Our travels have been electric!
Posted on May 11, 2025

We’re back from Spain and the Camino de Santiago. I was worried about too active of an adventure, but I managed all the walking. My iPhone said I walked about 45 miles in eight walking-days. I shortened one day that started with a fairly big climb: others, including Patti, walked at least an added two miles. Our tour group was small; it was not sold out because it was early in the season: it was a bit chilly in the early mornings; snow on the mountains. Our tour was a good experience. I list experiences we enjoyed here, but here is one combined experience I will never forget:

 

 

== No electricity and our 150-mile cab ride ==

 

We were caught in the total electrical black out in Spain and Portugal. I don’t think they know the exact reason yet. We were on a high-speed train from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid. It makes two stops. We were sitting in the station before Madrid at 12:30 PM when the blackout hit. That was really lucky. We could have been out in the middle of nowhere. The longest tunnel in Spain – 7 miles – was ahead of us. The train operator handed out water and snacks, and everyone waited patiently.

 

The electricity came back on at 5:30 PM, but the train did not move. We finally figured out that the train was not going to go to Madrid that night, but we needed to get back for our flight the next morning.

 

We went out front of the station, and at about 8:30 PM, and a taxi rolled up. I think most all thought the train would still go, so there were only a few out front. I jumped to say we would go to Madrid. The driver only spoke Spanish. The taxi took four of us: Patti and me; a nice lady who only spoke Spanish, and an intrepid Japanese lady who walked the Camino who did not speak Spanish or English(!).

 

It was the driver’s second trip of the day. It was a 250 km (about 150 mile) cab ride, and over three hours to our hotel!

 

The Spanish lady got dropped off in northern Madrid; her husband was waiting for her. We then figured out that we were going to be dropped off at the main train station in Madrid to catch another taxi to our hotel.

 

When we got to downtown Madrid, about half the street and traffic lights worked. There were no lights around the train station; hundreds were waiting for taxis and buses, and there were none. Our driver realized he should take us to our hotel, which was at least in the direction of home for him. He dropped the three of us at our hotel at about 11:45 pm.

 

The cellular data antennas were offline. I could not pay with my credit card. I didn’t have enough cash. Fortunately, our hotel gave me the cash to pay the driver. I paid him and gave him a nice tip. Total for the two of us with tip: about $275; I thought this was a bargain.

 

The Japanese lady went to the hotel next to ours and managed to tell them that she needed a local cab to take her to her hotel in south Madrid. They waved down a taxi. Patti helped and made sure the driver knew the correct hotel.  

 

All electricity was restored in the early hours next day, and we had no difficulty getting to the airport in plenty of time to catch our flight back.

 

== No electricity for four days ==

 

Our last leg was Dulles to Pittsburgh. We landed at 4:45 PM. I could see that a big storm was near and moving fast. We sat to wait it out. It was ferocious at about 5:30 PM.

 

We drove home, and when we got near we could see that the electricity was out. At the peak, 400,000 customers lost electrical service. This was the biggest outage ever by far here. Ours was out for four days.

 

== No heat or hot water ==

 

The surge when the electricity was restored fried the electrical control for our furnace. We are without heat and hot water: our furnace boiler heats the hot water tank. Our HVAC folks say it will likely take two weeks to get the replacement parts. UGH!

 

We heat hot water on the stove and pour it over us to take a shower. The house temperature will eventually settle in at about the average for day: in the mid 60s now. Fortunately, this did not happen in the dead of winter.

 

== Spain again? ==

 

I must have liked Spain. I’m already googling day trips by train from Madrid. Lots of great, historic places are less than a one-hour train ride.

 

 

Conclusion: We liked our trip to Spain. An unexpected highlight was being caught in the complete electrical failure that hit Spain and Portugal. Once we got through that, we had four days with no electricity at home. It will be two weeks before our furnace controls are back for heat and hot water. This was a much bigger adventure than we had planned.