Tag: Camino de Santiago

Camino Del Norte – Route Report

Posted by on January 9, 2020 in Advice

Read it now! It’s finally done.

Since returning home from Spain, I have been working on a route report for others to enjoy. For your reading pleasure, the Camino del Norte report is now available here.

Each day lists start and endpoints, the distance walked (in kilometers), the approximate time it took to walk that distance, notes about the route, a log of that day’s adventures, people I met and fun we had, and some indication of costs, weather, and trail conditions.

Follow this link, or click on the Camino de Santiago link on the menu bar above, then select Camino del Norte.

Now available in Kindle format on Amazon! (click here)

I had a ton of fun revisiting the Norte while I put these pages together. I would like to thank Maile, Bea, Nat, and Steve W. for all their help and advice in polishing the report before going live.

I would especially like to thank Hendrick, Jody, Stephan, Max, Tanel, Sheng, Amil, Bill, Dave, Valentine, Nuria, Patricia, Lance, Marie, Andy, Mario, and so many others for making this journey with me.

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Coming Soon: Camino Route Report – Camino del Norte 2019

Posted by on December 6, 2019 in Activities, Adventure, Advice, Destinations, Travel

Grandpa’s Latest Camino de Santiago

During the month of October 2019, Grandpa completed his third Camino de Santiago in Spain. He trekked for thirty-one days on the Camino del Norte, along the north coast, from Irun at the French border to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Daily accounts of that journey to find inspiration and meet new friends will be available on the blog site in the coming weeks. Follow along as the trail days are posted or select Camino de Santiago here, or from the blog’s main menu.

Camino del Norte (Coastal Way)

The length of the Camino del Norte, also known as the Camino de la Costa (Coastal Way), is over 800 kilometers (more than 500 miles). Depending on where you find your information, this distance varies. I used a Village to Village Map Guide by Harms, Dintman, and Landis for my trek and will use their measurements for consistency throughout the report. One of the difficulties in measurements for the Norte is the number of variations on your path to Santiago, variations you don’t find much of while walking the Camino Francés. The Camino del Norte is 833 kilometers from Irún, at the French border, traveling through the cities of San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander, and Gijón to Santiago de Compostela. An option popular with pilgrims hiking the Norte is to leave the traditional route and follow the Primitivo route over the mountains, meeting the Camino Francés at Melide. I followed the Norte to Arzúa, where this trail intersects with the Francés.

About the Route Report

Each day in the route report will list start and endpoints, the distance walked (in kilometers), the time it took to walk that distance, notes about the route, a log of that day’s adventures, people I met and fun we had, and some indication of costs, weather, and trail conditions.

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The Via De La Plata – Revisited

Posted by on November 20, 2017 in Activities, Adventure, Advice, Destinations, Travel

Introduction:

I was recently asked to present my 2016 Via de la Plata trek in Spain, and I thought I would share my speech and slides in this post. I was one of seven presenters speaking on routes other than the most commonly walked, Camino Francés. My friend Laurie Ferris over at thecaminoprovides.com was one of the organizers of the event and had this to say about the event when she posted the slideshows on her website:

“Our NorCal chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino had its annual Welcome Home celebration event on November 11th, 2017 in Oakland. This year we had presentations on Camino routes “beyond the Francés.” It was a fun way to learn about less popular routes that are off the beaten path. It also gave the opportunity for first-time pilgrims and veterans to share some highlights at a gathering. We did the presentations in 10×10 format, which is ten slides in ten minutes. We had seven routes represented, and I presented on the Camino Inglés. It was challenging for all of us to select photos to include, and to speak for only ten minutes, because we are all very passionate about our experiences!”

This was a very fun experience for me and it brought back many of my wonderful experiences while making that fabulous journey, last fall. Hope you enjoy! (more…)

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Announcing Camino Route Report – Via De La Plata 2016

Posted by on January 22, 2017 in Activities, Advice, Destinations, Food, Hostels, Lodging, Travel

Camino de Santiago

During the fall months of October and November 2016, Grandpa hit the trail for thirty-three days of walking the Via de la Plata in western Spain. Daily accounts of that journey to find history, peace, and new friends are now available on the blog site. Either follow the links in this post, or select Camino de Santiago here, or from the blog’s main menu.

The Vía de la Plata (Silver Way)

Starting in Sevilla (Seville), is 1000 kilometers from Sevilla traveling through (more…)

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Announcing SU CAMINO… in Hardcopy

Posted by on May 26, 2016 in Activities, Destinations, Getting There and Away

The paper edition of Su Camino… is now available on Amazon.com.

