Walking the Camino de Santiago

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru 2 July 2024 What a wonderful 15 days I’ve had. I’ve met people on their journey to Santiago de…

“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” June 20-28 It’s been such a busy week and a great experience to meet so many amazing people from all over the world…

“Sometimes it’s good to not worry about the journey and just take the trip”.. H Clements 17 -19 June Started the day with saying Buen Camino to our pilgrims as they set out on the Camino trail. We had a great group from Germany and Australia overnight. One of the individuals was walking his 11th…

“ A seasons now passed, since the bagpipe’s greeting.And yet still my soul soars and sings, mindful of our meeting.You broke me, then rewrote me; you stitched my torn seams.You never really left me; the Way is in my dreams. Visions of villages and vineyards, roads paved with scallop shells; Scenes with sunflowers and sunsets,…

“The wonder of this pathway,Between people of all nations,Is the friendship that is formed.All share the same desire,To reach their destination,And pay homage to St. James.For the wonders that we encountered on our pilgrim way.And thank the Way for its call” June 16 Today we woke up and prepared breakfast for the pilgrims and bid…

Since music is a powerful way to the heart, I’ve been asked if I could create a playlist of the songs I that I had listened to and highlighted in each of my daily posts. So, below is my Spotify playlist link if you’re interested. Buen Camino! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/684xgWkXk2AernTCTUiuJa?si=ZoCbQKAASOSjP8HpME0gmQ

Sept 14 The beauty of this area of Portugal and Spain can’t be captured in photos as well as the human eye. The people, the landscape, the smells, tastes all played into making this experience special. Most importantly are the pilgrims. Those that chose to step out of their comfort zones and be uncomfortably comfortable.…

Sept 12 ‘This is my time, my time to shineCount it on down, spark that fuseMark my words, front page newsThis is my time, my time to shineWatch me shine, watch me shine!’ – Matt Beilis I left very early this morning in the dark for the last trek on the Camino Portuguese. Christian was…

Sept 11- ‘I am proudOf how far I’ve comeI’m nothing loudBut I’m equally as funAnd they can choose to like me or notBut with or without themI’m stronger than I thoughtIs being fierce the only way to be strongDo I have to roarTo get any attentionIs being quiet even an optionIs there room in this…

Sept 10 ‘It’s my life, it’s now or neverI ain’t gonna live foreverI just want to live while I’m alive(It’s my life) My heart is like an open highwayLike Frankie said, “I did it my way”I just wanna live while I’m alive’Cause it’s my life’ – Music Travel Love Headed out early with Christian ..…

Sept 9 “This is your life, you can go anywhereYou gotta grab the wheel and own itAnd drive it like you stole itRoll it, this is your life, you can be anythingYou gotta learn to rock and roll itYou gotta put the pedal downAnd drive it like you stole it” – Sing Street We left…

Sept 8 – Mine used to look real pettyWas the picture in the dictionaryOf the guy that wasn’t ready to grow upAnd all it took was a last goodbyeA broken heart on borrowed timeAnd letting go of things that are hard to let go ofNow I love a little more, dream a little deeperLeave all…

Sept 7 – ‘We are the hungerWe are the fireRunners and gunnersOut on the wirePushin’ the limitsHigher and higherGonna showShow the world’ – Matt Beilis So this morning, I headed out on my own to Vigo. Luca’s taking things slowly, and Christian’s toe is really bothering him. There is a huge sports store in Vigo…

Sept 6 “Roll with it, roll with itAnd you can go with the flow of itRoll with it, roll with itAnd you can go with the flow of it” – Tyrone Wells I started the day early walking out of A Guarda with Christian. Luca still needs to be off his foot for a couple…

Sept 5- “Well, I’ve been afraid of changing’Cause I’ve built my life around youBut time makes you bolderEven children get olderAnd I’m getting older too”- Fleetwood Mac Today my hiking buddies stayed behind. Too many issues with their feet to move forward with me. Luca headed to the doctor to have his sore ankle checked…

Sept 3-4 “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my headBut that doesn’t mean my eyesWill soon be turnin’ redCryin’s not for me’Cause I’m never gonna stop the rainBy complainin’Because I’m freeNothing’s worryin’ me” – BJ Thomas Started Day 20 early with both of the guys in tow. Both Luca and Christian wanted to walk with me again,…

Sept 2- “Birds flying highYou know how I feelSun in the skyYou know how I feelBreeze driftin’ on byYou know how I feelIt’s a new dawnIt’s a new dayIt’s a new lifeFor meAnd I’m feeling good” – Michael Buble Hit the trail this morning walking down to the waters edge in Porto and the view…

Aug 31 – Sep 1 “When you’re happy like a foolLet it take you overWhen everything is outYou gotta take it in Oh this has gotta be the good lifeThis has gotta be the good lifeThis could really be a good life” – One Republic I’ve walked a ton the last two days to reach…

