Today is day 10 of our final phase of our long adventure. Last night, we gained back the fifth of the six hours we lost when we flew to Europe. It is arguably the most subtle of the changes as it happens gradually but I find it to be the most delicious.

When you start this adventure losing six hours and then enduring days of long walks over difficult terrain and then sleeping in a different bed every night it takes a toll on you no matter your age. Cruising in luxury while gaining back those lost hours as you sail west through time zones at 19 knots becomes wonderfully comfortable. Waking in the morning fully rested and anxious to take on the day as I did this morning is such a pleasure.

As of this writing, we have sailed (a strange word to be using in 2024 but if we can still use “dial the phone” I guess it’s OK) more than 3,300 nautical miles. Another strange phrase which refers to one minute of longitude and/or latitude or 1.1508 statute miles. It is a sunny day with some clouds and a brisk wind. We are enduring 3 foot waves and traveling at 16.3 knots. This means we are a bit wobbly while walking down the aisle at the gym this morning the ship came down hard on a bigger wave and rattled the entire ship. I was glad to be holding on to the treadmill. The gym and buffet are on the top floors which are much more affected by the motion. Our stateroom is lower and in the middle so we feel it much less.

Tomorrow we dock in Bermuda and spend the day. Joe and I plan to do a bit of a walkabout as he knows the island well. We have made a reservation at one of the specialty restaurants for Wednesday evening. That will be our Thanksgiving feast. The Tuscan Grill is touted as modern Italian and it has a superb location on the ship. It is in the very back on the 5th deck overlooking the ship’s wake. Since we will be heading southwesterly from Bermuda to Ft Lauderdale we may have a sunset to watch.

Finally, for those gentle readers who assumed by my title today that I was referring to weight lost and regained, I submit a few photos of the dessert station from lunch yesterday. You will likely form your own conclusions.

A transatlantic cruise is going to have sea days. Not like the ancient mariners but sea days all the same. Between Barcelona and Ft Lauderdale, we will only stop in Lisbon, the Azores, and Bermuda. On a modern cruise ship, however, if you are bored, it is your own fault.

Yesterday was a classic example of a sea day and its activities. there were lectures and games to attend but we tend to stay apart from all that. Joe and I woke at different times but we both have settled in to the routine of daily exercise. Joe tends to walk outside when he can which was a bit difficult yesterday due to the wind and ship movements, I am a treadmill fan and spent my time earning my 10,000 steps there followed by a few exercise machines. Joe exceeded my steps yesterday with a combination of indoor and outdoor walking.

After sensible breakfasts and showers, we settled into our books. Joe has taken on a wonderful translations of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote de La Mancha and is enjoying it. I downloaded a number of books before my departure based upon title and or recommendation and it seems I am on a “chick literature” cruise. I am listening to books (I find that much easier on the treadmill and on a ship at sea). As of today, I have completed three, “Conclave”, “It ends with us”, and “The Women”. I am now working through some non fiction, “The Age of Walls”.

There was a short lunch break in there when we had a phone call reminding us of an invitation to a wine pairing event. After some short hesitation, we left our stateroom and headed for the event. Now we both have been tasting and pairing wines for some time and we have both attended such events but this was one of the best I have ever attended. The Sommelier was very well prepared and entertaining and there were less than 12 people in attendance so everyone had a chance to ask questions and contribute.

Since both of us are not only familiar with wines and the details of setting up for such an event, we very much appreciated the efforts of the Sommelier.

Before us, we each had the five wines as well as nine items of food on a plate so we could be guided through the process. As you may be able to see, we had cherry tomatoes that were raw and plain, pieces of roasted chicken breast without a sauce, some smoked fish, black olives, chocolate brownie, salt and a mint leaf, cherry tomatoes with a pesto sauce, chicken breast with pesto sauce, and some Swiss cheese.

The wines were taken from left to right, whites to reds. The Sommelier talked us through the process of swirling and inspecting the wines for color and “legs” before sniffing for the bouquet. I learned for the first time that each of us tends to have a dominant nostril. Yes, like a dominant hand, eye, and ear. Try sniffing your wine with one nostril and then the other. I was shocked to notice that I have one nostril that can depict much more about the wine than the other. Who knew?

