Some “ketchup”

Where we finished last time? Oh yes, we still worked at the EA and lived the usual life when weeks fly quickly, work and rest follow each other, and after all there is nothing to write about it.

Well a few things happened since that. It seemed that we would have work only until the end of February, but some project always dropped in and we needed then. We didn't mind it at all, it is much better if you have your free time during the warm spring, not the cold winter. We had the opportunity to come back in the summer but we didn't accept it because we left only a few months from the 24 and we had to quit in August anyway. (You are allowed to work with a temp contract only 24 months.) Because we have a house to renew at home, we decided not to 'waste' the summer here. If we are lucky, we can finish the renovation by Fall, by the time hopefully we will have jobs too.

Because we haven't seen north of Spain yet and the timing was perfect we decided to realize our old dream to walk along the Camino the Santiago (Way of St. James). First we were thinking about the classic French route but because it is a holy year and it would be overcrowded we decided to complete the more difficult but more rewarding North Route.

The 5 weeks between quitting and leaving for the Camino became quite busy. Monika enrolled for an intensive Spanish course, and while she was in school I made some progress with my blind typewriting course at home. (No, I'm still typing with 2 fingers now, as I don't know all the letters. :) )

Next to the courses we did a lot of sport, which went really well until the last week. I was so happy with my progress, that I didn't pay attention the signal of my body. I didn't care with my medium knee pain and ran a half marathon – as a result I hardly could walk next day. I'm on a forced rest since, recovering slowly and I just hope everything will be fine on the road.

After arranging all the social security and tax papers we might need at home we had to deal with our stuff. To rent our room for a month longer would have been expensive, so we looked for other solutions. Because  we have more things than could fit in a car leaving them at friends was out of question as they all rent rooms only. We found a few companies which offer small storage rooms for shorter and longer periods too. We checked three of them and rented 1.5 m3 at the best one. It's a serious place: 24 hrs accessible, you use your PIN code for accessing the garage, you take your stuff with carts in a huge elevator to your room, 24 hrs video surveillance. We could hardly fit with our things in the 1,5 cubic meter, so packing into the car will be fun for sure! But that one is the next chapter, now let the Camino begin! :)