Su Camino… 20 Days – 785 Kilometers – Camino de Santiago

A WHIMSICAL MIX OF PILGRIM RESOURCES

AND CAMINO MUSINGS

There are several options to obtain Su Camino… at Amazon.com:

  • Kindle Edition, $3.49
  • FREE to subscribers of Kindle Unlimited
  • Paper Edition, $7.95, £5.95, or €6.95
  • (FREE Shipping with Prime subscription)

All feedback graciously encouraged and appreciated.

An introspective global journey to awareness and self-discovery catalyzed by 20 summer days walking the Camino de Santiago, Su Camino… is one American baby boomer’s travelogue come preparation handbook full of Camino anecdotes and advice for the contemporary walker of “The Way.”

Steeped in world travels to the far corners of the world over the last two decades, Su Camino… is a layered mélange of travelogue, full of anecdotes from the trail; musings on my own journey of the spirit, and preparation handbook with great resources for any pilgrim, thru-hiker, or adventurer.

Wherever we may roam, there is adventure, there is spirit, and there is discovery.

All feedback graciously encouraged and appreciated.

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Oh So Many Things

Posted by on April 23, 2016 in Activities, Destinations

Front cover, Su Camino...

Since returning from Spain last summer and sitting down to write about that experience, the one point of that resulting book people repeatedly take away is, “You guys walked 500 miles in 20 days!” We did the Camino Frances in 20 days, due to time constraints, and more as an athletic Camino than a pilgrimage. I too, just like walking and have a good pace, from years of experience.

However, WHEN I do another Camino, I will explore more, stick my head—and the rest of me—into churches more often, I will go to Samos, I’ll venture into museums, and go off the beaten path, go to that village not on the Camino to experience real rural Spain, away from the pilgrim crowds and supporting infrastructure.

Oh, so many things to see, so many roses to smell, so much cafe con leche to drink, so many people to chat with and enjoy their company. Enjoy your Camino, wherever it may lead.

A short excerpt from the book, Su Camino… “I’ve never felt so peaceful in mind, body and spirit as during my time on the Camino de Santiago. Oh sure, there were times when cursed at by a Spanish driver (a pretty senorita) for walking on the wrong side of her village street. Or, when navigating a narrow passage as a large transport truck bore down on the same space at the same time. And that seemingly relentless summer heat. Those temperatures would not have been so bad, I suppose, but our pace, our effort, our daily distance and hours on the trail, all compounded as a foundation of that persistent beast. However, never in my waking hours have I felt so at peace for such a long period of time as when in northern Spain, walking the Camino with my travel buddy Karla and hundreds of others—all friends, I didn’t know.”

 

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FREE for the next five (5) days!!! A Whimsical Mix of Pilgrim Resources and Camino Musings

Posted by on February 10, 2016 in Destinations, Gear, Getting There and Away

I’ve just published my new book “SU CAMINO… 20 Days – 785 Kilometers – Camino de Santiago; A Whimsical Mix of Pilgrim Resources and Camino Musings”

“Su Camino…” is now available in eBook (kindle) format on Amazon.

Any and all feedback encouraged and most graciously appreciated!!!

This project, which I describe as: An introspective global journey to awareness and self-discovery catalyzed by 20 summer days walking the Camino de Santiago, “Su Camino…” is one American baby boomer’s travelogue come preparation handbook full of Camino anecdotes and advice for the contemporary walker of “The Way.”

Steeped in travels to the far corners of the world over the last two decades, “Su Camino…” is a layered mélange of: travelogue, full of anecdotes from the trail; musings on my own journey of the spirit, and preparation handbook with numerous resources for any pilgrim, thru-hiker, or adventurer.

Please find and review on Amazon at, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BA0EFBS/?tag=camiforu-20Su Camino cover

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Pilgrim Days – Camino de Santiago

Posted by on February 2, 2016 in Destinations

As a lead up to the release of my book “SU Camino…”, I’ve been posting here portions of my poetic portrayal of a pilgrim’s day on the Camino de Santiago, from my perspective, as we walked 40 kilometers per day on the Camino Francés during the hot summer month of July. Below, I’ve included that rendering in its entirety:

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Up into the Pyrenees from St Jean

Parts of parts: In his delightful Camino narrative “I’m Off Then”, Hape Kerkeling says the pilgrim’s day is a “microcosm” of one’s total Camino journey; hard to get going in the beginning and exhausted but happy in the end. The pilgrim, the thru-hiker, the spiritual-adventurer takes to the day, sluggish but expectant and experiences a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, day after day, Camino after Camino.

(more…)

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On Goes the Camino

Posted by on January 13, 2016 in Destinations

Version 2

And we’re—moving on: On goes the Camino, snaking through countryside, pueblo and city. Past grand cathedral and red corn poppies. Oh, the red corn poppies. The heat of the day presents itself before we are aware. Now we sweat (or perspire) and our pace slows. Should we rest in the shade or get our trek over for the day? There is no shade.

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