3. Roncesvalles to Pamplona:

Witches once met on the beautiful, flat wooded stretch after Roncesvalles. On the path, a cross still stands from over 300 years ago (to keep the witches away). My family uses the Filipino word 'wak-wak' (actually a vampire-bird like creature) to refer to witches. Kaia and Cruz both picked up a stick for walking and of course, wak-wak protection. When we stopped to take a drink of water or to have a snack, Kaia would draw a circle on the ground around our family with her stick to protect us (our kids have very active imaginations).

                                       

Looking back at the Pyrenees was special. We also welcomed walking on flat farm land. It was great to tell the kids that they climbed over those beautiful mountains. Anything was easier after our first two days. We met a few hikers who started out that morning from Roncesvalles because the Pyrenees were too intimidating. They were impressed that our kids did it. Knowing this gave Kaia and Cruz a lot of confidence. 

 

We walked 14 miles on day three to Zubiri. The trail/roads were less difficult and the kids were feeling good. They were also motivated knowing that there was a river that ran through the town where they could play. We found a room with a balcony next to the river. As soon as we dropped off our bags, the kids put on their bathing suits and got in the water. Their energy is endless. While they were playing, a few of the local women placed chairs in the water to enjoy a beverage. 

                                          

Zubiri is a small town so we ran into almost everyone we had met the past few days. They were all so happy to see the kids. We met many people from Italy, France, Germany, and Spain. We also met Mike and Chris from Philly. They were on a break before going back to Monastery School. 

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Day four was a short walk seven mile walk to an albergue ran by nuns in Zabaldika. This albergue retains the original spirit of the Camino, when the church welcomed pilgrims and gave them refuge for the evening and food. Today, it is by donation. There were 18 of us that evening. Kaia and I helped make dinner. We went to a short mass and the kids got to ring a bell that was over one thousand years old. We met a mom originally from Spain but now lives in Australia. She was walking for a couple of weeks with her adult children. We also met a newly engaged couple from London, a doctor from Germany, and a young lady from Taiwan. It was a lively shared dinner.

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On day five, we walked another short seven miles into the medieval city of  Pamplona. It is known for it's festival, the Running of the Bulls.  Once a week we planned on staying two nights in a bigger town to rest and explore the city. 

                                        

Parker found a great apartment with a balcony that is on the route for running with the bulls. We had the perfect view of "Dead Man's Corner", yikes! It was great for people watching. Pamplona is surrounded by a 3 mile/5 km wall to keep away invaders. Today it is a vibrant mix of medieval and modern.  We are adjusting to the Spanish siesta schedule. It is not law enforced but almost everyone follows it. Siesta is commonly between 2pm to 5pm, when everything closes (grocery stores, restaurants, businesses, etc.). If a cafe or restaurant is open, it is a limited menu. You pick up on this quickly because you have to grab something to eat before 2pm or wait until after 6/7 when everything gets going again. Then the Spanish stay up all night. The streets were packed and we heard people hanging out until 3/4am.

                                       

We discovered Calle San Nicolas (San Nicholas Street), the origin of tapas/pintxos. A pintxo is a small bite usually served on a piece of bread. It is a culinary delight for only a euro or two. 

                      

It's all an experience, the tapas are displayed behind a glass barrier, you point at a few, order your drink, then try to find an open cocktail table. You repeat this from place to place until you can no longer stuff your face even the tiniest bite. We walked into a Michelin Star Restaurant and had the "Crooooctopus" which was a kid favorite. We went back to Nicholas Street several times. We loved Pamplona.

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Someone asked how we keep the kids from getting bored. I told them, on this stretch, it's wolverine. Somehow my family is still talking about wolverine! It was a full on conversation the first four days, it was less on the fifth day when they dabbled just a bit into Marvel. For the past decade I've heard... mom, mom, mom, mom, hey mommy….a hundred times a day. Now I'm hearing dad, dad, dad, dad, hey daddy…all day. Mostly from Cruz, even when they are side by side and often holding hands when talking. Hey dad, where does his claws come from, do they hurt...on and on. Parker answers all of their questions, and discusses theories endlessly with them. I am happy and can’t help but smile as I listening to them. It’s a gift to have all the time in the world to discuss super heroes and continuity errors with our children.

