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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 07, 2018 08:00 PM Leon - mountains on the horizon...
I reached Leon - in the past the capital of the independent Kingdom of Leon. The tombs of the kings are in the crypt of the San Isidro monastery... Now it is neat provincial town where some 120 thousands of the people live. The city hall (see picture) remains little stone palace. - see picture. There is nice Santa Maria cathedral with a beautiful glass works in the windows (entry 6 euro). San Marcos monastery is also worth to see - the interior is under restoration, bo the wide front of thd building has very rich decoration. 24 deg Celsius during the day. I see the mountains on the western horizon - for the pilgrims it means the end of the flat and rather monotonous meseta and bigger daily effort. Good night!
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Oct 06, 2018 08:00 PM Along Camino de Santiago
There are many towns and villages along Camino Frances - the most popular pilgrim route. Some of the places are definitely worth an overnight stopover, the others lost the pilgrimage atmosphere and should be avoided. Now I know more and I do not recommend Places like Pamplona, Estella, Logrono. They are nowadays crowded, noisy and big cities with the strong presence of industry, so who to stay there? But there are also the places I can recommend. The first one will be Puente la Reina, next Santo Domingo de la Calzada, then Castrojeriz and Carrion de los Condes, which I saw today. Those places has old atmosphere in the labirynth of the narrow streets. The only thing I do not like is that local authorities charge from pilgrims money for the entrance to the churches. You must pay from 1 to 8 euros. If you are doing the Camino de Santiago you have around 50 cathedrals and interesting churches to see on your way. How much are you ready to spend just for the church visits? It is the shame!
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Oct 05, 2018 08:00 PM Pampeluna - where the bulls are running...
Pampeluna is also on the Camino de Santiago! Every year in July they celebrate here St Firmin festival. The bulls and the people are running the streets of the old part of the town during the festival - this makes Pampeluna famous through the world. I took a walk to the cathedral which seems to be more interesting inside than outside. There are royal tombs in the cathedral - see picture. Then I found Plaza del Toros - the bull fighting arena. No more fightings... Pampeluna Plaza is huge, but dirty. So are the streets in the old town - they are dark and they are asking for paint. So I must say I know nicer places in Spain than Pampeluna... Sorry Pampelunians!
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Oct 04, 2018 08:00 PM Saint Jean Pied de Port
I am on the French side of the Pyrenees. Since centuries here, in the little, picturesque town of Saint Jean is the beginning of the long pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostella - Camino de Santiago. This little town is very tourist - even now - in October. Herds of walkers are climbing steep, narrow streets. There is citadel overlooking the town, a chain of the old walls with the gates. Nice place! But today we have 28 deg Celsius here - not the best weather for a walk!
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Oct 03, 2018 08:00 PM By bus to Burgos
Do not trust ALSA bus company! I wanted to buy online the ticket for Santander - Burgos ride and they wanted me to pay some extra fees 17 euro plus. At the bus station it cost me only 13,15...
But their buses are nice - with wi-fi, individual screen so you have a choice of Spanish) movies, but you have to bring your earplugs...
We were driving 3 hours through the mountains, pasing many tunnels and spectacular viaducts.
I disembarked at 11am on Miranda street bus station. My Manjon Hostal was only 15 min walk away. Single room without bath cost here 24 euro. Wi-fi is weak and the only bathroom is located at the reception - 30 m away from my small room. But Manjon has good lacation just on the edge of the old town. Great cathedral could be a pride of the Burgos city. But they charge 7 euro entry fee - can you imagine? Pilgrims with their book pay 4,50... It is worth to climb the hill to the Castillo for the view of the old town. The narrow, old streets are nicely decorated and there are many cafe tables on the cobbled plazas. In the afternoon I took a long walk to the Las Huelgas monastery, where you can see many royal family tombs. Lucky me! On Wed and Thu they offer free guided tour of this huge monastery - to the citizens of EU! It is worth one hour of your time. 30 nuns still live there isolated from the world...
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Oct 02, 2018 08:00 PM Cantabria -sunny Santander
At 6 am I was already sitting in the wizzair plane. We started soon, but iit was not a pleasant 3,5 hours trip. I have long legs and they offer little space between the rows. Short people are Ok. But why wizz punish me because I am tall?