August 30- “It’s alright, alright, alright, yeahBreathe in and let it goThis life ain’t always perfectBut I know it’s beautifulWhen one bad thing leads to anotherBaby, there’s a shine at the end of the tunnelNo lie, no lie, no lie, yeahI know it’s all gonna be alright, yeah” – Lady A My hotel sat right…

August 29 “It’s a new dayAnd the sky’s greyBut all I feel is sunshine on my faceIf the cloud’s stayAnd there’s still rainTo hell with what the weatherman might sayI’m still having my parade”- Matt Beilis This morning the weather is overcast and chilly. My stay in Coimbra, however was very nice and the birthday…

August 28 – Kittens, Puppies, and Faceplants “I’ve been brought down to my kneesAnd I’ve been pushed way past the point of breakingBut I can take itI’ll be back, back on my feetThis is far from overYou haven’t seen the last of me”- Cher I got up early this morning and walked into the kitchen…

August 27 (Because I’m happy)Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof(Because I’m happy)Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth(Because I’m happy)Clap along if you know what happiness is to you(Because I’m happy)Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do – P Williams As usual, I…

August 26 And I’ll rise upI’ll rise like the dayI’ll rise upI’ll rise unafraidI’ll rise upAnd I’ll do it a thousand times again– Andra Day I woke to a quiet, still sleeping, albergue. The proprietors were kind enough to deliver fresh pastries and fruit and leave it out for their guests very early this morning,…

August 25- Leg Day 😣 “Today is gonna be a good dayDon’t care what anybody else sayOh-oh-oh, I don’t need a fortune cookie to tell me the way I’m feelin’Gonna be a good day, a good day” – DNCE I bid Tomar “adeus” and hit the trail around 6am this morning. My hotel was so…

August 24- Had an amazing nights rest in my beautiful hotel room. Since this was a rest stop, I splurged for a nice hotel for a couple of nights. I woke up at 8am and headed downstairs to the complimentary breakfast offered by the hotel. The food there was very good and the servers so…

Aug 23- “Its gettin hot in hereSo take off all your clothesI am gettin so hot. I wanna take my clothes off” – Nelly Woke up bright and early this morning and shot out of my hotel like a cannon. It was so hot yesterday I wanted to make sure I didn’t get caught in…

August 22- “When I wake up in the morningAfter dreaming of your faceAnd then the sun shines down your light straight to meIt’s like you’ve never went away. I hear your voiceAnd it brings me to my kneesJust when I neededYou’re so close I can feel itI hear your voice” – Loren Allred The sun…

August 19 – “Floating through timeI’ll go anywhereI’ll go way up highThrough the open airI’ll walk through the city on sidewalksI’ll get some coffee and sit at a bus stop …. And I’ll dance in the rainI don’t feel no painAnd I don’t know where I’m goingI’m just floating….” – Addison Agen (Floating) I got…

August 21- I know my destinationIt’s a waiting for meI got no hesitationThat’s where I want to beAnd by the time that the sun comes upI’ll be drinkin’ from a lovin’ cupI know where I’m goin’Don’t you want to come too? – The Judds The weather forecast today is expected to be 103 at my…

August 20- I see skies of blue And clouds of whiteThe bright blessed dayThe dark sacred nightsAnd I think to myself What a wonderful world. – Music Travel Love Hit the trail in the dark this morning wearing my handy dandy headlamp to guide the way. Given that my accommodations were on the Camino trail,…

“I’m walking on sunshine, woooahAnd don’t it feel good!”- Katrina & the Waves August 18- I woke up nice and early, made my lunch, drank a quick hotel room coffee and hit the trail. The sun was still coming up and the sky was overcast. I felt fortunate to get some time on my journey…

August 17 “I’m living the next 5 minutesLike these are my last 5 minutes’cause I know the next 5 minutesMay be all I haveAnd after the next 5 minutesTurn into the last 5 minutesI’m taking the next 5 minutesAnd starting all over again” – SC Chapman Woke up this morning a little later than I…

August 16- Woke up this morning bright and early and headed downstairs in my beautiful luxury hotel in Oriente for buffet breakfast. Ate that up rather quickly and ran back to my room, grabbed my pack, and hit the trail. So far the accommodations have been different than last year…. Mostly because there are no…

August 15- Up bright and early and ready to start the day. Today I’ll walk just a short 10 miles to Oriente, primarily along the waters edge. This is a short day due to the distance between accommodations. It was 10 miles or 25, and given it’s my first day in the trail, I’m not…

Aug 12-14 San Francisco to Lisbon After being fortunate enough to travel in my awesome ‘pod ‘again this year, I arrived in Lisbon bright and early Sunday morning. I arrived too early to check into my hotel, so I checked my bag at the counter and set out to explore the city. So many interesting…