El Camino de Santiago

Even though it was in the back of my mind all year long to walk the Camino, I only decided to do it at the last minute. It seemed fitting to transition from almost 9 months of adventure to "going home" by walking the pilgrim's path taken by millions before me.  It was one of the highlights of the year! And a wonderful way to transition. I only walked the last 100 km over 5 days (full path is 800 km over about a month). I met some wonderful people along the way. Even the ones I tried to avoid turned out to be the best teachers! 

I could post a hundred beautiful pictures of the walk as each day was glorious. Here are a few. 

The final destination is Santiago. Usually the Cathedral for the Pilgrim's Mass. It was pretty spectacular. The cathedral has the largest thurible in the world and it swings across the side naves almost hitting the roof. Amazing! 

Finally, I took a bus to Finisterre which was once believed to be the end of the earth. Pagan pilgrims would travel here in days gone by, and the folklore is that they would burn their clothes and jump in the ocean. I didn't part take in the ancient ritual. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful setting to end my trip! The End of the World! 

Madrid, Toledo, Aranjuez & Segovia

I spent a week in a Madrid with a few family members. It's a beautiful city with so much to do. The visit to the Royal Palace below was exceptional. And the art collections of Madrid's museums and galleries were amazing. There are also so many day trips to take. I did Toledo, Aranjuez and Segovia. 

Toledo was completely out of this world and we wished we had planned an overnighter. You could spend half a day in the Cathedral itself. It has to be one of the greatest in Europe and it has a magnificent art collection. 

The royal summer palace at Aranjuez...

Segovia. What beautiful city!! It has a perfectly preserved Roman aqueduct and buildings going back to the 11th century. Some shots bolow. 

Sitges, Spain (August 23 - September 16)

At first I was afraid I couldn't do 3 weeks at the beach...but it went too fast. I even extended it a few days. I had the cutest apartment (http://www.casitasitges.com) and had a string of visitors. Way too much fun was had by all. So I'm going by the rule "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What happens in Sitges...never happened". 

James (cousin)

Luis (friend from NJ)

Jim (friend from SFO) 

Bathed in Gaudi's light @ Sagrada Familia

Gerard (friend from London)

Jason (friend from NY)

Granada and the Alhambra

The back roads to Granada were beautiful. Full of "white villages" , rolling hills and olive groves. 

But the Alhambra was the motherload. Below are a few pictures. 

Waiting for nightfall over the Alhambra was one of the most magical experiences.