I'm just trying to walk myself home.
Learning To Read Ordinance Survey Maps I was first introduced to OS Maps when we lived in Scotland. When we would go hiking with other families, someone would bring along a paper Ordinance Survey Map, usually in a plastic square waterproof case that they wore around their necks. When the kids were in secondary …
Picking Blackberries I get so excited when I start to see berries on the trail. And it’s even more fun when I am walking with someone who shares my enthusiasm for picking them. This past summer, we found blueberries, blackberries and raspberries on the Via Alpina. And blackberries were absolutely everywhere along our summer hikes …
Life Goals Taido and I say to each other all the time that we want to keep hiking well into our old age. Then this summer, only a few days into the Via Alpina, I was starting to think thoughts like: I think this might be my last serious mountain climb. It’s time for me …
Love On The Camino Walking long days can push you to your edge. So when you’re walking long days with other people, sometimes everyone’s edges bump up against one another. But more often, what comes out is something beautiful. Someone will have a blister, and someone else will have exactly what they need. Or someone …
Pilgrim Blessing Hey y’all, do you think you can all be ready in an hour to walk to Santo Antonio church together for the pilgrim blessing? We had just finished a long day of walking, but I had read about a pilgrim’s mass at a church in Barcelos that I wanted to attend. I told …
One of the best reasons I can think of for walking the Camino is to eat Spanish tapas, which are widely available along the route. And I think the Spanish tortilla and Padron peppers are probably my favorite of all the tapas. Spanish tortilla is a dish of eggs and potatoes that have been fried …
Something you might already know about me is that I like to travel light. It’s a point of pride for me to leave home for weeks at a time with only my trusty blue 24 liter backpack. Sometimes when I’m walking with a group, I find that supplemental things I carry – a first aid …
Walking Along The River Avon The River Avon runs right through the middle of Bristol and on out to Avonmouth, which is obviously, the mouth of the river. Since the river leads to the sea, the Avon is tidal. Some parts of the day it just looks like an emptied out basin of mostly mud. …
Solo Coastal Walk from Portishead to Clevedon The days are drawing in. This phrase is one that I often hear in England to describe the time of year where night is stretching drastically into the morning and evening hours. In June the days are extravagantly long here. After the summer solstice, they begin to shrink, …
Village Lockup: Finding History on A Walk in England Recently I left my trekking poles in The Old Crown Inn and so when I went back to get them, I decided to walk a new route in the area. I was by myself, so there was no one else to ask about this strange little …
No One Feeds You Like The Swiss The Swiss Mountain Hut Breakfast might be my favorite Swiss Meal. A close cousin to German breakfast, the offerings are both predictable and plentiful. There will always be muesli, which is kind of like granola, but without any sweetener. A staple of the Swiss breakfast table, muesli …
Did You Know That Google Translate Will Talk For You? One morning on the Portuguese Camino, we met a couple from Ukraine who were living outside their home country when Russia started a war there. Feeling helpless, they decided to walk the Camino to raise awareness about the war in their country. Walking extra long …
Adventures in Eating in Portugal Imagine you have just arrived in Portugal after flying all the way from the United States. When you arrive, I start walking you all over a new city to keep you from falling asleep, promising that if you just make it to dinner, you’re going to be well on your …
Counting Steps on the Via Alpina I know I’ve mentioned it once or twice but the hiking trails of the Via Alpina (and really throughout Switzerland) are impossibly steep. Here’s how most days of our Swiss hiking days unfold: You crane your neck all morning looking up at the next pass, hiking the relentlessly uphill …
Meet Poppy, The Black Lab Who Is Saving My Life This Winter November started for me with a bit of a wobble. A low spot, if you will. I was finding it hard to get out for a walk. Honestly, I was finding it hard to get out of bed. I belong to a …
Meet Me Under the Trees to Rest I am a total sucker for a big tree-lined pedestrian promenade. Whoever first had the idea to plant two gorgeous rows of trees to create a shaded walkway was a genius, as well as a visionary, because giant trees take a long time to grow. It’s like having …
Local Walks: Swineford Kelston Circular One night while I was on the Camino, I was talking on the phone to Simon, and he said, Hey Dad and I went on a walk today that you would love. Music to my ears! Tell me more. I replied. He told me that the scenery was “really nice,” …
The Drink at The End of A Walk When I look at my watch and see that it is past 4pm and I have been wiping the sweat from my face since the morning, I start hoping that the end of my walking day is in sight. I can almost taste the cold pint waiting …
Wisteria and Sunshine Wisteria and Tuscany just go together for me. Maybe it’s because I usually seem to visit Italy in the springtime, so many of my memories there are draped in the violet boughs. I love wisteria anywhere though, and I seek out its fragrant blossoms wherever it grows: behind the church in Arkansas, …
Sea Soaks, River Crossings and Lake Plunges: How Always Stop For A Swim Became My New Walking Motto We had been walking all day along the water, staring out at the crystal blue sky and sea on our left as we headed north. For most of the bright blue June day, we were fully in …