I'm just trying to walk myself home.
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Return to the Portuguese Camino: Thank you for the music. I welcomed spring this year with a beautiful week on the Portuguese Camino. We walked a trail that is familiar to me, from Porto to Valença. We made it to the border between Portugal and Spain, and then we crossed into Spain just to say …
Alison’s Hut-to-Hut Packing List Every time I go for a hike with a group of folks I send out a packing list. People don’t always follow it, but they can’t say I didn’t try to help keep those trail pack weights down once we’re out there hiking. I love to travel light. It is freeing …
GR7 in Spain Day 6: Capileira to Soportújar (via Pampaneira) 12 miles 2500 ft of elevation up and 3000 ft of elevation down We woke up to sunshine on the last day of our walk on the GR7. I had originally planned for us to only walk the five miles to Pampaneira. However it seemed …
GR7 in Spain Day 5: Pitres to Capileira 6 miles 1500 ft of elevation up and 800 ft of elevation down We had a slightly later start on Day 5 of the GR7 as we were not trying to cover as many miles. I had a second loop hike above Capileira in reserve in …
GR7 in Spain Day 4: Trevélez to Pitres 11 miles 2650 ft of elevation up and 3625 ft of elevation down Alternate title for this day: Does anyone see the trail? After waiting for what seemed like forever for breakfast at our lodging in Trevélez, we finally set off on Day 4 of the …
GR7 in Spain Day 2: Yegen to Bérchules OR alternatively this day could be titled: Make Love to the Water We headed out early on Day 2, our first REAL walking day on the GR7. We would cover over 10 miles with some more significant elevation drops and gains on our way to the next …
GR7 Spain: Day 1: Mecina Alfahar to Yegen It’s often a mystery to me how a trail ends up on my list of ones I’m hoping to get around to. I heard about the GR7 in Spain from several sources, but I think the main reason I finally put it on the calendar and made …
Snapshots of Andalucía I first visited Andalucía in September of 2024. I already knew from hiking the Camino that I love Spain. Whenever I arrive in Spain, I immediately want to pull up a chair and stay a while. If I am on a walk in Spain, I can’t pass a vende sign without stopping …
After the delights of Porto and walking the Portuguese Camino, I knew I wanted MORE TIME in Portugal. The next walking adventure I planned in Portugal was the surprisingly perfect Rota Vicentina! In fact I have spent so much time documenting the Rota Vicentina on this blog that I have neglected my city visits to …
Snapshots of Provence: A Journey to The South of France I can’t remember when I first started wanting to visit Provence. It might have been in college when we watched La Gloire de Mon Pere in French class. Or maybe it was earlier, when my grandmother introduced me to Vincent Van Gogh through paintings of …
I’m returning to Porto in 2026 to walk a section of the Portuguese Camino with friends. I’m encouraging my friends to add on days to visit Porto before we start walking, so I’ve put this collection of photos together to serve as a list of recommendations for visiting this delightful city. It’s been four years …
Here’s what I tell folks when they ask me how to plan a Camino. I often receive emails with questions about how to plan a Camino or about the Camino in general. There is A LOT to know about the Camino. There are over 200 recognized Camino routes. I have barely scratched the surface of …
Day 4 of the Rota Vicentina The Fisherman’s Trail Zambujeira do Mar to Odeceixe 18.5 km/11.4 miles You can find all of the Rota Vicentina posts here. Rain was predicted on our last day of walking the Rota Vicentina, but the host at Hostel Nature told us that it would not rain. He was …
Day 2 of the Rota Vicentina The Fisherman’s Trail Vila de Nova Milfontes to Almograve 15.5 km/9.6 miles You can find all of the Rota Vicentina posts here. After a substantial breakfast at our hostel in Vila de Nova Milfontes, we headed back out onto the coastal trail. We had a shorter day …
MINI WALKING STORIES Mini Walking Stories is a project I’m doing this month to catalog what has been an AMAZING year of walking. Every day during December, I’m going to choose one photo and invite you to come along with me for a few minutes on one of the walks I took in 2022. Read …
The Uncertainty of Travel: A Crash Course in Dealing With the Unknown The willingness to relinquish control and open ourselves to the mysterious unknown is at the heart of every great spiritual tradition. -Douglas Christie Imagine you and I were having chats together over pints and the conversation turned to travel. …
Snapshots of Rainy Siena, Italy: A Few Days in the Heart of Tuscany It’s been three years since I wandered a hilltown in Italy by myself. My trip to Orvieto and Assisi was well before I watched with the rest of the world as Italy was ravaged by a pandemic, a memory that is clearly …
The Camino Will Always Be With You It’s normal to have post Camino blues. Coming home from any grand adventure is a big mix of feelings. I found myself both glad to be home and constantly missing the trail. And of course, I missed my trail sisters! I wrote them a letter a few days …
A Day in Santiago de Compostela, Spain I told everyone to enjoy sleeping in on our day in Santiago de Compostela. Eat breakfast whenever you like. We’ll meet up later for the noon pilgrims’ mass, if you want. Also feel free to just get lost in the beautiful streets of Santiago. COMPOSTELAS Then …
Camino de Santiago Day 7: O Pedrouzo to Santiago Sixth Day of Walking the Last 100 km to Santiago 20 kilometers 12.5 miles Elevation: 378.78 meters up + 422.35 meters down After a strangely wonderful night of sleep and a wonderful breakfast in town, we gathered on the sidewalk for Laura and I to …