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Camino Spring 2024
  • Paul Bollinger
  • Lydia Byhardt Bollinger
  • Paul Bollinger
  • Lydia Byhardt Bollinger

Camino Spring 2024

Ein 24-Tage Abenteuer von Paul & Lydia Weiterlesen
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  • Beginn der Reise
    9. April 2024
    Camino Spring 2024

    One week til liftoff

    2. April 2024 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    One week til liftoff
    April 2 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
    We leave for our Camino in a week. There are all kinds of feels going on, from excitement about the adventure to fear of the unknown. We have spent a lot of time preparing our will, power of attorney and all the other umbrella tasks needed to guard against the rain.

    We feel comfortable that the kids have someone to stay with them and neighbors and friends to back her up. And I feel guilty for leaving my babies! Who are, of course, 16 and 18 and very easily and regularly invite us to leave them alone.

    We bought our packs back in September and we are prepared for rain, sun, cold and heat. The packing list changes with every change of weather forecast and the every conditioning walk.

    Sleeping bag or sleep sack?
    Water proof shoes or not?
    Hard water bottle or silicon?

    Pare down to the essentials. Really? Just 3 pairs of undies? But i did find the perfect tin for my tiny jewelry.

    How far will we make it? To do the whole Camino requires 2 months, and we have just 3 weeks. We do what we can.

    This is not just physical, of course. That became clear when we both, at separate times, had debilitating knee injuries that threatened the journey even starting.

    At a deeper level, what is the intention?

    What are we letting go of to make room to let in? Releasing the need to walk and a certain number of kilometers daily, and instead turn to the wisdom of the body and what we can do and sustain.

    Open to what this means for each of us as individuals and as a couple. We’ve been together for 27 years, and we are always evolving.

    We are open to the deeper spiritual meaning of a Camino- whatever is in the silence between steps, the questions we didn’t know we needed to ask , the answers we don’t know we already have.

    Glad to have you on the journey with us!

    Lydia Byhardt Bollinger My tiny tin of jewelry. Seems appropriate, right?
    4/2/24
    Jae Foy I’m so excited for you. And my heart is holding along with you your deeply meaningful intentions. You’ve been walking this walk already, baby! You are ready!
    April 3, 2024 Lydia Byhardt Bollinger I do feel ready. This is one leg on a caterpillar
    April 4, 2024
    Paul Bollinger I am so fortunate to join you on the journey.
    April 4, 2024
    Lydia Byhardt Bollinger Look forward to joining YOUR journey!
    April 4, 2024
    Jae Foy Awwww. So Touching, Bollingers! Touching.    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
    2

    Pdx to Heathrow

    9. April 2024 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Ok this is super hard. We met CiCi at the airport. She came in from California as we are going out to London. It was so bittersweet to say goodbye to the kids, who will be fine. Really, they will. Lydia, are you listening to me?

    It’s not the traditional carpet at PDX but signs assure us that it’s coming back    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024

    Breakfast in Paris

    11. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Eating at the neighborhood of the Eiffel Tower

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  • Camino Spring 2024

    A little more Paris

    11. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    I love street scenes, especially the things we just came across. Notre Dame was under construction but there was still plenty showing.

    I enjoyed seeing the “Tongue of the cat” cookies and “Russian cigarettes (?)” cookies.

    We opted for a lovely dinner in the hotel of bread, apples and cheese.    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024

    Goodbye Paris

    12. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    An early high speed train ride to southern France

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  • Camino Spring 2024

    Arrived at the start...

    12. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    But really where does one start their Camino. We have arrived in Saint Jean Pied de Port the "start" of the Camino Frances.

    Crazy line at the pilgrim office.

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  • Camino Spring 2024
    3

    Up up down up down down

    13. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    17 miles of walking....8 hours with breaks. 4000 foot elevation gain. Weather was totally perfect. Two weeks ago they had snow and today it was 80. Lydia is an awesome travel partner. We started at 615am in the dark, watched the sunrise, and climbed and climbed. Ate fresh cheese from a farmer and climbed, and picniced on the top of the Pyrenees. Finally, we arrived in Roncesvalle, Spain.Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
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    Over the mountains. OMG

    13. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    We were both up and awake naturally at 4am. Usual for Paul, very unusual for Lydia. we knew the day would be long and hot - predicted to be Almost 80, compared to the snow and flooding only 2 weeks ago.