Santander airport is very small. But there is info office to grab the city map and the city bus waiting just in front to go to the center. They charge already 2,90 euro for that service. Why so much? The ride on city bus costs only 1,30, and it is not so far!
I disembarked at the bus station. In the basement they have baggage lockers - you can leave there your stuff till midnight paying 3 euro.
I did. Then it was the time to enjoy the capital of Cantabria. Almost all attractions are located along the main street. Nice buildings of the banks, the cathedral with an interesting crypt (why they charge 1 euro for entry to the cathedral? I was walking nice coastal promenade to the Maritime Museum and onward - to the Magdalena Palace built on the little peninsula closing Santander Bay. This is very nice place with the cliffy coast on the Atlantic side. The palace was build in 1912 for Spanish royal family. There is nice view of the great Atlantic beaches from the peninsula. But the beaches are almost empty today - it is sunny byt strong wind is blowing from the ocean...
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Oct 01, 2018 08:00 PM Step one - by train to Warsaw
My low-cost flight to North Spain departs on Wednesday early morning so today I am going by train to Warsaw to spend there a night. Buying railway ticket month in advance you are getting 30 percent discount, so the ride Gdansk to Warsaw on express train will cost you around 15 euro. Ula - my cousin invited me to her flat. Pleasant evening. But I have to get up tomorrow at 4 am, to be in the airport at 5.20! Good night!
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Sep 30, 2018 08:00 PM I pack my backpack again!
It will be the sixth trip of 2018! You probably heard about the historic pilgrim route Camino de Santiago, which runs from the Pyrenees to the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostella in Spain. It leads through regions with a diverse landscape, through Spanish cities and towns full of historic buildings. You have to spend over a month to walk the entire route. Of course, I do not have that much time and I do not freeze to march through those segments where the path leads today along the roaring motorways or on the highways. I want to choose for hiking only the most interesting and the most picturesque parts. And after reaching the destination, I will return to Barcelona, , to rest for a week after a hike on the cheap ship and by the way to visit the little Mediterranean ports in which I have not been yet. Please keep my fingers crossed for good weather and my good condition! You will find news from the tour as always in my travel log. I hope there will be free internet access on the trail!
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Sep 26, 2018 08:00 PM By bus to Turku
My host was still sleeping when I was leaving his flat at 7.30 am. I never treat my guests on such a way... There are different behaviours around the world. But the morning was sunny so I was optimistic. City bus arrived on time and my 24-hours ticket was accepted. At 8.15 I was already sitting in the doubledecker onnibus heading for 1 euro to Turku :)
The highway goes through the fields and forest - very nice landscapes under the blue sky. Only one stop.
At 11 am I was already in Turku linja autoasema (that's how they call here the bus station - terrible language!)
I had enough time to walk to the main square and to the cathedral, which was open for visitors. It is well worth to see and the entrance is free (in the castle you pay 11 euro). I found the bus no.1 stop - it goes to the airport. This was regular stop but the first bus passed through without stopping! I ask the local guy. - You should wave - otherwise they do not stop! Ok - I still learn Finland. If you are coming for the short period consider to buy 24-hours ticket for 7 euro, single one cost 3 euro. I am in the Little Turku airport waiting for my return flight to Gdansk. This short, but interesting voyage to the new, unknown places in Finland is almost over. How much did I spent here during 7 days? 20 euro? Yes, there is something like the art of budget travelling! :)
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Sep 25, 2018 08:00 PM Rain in Tampere
Early wake up. The 1-euro bus departs at 6.00 am and from my host's house I have like 2 kms walk... I was on time at the Vaasa station... Somewhere in the middle of 4-hours trip to Tampere the rain appeared.
And it was raining all the time to Tampere - the second city in Finland after capital. My host was waiting at the bus station - so nice! He lives far from the center - it is not a walking distance, especially when it rains. I bought 24-hours ticket for 8 euro (it is my all daily allowance) and we barded the bus opposite the Russian orthodox church...
In the afternoon it was still raining but I went back to the city for a little walk around. They have nice cathedral built of stone and a nice esplanade. But the real sensation could be Lenin Museum. Can you imagine? Lenin was here several times before revolution and in the house where he was staying they established the museum. They told me that the first meeting of Lenin and Stalin also took place here.
Tampere lies between two lakes. There is 18 m level difference between the lakes so they built the canal to install power station and there is even the cascade on it. It is nice city, but the weather... - I returned completely wet! :(
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