A bucket-list for you, a bucket-list for me

In our last episode, due to a series of unfortunate events our departure from Porto was delayed by 4 hours.  Sadly, the leadership of the ship did a very poor job of communicating what was happening, which made for some very angry guests the next day. Thankfully, despite docking two hours after its start, our excursion (one of our two "bucket-list"excursions) was delayed- so we boarded a bus full of ornery German women to venture on….

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Santiago de Compostela is considered the third most significant pilgrimage destination in Christianity, just after Jerusalem and Rome. It is believed to be the final resting place of Saint James the Great, one of Jesus' twelve apostles. The city's Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela has been a major religious site since the Middle Ages, attracting pilgrims from across Europe who travel the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James. The path attracts 200,000 pilgrims annually. Some walk a route that takes 5-6 days, other a route that takes 14 +/- days, while the most popular route through France takes 30-35 days to complete.  Although its roots are firmly Christian and Catholic, modern pilgrims represent a variety of faiths and spiritual beliefs; people walking “The Way” may be doing it for religious, spiritual, cultural, and/or health reasons.

The town is an overwhelming experience full of tourists, pilgrims, and college-age students who choose to reside there. Erik has always wanted to go, so we had to take this opportunity. It was quite an experience to watch groups of sweaty, tired, excited pilgrims (many of whom had been walking for 30+ days) arrive, throw down their gear, hug, and then collapse in the middle of the square. Alas, our 90-minute ride in a comfortable motorcoach didn’t provide the same sense of accomplishment.  We did witness a few folks (loudly) proclaim their arrival who were a bit different:  these people were particularly entertaining as their perfectly pressed clothing, on-point make-up and jaunty little daypacks revealed that their pilgrimage was a very different experience than some of the others. Of course, one must look one’s best when livestreaming on one's influencer channel. 😊

Bilbao, Spain

When we arrived in Bilbao, we had one destination: The Guggenheim. Given that it was full of great art, and designed by a favorite architect, Frank Gehry, we walked a few kilometers to the nearest subway station and headed across town. The pictures speak for themselves.

Stonehenge and Salisbury, UK

If Santiago de Compostela was on Erik’s bucket list, mine was our other big excursion, Stonehenge. Stonehenge has filled my head with fascination since my teens, when I developed a love of Arthurian legends (note: Stonehenge has nothing to do with Arthurian legends, or druids for that matter… but as a 14-year-old, they all blended together). With an average of 1.4 million visitors annually, Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world. It was built in several phases between 3000BCE and 1520 BCE, with some of the giant stones travelling hundreds of miles,  and the altar stone originating from almost 500 miles away. Its purpose remains a mystery, though its relationship to astronomy and the solstices definitely indicate that it was a site of important ancient rituals. The proximity of burial mounts in the area also lend to its past cultural importance.

The historic city of Salsibury is located about 8 miles away from Stonehenge. Its cathedral possesses the tallest spire in Britain, and also houses one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta (of course, no photos were allowed to be taken).  It is rumored that the city is the basis for Ken Follett’s very popular historical novel and miniseries, Pillars of the Earth, and it is very to easy to see how that could be.  It also has a great Fish & Chips shop!