    It was magical to leave in the night light and watch the sun rise over the countryside in S. France. I had hoped to see horses on this Camino and I was not disappointed!

    These first adorable guys came right up to me to share their baby.

    By the end of the first 2 hours of walking up a steep grade, i was right hot and sweaty - see how red my face was?

    Then we made it to Orisson, a pilgrim’s refuge. They wisely make coffee, which we welcomed.

    Every turn added some amazing scenery! Almost easy to forget that my hips and knees were feeling more and more old.

    No worries - we are in good company. Slow and steady. it’s so cool to hear so many other languages, and to talk with each other about deeper things. Like how we can’t imagine doing something like this with anyone else.

    We share a similar opinion that cheese, bread and apples on a hillside make a fine meal.
    And if the wise vendor who set up a food cart just before the hill gets steep again sells home made sheep’s cheese, we are so going to buy that.
    Listen to the video when you watch. It’s the world greeting us.    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
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    Over the pyranees part 2

    13. April 2024 in Frankreich ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Too many good photos - had to share more!

    I love seeing the horses free to go wherever they wish. And some of them wear bells, just like the cows in Switzerland. Have the sound on for the videos - so cool.

    Somewhere along the way we crossed over into Spain, but it was not super clear except for the slight change in the route markers.

    I was pretty pooped at the 3 hour mark, so by the 6 hour mark, I think I was running on just water and Paul’s encouragement. We started sharing which body parts were talking to us.

    We’ll see how sore we are in the morning.

    The Albergue is part of a monastery set in the hills of Roncesvalles. It’s incredibly well organized, clean, and volunteers help with the set up process.

    I’m impressed with the beds and lockers, clean shared bathroom and hot shower.

    Glad to pay for the pilgrim’s dinner and breakfast. When do we eat??    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
    21

    15 more miles.....

    14. April 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Last night we spent our first full night Spain with 150+ other pilgrims (in a youth hostel- it has been many many since I have had that experience) and ate our first pilgrim meal (fixed menu and served family style) Today we walked 15+ miles to the town of Zubiri. Lots of woods, pastures and crazy deadly rocks on the trail 😝. Finally lunch with farm fresh cheese and ham. Yum!Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024

    Into Zubiri

    14.–15. Apr. 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    So after yesterday’s epic haul, I expected to be sore.
    And I was right. But strangely not as sore as I thought. Sleep came easily and we were ready to go do it again today. From Roncesvalles, over more of the Pyrenees, into Zubiri.

    Now I know what my future cat’s name will be!

    Anyway, it was less exposed in the sun, which is good cuz we were kinda cooked 🦞 .

    I just love walking through these old towns with 🔔 belled horses and medieval bridges. And the houses! See the one with the daily bread delivery on the door?

    Love the guard dog protecting his barn full of cows. Somehow he doesn’t look like a perro peligroso.

    The Albergue that Paul found (thank you) is very clean and nice. Good place to hand wash sweaty clothes and relax in a private room. So swank!

    Still really tired and muscles are tired but we will do it again when we walk into Pamplona. Where paul found a cool albuergue again.    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
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    Somewhere we crossed a border…

    14. April 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Somewhere in the long journey over the Pyrenees, we crossed into Spain. It was so lovely lovely to see the horses with their bells on many hillsides, and walk into Roncesvalles.

    Our accommodation for the evening is housed in a renovated monastery. By the time we got there it was hot! 🥵

    We had sunscreened our tender fish belly skin but it did not escape the reddening by radiation.

    Gladly for us the evening air cooled and sent breezes through the open windows. And the stone of the building insulated beautifully. The whole place was clean and efficient and easily housed a very large group of people. I enjoyed the communal dinner with other pilgrims. Who knew that I would have a chance to practice Japanese with one pilgrim traveling alone and looking a bit bewildered?

