To the UK, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt

 

Hazel, our UK magnet and 
connoisseur of ice cream.

We’ve been in Oregon since June 24.  That’s a record for us over the past few years.  We’ve been happily enjoying friends, events, and all that the Willamette Valley and Oregon have to offer. But a grandchild north of London beckons, so we’re off to St. Albans, where our daughter, son-in-law-and grandchild Hazel live in their “new” 84-year old home north of London. 

On Saturday, we’re cooking a belated non-traditional vegetarian Thanksgiving for Shanti, Alan, Hazel and nine other friends who hail from the States, Russia, Poland, and China. Then it’s 11 days of doing things with Hazel before we start our tour of the Middle East. We return to London on Christmas Eve, and it will be the first Christmas we have celebrated with a young child in over 35 years.  We’re so excited!  We’ll be back home in early January.

Happy new homeowners

The back of their 16-foot wide, three
story renovated townhome

We’re checking Egypt and Jordan off our bucket list, and the tour with Road Scholar also includes Israel, a bonus thrown into the 15-day mix. Normally we travel independently, but we don’t speak or read Arabic, and there is so much culture, context, and history that we’ll get with an organized tour.  Not to mention worry-free logistics and a level of safety.

Several fiends have asked, “Isn’t that part of the world dangerous?” Having traveled to 36 countries and lived in a developing one for over two years, our answer is “Not any more than just living in the States.” Riding my bike 2.5 miles on Mission Street to the gym three times a week, going to a grocery store, or even an elementary school has just as much random risk in the States as visiting any country.  We’re cautious, but not afraid.

Taking Doris on an outing to pick up our wine
at Stoller Winery

One of our worries, however, is Kathy's almost 98-year old mother.  She lives in a retirement community in Dallas, OR, but she is becoming frail and is rapidly declining mentally.  Fortunately, Kathy's brother Steve in the Portland area is stepping up, but with his business he can't help her as easily or frequently as we do. It's interesting to see how both Hazel and Doris are changing exponentially, but in opposite directions.

As I said, it was a good summer.  Some of what we did was mentioned in our most recent August 26 post. And the photos below briefly touch on a very nice autumn. Now that I have a new travel computer, I’ll try to post more regularly, especially when there is a story to tell and photos to share.  More frequent photo updates can be found on my Facebook and Instagram pages.

We wish you all a memorable Thanksgiving, and may your gratitude be greater than your blessings.

"What We Can, While We Can"

Riding the 36-mile rim of Crater Lake
in the hot haze

Enjoying wine tasting

10-day trip to Umpqua River, Crater Lake, 
Diamond Lake, and Champoeg State Park.

So many changing vistas from 
our deck as the seasons change

Putting The Iconic Camino de Santiago into Perspective

One of many historic bridges we crossed.

It’s been three months since we arrived in Santiago de Compostela, Spain after 44 days, walking about 500 miles with seven days off. “How was it?” people ask. The words wonderful, challenging, immersive, fun, beautiful, and satisfying quickly come to mind.

But like our 2018 Camino, it was an experience that defies a tidy write up. We’re still processing it, and that’s partly why you haven’t seen a post since April. Each of the

Wheat and Canola (rapeseed oil) on a 17-mile day

44 days was different as we trekked across northern Spain. My daily Facebook and Instagram posts totaled over 13,000 words and about 400 photos. But those posts barely scratched the surface of each day and fall short when trying to piece them together into a cohesive picture of the whole experience.

This time our daily mileage was lower, about 13 miles on average, as opposed to 15-16 in 2018. We passed through over 200 villages, some dead, some dying, and some thriving. We probably patronized over 120 eating establishments.  

So, what did we think about all day, every day? Well certainly, food, sore feet, the ache de jour, the weather, family, mundane things, and life. But throughout the walk we were constantly filled with thoughts of gratitude about everything, especially that we were able to do this. We thought about so many people we know and have known in our lives. We were in awe of millions of pilgrims who walked over the same Roman roads and saw similar sights as we did 1200 years ago, but without the nice shoes, showers, and relatively comfortable beds.

Dinner in Tricastella

The Camino is very social. While the spring scenery was beautiful, this time we especially enjoyed the people we met. It is so easy to meet people from all over the world, of all ages and walks of life. It’s the norm to strike up conversations. At the same time, the Camino is very solitary. There were stretches where we would go for hours without seeing or talking with anyone else. And that was fine, too. And then there were times, especially with the tourists and large student groups in the last 60 miles, when the loud crowds (some with boom boxes) were a culture shock.

Crowds 2 days before
Santiago

 

We walked 11.5 miles on this Roman road
and saw only one person

In retrospect, it wasn’t that hard physically, even though we’re four years older with more aches than we had in 2018. Just one step at a time, one day at a time, walking to the metronome beat of our walking sticks. Just get up and walk—that was our day job (plus laundry, eating, drinking, and finding our accommodations).

We made it (again)!

