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Camino Frances - 1 May 2024 - Sydney to Madrid

Our Adventure Begins: Camino Frances, Here We Come! 

I’m beyond excited to share that our journey has officially begun! I’m traveling with two of my sisters, Kim and Alison, and together we’ve decided to take on the Camino Frances, walking from León to Santiago de Compostela. Well, I say “take on,” but who knows if we’ll actually make it all the way? Either way, it’s going to be an adventure! 

We’ve teamed up with RAW Travel, who’ve sorted all our accommodations and luggage transfers. Some might call it cheating, but we call it smart traveling. The easier, the better, as far as we’re concerned! A huge shoutout to Lori from Hornsby Travel & Cruise for helping us arrange extra accommodations and flights—you’re a lifesaver! 

Day 1: Madrid Arrival & Flamen de Flamenco 

After a grueling 24+ hours of flying from Sydney, Australia, we finally touched down in Madrid. Exhausted doesn’t even begin to describe how we felt. We managed to squeeze in a quick rest and a refreshing bath before turning our attention to the evening’s plans: a Flamenco Dance Show and Dinner - The Tablao Flamenco 1911. Why did we book this for our first night after zero sleep? Honestly, no idea. But hey, when in Spain, right? 

Of course, the universe decided to test us right off the bat. My phone is still locked to Telstra (thanks, Telstra), which means I can’t activate the eSIM I bought for Spain. My ongoing conversations with Telstra support via their app are becoming increasingly frustrating. To the person on the other end: I promise I’m not mad at you—just the system! 

To make matters worse, I downloaded a Google map for offline use, but couldn’t get it to work live. Problem #1. Then, as we set off for the Flamenco show, I immediately led us in the wrong direction. Problem #2. After about 10 minutes of wandering and stumbling upon the Real Palacio de Madrid, we realized our mistake and turned the map around. Only to discover there are *two* shows with almost identical names. Problem #3. But hey, we made it in the end—and we weren’t even late! 

The show itself was incredible—full of passion, energy, and jaw-dropping talent. But as I sat there, my head started drooping. I was nodding off. Problem #4. I kept jerking awake, thinking, *Oh no, these incredible dancers can probably see me struggling to stay conscious!* When the show ended, I turned to Alison and Kim, only to find out they’d been fighting the same battle with sleep. 

By the time it was over, we were all more than ready to head back to the hotel and crash. Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully, a more rested one! 

Stay tuned for more updates as we kick off our Camino adventure! Buen camino! 🌟

Steps  13,537

Accommodation:  Hotel Meninas - Boutique Opera


Plaza Mayor - Madrid


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