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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Oct 23, 2018 08:00 PM Piombino, Italian Etruscan Coast
Today we are docking in Piombino. Piombino - the big industrial city and port doesn't have the charm of Portovenere. After disembarking local authorities offered free transfer by bus from the dock to the city. Then you can visit the museum, two churches and the streets of the typical Italian town. The best view of the town is from a little peninsula closing the tiny, old port - they built there nice promenade with a lighthouse at the end. The islands of Elba (closer) and Corsica (on the horizon) are easili visible from this place. A lot of people from the ship paid for the excursions to go from Piombino to Siena, Florence an other well-known cities. But the prices are high - 50-60 euro per person... So I have here the day at leisure, using free internet offered by tourist office and walking in the sun along the coast. Tomorrow we will be in Portofino - another little jewel, but probably without the free internet... :)
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Oct 22, 2018 08:00 PM Climbing in Portovenere
Do you know the picturesque coast of Italian Cinque Terre? I was walking through the western part of this region years ago. Today our ship is anchoring in the eastern end of Cinque Terre - just near La Spezia. They use tenders to bring us to the coast.
Little Portovenere has San Pietro church on the rocky cape, Doria castle and a row of colour houses along the coastal promenade. Forget about free wi-fi!
But the highlight of the place is the view from San Pietro to the 300-m high coastal cliff.... Well marked, but difficult trail goes up the cliff and onward to the next Cinque village. I started to climb at 11.30 am . There were few view points with partly limited visibility. But the best view is from the summit with the antennas. I reached this point at 12.00.
The view was just fantastic! But good hiking shoes are required, especially when you go down... Great, sunny day! New, cozy place!
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Oct 21, 2018 08:00 PM Ajaccio in the sun!
Bon jour! I have been before to Ajaccio, Corsica, but then the weather was not as good as today. We had absolutely perfect lighting on approach to the picturesque port today. The tricky thing id to find the tourist office here - it is located in the second parallel street to the coast - turn right after the city hall. Once there - you have free and quality internet available - just click the Orange network. ..
No, I do not pay for the expensive tour offered by the ship.... 45 euro is not acceptable! Do it on your own! I had in Ajaccio enough time to stroll the narrow streets of the old town, to see the house where Napoleon was born, and to take the promenade along the coast. I speak French again! But tomorrow we will be already in Italy - my Italian is very weak! :)
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Oct 20, 2018 08:00 PM Menorca in one day...
It is my first day on Menorca Island. Sunny day. There are two great naturel ports on two ends of the island. We docked in Mao - Mahon where the nice old town is located on the impressive cliff. I saw the town and than took a public bus for 5,10 euro to Ciutadella - some 50 kms away. On the way there is a chance to see three little townships in the interior an the highest mountain with the monastery on the top. Just take the front seat!
Ciutadella also has an internal port, but it is like a picturesque miniature of Mahon -"well worth to see. The old town here with a cathedral is even jicer than this one in Mahon! Great excursion just for 10,20 euro - those guys from the ship charge 50 euro!
I returned to the ship in the late afternoon. I like laid-back, sleepy Menorca. The only problem is that free wi-fi is not available....
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Oct 19, 2018 08:00 PM Hola, Barcelona!!!
My low cost flight landed on time in Barcelona El
Prat Airport. Now the problem: how to get on a cheap to the cruise terminal? OK - I took the city hus 46 to Plaza Espana - 2.20 euro payable to the driver. 35 min drive. Then I decided to walk. -You want to walk, it is far? - the guy from tourist office was so surprised. -After Camino de Santiago any distance less then 15 kms will not impress me!
There are nice fountains working on the way - see picture....
It took me 1 hour to the Europa Bridge. And from the bridge I already saw my old ship - Zenith. 15 min later I was already checking-in!
The ship is very old, but small and cozy. From the deck there was a great view of Barcelona when we were departing at sunset...
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Oct 18, 2018 08:00 PM Santiago de Compostela
I do not beat any records and the certificates are not important to me, but since the Compostela is free I decided to go through the procedure so let you know how does it work :) First of all they changed their office - it is now on the Carretas street, below the Reyes Catholicos Hotel. I went there with my "credential booklet" full of stamps collected on Camino. The line was long - I was waiting more than an hour to be at the desk. They do not smile there!. The young man said that on the route I should stamp credencial in two different places every day! I didn't! The credencial issuing French guy in Saint Jean did not say that... -At least one of your non-stop walking stretches must be 7 days long! I showed him that, but he was still unhappy. Finally I got my Compostella - certificate of completion of pilgrimage. It is A4 size and it is in latin ( !) - see the picture.