After taking us through each of the wines and tasting those many and varied tastes, the acidic, creamy, the sweet, and the salty, some that dull the flavors of the wine, some that detracts from the wine, and others that augmented the wine, Joe and I were inspired to go to a late lunch and then back to our books with a football game on mute in the background.

That took us until changing for dinner where we were seated with two couples from Canada. As we sat, one of the Canadian wives asked me if we had participated in the “renewal of vows” that was offered by the Captain of the ship. I tried to conceal my emotions as I explained that we are brothers. No vows were ever taken. We then ordered last night’s special, a chateaubriand. Joe’s first course was a steak tartare while I chose the lobster bisque. We shared a nice Bordeaux with it which required something chocolate for dessert.

The 9:00 pm show was an excellent collection of contemporary and classic Broadway tunes and a performance by the ship orchestra and dancers as well as the acrobatic team. This lead then lead to the last football games of the day and a good night’s sleep. Today, we are at it again. We have traveled 3,000 nautical miles and gained back four of the hours we lost flying over to Europe over 3 weeks ago. We have five days to go.

After a lovely stay in Barcelona, Joe and I boarded the Celebrity Silhouette for our trip home. Our first night was at sea and we were rewarded with an extra hour in our day. One of the things I enjoy about transatlantic cruises that travel west is that one enjoys the pleasure of six 25 hour days as you sail through the time zones. That allows for a restful trip and a refreshing arrival. Far better that the jet lag from a flight and infinitely better than an east bound transatlantic with its six 23 hour days.

We docked in Lisbon, Portugal at 1100 this morning and Joe and I (after a good workout) walked off to a waiting tour guide that showed us the highlights of Lisbon and the important facts of the history of Portugal.

I was most impressed with the mosaics at the base of the Explorer’s monument. Inlaid in stone are the dates that Portuguese explorers made contact with other civilizations of the world.

As majestic as we find the exterior, the interior of Sagrada Familia is far more spectacular. The theme of nature that one notices outside the cathedral is obvious when you enter. The columns are meant to depict a forest with their branches spreading out to support the canopy. There is maximum use of natural lighting through the expansive stained glass windows. The columns are made from various stone depending on the load that they are designed to carry and the movement of the light following the sun gives the impression of the filtered light in a forest.

The stained glass windows are each dedicated to saints. Note the detail. I managed to find St Michael.

The full length of the church shows the altar.

In my 75 years, having lived in 23 homes and traveled for work and pleasure most of my adult life, I have seen a lot of churches. Nothing can compare with the Holy Family Cathedral by Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926).

Gaudi was 26 years old and had one building on his resume when he was awarded the job of designing this cathedral. It is so grand and magnificent that it is not expected to be completed until 2084 after nearly 200 years. My youngest grandchild will be eligible for Social Security that year and my oldest will be 84 years old. I hope that they both get to see it.

Joe and I visited it today and I will not be able to do it justice in 100 blogs but I will attempt to describe this work in two. One for the exterior and the general plan and tomorrow, the magnificent interior.

The tiny scale model above shows you in grey those portions that have been completed and in the lighter color, those portions that have yet

to be completed. There will be three entrances to the cathedral, the first was dedicated to the birth of Christ, the second to the passion or death of Christ. These two entrances are open and completed. They will be the side entrances and they are pictured below.

The opposite side door is dedicated to the death of Christ. Photos are below:

The third door, which will be the main entrance to the cathedral, has not yet been started but will depict the resurrection. The doors for each of the completed entrances are equally beautiful as shown below:

The building is 90 meters long and 60 meters wide. When the tallest tower is completed, it will be 172.5 meters high making it the tallest church in the world and a half a meter higher than the nearest mountain.

There are a total of 18 towers that can be seen for miles. 12 that are dedicated to each of the apostles, four for the evangelicals (those who wrote the gospels) one tower for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the central and tallest tower for Christ.

I will write about the interior of the building tomorrow.

