John Meyer Books
A Walk for the Ages & 50 Shades of Europe
I’m not renowned for my predictions. The first time I ever heard rap music I predicted that it would disappear as fast as break-dancing.
“Wait a minute, they don’t play instruments? They just talk over records? This can’t last…”
So I get nervous when traveling friends ask me to predict their trips.
“How many days should I spend in Rome?” “How many towns in Costa Rica can I see if I only have a week?” “If I arrive in Paris on a Friday should I book a hotel in Nice on the Tuesday?”
I always recommend that people should only book their first night at a hotel upon arrival. Show up with an itinerary but keep it loose. Don’t be a slave to promises and prior bookings. Let the trip and its many delights and obstacles dictate how long you should spend in each place.
Few friends listen.
And so it went with the Spanish Camino. I left behind some Monday Posts to track my predicted progress – and I was ultimately wrong.
The first leg was accurate – but only because it predicted where I’d be on Day 2.
The Day 9 prediction from my second post was… close but no cigar.
https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/camino-de-santiago-2/
“…So if everything goes according to plan, I should be in the town of San Juan de Ortega.”
Now part of that statement is true. I did visit the town of San Juan de Ortega. But only briefly. While my guidebook painted it as a quaint and romantic stop on the Camino, my impression of it was rather different.
From my notebook:
“Literally a few modern homes, a hotel, and a church with an albergue and a bar. Population 20. Dismal. There is nothing to do here. Got a vending machine coke and used the albergue bathroom. That’s it. It was time to move on.”
Here’s a photo of it.
Now imagine staring at that photo for the next eight hours. Because that’s all there it is to do in San Juan de Ortega.
So my friends and I moved on. A few kilometres later, we reached the village of Ages. It wasn’t much bigger than San Juan de Ortega but it was an improvement.
From my notebook:
“Population 200 with maybe two streets. And four albergues…. The best part of the lonely church was that it had ample shade. Walking around town only took ten minutes and that’s because I walked very slow in the heat. At least there were three places to eat and drink. And I exhausted them all.”
However, my most significant memory from Ages wasn’t the shady church or the dinner I had with the Arizona couple who complained about the lack of ketchup in Spain or the drinks I had with the Australian girl who slept in her sleeping bag in open fields. No, Ages was the town where I got hurt.
“Let the trip and its many delights and obstacles dictate how long you should spend in each place.” Getting hurt was the obstacle that dictated how long I should spend in each place. It changed the trip. And it changed my Camino.
For more posts about my actual Camino journey, check out:
https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/camino-de-santiago-1/
https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/camino-de-santiago-3/
https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/baseball-in-my-shoe/
“WEBSITE OF THE WEEK”
Now if you think the summer is half over – you’re right – but it’s never too late to plan a trip to Europe.
Check out this fabulous list of 50 Places in Europe You Need to Visit. But don’t feel any pressure. These suggestions are not only for this year – they’re for the rest of your life.
(Note: this article used to be “50 places” which later got pared down to “34 places” so my numbers are off… but the sentiments are all the same! And I don’t want to diminish my initial excitement…)
I’ve done most of these items and I’m off to a good start on page one – walking the beach promenade in Nice, France. In fact, I did it two years ago. They were playing “Some Like It Hot” on a big screen (in English with French subtitles) in one of the small squares for the locals. If only there was an available seat (and an available bottle of wine), I would have joined them.
#4 is definitely familiar – Bullets, Butterflies, and Italy, anyone?
#8 is definitely on my party radar – I’m heading for Ibiza this August (for more research on book #3)!
#11 – I played the slots in Monte Carlo (and lost 50 euros in 5 minutes)… does that count?
Bullets, Butterflies, and Italy returns with a vengeance for #13 (see chapter 9)!
#22 is amazing in that there is no security and no fences. I literally stood on the edge of those cliffs and looked down. That reckless shit wouldn’t fly in litigious North America.
Did #23 with Oktoberfest gusto. Don’t forget to look your German hosts in the eye when you toast. (Otherwise you get scolded!)
Keep those Bullets, Butterflies, and Italy references coming #24!
#27 can exhaust you so scout out your favourite exhibits – like the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.
Did #30 in Interlaken many years ago when we were too late in the season to go to Running with the Bulls in Spain. It was a good backup adrenaline rush!
There we go…finally a Bulls, Bands, and London reference in #35! Good photo too – the bulls are just about to turn the corner into Calle de la Estafeta….
Oh, did #36 as well! The 50 year-old Hungarian woman with the meaty hands beat my back like a side of beef – best massage I ever had.
Did #41 on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham were all on the road playing in other cities. So I had to settle for Fulham. (Sorry, Fulham.)
Saw #48 ten years ago. On August 1, I will return to Barcelona to see it again!
More news about that trip in the coming weeks…
For more extreme adventures, check out:
https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/running-with-the-bulls/
https://www.johnmeyerbooks.com/parklife-in-toronto/