Parker and I were thrilled about our first five days of walking. Beginning in St. Jean Pied de Port is  difficult for every pilgrim, not to mention for a nine and eleven year old. We see their confidence grow every day. We are amazed by them. Our kids are strong and adventurous. We are all confident in the challenge ahead.

2. First day on our Camino on Parker's Birthday!

Day 1: St. Jean Pied de Port to Orrison (5 miles)

Parker and I decided to start our Camino on his birthday. After all the planning and preparation, the only thing left to do was to just GO! What a relief it was to finally get started. His birthday added to the excitement. 

The route we choose is called the French Camino because it starts in France close to the border of southern France and Spain.  The first day or two of this route involves the biggest challenge, climbing over the Pyrenees via the Napoleon Route. We broke up the climb in two days for the kids. 

                                                       

Steep is an understatement. We started climbing late in the morning out of St. Jean Pied de Port and did not stop for two days. Imagine setting your stair master (or whatever they are called) at the gym, to steep climbing for six hours. That is what we did. We walked on narrow country roads through beautiful farmland. We could see the steep winding road up ahead through the mountains as well as birds soaring in the distance. 

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Instantly, Cruz started talking about Wolverine, his latest character of interest (although obsession might be the more accurate word), Kaia joined in on the conversation. I have absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but it was so nice to hear the three of them chatting as we climbed. It was a good distraction for everyone. I am grateful for Parker to be able to engage in their interests and happily discuss all the characters, their powers, etc.

It was a hot day (mid 90s), and the start of a two week heat wave. We took a lot of breaks and had two picnics by the side of the road in the shade. Parker carried a couple pounds of food for the next two days: baguettes, prosciutto, salami, cheeses, fruit, sweets (a filling charcuterie without the board). It was helpful and necessary. 

                                           

Our Texan kids know to enjoy every shade tree along the way and it was a good opportunity to admire the view. There were a couple of  tough moments, as expected, but we got through them after some water, snacks, and gentle but firm encouragement. About .6 mile/1km from our albergue, we stopped to have a small break pass a sign that said "snow chains required", we were up there! The birds we admired at the beginning of our climb were now in front of us at eye level. Amazing. Then we determined that they were actually vultures. Still beautiful as they circled in front of us. We joked that they were looking for the weaker pilgrims....yup, it was time to go.

               

We pushed on to Orrison, our stop for the night. When we saw it around the bend, we were all ecstatic. Kaia exclaimed: "I see people and umbrellas, my two favorite things!" A soon as we checked in the kids enjoyed an ice cold Orangina (French Fanta). Cruz took a sip and said: "Ah, the taste of victory". It was well deserved. 

Parker and I have hiked thousands of  miles and this was a hard day, y’all! We had to make sure to stay positive, encouraging while also pushing gently. We had to keep moving. We walked 5 miles/8 kms and climbed over 3,000ft/900meters. It was a big first day and we are proud of our kiddos!

           

We had our first pilgrim dinner for Parker's Birthday. At some albergues, a set priced communal dinner is offered. That evening, there were nine of us. Everyone was going to Santiago, we were all eager to meet each other. Eva and Pauline are from New Zealand, Reinhart and Andrea are from Germany, and Andres is from Portugal. Everyone was happy to see a family on the Camino and were thrilled to meet our kids. At the end of dinner we sang happy birthday to Parker. He thanked everyone for traveling so far to celebrate his birthday, which gave us all a good laugh. 

Parker and I have worked very hard to make this dream come true for our family. I am extremely proud of the hard work, commitment, and the contributions he had made in his career. As often happens, there were many years in the past decade that the demands of his career were not ideal for our young family. This day was truly the first step to regain our time together and to connect as a family. We are the luckiest to have the most rad dad and incredible husband. It was a great day and birthday for our favorite person!

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Day 2:

                                     

The next morning, we continued our climbed over the Pyrenees. Yes, more climbing! We were rewarded with the most unforgettable sunrise. It felt like we were walking with the sun. This was a big day for us, ten miles over the French Pyrenees with a steep descent to the Spanish side. There was not another option.  It was going to be another hot day but we were lucky to have a heavy wind to cool us. We unloaded the kid's packs so that they were only carrying water, Parker carried the bulk. We walked through high pastures, walking by horses, cows, and hundreds of sheep. We met many pilgrims along the way and everyone was excited to see the kids. 