I think that they should organise public relations training for this stuff - also to make them writing nicely (it is still pre-computer era here).
Rest of the day I spent attending the mass for pilgrims in the cathedral (free entry!) and strolling the narrow streets of the old town. The best panorama of old Santiago is from Alameda Gardens!
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Oct 17, 2018 08:00 PM Bugs in the hostel, but no rain at all...
At 3 am I woke up in my hostel bed with the feeling that something bites me. Oh, God! I was forced to go to the living room, to spend the rest of the night there.
They want the guest to leave the hostel at 8 am - in October it ia still dark... I was waiting till 9 to start the walk. Inicially it was a nice path in the eucalyptus forest. Up and up... Than down again. The last stage of my camino walk (20 kms +) was sweaty! After village of Lavacolla (rather contemporary church here) the signs of the camino became dirty, rare and sometimes faded. Shame! In San Marcos village there is a bus stop of the city bus no 6... I did not see it... Then I passed the buildings of the local TV, camping and about one kilometer further on I reached tge pilgrim's monument on Mount Gozo - see picture. This place disappointed me. I expected finally to see Santiago de Compostela down in the valley. Nothing like this! From Mt Gozo you can hardly see the towers of the cathedral down on the horizon. It was still 5 kms walk downhill to the city and onward to the old town. I reached the cathedral square - the final point of Camino de Santiago at 3 pm! The big pilgrimage is done! Thanks God it was not raining whole day...
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Oct 16, 2018 08:00 PM Eremita of Santa Irene...
Why the locals wake up in the hostel at 6 am and start the walk on the camino in the dark at 6.30? In October the daylight is on here around 8 am. Then I start my walk - I want to enjoy the landscape and to see faces of the people passing by. Are they just making kilometers?
Okay, byt today I was already on the trail at 8.15. Why? Because in the today' s weather forecast was written that there will be a rain in the afternoon...
It was a nice walk through the eucalyptus forests. Only few segments of the trail were paralel to the road. Road crossing, well signed, are still dangerous because local drivers do not slow down...
In the mid of the day I reached very old stone chapel of Santa Irene, with the water spring just above of it. I was reading, that there is nice baroque altar inside, but sorry - the chapel was locked...
Next village - A Rua was picturesque with many stone houses and branches of vine on them.
Now I am already in my hostel in O Pedrouzo. It is raining outside. From here it is only like 4 hours walk to Santiago de Compostella. Tomorrow my pilgrimage on Camino de Santiago will be completed :)
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Oct 15, 2018 08:00 PM Friends from Camino...
Since the town of Sarria I see much more pilgrims on the trail. That's probably because Sarria lies 100 kms from Santiago the Compostela and it is required to walk at least 100 kms to get the certificate of the pilgrimage.... :) Every day on the trail I meet new friends. Two days ago -Anna from Slovenia. Yesterday - David and his wife from Oklahoma. Two days ago also young ladies from Korea and Japan (see picture) - by coincidence yesterday we were sleeping in the same dorm in the hostel.
It was long day today... But sunny! At the moment I am already in the town of Arzua - resting in the Albergue de Selmo. It is funny hostel - for 10 euro you have here a box in the big hall, imitating thanks to the courtain a single room. I hope it will be silence in this property at night :)
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Oct 14, 2018 08:00 PM One more day on Camino
I spent the night in the nice hostel A Fontana de Luxo. The substancial buffet breakfast was included. Worth to recommend! It was raining like yesterday when I started long (25 kms) walk through the mountains to Palas de Rei. Imagine me covered by waterproof poncho climbing on the path. Yes, you are protected from the water, but after half an hour you are sweaty inside your poncho. And the path goes up and up... Thanks to the internet tools you know in advance today's route parameters: first 400 m up. then 300m down.
Fortunately after 1,5 hours of my walk the rain stopped giving me a chance to enjoy panoramas - probably the best one from Castromaior. Then little villages with albergues, little churches and stone crosses.
Few hundreds pilgrims was walking today the camino.
We were well tired when we reached Palas de Rei. But no more rain! :)
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