For some, the destination of Santiago de Compostela and its magnificent cathedral (and the certificate of completion) are the focus of the Camino. For others, it’s the journey itself. For most people, it's probably both. This time, we weren't as destination focused but we were more intentional about enjoying the journey every hour of every day. For a lot of reasons, including the beautiful spring scenery, the decent weather, the people we met, the better accommodations, and the slower pace, it exceeded our expectations. As a bonus, the 46-year special bond we share was reinforced with so much quality and quantity time together. We still think about it and the people we met daily. Our combined three Caminos have become part of our identity. This was a most satisfying lifetime experience we will never be able to replicate again, a good metaphor for life itself. To paraphrase the trail greeting, it was a buen Camino. A VERY buen Camino!

 Perhaps this link to our best shots will give you a sense of what it was like. (They are best enjoyed on a tablet or desktop, rather than a phone.) Yet, they still don’t convey the beautiful spring smells, the conversations we had with people, the taste of the food, and the sounds. But they average about four to five photos per day, still a fraction of the 1400 photos I took. I also included some photos from our three-day detour to Bilbo to see the Guggenheim museum. Still want more? Then check out my FB or Instagram posts that start April 10.  

Facebook.com/ron.kelemen      Instagram:  @kelemenron

Post Camino
After the Camino we went to St. Albans, UK (north of London), where we helped Shanti and Alan settle into their new home, and then babysat two-year old Hazel when they took a brief walking vacation in Italy. Even though we had just walked the Camino, we were out of shape for wrangling a 32-pound toddler and lifting boxes.

Hazel getting a sugar high
that we paid for later

Off to explore St. Albans
on the Ring Road

From there we spent a week in the Berkshires of Western MA with Skyler, Spencer, Feruza, and my brother Neal. Unfortunately, Ringo Starr had to cancel his Tanglewood performance because someone in the band got Covid. But the next night we got to see Bonnie Raitt as we shivered in the cold rain.  But it was still fun to hang out with them and their friends.

 

Tailgating, Tanglewood style

Since then, we’ve had an unusual number of obligations with the with non-profit organizations we work with. But mostly it’s been a fun two months enjoying two camping trips, socializing with friends, and enjoying all the fresh produce and festivals that Salem has to offer over the summer. I wake boarded for the first time, and other than swallowing or choking on half of the Columbia River, I really enjoyed the adrenaline rush. Kathy just turned 70, and one of her gifts was a portable pizza oven. So far, we’ve had some successes and failures with it, but each one gets better. Life is good, for us at least, and we hope it is for you, too.

 

“What We Can, While We Can”

On the Columbia River

One of several experiments

Camping at the Oregon coast

Campfire and belly laughs with Airstream friends

The Camino Beckons—Again!

An iconic Camino vista outside
Pamplona, Spain taken in 2018

Four years ago, when we walked the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain, we met others who had walked the 500-mile journey more than once.  We had our challenging days when we thought “Why would somebody be crazy enough to do this again?”  

Well, guess what?  We’re crazy!  And just about everyone else we know who has walked the Frances route has either walked it again or wants to do so. We got the Camino Crazy bug in 2019 and walked 175 miles of the Portuguese Camino but that wasn’t enough. So here we are, four years older with more aches and pains taking our first steps April 14 from St. Jean Pied de Port France over the Pyrenees mountains into northern Spain.  And unlike last time, we haven't trained for this.

The Frances Route

Our 2018 adventure was one of the highlights of our 45-year marriage, and it is hard to describe the experience to those who haven’t done it.  But so far, our three best words are special, unique, and satisfying.   It was a special time and experience for us.  The Camino, with its 1200-year-old history and infrastructure, is unique in the world and unique from all our other travels.  We both found it immensely satisfying in so many ways.

We run the risk of high expectations and of and trying to compare this adventure with 2018.  The novelty of it all helped make it so magical.  This time, we know what were getting into, which is both good and bad.  If Ron’s shin splints don’t flare up any more than they already have and if Kathy’s lower back behaves, we know that we can do it. We also know how hard and enjoyable parts of it can be.   Get up early, eat, walk, eat, walk, eat again, walk, laundry, eat, sleep, and do it all over again the next day.  One step at a time, one day at a time.

Our first and most of the 2nd day.  The
weather forecast calls for rain and temps
in the low 60's.

So we’re trying to make this one special in its own way.  We plan shorter mileage each day, about 8-13 miles on average, vs 12-22 miles.   We’re taking a couple of route alternatives and staying most of the time in different villages.  We are going in the spring instead of autumn which means more green vistas, colder wet weather, and heavier packs.  We’re also throwing in a side train trip to Bilbao after our first 100 miles to see the Guggenheim.  No matter what, we’ll meet new people on the trail and during communal meals at the hostels, which is one of the best parts of any Camino experience. And oh yeah, we love Spanish food.

If all goes to plan, we will arrive in Santiago on May 27.  From there we’ll visit Shanti, Alan and Hazel in the UK for a couple of weeks, then another couple of weeks in the Berkshires of western MA with Skyler, Spencer, Feruza and Ron’s brother Neal.

