IMG_0115[1]


IMG_0080[1]


IMG_0118[1]



IMG_0135[1]

IMG_1775[1]



More later...
Posted by: skye on 9/19/2009 7:40:00 AM
5th Day - in Auch (pronounced "Ooosh")
Internet is far more scarce than previously thought. We have walked 83km, the longest day being 30km. I have been served duck confit for 5 meals and I am NOT complaining. The food has been nothing short of incredible. Nor have the views or company. Or the feeling in my legs at the end of the day. We're taking the day off to explore this ancient city (googlemap it, I bet it looks cool from a satellite view). My French language is coming back quite rapidly.Beginning this walk in Toulouse was the best decision we could possibly have made...it has, so far, completely exceeded any and all expectations I had.
The path (Che,in de St. Jacques in France) is almost entirely just that...a footpath through the countryside, past farms, through woods, zigzagging past chateux and anything ancient, and over the very top of every hill along the way for the best possible view. There are blackberry brambles and purple fig trees growing and apple trees growing wild along the path, and it is a neverending feast for the pallette in addition to the eyes, nose, and ears. We have seen snakes, deer, and are constantly serenaded by birdsong.
Posted by: Charles (pronounced "Sharl") on 9/19/2009 6:59:00 AM
FOUND: Wonderful Fqmily in Toulouse!
From my friend Juliette:
I would love to see a photo of you with my cousin Valerie, her husband Laurent Cohen and son Tom who live in Toulouse!

With Tom:
IMG_0043


In the equivalent of city hall in Toulouse:
IMG_0048

Thanks to Laurent, Valerie, and Tom. Lovely people!
Posted by: Skye on 9/15/2009 3:15:30 AM
T minus 4 hours!
Today we depart for France! It's noon, we're headed to the airport in about 4 hours for our 7:00pm flight. British Airways to Heathrow, then to Toulouse. We've both packed and repacked our backpacks, they're about 20lbs, probably get up to 25 or so with last minute stuff. I've printed maps, we have the Confraternity's "Toulouse to Puenta la Reina" guidebook, a French phrasebook, and an ocean of adrenaline flowing through the veins.

We got back from Burning Man on Wednesday. We were fortunate to be invited to join Camp Carbon Dioxide, a group of truly amazing people. It would take pages to describe that experience, suffice it if you please to say that we will be returning to Black Rock City as soon as possible, and I have been telling friends to make Burning Man a priority.

I'm not sure I'm ready for this, or prepared. My hope is that I am not too guarded to let the impact and challenge of this experience shape me.
YAY!
Posted by: Siale on 9/13/2009 2:37:26 PM
Knee-Deep in Planning, taking time for cartwheels
Several amazing going-away-parties later, we find ourselves in Phoenix, playing with wonderful nephews, friends, family, and becoming re-acquainted with heatstroke. There was a beautiful monsoon tonight complete with non-stop lightening, thunder, heavy rain, and that wonderful desert-rain smell that my sister says comes from the wet creosote.
Yesterday we met with Lori Logan, the Director of Development for Esperanca and we had a great talk about the organization. They do amazing things!!!!
Last weekend was spent with old wonderful friends that I don't see nearly enough of. This weekend will be spent with old wonderful friends that I don't see nearly enough of. We are in the thick of our commencing adventures. Next week we make the journey to Black Rock City, Nevada for Burning Man. After that, we'll have 4 days before departing for Toulouse. There is still much to be done.
Posted by: Carlitos on 8/22/2009 2:08:28 AM
Mini-Cards on their way!
I wanted to design something we can hand out to friends, family, Burning Man-iacs, etc...


I got these from Moo
Posted by: Skye on 7/1/2009 9:00:20 AM
T Minus Two Months, a Move, and Burned Man
June is almost at it's close, and there is much to be done. With 3 full weeks of work left, stresses of wrapping up files and transferring territory, not to mention saying goodbye to a great bunch of office-friends are somewhat monopolizing time. However, there is much to be done, the first of which is getting this website in order, which, thanks to the techy-skill and artistic brilliance of Skye, is next-to-finished, and waiting for me to fill in some content. Beyond that, our route isn't fully finalized, we have no plane tickets, and there are lots of logistical details (budget?) that need to some busy-time work to get them figured out. What we do know is the general plan for the next 7 months. Depart Dallas on July 31st for Phoenix, deposit our small assortment of worldly possessions with family and friends, go to Dori and Max's wedding in San Fran, go to Burning Man with my sister Mary at the end of August/Beginning of September, and depart for France immediately afterward. We will begin the walk in Toulouse, join up with the Northern Route at the border with Spain, and follow that to Santiago de Compostela. Should take 2-2.5 months. Following that, back to Phoenix for the holidays and then South to Tierra Del Fuego...well...maybe not QUITE that far south, I think we'll pull up short in Buenos Aires where we'll plant ourselves for a year or two. Big General Plan, somewhat short on details at the moment. Stay tuned for the further adventures!
Posted by: Charlie on 6/28/2009 10:31:00 PM