Trains, Spain & Automobiles

After seven weeks of travel, we are back again in Paris. We left on the 30th of June and went south to Bordeaux, Biarritz, Bayonne and San Sebastian, before going on to meet up with Mike's brother, Lindsay and some friends in Pamplona. (And with the exception of Bordeaux, that is pretty much the entire setting of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, which I was reading as we started out).

Starting with Bordeaux... I am pretty sure that everyone has heard of the wine that comes from this region. We went to the city of Bordeaux, which is a pretty cool place to visit. I'm sure any American kid doing a year exchange here would have the time of their teenage life.

After dark, all the kids come hang out on the steps around this fountain. There was a DJ, and much beer, wine and spirits. Trains, Spain & Automobiles

Biarritz, Bayonne, Arcachon are all beachy little towns in Southern France. We had to get in a little R&R before our big walk in Spain.

Mike gets some sun in Biarritz Trains, Spain & Automobiles

Mike says the dunes in Michigan are bigger, but I don't believe him. See those tiny little specks back there? Those are people. Trains, Spain & Automobiles

Next, we hop a bus and travel south to Spain, where we meet up in San Sebastian with Andy, Lindsay, Alistair and Catherine. More days on the beach, eating tapas and drinking cheap wine... especially compared to Paris prices! We went from paying about 6 euros a glass in the bar to paying about 1.60 euros a glass. And it got even cheaper from there...

After San Sebastian, we headed for Pamplona for the Festival of the Bulls, or San Fermin. I've never seen such party in my life. Truly a nonstop event. And I do mean nonstop. We even saw a bullfight, or six rather, since that is the number of bulls they slaughter each night of the festival. We missed the infamous Cappachino by a day. Lucky for us. The guys had gone running with the bulls the morning before.

Yes, that is a dead bull they are hauling out of the ring. Pamplona

And after San Fermin, it was on to the Camino... where we spent 3 weeks slogging with packs on our backs westward towards Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally a spiritual pilgrimage for most, we left the pursuit of St. James to others and focused on zombie apocalypse training instead. Things like heat endurance and sleep deprivation. We discussed the finer points of defending converted monasteries vs. mountain hideouts. You know, just passing the time.

Out of Pamplona, and yes, we're going over those mountain things. Trains, Spain & Automobiles

We crossed over deserts...

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Herded sheep....

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Walked with the fatted cattle...

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Made animal friends...

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Discovered jungle life...

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Made people friends...

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Feasted on Spanish cuisine...

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Climbed mountains...

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Explored castles on the way...

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Walked through blisters...

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Took time to rest with our fellows...

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Smelled the flowers...

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And finally, after walking 260 miles, we made it to Compostela.

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But that was just the Camino end. There's tons more to post about, including more on Pamplona and the Camino, as well as what we did after the camino- like Portugal, southern Spain, and England and Scotland. So, after seven weeks of dead blog, get ready friends. I haven't had a couch to sit on in weeks, and I am planning on taking advantage.

Preview of our Europe route...

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