What a satisfying moment it was to relegate my never ending “to-do” list to the recycling basket on my last night at home. Then I checked the weather forecast for Madrid. It seems that the weather is going to be our first challenge! 🥵 Janine says we might have to start walking at 3 AM and she’s probably right. She brought her headlamp just in case.

The next morning, Dave and I walked down to the Victoria Int’l Airport which is a convenient 1.5 km from home. After saying our goodbyes, Dave had one last question: “How long do I cook the corn?” It made me smile—Dave’s expertise in the kitchen is in the areas of oatmeal and noodle soup. These next 26 days will be our longest time apart in 57 years, so he’ll have a chance to expand on his culinary abilities.

The flight from Victoria to Toronto went smoothly, and I made good use of the time by delving into the 57-page Refugio Guacelmo guidebook. It seems daunting, but thankfully it’s meant to be a reference, not something to memorize. Janine and I hope to have time when our work is done at the Refugio, to bake treats for the pilgrims – simple recipes like 3-ingredient scones, 5-ingredient sugar cookies, and lemon drizzle cake. I even filled empty spaces in my backpack with lemons from home. There’s no issue bringing lemons into Spain for personal consumption, although it feels a bit like bringing “coals to Newcastle,” given how lemons are grown here.

Despite a two-hour delay on my flight from Toronto to Madrid, the timing worked out perfectly. My flight landed about fifteen minutes before Janine’s, giving me just enough time to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4, connect to the airport’s Wi-Fi, and message her. I made it to the arrivals hall in good time to see her walk through the doors. How amazing it was to finally meet in person!

WH Smith was nearby and was a good place to pick up a SIM card for Spain/Portugal—50GB of data for about 30 euros, which should last a month. We then hopped on the train to Chamartín and checked into our hotel, the Crisol Via Castellana. After the long flights and with temperatures in the mid-30s here in Madrid, that first shower felt incredible. We then headed out to a local bar for dinner and lively conversation before calling it an early night—though, of course, I found myself awake at midnight, writing this.

Janine and I arrived at the train station the following morning with time to spare. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we made our way to the gate where our train was scheduled to depart. As we waited, we noticed—just ten minutes before departure—that the platform number had been changed. With a sudden rush of urgency, we headed to the new platform, taking the escalator down to find the train waiting for us, as if it had been expecting our last-minute dash. 

The train journey to León was smooth and fast (301 km/hour) making only two stops. We shared a good laugh when an English announcement over the speakers reminded passengers to stay on board unless they were actually disembarking — one of those quirky moments, really!