Motivated by Mom's recent pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and after seeing Emilio Estevez's new movie, "The Way", We decided to extend our already planned business trip to Barcelona to include some time to explore El Camino. This trip was really in 3 parts, Part 1 was all Business, Part 2 was all Barcelona and Part 3 was the Road Trip of a Lifetime.....
In the Beginning..We began our adventure just outside of Barcelona where we met with our Olive growers at the Agromillora Nurseries. We were given unlimited access to the entire operation from the research and development labs to the tree propagation units,
the greenhouses (and there are miles of them) Sorting, Grading Packing and Shipping. We saw the experimental orchards where new types of trees are growing and had a long discussion with our host Xavier Rius, who is an expert on Super high density farming, 
on cost saving advances in the development of new orchards. To say we were excited by the new developments and technological advances would be an understatement. Following the tours and meetings, We headed off to a small nearby town for a late lunch where we were joined by Jordi Mateu Director of Operations and Joan Samso who is a Senior Executive and their Global expert on Olive Trees. We had a wonderful visit and will see them again at a Symposium on HD Orchards at UC Davis in January of 2012.
Barcelona
Hop on and Hop Off, the city tour bus, is the only way to see it all when you only have so much time and don't want to drive. Can anyone say Gaudi?? this is the city that has fantastic examples of the works of so many artists and architects. the one who stands above them all is Gaudi. We visited his fantastic but failed attempt at urban development otherwise known as "Parc Guell",
The Sagrada Familia
and several other buildings along Barcelona's Rambla District.We were also able to tour the Olympic Village and the fantastic beaches. The weather was pretty cool so we didn't go near the water.
I must say that we had some excellent accommodations and meals during our stay in Barcelona.
On the Road Again...
We were simply not prepared for what was to come...
Our first stop was the city of Zaragoza which is very historical and has a elegant Basillica, but our hotel, the Hotel Paris, was downright awful. The city is undergoing a massive infrastructure reconstruction and getting around there is just impossible.
We were just spending the night so early the next morning off we went to San Sebastian, with a short stop over in Pamploma, we just had to see what Hemingway was so excited about.Our hotel in San Sebastian, the Hotel Europa, was in a word.. Perfect! right near the water and close to the old town. we had a place to park our car and it was just nice. We settled in and decided that the next morning we would set out to find the start of the Spanish section of El Camino in the town of Roncesvalles near the French border. We toured the church and got that weird feeling that something was about.. This was, a very spiritual place.
The following day was to be one of the most exhilarating as we traveled to the sacred Tunel de San Adrian. This natural tunnel was a part of an ancient trade route established during the 13th century and exists virtually undisturbed to this day. Many pilgrims have traveled this section on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
As you exit the tunnel on the Araba side there are the remains of an ancient Roman road that is still being used by the local sheep herders to move their flocks. We got that mystical feeling again.. especially when we saw a shepherd and his sheep coming through the tunnel...
The next few days, as we drove along a coastal highway, we reflected on what we had witnessed. We visited the town of Gijon where we stayed in a ancient Flour Mill and we drove on to Santiago de Compostela where we took refuge in an old monastery just a few steps away from the Cathedral. We got that feeling again when we visited the tomb of St. James deep inside the Cathedral Coincidence?... maybe...The next morning after a good nights rest and a great breakfast we decided that we had to go to the ocean to finish what we started back in Roncesvalles. So on to Finsterra we went.
Well as quick as it had begun, it was over...
We had gone the distance and had seen the way of the Peregrinos.
We traveled 1000 miles of roads, highways, dirt paths, stairways, tunnels, bridges, went past rivers and mountains, fields and farms, we saw buildings,
churches, Cathedrals and Basillicas, ate some great fish, Jamon, Chorizo and Pulpo. We met new friends saw some interesting people and most of all we got to experience it together... Ray Y RayFor all of you,
Buen Camino!
