Category: Camino

After a lovely morning in cool, overcast weather, we had an endless afternoon as the Way curved around hill after hill after hill, hiding from us any view of our day’s destination until we had suddenly arrived.  In the midst of that endless, depressing afternoon, we met a Friar whose positive impact on my day was immediate. Other impacts, I’m […]

A day of rain and mud. We left Puente la Reina about 8 am, and it was raining by 9.   We walked with Emilio and Katy. Second breakfast in Mañeru, and lunch in Lorca. Sadly, most of the churches we passed today were locked up. Between Mañeru and Ciraqui we were on and off a Roman road. Like everything else, […]

Today we took another short day with Emilio and Katie, from Zariquigui to Puente la Reina, only 13 km. We tackled Alto de Perdón first thing, and it was much easier than I remember. Of course, back in 2013 it was raining and the path was more of a river than a road.    Today it was cool and dry, […]

Today was meant to be a rest day in glorious Pamplona. We went to Lauds (chanted Latin) and Mass (first half Latin, second half Spanish) at the Cathedral.           Then, I took about 200 photos (see the link in the side bar – totally worth it). We visited the cloisters and the cathedral museum. As I said, it […]

Arrived in Pamplona about 3:30 PM, so it was a brisk day. The weather was beautiful – cool and mostly overcast. It was perfect walking weather.   We set out from Zubiri at 7:40 after breakfast and a quick meet up with Billy, Becky, and Penny. They weren’t going to leave for a while, so we  pressed on without them. […]

Yesterday was warm and sunny. Today we started with rain that soon became a day-long downpour. A very cold downpour. Ponchos came out at second breakfast in Bar Fronton in Burguete. Despite hail and freezing rain, we made very good time in the morning, lunching in Biskaretta. We even stopped by Corazón Puro to say hi to István and Barbara, but […]

Today was probably the most physically challenging day of my life so far. We bought some sandwiches and left Saint-Jean in good spirits. We soon met up with Penny, a seventy-ish woman from Idaho and Matthias, a young German who started his Camino three months ago from his home in Köln. Penny wasn’t walking with a pack, having sent hers ahead. […]

First breakfast and Lauds at Corazón Puro. István and Barbara drove us to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. We are in France! We stopped in at the pilgrims office for our orientation and map. Then to Boutique du Pelerin to pick up our new hiking poles and an Opinel (with a corkscrew, naturally).We walked up to the citadel – the medieval castle was apparently […]

It was 24 hours of travel!   High winds in London meant flight delays. We were an hour late in landing, and we had some panicky moments when we thought our flight from Heathrow to Madrid might be canceled.Fortunately, it was only delayed about an hour. We made up some time in the air, and landed 45 minutes late. We breezed […]

When in April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all The veins are bathed in liquor of such power As brings about the engendering of the flower, When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath Exhales an air in every grove and heath Upon the tender shoots, and the young sun His half-course […]

   (Originally posted to Pilgrims on the Way.)

One week from today, we will be in Spain. Yowza! It’s odd, this countdown being the same as the countdown to Easter. It seems to give both things an even greater urgency, as if that were even possible. Since we volunteer in our parish, this week – Holy Week – is already pretty busy. Now add to that the fact […]

There has not been a lot of training this week. In fact, I have not left the house since Sunday. I get migraines a couple of times a year. Normally, I can spot the symptoms of a developing migraine and “head it off at the pass” with hydration and Excedrin. On Saturday afternoon, however, I did not spot the symptoms […]