100 Skies without You

April - July 2022

A personal pilgrimage Read more

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- Apr 12, 2022, 10:34pm
- 🌧 17 °C
- Altitude: 4 m
- New Zealand Waikato Matamata-Piako District Te Aroha -37.53857, 175.6922237°32’19” S 175°41’32” E
Day 1
Setting my heart on pilgrimage
April 12, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Last night I decided I was Camino bound, today is my first day of training up to the Te Aroha lookout. It seems fittng that I start from 'The Place of Love' leaving my parents house.

Starting was tough - I feel tired, sore, reluctant inadequate. Excuses abound, an easier path beckons. It seems that the path of pilgrimage consists mainly of putting one foot in front of the other.

Fast is not the goal, persistence and progress.

What emerges - a fresh perspective

But the skies are still grey without youRead more
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- Apr 13, 2022, 8:00am
- 🌧 11 °C
- Altitude: 721 m
- New Zealand Waikato Matamata-Piako District Te Aroha McCormick Creek -37.51455, 175.7424537°30’52” S 175°44’33” E
Day 2
Day 2 - Surrounded by beauty
April 13, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 11 °C
It was hard waking in the rain this morning. So many reasons just to roll over - but underneath a strange excitement and an emerging kernel of determination.

On the trail the air felt thick and full and I walked in a magical bubble of lush greens and browns.

I also learnt to watch my way as I set off down a wrong path. I was caught up jumping ahead in my mind and needed to come back again and again to now.

My phone died on the way up the hill so the photo reminds me that evening of driving through the Waikato sunset in awe - wishing I could share them with you.Read more
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- Apr 16, 2022, 7:47am
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 265 m
- New Zealand Waikato Matamata-Piako District Te Aroha Tutumangao Stream -37.54167, 175.7237°32’30” S 175°43’12” E
Day 5
Day 5 Climbing the Peaks It felt like a
April 16, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
It felt like a long hard slog today, staying with an early wake up and a sense of determination to try the peak today. Matt came along for the first piece, which felt tough and fast.

I felt like I only found me after starting off again and starting a conversation with farmer Adam who had done a shorter track and was heading down. He was interested and interesting and so I relaxed my agenda and enjoyed the connection (random strangers is part of the fun).

Missing my cloud painter and noticing my mind tendency to drift into preoccupation, loneliness even some anger which powered part of the last ascent. That felt a little dangerous but the physiological effect was interesting. Now lying here feeling relaxed and very certain that day 1 will just be the 13.5 km ascent, not the 25km one.

I realise I should leave soon as I have no water and 11 km to go down the hill.

But it is very peaceful here.Read more
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- May 24, 2022, 9:59pm
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 22 m
- New Zealand Waikato Matamata-Piako District Te Aroha -37.538602, 175.69216737°32’19” S 175°41’32” E
Day 43
The day before
May 24, 2022 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
It's the night before so much to pack, so little and so much time, saying goodbye to Eva and Flo and family and wondering when and how I'll come back.
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- May 29, 2022, 10:00am
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 531 m
- Germany Free State of Bavaria Munich Maxvorstadt Alter Botanischer Garten 48.141364, 11.5613948°8’29” N 11°33’41” E
Day 48
Landing in Munich
May 29, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
landed after a surprisingly comfortable flight by the window next to 2 lovely German guys who have me some great exploration ideas. So i got through the night and having fortified myself with airport pretzels, strudel and hot chocolate I navigated the train and met a lovely young American couple having a two year delayed honeymoon - an internal wince but I enjoyed chatting and left them to their conversation feeling sad and wondering about how to spend this day.

It feels like reinventing myself. I realise that I have spent my life looking after our having to attend to the care of others in some way and now the person in my care is me. It's like I need to attend to what I want and I'm used to stuffing that piece down.

At the same time I also feel in care myself. The meeting of the couple, the nice Dutch lady at dancing, the host at the Havana club sitting me some shoes. Even this amazing technology that enables me to encounter all these different worlds and sources of information and now I'm of to see a real life castle.Read more
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- Jun 2, 2022, 7:43am
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 254 m
- Spain Asturias Oviedo Ayuntamiento 43.36, -5.84543°21’36” N 5°50’42” W
Day 52
Buen Camino Oviedo
June 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
I'm sitting in a cafe with a steaming hot chocolate in front of me waiting with some anticipation for the tourist office to open so I can get my pilgrim's passport and 'begin' my journey.

Lots of feelings and people I'm carrying with me and feeling full and sad at the same time. I've been wandering gathering last minute supplies a and questioning some of my packing choices. But mostly thinking of Abby and what I can carry for her on the camino. She has been on my heart a lot the past few days my brave strong daughter still carrying her Loss with courage, dignity and oh so much wisdom. I turn a corner in the old city and am assailed by the scent of flowers - and it comes to me forget-me-nots those beautiful blue flowers (just like her eyes) that bloom and die so quickly yet still ask us to remember and love them again.

Thoughts of Abby lead to Zoe and the loss surges again, I have missed seeing my fierce brilliant daughter these last years. the photo I carry of her a round happy child sitting on my lap on a swing at the beach. I just have to trust again that in time the hurts will fade enough for the talking to begin.

Cam also is on my mind, the purity of his longing for a secure intact family mirrors the loss and heartbreak I feel about Corinne. It's hard not to imagine her here beside me, soaking up the beauty and the coffee, holding hands and dancing in the square. I also remind myself that that would not have happened anyway.

So coming back to now, 20 minutes till opening time (well its Spain so maybe 25)

SalutRead more
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- Jun 3, 2022, 7:09am
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 76 m
- Spain Asturias Regueras, Las Bolgues 43.398333, -6.01543°23’54” N 6°0’54” W
Day 53
The bells are ringing
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Traveler Waking early I set log to the ringing off cowbells I'm guessing they must be really loud as I can hear them clearly without my hearing aids
6/4/22Reply
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- Jun 3, 2022, 7:44am
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 58 m
- Spain Asturias Grado Sestiello Battle of Peñaflor 43.403333, -6.03833343°24’12” N 6°2’18” W
Day 53
Buen Camino - the kindness of strangers
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Traveler just walking over a bridge to be greeted with Buen Camino by a guy whose smile is so wide it splits his face
6/4/22Reply
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- Jun 3, 2022, 7:46am
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 62 m
- Spain Asturias Grado Sestiello Peñaflor Bridge 43.403333, -6.04166743°24’12” N 6°2’30” W
Day 53
Sometimes the signs they are confusing
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
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- Jun 3, 2022, 2:00pm
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 65 m
- Spain Asturias Salas Cornellana 43.411667, -6.14833343°24’42” N 6°8’54” W
Day 53
A hobbits heaven
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
I stopped for a drink at an eco-alberges today along with two cousins from California and got recommended this amazing alberges Roca Madre the owner built this from the original centuries old stable walls horrible wifi but the connections were amazing. Diego has this smile and smile and presence that is is so full of love it's astounding. Along with Felix the biology teacher from Asturia, now teaching in Chicago we had an evening full of laughter and spanglish.Read more
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