I'm just trying to walk myself home.
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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 …
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 …
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 …
Standing at my gate in Madrid Waiting to board a flight to Santiago de Compostela I first spotted them Scallop seashells Dangling from the backpacks of pilgrims With tears involuntarily filling my eyes I watch these souls, a group of girlfriends a mother and daughter a man all alone a gray-haired couple Fellow pilgrims, my …
Our second week of walking new trails in Scotland was on the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland. My sister and her husband, Robert, and their three kiddos were in town in July for two weeks. The first week we spent in and around Aberdeen, and then we rented a second car and headed west. We stayed …
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 …
The spring and summer months are so full around our house that sometimes I move from one event to the next without fully processing the first one. That is a little bit how it was to go from the Speyside Way in the middle of May to the Camino at the beginning of June. But …
We had expected to be at the end of the day’s walk by 5pm. We got an early start on our fifteen mile day, heading out under blue skies that promised to turn rainy later in the afternoon. We reached our highest point before lunch. All downhill from here, I thought. Piece of cake. I …
You might remember that my May challenge was a three day walk: The Speyside Way. The Speyside Way is actually a 5-8 day walk (depending on if you add a couple of spurs) through Speyside, an area of Scotland that is famous for single malt whisky production. This area is close enough to where we …
While I was on The Speyside Way a couple of weeks ago with my #SpeysideSistas, we had lots of fun making videos. I shared little 30 second clips of our walk on Facebook throughout the week, so I thought it would be fun to make a highlight reel with bits and pieces. Hope you enjoy!! …
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 …
The cruel irony in this story is that I have become almost smug in the fact that I am an experienced train traveler.
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
Oh London Town! You just don’t ever get old. Sometimes I dream about living in London. Just for a season, I think it would be fun to be surrounded by this much history and culture and beauty! Our most recent visit was a short weekend escape sponsored by Travelodge, City Cruises and Context Travel. Taido …
Bankside Beach Combing for History: A London History Tour Simon was waiting for me as I got my usual pat down in security. (My dreads always have to be manually checked to be sure I’m not hiding something in them.) We both walked over to where his backpack had been flagged. The man behind the …
I just couldn’t say goodbye to blogging about Malta without posting a few of these memories from my mornings. I always get up early when I’m traveling. I watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee and write in my journal. The mornings are usually my quiet moments before full days of sightseeing and I …
With a Rock and Stone: A Story about Malta’s Limestone Heritage I could not stop taking photos of the detailed limestone carvings. After my third or fourth question about the soft honey-colored rocks, my attentive guide made a phone call and added an unplanned stop to our itinerary. “I haven’t been here since I was …