    Over and over I felt so grateful for the amazing weather, the ancient mountains with sweeping sky, and the thousand year old trail to guide us. And for Paul’s dedication to planning and getting on this Camino.    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
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    Welcome back to the city = Pamplona

    15. April 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    What makes the Camino special are the people we meet. Today we met Teresa from South Carolina. Teresa is a grandmother who felt called to travel the Camino. She arrived very late to the end of the first long long stage. She did not arrive until after 9 p.m., no more dinner was left. She did not give up other pilgrims shared with her, the next day sore and tired. She took her time one step at a time. It gave me pause to remember that people are good and that with patience and grace you can complete anything. Today we arrived in Pamplona. We had a wonderful Basque meal and played with the animals. Tomorrow we take a train for 4.5 hours to Astorga.Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
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    More Pamplona

    15.–16. Apr. 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Seriously this city is so amazing. The old old history really makes USA seem so young.

    And we enjoyed walking around, visiting the central cathedral and having a chance encounter with some early bull training.

    Thank goodness we both have Hoka shoes- apparently the shoe to have for the Camino 😜    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024
    1
    11

    Morning in Pamplona

    16. April 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    The capsule hostel was a cool experience. Really impressed with how efficiently it uses the space. Everything is so clean - remove your shoes at the front door and hang your bag downstairs separate from the dormitory area. there is a locker at the end of the bed to keep your valuables safe.

    If you’re petite, like me, you can sit up easily, or rest with your feet on the ceiling.

    If you’re tall like Paul, you can’t sit up fully, so you build your abdominals and learn to curl your spine.

    Bonus - no alarm needed! Whoever of the 20 guests wakes up first in the morning inevitably makes the noise of a zipper, a shade going up, or slipping off the ladder and scraping her shin with a few choice expletives.

    Ok, fine, that was me. Awake at 4am. 🕓

    We had found a grocery store in town and Hard boiled some eggs the night before. Along with local sheep cheese, hearty bread and apples, we are well fed!

    We loaded our bags and headed into the waking city.

    Another beautiful sunrise, this time over the 16th century citadel. Not walking out of Pamplona today - instead taking the early afternoon train to Astorga. From there we will walk the last 256 kilometers of the Camino into Santiago. Glad to have a bit of quieter morning of wandering the amazing buildings and gardens of Pamplona. El Jardin de Tacodero has chickens, 🐓 geese 🪿, 🦃 turkeys, Guinea fowl and 🦚 peacocks.

    It even has a herd of deer enclosed out of reach, much to the bitter disappointment of the local dogs 🐕

    After the last 3 days of very long walking, it’s a relief on my muscles. My bag must weight like 50 pounds.

    As I said to our hostelero, “tengo 10 más años este tarde que tenía en la mañana.”    Weiterlesen

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  • Camino Spring 2024

    Unexpected

    16. April 2024 in Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    ‼️ warning - graphic description‼️

    As we were walking through Pamplona making our way towards the train station, we decided to take one more tour through the old town to marvel at the tall citadel walls. They must be 30 -40 feet high.

    We walked around the top, commenting what a big drop it would be into the rough stone or road below.

    As we turned the corner, we saw a woman stop her bike and run to a man lying on the ground. She started doing CPR while another man was on the phone calling the police.

    Paul dropped his bags and ran over to help. The man on the ground was lifeless, and I heard a woman at the top saying “se tiré” which could mean “he threw himself” (?)

    Paul jumped into CPR, relieving the woman. He checked for pulse in multiple places, keeping the rhythm.

    There was a lot of blood 🩸 flowing down the street from under the man’s head.

    The police arrived quickly, and they pulled out an AED. A non-uniformed officer asked if we had witnessed anything. “No lo vimos pero mi Esposo lo ayudó”
    “We didn’t see it but my husband helped.”

    The officer said “if you didn’t see it, then please leave.”

    By then a team of three officers were setting up a privacy screen and shaking their heads. We walked away, Paul shaking with the adrenaline.

    A woman walked up and asked what happened. When I told her, she said “nobody survives that fall.”

    I’m amazed at how quickly Paul’s instincts kicked in, ready to try to save a life, even when the signs pointed to the inevitable. And why I feel so safe traveling with him.

    On the way to the train station a few blocks later, we saw an older man lying on the ground writhing in pain, many people rushing over to help. We were grateful to walk away from that situation knowing others were there to help.

    So we sit in the train station waiting for the train destined for Astorga, wondering what lesson the Camino is sharing today. What is activated in this situation that can shed light on patterns in the world? In ourselves? Is this a warning? The reminder of the sobering reality of life’s fragility?    Weiterlesen

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