Spraying our bags and silk sleeping liners 
for bedbugs.

This blog is very hard to do on a cell phone, so you can follow our journey on either Facebook or Instagram.  Facebook works better because we can caption each photo.

• facebook.com/ron.kelemen
• facebook.com/kathy.e.kelemen
• Instagram:  @kelemenron

Well marked along the way.

All packed.

What We Can, While We Can!

And what would our blog be like without a couple of gratuitous photos of London granddaughter Hazel, who just turned two?

With Mom's signature sun hat

Future blogger

The UK in January

Enjoying a babycino on our last afternoon together 

Why go to Europe in January?  Isn't it cold?  Yes, it is and that is why we have avoided going there in the winter.  But now, after a month in the London area, we've come to realize that with the proper clothing, it's a great time to go.  Why?  No crowds!  No lines, or queues as they are called in the UK.  The weather there is similar to what it is in our hometown of Salem, Oregon:  cold, grey, and damp.

sliding into the balls at the indoor 'soft park'

So off we went at the first of the year, not to be full-time tourists, but to spend time with Hazel, our 22-month-old granddaughter and her parents Shanti and Alan.  It’s been a delight, although a very exhausting one, to be around her.  We don’t know how Shanti and Alan—or any other parents for that matter—do it with full time jobs.  Maybe our kids were easier, or we were younger, or maybe we have selective memories, or all of the above.  Hazel had developed exponentially since we last saw her on September 5 and we were privileged to witness more exponential growth this past month.  We marvel at her complete sentences, vocabulary, counting, fine motor skills, running, and sheer wonder of the world.

St. Alban's Cathedral, 3 blocks from our rowhouse

We started off with two weeks in St. Albans, 20 miles from central London, where Shanti and Alan hope to purchase a home.   St. Albans is an upscale town of 254,000 in an area the size of Albany OR, and it is one of the earliest Roman settlements in England.  It has the oldest Catholic cathedral in the UK which was used in “The Crown” for the Westminster Abby marriage scene.  Its Wednesday and Saturday markets were fun.  It also has Britain's oldest pub, Ye Old Fighting Cock, dating back to 793 AD, which unfortunately just filed for bankruptcy this week.

Our home was just past the white VW van

Our Airbnb was a small three-story Victorian era home with a non functional fireplace in every room.  It was only 12 feet wide!  It had two essential ingredients for us:  a well-equipped kitchen and a good bed.  While Shanti and Alan went off daily to a remote workspace, we played with Hazel and took her to the library, swimming pool, shopping, and walks. She loved to sit on the kitchen counter and watch us cook dinner every evening.

Our 2nd stay--modern and very convenient

We moved to London for the second half, staying in a two bedroom apartment (they call them flats there) in the same gigantic apartment complex where Shanti and Alan live.  It was so convenient!  Hazel spent nearly every night with us. Shanti and Alan often came over for dinner and sometimes played pinochle after we got Hazel to bed.  We took her to and from daycare, parks, the trampoline park, and swimming. 

Across the street was a gym.  Just three minutes from our door, we could catch a bus or tube to just about anywhere.  We only made it to four museums, but each was nearly a full day project. It was a delight to walk right in and to not feel crowded around each exhibit.  We hit the Imperial War Museum, the  Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert, and the HMS Belfast battleship on the Thames.

Camden Market. So many fun street food stalls.
We walked back mostly along the canal tow path.

London has some fun boroughs and shopping areas, which we enjoyed walking through. Some days we logged over 9 miles of walking. We loved the ethnic diversity, the food variety (never once ate fish and chips), and all the small independent shops.  Everyone we encountered was friendly, or at least very polite. So why wait until summer to visit London when everyone else does?  Go now and avoid the crowds.  And by the way, our flight home across the pond in a 767 had only 30 passengers.

Here's a link to a few more photos.  It includes a couple of very short videos.  If nothing else, be sure to click on the first two videos, which were our last daycare pick of Hazel last week. The first one is guaranteed to give you a belly laugh.

All's well that ends well

One other note:  Many of our readers and followers on social media know that one of our three checked bags got lost.  This clouded our visit and consumed a lot of mental energy dealing with stupid virtual assistants, buying replacement shoes, etc. Turns out that its barcode tag was separated, so the bag languished in a JFK airport warehouse for 3.5 weeks. 
Finally, someone took the initiative to unbuckle the top flap and see our business card.  She saw Kathy's phone number, which has a dual chip. Mine had only a UK chip, so I never got the call to my US number.  We had a very happy reunion, just as it was about time to start packing to go home. 

And speaking of home, it's so nice to be here.  While we miss Hazel, Shanti, and Alan, we love being in our own kitchen, our own bed, and getting back to our routines.  The weather in both places is the same.

You can also see more by going to our Facebook or Instagram pages.  Enjoy!

Ron & Kathy
(aka, Grandpa and Nanna)

“What We Can, While We Can”

Helping Nana with her needlepoint

Yumm!  Grandpa's egg in a nest

The sheer joy of bubbles!