                                                

We climbed over a couple of steep passes, then we crossed the border to Spain. It was steep down through the forest to Roncesvalles, our second destination. We came out of the forest and a Pilgrim from France saw Kaia and Cruz. Her eyes were huge in amazement. Everyone that day, who came down from the Pyrenees, knew the effort it took. Adults were arriving at the albergue looking like they had crossed through a battle field. And to see a 9 and 11 year old come down from the mountains was impressive. She looked at me, then at them and said: "Bravo!" Bravo indeed kiddos!

                                     

The Roncesvalles Monastery Albergue is ran by volunteers. One of them said to me how pleased they were to see the kids. He said: "Wow, they had a big day and your kids are smiling and skipping through the hallway". This comment made me so happy. Naturally, Parker and I were a little nervous starting this walk. They had never walked anywhere near 500 miles. We knew they could do it, but our first two days was a comforting confirmation that our kids are strong and they that had the right attitude for our journey ahead. 

                                                      

As you walk and see other Pilgrims, you start a casual conversation about nationality, home country, and your final destination. Only some go all the way to Santiago. Many just have a week or two and will walk a 100kms or so and then pick up where they left off the proceeding years. We saw one other family and they were walking for five days. Our kids were the youngest for sure. By the end of the day, Kaia and Cruz were excited to respond to the enquires, "Yes! we are going all the way to Santiago"! Parker and I looked at each other and grinned ear to ear. Yes, we are!

                                        

                                        

1. Camino de Santiago

 

The Camino de Santiago is truly the beginning of our adventure. Parker and I decided a long time ago that this would be how we start our year of world schooling for Kaia and Cruz. The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to Santiago, Spain. We are walking the French Route, which is almost 500 miles/800kms.

   

This will be Kaia and Cruz's first long walk. We chose this as their first long walk for several reasons. First, it is established and cultural. We enrolled our kids in a Dual Language Spanish Program  through their elementary years. They are fluent in Spanish, and this will allow them to continue their Spanish education and put their skills to use. Second, unlike our other long walks, we will have lodging every evening so we will not be sleeping in a tent or carrying food (other than snacks, lots of snacks). 

Parker and I have hiked many long distance trails. Our longest being our thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (2,174 miles/3,504 kms), followed by The Te Araroa (South Island, 1,100 miles/1,800 kms) in New Zealand, Everest Base Camp Trek (from Jiri through Gokyo), The Annapurna Circuit, and everything in between. In our mid-20s, thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail changed us. For Parker and I long distance adventures allow us to reconnect with ourselves, and as partners, and it is a time to pause our busy lives. Walking naturally slows us down from the hustle. It gives us a simple purpose, truly living in the moment. After our first long walk we realized we love to explore on foot, going through little towns and villages, and meeting people along the way. Through our twenty four years together we have taken these breaks in life to re-evaluate our current path and allow a new path for our future to emerge as we walked. We are so excited to share this time of with our kids.

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It's called by many names, The Way of St. James, Camino de Santiago, Camino Compostella, and most often, simply, "The Way". Over 1,300 years ago, it was believed that the body of St. James was laid at Santiago. Throughout the years Christians began making their pilgrimage to Santiago. The  Pilgrims/Peregrinos  initially stepped out of their front door (from Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, etc) and headed towards western Spain. In the beginning, pilgrims were robbed as they walked through the villages. The churches began welcoming the pilgrims to keep them safe on their journey, giving them a place to sleep and food. As more pilgrims came the churches built additions called alburgues, a place of refuge.

                                                                                        

Over a thousand years later certain routes became more defined than others as villages and amenities have accommodated those passing through. The albergues are still operating (now for a small per person fee of 8-20 euros per bed)) but there are also hostels and hotels along the entire way. The choice is yours with your comfort level. Today the Camino is one of the world's most well known pilgrimages/walks. Those who walk it have many endless reasons to do so. Of course, it does not have to be religious. In some of the churches they inquire your intention: religious, spiritual, cultural or adventure. Many walk the French Route, some begin much further back, still others only walk for a week or so. But as with any other long walks, most are searching for something more in life.

