Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, & Vigo
Though I should write more often, I'm not entirely displeased with my once a week post. I'll strive to get more caught up between here and my next trip- Valencia on Saturday.
At last, summer has arrived in Madrid. It came with absolutely zero warning and didn't sneak into the season. I hardly feel I experienced a "spring," perhaps contributing to my inability to believe May is halfway over. Last week, I was still wearing BOOTS and long sleeves to work and yesterday, I was sweating in a cotton dress. It was 90 around 4 pm. With this heat has come a new thing to hate about Madrid- seating on a seat on the Metro thats still warm and sweating from the previous person's behind. ewwww...
I've also realized I am practically having to reteach myself how to walk in flip flops. I tripped on the escalator yesterday, effectively flashing at least 20 unlucky Spaniards. Embarassing. Who trips UP an escalator? This girl. I also have blisters from my most loyal shoes in my entire closet that allowed me to tromp all over the place for many summers. So bizarre.
That being said, I am thrilled for warm weather. Though usually I don't consider myself much of "a beach person" I was inexplicably craving the beach. This lovely girl that I met back in the fall (brush up here) and I headed north to the side of the country just above Portugal (opposite of the Basque Country). Santiago de Compostela was on my bucket list for Spain destinations I must see before leaving and I was delighted when she said she would join me. We got our train tickets and headed off on the night train, arriving at 7:55 am. After naps at our hostal (that's not a hotel, not a hostel) we headed out to see the city. What a precious, quaint and lovely little city. The main attraction is the cathedral that supposedly holds the bones of St. James and honors the unnamed man who stumbled upon them twelve hundred years ago. This is all crucial in the infamous "Camino de Santiago" where religious "pilgrims" elect to walk essentially from France to this church. Caitlin and I lucked out and got to the church just as mass was starting. We left to explore the surrounding streets and caught the end- where they burned incense in this huge flying contraption across the church, which apparently only happens a few times a year. This meant incredible people watching as emotional pilgrims (easily identified by their backpacks) cried in joy to witness a special mass and to celebrate the completion of their journey. There was one group having beers in the square in front of the cathedral.
After two or three hours, we were bored to death in Santiago de Compostela so we decided to hop on a train and go even further north. This was a great decision. Our afternoon in A Coruña was incredibly intriguing because we had no idea what there was to do there and we stumbled upon these strange statues that resembled a mini-Stonehenge. I'll post pictures and I'm confident you will not argue with our judgement. Not quite warm enough to lay on the beach, and considering we weren't prepared, we just walked and chatted. Caitlin and I have so much in common and I really enjoyed traveling with her. It still blows my mind that I met someone from Roswell on a bus to the OUTSKIRTS of Madrid, who went to UGA and knows several people I do. Remarkable.
After having dinner and an intense Spanish lesson with some Columbians we met, we crashed and woke up at 6 am to catch a train to the border town of Spain and Portugal, Vigo. We asked the first taxi we saw to take us to the beach and when it became apparent we were going straight to the sand with our suitcases, he said, "you cant go to the beach with your suitcases. find a hotel to store them, or I'll come pick you up later and keep them in my trunk.." I said, "uh yes, we can go with our suitcases and we will." Just picture walking by Caitlin and I propped up on our suitecases. Haha I spy with my little eye a tourist. Anyway, armed with bathing suites and expired sun screen, we soaked in the sunlight the whole day. I was so happy. I got so sunburned. I am still so happy, even if I have leather skin syndrome. Sharon Brown would not be happy about my sunburn, but I have finished half a bottle of aloe and I am babying it big time.
I had serious beach fever and at no point did it cross my mind that we should abandon the ocean and warm sand. To say it was perfect weather doesn't accurately describe just how beautiful of a day it was. It wasn't hot enough to sweat, but it was warm enough to take a dip in the ocean. For all the trips that have had terrible weather, it was about time karma granted me a good day.
Since there were limited trains to Porto, Caitlin went on to spend the night there and fly back the next afternoon and I hopped on the night train back to Madrid. Imagine a 9 hour train ride with sand still in your hair.
It was a great weekend and an ideal escape from the city. I will be heading again to the beach this weekend with Melania and I can't wait. Since she is doing her Masters and working, I rarely ever get to see her pretty face so I am thrilled to have her to myself for a weekend!
As far as everything else goes, I'm just reading a lot, trying to relax and take advantage of all this free time by going running in the park, spending time with friends when they're available and stocking to my strict aloe-regimen.
Pictures to come!
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