Arrival in Spain

Quick trivia question: what city is named after a berry? Answer: Madrid! It is named after the madroño berries that used to grown in the woods that was Madrid. Here’s a picture of a bear eating the berries, with our 3 bears posing in front. Tapas, gorgeous art, and trying to remember to say Grathias, not Gracias, a new accent for our Central American Spanish - speakers. On a more sombre note, the brick building in the background was Franco's police headquarters, where many Spaniards died trying to escape. (Thank you Rick Steeves for his wonderfully detailed walking tours.)

Tomorrow we leave modern civilization behind and go on a contemplative walk across part of northern Spain, on the Camino de Santiago. You won't hear from us for two weeks, as we will be living out of our backpacks, staying in hostels, and living the simple life. Our completely wired family will be taking an electronic holiday. I'll believe it when I see it.

Saint James, or Santiago in old Spanish, was buried in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, a town in the northwest corner of Spain. Since the middle ages, this has been a pilgrimage site for Christians, some of whom walk all the way from Paris or other parts of France. Though we are not Catholic, and some of us are not particularly Christian, we welcome the opportunity for spiritual renewal and return to a simpler life of walking, eating fine food, and drinking great wine as a beginning to our sabbatical!