Today we packed up our walking sticks and headed to the airport for our next phase of our trip. It is hard to leave Santiago. This was my eighth time to spend at least one night in that beautiful historic city.

In early June of 1980, Jean and I did a swing around the north of Spain after my graduate courses were finished. Jean was six months pregnant with John at the time and had quite a bit of morning sickness so 4 year old Amanda and I spent a lot of quality time together to give Jean some peace and quiet. It was on that trip where we entered the Cathedral in Santiago and we placed our hand under the statue of St James. This has not been permitted for over 40 years now. It was at that moment when I realized that millions of people had placed their hands there. I decided that I had to walk the Camino.

Plans to walk with my children and my brothers in 2020 were canceled due to Covid. We were going to walk the English Way from the northern coast due south to Santiago. Instead we walked the final 100 kilometers from Sarria to Santiago. I was then joined by Merci and Scott Hutchison and we walked 120 kilometers from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia. This year it was the 101 kilometers from Vigo to Santiago with Joe.

My second trip was in September and October of 2015 when I walked the Camino Francés from St Jean Pie de Port. 800 kilometers over the mountains and all across Spain. I did it again on the Camino Portugués from Porto in 2018 with Dan Ferris and made some dear friends along the way.

In total I have walked over 1,500 kilometers of the Way of St James. I hope to keep my relationship with the Camino as a pilgrim or a Hospitalero. (This is a volunteer who works at the albergues that do not charge for the stay. It is a program sponsored by the Spanish government to keep the Camino affordable for everyone. )

Tomorrow Joe and I will visit the Holy Family Cathedral (Sagrada Familia) here in Barcelona. It was designed by one of Spain’s most famous architects over 200 years ago and it is expected that it will be completed next year. It is very modern and unique and does amazing things with natural lighting. Pictures will follow.

There are no words that can fully express the feelings that overwhelm you when you walk into the plaza in front of the cathedral at the end of your journey. The emotions flood, seasoned with your aches and pains and general exhaustion into an overwhelming mix of satisfaction, relief, and accomplishment.

This is reflected in the broad smiles and twinkling wet eyes as you look around the plaza and see all the other faces enduring the same emotional mixed salad. People you have never seen before, pilgrims that have walked different routes, and people you may have seen all along the way all hugging and smiling. Here is a family from Peru posing for their photo:

I have previously written about the importance of the scallop shell The original story was that pilgrims in the 10th through 13th century would continue past Santiago to the coast and carry a scallop shell back to their parish priest as proof of their pilgrimage. The pilgrims would present his proof to his priest and have his sins forgiven. By the 13th century, the unscrupulous vendors found that if they brought back a basket of shells to Paris, Spire, or Vienna, they could sell them. This caused the Bishop in Santiago to develop the Compostela. A certificate in Latin that proved that you walked the Camino. Below is my newest:

This now gives me 3 Compostela, one Muxiana, and one Fisterra. With my sins, I will have to keep walking for some time.

Joe and I encountered a Camino Angel this morning at breakfast. Camille is a French Canadian 34 year old who has a gift for causing people to be comfortable enough to open their hearts and their souls to her as she intently listened. She had completed the French Way and was about to head out to Finisterre. We watched as she was approached by scores of pilgrims she had encountered along the way approaching her with big smiles and moist eyes as they hugged. People of all ages. She sat with Joe and me for an hour and we found ourselves telling our most intimate tales. She has an amazing gift and she shares it with all who need it asking nothing in return. We are blessed to have met her and we wish her all the best.

Dear readers, our arrival in Santiago does not complete the telling of the story. In fact we spent the day on a nine hour bus tour of the northwest coast of Spain and there is much more to tell of this amazing lodging we have in the shadow of the cathedral.

The San Martin Pinario Hospedera Seminario Mayor is a centuries old seminary whose rooms have been repurposed for pilgrims and tourists. There is now central heating, lights, and an elevator. Each bedroom looks to be for one or two seminarians and now houses two pilgrims. The walls are solid stone several feet thick and rather than shades of curtains, we have thick wooden shingles that we can open and close as we wish. There are old fashioned heaters where hot water runs through a register but it is very comfortable. The bathroom is modern with a walk in shower. The only recommendation I would have is to increase the number of electrical plugs. We have a total of three. One in the bedroom, one in the wall, and one in the bathroom. This can be difficult when we have to charge two cell phones, two hear aids, one watch, and a CPAP for breathing at night. We are managing just fine with adapters.