There's a lot written about the walk so I won't bore you. I will share along the way more details here and there. But feel free to reach out with any questions.

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We will begin our pilgrimage at St. Jean Pied de Port, France, which is near the border of France and Spain. It is a medieval village from the 15th century. The word charming does not do this small town justice with its cobble-stone roads, beautiful buildings, and the spectacular Pyrenees in the background. Three routes merge here and it is a popular beginning for a doable yet challenging journey of 500 miles/800kms. 

 After checking into our hotel, we went into town to get our Camino Passports. The Camino Passport is a booklet that indicates you as a Pilgrim (which is only necessary if you want to stay in the albergues). Most towns in Spain have a pilgrim office. As you go through your pilgrimage, you get stamps from where you are staying (also maybe churches, museums, etc). When you arrive at Santiago, the office will look through your pilgrim passport. If it shows that you made your way, you will get a certificate. Of course, it is all an honor system and a pilgrim passport is optional. The scallop shell is the symbol of the Camino. After we were given our passports, we choose our own shells to place on our packs which will indicate us as pilgrims. Out on the street, Pilgrims were everywhere, from all parts of the world. You could feel the excitement in the air for the journey ahead. We were ready.

On the way out of town I stopped by the church. I told my family I wanted to walk through and would only be a couple of minutes. Inside the church was quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the busy village. I lit a candle and sat down to enjoy a moment of peace. I was raised catholic from a deeply devout Filipino family. Since leaving my childhood home, I stopped attending mass. However, every time I enter a church during my adulthood (especially once I became a mother), I feel a familiar comfort. More than anything, the church reminds me of my mom, a true Christian, who loves unconditionally and prays for me and my family daily. I am no longer a practicing Christian but I am on a spiritual journey.

As I sat, tears of gratitude flowed unexpectedly. Overwhelming gratitude for my blessed life. Gratitude for my husband  who is my true partner in life, and gratitude for our two healthy children. I don't know how long I was there but it was long enough for my family to check on me. They were worried when they saw me crying. I assured them they were tears of happiness. They gave me a hug and sat with me.  Parker and I are dreamers, planners, and doers. But I know that life is also a lot of luck and fate. I will never take for granted all of the blessings I have been given. I will never forget that moment with my family. 

A Beach in Southern France

The sun and beach were calling us, it was time to go to the coast of southern France. It had been non-stop for us the last few weeks. We were nearing the start of our Camino (our hike in Spain) and it was time to rest up. Parker and I only booked our travels through Paris, and now we are getting into long-term travel mode, which basically means "winging it".

From Paris, we took a 5 hour train to St. Jean de Luz. This was our first destination that we randomly choose on a map, simply because it was a beach town and close to our next stop. We choose correctly. St. Jean de Luz is a quaint little beach town. The school year just ended in the area so the beach was busy, but with just French families. It was a nice change from the mob of tourists in three most visited places in the world (NYC, London, Paris).

We were all ready to unpack for a bit. I booked a cute little condo with a kitchenette for five days. It was a few minutes walk from the beach. We had no schedule, no one to meet, no landmarks to visit, it was chill time.

At some point each day, we made our way to the beach. We had a quick chat with the kids about seeing boobies and booties on the beach, "hey kiddos, we're in France, being topless is normal here, don't stare, don't be a weirdo, ok? "K". Ha! They handled it well. 

The temps that week were in the low 80s and partly sunny to overcast. It reminded me of early spring at Barton Springs. Warm enough to lay out but not warm enough to get in the water (for me anyway). The rest of my family dove right in. Parker took the kids out to a swim platform that was about 150 yards out, depending on the tide, sometimes it was further. They would stay out for a bit, diving and goofing around on the platform. All those years of them being on swim team was paying off. When they weren't swimming, the kids built sand sculptures. We also enjoyed the amazing seafood.

Happy Cruz! His favorite, Mussels!

I am glad we left Paris before the Olympics, but watching the opening ceremony in France was pretty awesome. We found the only place with large TVs (cafes and restaurants here do not have TVs). There were a lot of people at Buzipas (a food court-type place) doing the same, and the energy was fun. We enjoyed our time in France. But it was time to head towards Spain. It was time to go for a walk.

Paris!

