Santiago de Compostela. (Day 2)

After yesterday's washout of a day, today dawned dry and calm. The weather yesterday had been so terrible, it was beyond depressing. Ready early this morning, we decided to leave Margery at the aire whilst we took the thirty minutes walk down to the cathedral. Leaving early turned out to be a good move.

The queue to enter the cathedral wasn't too long. Seeing this iconic cathedral in real time was awe inspiring. Built in 1211, it stands 75 meters high. Words can not really describe how stunning it is, particularly on the inside. For Angela seeing the giant Botifumeiro, a giant incense burner was a dream come true.

(Second photo is a replica, the real one is swung around 10 times a year, though you can apply with a payment of 500 euros to have it swung for you).

Even though it wouldn't be swinging today, seeing it hanging in the cathedral was enough for her. Outside the cathedral we walked among dozens of pilgrims in the Plaza del Obradoiro. Some sat with their eyes shut. Others gazed at the cathedral with amazement, whilst most took selfies and group photos with people the'd met along the way who would probably now be friends for life. In a corner, home made walking sticks had been left by some of the pilgrims.

For us, that was the symbol of the journey. Last year we were so inspired at seeing the pilgrims set off it lit a fire within us. Being outside the cathedral today we felt walking the Camino de Santiago from Saint - Jean - Pied - de - Port might be something we could do. So our conversations now are about purchasing yet another lightweight tent, training, and how we'd return to England at the end. No mention yet of aging hip problems!

 All it sounds to us is an exciting challenge. But first there's plenty of research to be done. Watch this space. If we do this, we'll be taking you all along with us. As for the present time, we needed a shower. So we returned to Margery and took the four minute drive to the campsite. And after four weeks, we even treated ourselves to the use of a washing machine. Bliss! Us and our clothes clean, we walked back into Santiago at eight in the evening.

The town was bustling with Spanish, today is a holiday day here. We returned to the cathedral, the area around now quieter. Our day in Santiago had been wonderful, memorable and inspirational.

Santiago de Compostela, Galicia

Before leaving today we drove across the bridge spanning the river Limia to Viana do Castelo for a walk around, if only for old times sake. It's a beautiful interesting town and we enjoyed wandering the streets before stopping for coffee and tea at a pastelaria.

 Late morning, we returned to Margery, just in the nick of time. Large rain spots marked the pavement and by the time we'd taken of our raincoats the heavens had opened, and that's how it continued from then on. Our onward drive along dual carriageways that ran up and over the mountains, the steep ascents, the long and fast descents were horrendous.

As we crossed the border into Spain, hillside villages disappeared then reappeared in the swirling oppressive cloud. Yesterday the temperature had been 33c, now it was 13c. So much for sunny Spain. Our destination was Santiago de Compostela, end point for many pilgrims. Along our route we'd passed walkers and cyclists heading this way. We had no right to complain about the cozy weather in Margery, these poor souls must have felt really challenged. Now on the aire, close to the cathedral we are glad to have arrived. The vans are grouped together like a wagon train in the wild west. Tomorrow we are going to visit the cathedral, and are really looking forward to it. Late summer last year we stayed in Saint-Jean-de-Pied-de-Port, one of the starting points to begin the Camino de Compostela. (The Way of Saint James). Tomorrow when we visit the cathedral here in Santiago we will witness the joy of the pilgrims as they arrive at the end of their epic walk. The weather tomorrow is forecast to be 21c and sunny. Fingers crossed.

Cabedelo, Portugal

What a crazy day yesterday was. Being near to the railway line we knew the trains weren't running. So this morning Angela checked to see if it would be feasible for us to go into Porto. She had already begun to think it was unlikely. And it was. Today there would be no trains as the result of a planned train strike. Oh well, we had another place we wanted to visit and that was Braga. The fuel station at the supermarket once again operational, we packed up quickly and joined the line. With Margery's tank full, we both felt much happier. We didn't want to set off without filling up for fear of not being able to obtain fuel further on our journey. Keen to make tracks we were on the road by ten. It was already 23c, and we knew we'd be in for another warm day.

Braga was great. Full of history and culture sitting comfortably alongside the modern day. We visited the cathedral, where the vast organ was in the process of being tuned.

The notes rising into the vaulted ceiling above. This cathedral is the first to have been built in Portugal, it's so old it was actually built before Portugal as a country actually existed. With too many days driving and now approaching the border with Spain we decided to drive a short way on to Cabedelo. Looking at our blog from our last visit the town had been our first overnight stop when we crossed from Spain.

The area is busy. Nearly all the vans are French. Since our stay in Seville, we have not seen a UK registered vehicle, which might explain why Margery has caught so many people's attention. Today however we have seen two UK vans. One at Braga, and one on the aire with us tonight. All is calm this evening. The weather is a little cooler, and the events of yesterday seem like a dream.

We are glad we bought an extra five liters of drinking water yesterday. The people who bought 60 liters, yes really, and twelve liters of milk, numerous tins of fish, and multiple bags of BBQ charcoal probably didn't need to shop too much this weekend. We live in uncertain times. Worryingly times. The events of showed yesterday we mustn't become complacent