Today’s trip was to Finisterre, Muxia and other northwestern coast sights. The traditional Camino in the Middle Ages saw people from all over Europe walking out to the end of the world. I did that in 2022 with Merci and Scott Hutchison and I was able to appreciate this trip much more. There is a scene at the end of the Martin Sheen movie, The Way where he completes his Camino in Muxia (moo-she-ah) by depositing his son’s ashes in the sea. Below please find that exact spot from today’s visit.

We also were sown the world’s largest Horreo. This is a stone bin to store grain above the moist ground and away from vermin. There are small versions of this all along the Camino and throughout Spain.

I will write about additional sights from our trip tomorrow. Stay tuned.

We made it to Santiago just in time to attend the Pilgrims mass so we held off checking into our hotel. There is something spiritually fulfilling about attendance at mass at any time but upon the completion of a 100 kilometer walk with other pilgrims, it is extra special. I am also humbled at the thought that there have been millions of pilgrims before me that have completed this journey and sat in these pews over more than 1000 years. This may also be the only mass where during the portion where we wish each other peace, people are saying “Buen Camiño” instead.

The way here is mostly forest once you are out of Patron and one is treated with the scent of eucalyptus as the trees grow wild all over the mountains of Galicia and are a favorite of the logging industry. Santiago is actually a small

Town of only 100,000 but a tourist hub. Joe and I sat in mass with a bus load of Asians. I believe that they were all Catholic because the lady next to me was following along with the responses to the priest in her own language. That’s OK because I was doing the same.

Our hotel here in Santiago is a converted Monastery. It is a giant stone building that educated priests and monks for centuries. The solidity of the structure was important because to have Joe and me enter sacred ground would have brought down a lesser structure.

Once checked in, we picked up our luggage and took ourselves to lunch. A Galician soup for each of us. Joe had the mussels and I had the Merluza (Hake). A little touristy shopping and an afternoon rest for us both.

Tomorrow we have a bus tour of Fisterre or Finisterre. This is the “end of the earth” that some pilgrims would walk to during the dark and Middle Ages as they believed it to be where the flat earth met the sea. Modern science and the Portuguese have long since proven that they have a point that juts farther to the west but the Spanish tourism industry pays no attention to that.

The joke within our family and about our family is that our motto is “I could eat”. This is meant to be the answer to the question(just about any question for that matter) Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Would you like ( Can I fix you) something? Perhaps this is why I love Spain so much. There is almost always a chance to eat.

To begin the day, most in Spain actually have very little. A cup of coffee and toast or a croissant. Then around 10 AM there is the mid-morning snack. Along the Camino we call it Second breakfast. Easy to do on most Camino days as one would have stayed in an Albergue that does not have a kitchen or you started early to take advantage of the cooler temperatures.

Nothing is open in most places before 8 AM anyway so you walk from 6-8, have a coffee and toast with marmalade then walk from 8:30-10:00 and have a second breakfast of coffee and a wedge of Tortilla Española (an omelette made with caramelized onions, fried potatoes, and eggs). This happens to be a favorite of mine especially when on the Camino as it is the right combination of delicious and an energy producer.

As lunch is traditionally later in Spain than in the US, the kitchens are working between 1 and 4. Don’t expect anything before 1 PM and if you are running late and walk in after 4 PM, the best you can hope for is a salad and a sandwich. Now that would be a fine lunch for many Americans but in Spain, the midday’s meal is the big meal of the day and the kitchen will not open again until after 8. Eating a big meal after 8 or 9 on the Camino and expecting to sleep well before you rise early for the next day’s track is not good for you.

So I have adjusted well to the rhythm of life in Spain and on the Camino. Pictures below please find what Joe and I found to replenish our worn selves today. I hope you enjoy seeing it as much as we enjoyed eating it.

Could you eat?