Snapshots of London
A few off-beat stops in London make up today’s Snapshots of the World post.
Chasing Daylight in Scotland: Northwest Highlands
Last week we drove further north in the country of Scotland than we ever have before. Past Ullapool and all the way up to Clashnessie Bay. The bay is a little further north than the sleepy village of Lochinver. We drove miles and miles on tiny roads without seeing any other cars. It was eerily …
Chasing Daylight in June: The Way
THE WAY: Summary Of Writing From Sarria to Santiago Friends, thank you so much for walking this pilgrimage with me! It has been a joy to share the adventure with you. I’ve enjoyed writing about our time on the Camino. For me, it’s like re-living the beautiful days on the trail to write about them. …
Snapshots of the Way: Seaside and Sunshine
On the Camino de Santiago, lots of folks head off to a place called Finisterre after reaching Santiago. There is a tradition of going to the sea to unburden yourself of your belongings. It’s a second and more final ending to your journey. But we really just wanted a day by the sea. So when …
Camino Stories: Make Friends {Live The Way}
Live The Way: Make Friends Jerry, come and have a look at these girls. They already have their seashells on their packs and they haven’t walked one step of the Camino yet. They’ve already been to the Pilgrims’ Mass! Two brothers, ages 67 and 70, had completed all but the last stage of the Camino …
Snippets of the Way: Pilgrims’ Menu
An ode to the food along the Camino de Santiago! The last stage of The Way is in Galicia, a region of Spain known for fresh seafood and red table wine. We tried loads of new foods on our adventure and we definitely found a few new favorites. The octopus is a local specialty. As is the …
Snapshots of The Way: Stunning and Sublime
We took our Camino Theme of Live The Way to heart when it came to stopping for photographs. We felt the freedom to stop for anything along the trail that we felt was beautiful. After years of walking trails with the men in my life, being able to stop whenever I feel like it is a …
Snippets of The Way: Pilgrims’ Lodging
While walking along The Way, every night we needed somewhere to sleep. A place to lay our heads and rest our weary bones. Sometimes it was a cabin on a farm, set back from the farmer’s vineyard and vegetable garden. And then he would feed us from his farm. Sometimes it was a room with a sunset view …
Camino Stories: Stop Often {Live The Way}
I’ve already mentioned that part of how we embraced our theme of Live The Way was that we stopped constantly. On our third day, we had fewer miles to cover so we just meandered from one stop to the next, and were treated with wonderful surprises all day long. This is the story of Day …
Snippets of the Way: Pilgrims’ Mass
Ringing bells call pilgrims to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. From east, west, north, south the doors are open and the people pour in. The church fills more bodies than seats. Folks wander and wonder looking up and spinning around taking photos taking it all in. People start settling against columns and along walls. …
Snapshots of The Way: Signs and Symbols
If there is a better-marked trail in the world than the Camino de Santiago, I would love to know about it. The seashells, crosses and yellow arrows appear constantly along the path. You can see them on the ground. They are crafted with mosaics or set into paving stones. They are painted on signs for …
Snippets of the Way: Pilgrims’ Passports
Your credencial or the Pilgrim’s Passport is an essential part of walking The Way. We were told that we would need our first stamp from one of the three churches in Sarria, where we were beginning our journey. Up on a hill we found a monastery, a place for pilgrims to worship and pray, as well …
Camino Stories: Live The Way
On a bright June morning, somewhere in Spain, I set out from a hotel with three friends. We followed the vague instructions of our host and wandered the streets of Sarria in search of a well worn trail. The Camino de Santiago. After spying a couple of bikers with seashells, we picked up our pace …
Chasing Daylight in July: Part 1 (The Lakes)
Chasing Daylight in July has been all about being outside with friends and family. Some of the those days have been drop dead gorgeous. But most of them have seen at least a few hours of rain. However, the weather has not stopped us from making the most of our kids’ short summer holidays. As …
Snapshots of York
So, York. Last week I mentioned that I took my mama to Berwick-Upon-Tweed on a little train journey + YHA adventure. Our next stop was York. We spent two nights in York, again arriving late. We ate dinner on the train on Friday evening, walked to the hostel, had drinks in the common room (ale …
Snapshots of Berwick-Upon-Tweed
My mom was here for three weeks in April and May and I really wanted her to have at least a little taste of seeing somewhere besides Aberdeen. I love train travel, so I spent a little time trying to find places that we could get to relatively easily via train and towns that could …
Stumbling Through History: Jews in Amsterdam Tour
Every time I read a historical novel set during the Second World War or see a film that takes place during the Holocaust, I find myself hoping that the events will take a different turn. I know the way the stories go. I know what happened when the Nazis occupied a country or a town. …
Snapshots of Bikes in Amsterdam
When Taido met me at the station in Amsterdam, he immediately started warning me about the possibility of being hit by a bike. “We’ve already had a few close calls.” he said. He and the boys had been in the city for two days prior to my arrival. And while I know my tendency to …
Chasing Daylight in April: City Walks in Amsterdam
My Chasing Daylight challenge for April was City Walks! And we definitely walked some cities! I keep track of my daily steps with a FitBit and I topped out in Amsterdam at over 132,000 steps! That’s a high for me this year, but way more fun than just hitting a high number of steps was …
Snapshots of Amsterdam Canals
I could go back to Amsterdam just for these canal views. It took me about ten seconds to be smitten with Amsterdam’s water ways. I just had no idea. I think every time I saw a photo of Amsterdam, I thought I was seeing the same view. I didn’t realize that you can walk (or …