Paris was Kaia's destination of choice. She is teaching herself French and wished to visit. During our planning, the first part of our trip was rushed because we were timing it around the 2024 Paris Olympics.  We wanted to be out of Paris before it started. We arrived the weekend before the opening ceremony (cutting it close, I know). There was a lot of excitement in the air. As expected, Paris was an absolute mad house but we were ready for it. It is the Olympics, after all. 

When we got off our EuroStar train from London, Gare du Nord Station was packed to the max. We could barely fit into our train. The intercom announcement kept warning passengers about pick-pockets. We had a hard time with our train tickets that we pre-purchased, half of our tickets didn't work. Parker and I kept our cool around the kids but it was tense.

           

Our hotel was on the Seine River a couple of blocks from the Eiffel Tower. The river was already completely barricaded off, as well as blocks around the Eiffel Tower. Police presence was heavy around the city. We rolled with the craziness and enjoyed our four days in the city. Kaia was trying out her French and so was Cruz. Parker's high school French kicked in and it helped get us around.

To get close to the Eiffel Tower, you had to scan a QR Code and register for tickets (they were free) to get in.  This actually worked out well, it was much less crowded than usual. Underneath the tower is usually open to the public, you only had to pay to go up the lift.  The kids loved going straight up the tower. What a great view of the city, you can see beyond Paris from the tower as well as all the major historical sights. You could see the main stage of the Olympics and many areas for different competitions. The middle of the Eiffel tower had restaurants and shops. We all decided to use the stairs to go down, racing the elevator was our favorite part.

It was great seeing the Olympic rings on the tower and seeing the set up for the big event. We caught up on some much needed rest so we didn’t pack too much sightseeing. The rest of our time in Paris was spent wandering around, trying different bakeries, café hopping, and people watching. We showed the kids where we stayed with Kris and John, on Rue de Renne. We walked through Luxembourg Gardens, which was only blocks away from the flat.  Parker and I have great memories of Paris, we had spent almost two months in the city of love. It was where we decided to end our trip because it was time to go home and start our family. It was special to go back with our kids.

London (July 2024)

Buckingham Palace: London

London was a busy few days reconnecting with family/friends, with whom we had spent time with on our last trip around the globe. On our first day, we met up with Anita, a London local we met in India. Anita first took us to the Lookout. It is on the 50th floor of 8 Bishopsgate, with a fantastic view of the City Center. Anita is an architect so she is familiar with all the buildings and we got to see some of  the projects she had been a part of.  We then took a train to the cable cars and got to see the city from an aerial view. The other side of the cable cars took us to The O2 which is also known as the  Millennium Dome. It is a massive event space with restaurants and shops. The kids played a little round of putt-putt during a snack break.

From the Dome we got on a Uber Boat which took us down the River Thames.  It's another great way to see the city. The boat stopped at many landmarks. We also spotted many of the buildings that we saw from the Lookout. We got out at Westminster Abbey and saw Big Ben.  We found an English Pub by St. James Park and ended a great day with our first proper Fish and Chips. Thank you for the tour, Anita!

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Our hotel was only minutes from Hyde Park, a sprawling 350 acres of gorgeous landscape. We made an impromptu break at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.  It was in an enclosed spacious lawn. The fountain was more of a shallow lazy river.  Kids and adults were playing in the water. Some were prepared with swim suits, others just dipped their feet. My kids were wearing wicking clothing so they made several laps around the fountain. It was the perfect spot to cool off on London's hottest day of the year, somewhere around 90 degrees. We enjoyed the family atmosphere of the fun and active memorial.

From Hyde Park, we met Parker's Aunt Kris and John at Waterloo Station. We stayed with them in Paris, in 2011.  They visited us recently in Texas, it was familiar connection for the kids. They took us on a tour of the iconic Tower Bridge spanning the River Thames. After our tour, we had a lovely lunch by the water, then headed to the world famous Buckingham Palace. It was a wonderful day with family. Thanks for meeting us!

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On our way out of London, we met up with our friends Lou and Jon (and their girls Esme and Annabel). We met John and Lou during our trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. It was great reminiscing over our time in Nepal and our treks. They were on their "Around the World Honeymoon Tour" then. It was so great to catch up and have our kids finally meet. We hope to see them sometime on our trip. London was great, but quick. Now to Paris!