Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.1 Summer 2018 | Page 61

• E N
PLANNER
Q TRAVEL
WHERE TO GO: Once you’ve
ticked off the iconic Camino de
Santiago, swop the path for the
pavement in Spain’s bustling cities.
The atmospheric Gothic Quarter
and striking architecture of Antoni
Gaudi have long drawn travellers
to Barcelona, but the vibey nightlife
of Madrid is an equal drawcard
these days.
There’s no shortage of art across the
country, but be sure to stop in at Bilbao
for the gleaming Guggenheim Museum
of modern and contemporary art.
Drive south-east from here and you’ll
find yourself on the winding passes
of the Pyrénées, where national parks
offer memorable trekking and quaint
mountain villages. For a bit of R&R,
pick a perfect beach on the country’s
popular Mediterranean coastline, or
head for the party islands of Mallorca
and Ibiza.
R O U T E
/ /
S P A I N
A SPANISH BITE: For culinary
adventures head straight to San
Sebastian on the Atlantic Coast: it’s
a foodie city famous for its delicious
pintxos (Spanish fingerfoods), but is
also within easy striking distance of the
wineries of Rioja.
WHEN TO GO: June-August offers
the best weather and plenty of
summer festivals, but you’ll also find
crowds and high prices. Aim for the
shoulder seasons of March-May and
September-October.
BOOK IT: Iberia offers the most
convenient routing from South
Africa to Spain, but British Airways,
Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines also
offer convenient connections to Madrid
and Barcelona via their airport hubs.
Ask your Sure Travel consultant for
details, or visit www.suretravel.co.za /
call 0861 47 48 49.
© ADOBESTOCK
“
ONE THING THE
CAMINO TAUGHT ME
EARLY WAS TO EMBRACE
A LIFE OF SIMPLICITY.
TRAVEL LIGHT. GET
UP EARLY. LEAVE THE
ALBERGUE BEFORE
SUNRISE.
“
way from all over the world, with different
backgrounds and belief systems, who
later became close friends. I even fell in
love twice.
I didn’t take a cell phone, camera or
wrist-watch along. The church bells
Main: The mighty Pyrénées. Above: Cape Finisterre, the ultimate end of the pilgrimage.
became my clock, I handed out business
cards in the hope of receiving a photo
later (I got more than 20 mails in the
end) and felt liberated from WhatsApp
and Facebook and email for six weeks. It
was bliss.
Halfway through the journey, when
I had a bad cold and felt very sorry for
myself, a kind host named Mike told me:
“Walk it off.” Another mantra.
My injured knee? G.M. Trevelyan wrote:
“I have two doctors, my left leg and my
right.” So I walked that off, too.
The Camino was a game changer – but
the journey never ends. Happiness is the
way. I must keep on walking. And I hope
to return to Spain many times.
The illustrator Maira Kalman sums it up
beautifully: “The ability to walk from one
point to the next, that is half the battle
won. Go out and walk. That is the glory
of life.”
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 61