thrives on adventure and enjoys testing his physical limits When he learned about the Cami�o da Geira e dos Arrieiros he set himself a personal challenge: to run the route in the shortest time possible where he runs a successful sneaker business which has carried his name and the island's fame across the globe he finds time to train rigorously and participate in the races and trails that inspire him He's competed in long-distance events in Switzerland and France he combines family time with athletic pursuits He first experienced the French Camino de Santiago completing a 100-kilometer stretch in five days covering 250 kilometers from Porto to Santiago de Compostela in five days Pedro Pablo had never ventured onto one of the four routes that cross his hometown of A Estrada These include the V�a da Plata—the only one officially recognized in all its routes—the Cami�o da Geira e dos Arrieiros Pedro Pablo chose the most challenging route: the Cami�o da Geira e dos Arrieiros He added a personal twist to his endeavor by aiming to complete 100 kilometers in a single run I jumped in without studying the route too much I might not have done it,” he laughs Pedro Pablo started in Ribadavia and ran the 102 kilometers to Santiago “I ran or walked in sections where running wasn’t possible,” he explains “I’m used to these kinds of challenges There’s a lot of elevation gain and trails that turn into rivers with so much water flowing through them you’re running through streams,” he adds “I got lost several times after leaving Ribadavia and lost a lot of time For the final stretch from A Estrada to Santiago I took the road because night was falling,” he admits Pedro Pablo wholeheartedly recommends the experience It has 3,000 meters of positive elevation gain and could make for a fantastic trail race I think it’s highly recommended,” he says His adventure was made even more special by an emotional discovery he joined a WhatsApp group dedicated to promoting the Cami�o da Geira was instrumental in the path’s rediscovery was one of the first to suggest in his articles for La Noche and El Pueblo Gallego the existence of an old Portuguese pilgrimage route to Santiago that passed through A Estrada the Codeseda Viva association uncovered evidence that helped restore the Cami�o da Geira and work toward its official recognition “I had no idea about any of this,” Pedro Pablo says I’m going to complete the entire Cami�o da Geira,” he announces Jews all over the world are gathering around dinner tables Monday night to celebrate the first night of Passover, one of the most important festivals of the Jewish calendar. And in the small, northern Spanish town of Ribadavia American and Israeli Jews are coming together to conduct the first Seder there in more than 500 years The holiday commemorates the Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, a story retold during the ritual Seder dinner it's customary for the youngest at the table to ask "Why is tonight different from all other nights?" This year the question has even greater meaning for American Erika Henik and her family of eight "My father read about the Seder and sent it to my sister and me we had tickets for the whole family to go to Spain." Henik says her parents were looking for a meaningful way to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and found it in the Spanish Seder. "My family and I love food. And so much about how Jews were outed in the Inquisition was about food And to celebrate it with food is so gratifying." an annual celebration of its Sephardic Jewish heritage The Inquisition finally ended in the 18th century much of Spain's Jewish culture had disappeared Ribadavia, a medieval town in Galicia, hasn't been shy about trying to reclaim its Jewish past. For example, the town touts the role that Jews played in cultivating its famed white Ribeiro wine and spreading it across Europe But Ribeiro won't be served at Ribadavia's first Seder the menu will feature kosher wine and matzo like a seven-vegetable soup and grilled fish an Israeli historian who traveled to Ribadavia to lead the Seder service in Hebrew and Spanish Haim has been visiting Ribadavia regularly since 1994, when residents began celebrating their town's Sephardic heritage during the annual Festa da Istoria each August despite the fact that there are no longer any Jews living in Ribadavia for what he claims is the only authentic public Seder in Spain Octopus is traditionally on the menu at Festa da Istoria as frequent festival attendee Judith Cohen notes which includes a traditional Sephardic wedding parade She has great affection for the town and its people yet can't help but feel its Jewish history is being exploited "The festival food [includes] grilled octopus which isn't kosher and is decorated in stars of David," Cohen tells The Salt The Jewish wedding takes place in a church they've really appropriated a lot of things and used them to their own advantage One nearby town has stars of David etched into the floor there was a deli with a huge display of sausages with labels in the shape of stars of David inviting Jews to ask about their ham sandwiches who crossed the Atlantic to attend Ribadavia's Seder "I don't care if they're using Jewish culture to increase tourism and my ability to learn about what happened there Become an NPR sponsor an event is taking place on first night of Passover with the aim of 'breathing new life into its old Jewish quarter.' 2013Get email notification for articles from JTA FollowMar 11 2013A town in northern Spain is preparing to hold its first Passover seder since 1492.