And so it begins ...

... with a single step on a French cobblestone lane under a stone arch which has seen millions of pilgrims over many centuries. Coleen and I add our names to the traveling ledger of wayfarers who haveBaca selengkapnya
And that's no Bull ...

After a rough trip over the Pyrenees in driving rain and wind, Pamplona was a much needed boost today. In the City where bulls are loosed onto the cobble streets each summer, we enjoyed wondrousBaca selengkapnya
The Walking Wounded

We have been told that you walk the Camino with your head not your feet. Lofty sentiments but there is no convincing my two blistered toes and wonky knees that this is true. All manner of pilgrims areBaca selengkapnya
Pointing the Way

It's hard to get lost on the Way. Flechas amarillos -- yellow arrows are always close by to guide you past historic churches, thru tiny villages and hillside trails. When a yellow arrow isn'tBaca selengkapnya
No room at the Inn

Arrived this evening and all the albuerges are full. The town is putting up about 40 pilgrims in a library building which is bring renovated. Only 1 bathroom amongst us all. Looks like a refugee camp.Baca selengkapnya
Always moving .... forward

Illuminated only by our single headlamp, the trail out of Navarette was spooky this morning at 6:15 AM when we struck off. Once it has risen, the sun is a great guide in the morning as we need only toBaca selengkapnya
Walk, Eat, Sleep. ..

.... and then repeat. Life is simple on the Way.
O' Canada, O' Camino ...

Of all the nationalities on the Camino right now, Canada would appear to be over represented. Lotsa Canucks from BC, the Prairies, Ontario and Quebec. Canadians have become the subject of muchBaca selengkapnya
Burgos ... oh wow.

The medieval pilgrim arriving at the jaw - dropping cathedral in Burgos might have been tempted to stay here awhile for surely this was a place where heaven and earth seemed just a little closer. ABaca selengkapnya
Give a Pilgrim a grape ...

and he'll take a cluster.
Pilgrims are a rather unkempt, smelly and disheveled bunch until rejuvenating showers in the late afternoom make us human again. In the big cities we stick out like soreBaca selengkapnya
Place and pace

The Way, right now, is the PLACE for me. The terrain on the Meseta is remarkably familiar to me -- sun-baked Southern Alberta without the coulees. Mostly flat but at times we hike up and out of aBaca selengkapnya
Illumination. ...

... can take many forms. As we started off in the dark this morning from Boadilla our path was lit with my headlamp. Later in an ancient church, modern stain glass windows illuminated the stonyBaca selengkapnya
The Fallen

Marita was born 27 years ago on a beautiful summer day in Calgary. This post is dedicated to her.
There are sobering moments on the Camino when you come across a monument or a cross memorializing aBaca selengkapnya
The simple things ...

... in life are the best. Today that was two large slices of watermelon, being enthusiastically greeted by our Spanish friend Andrés, and sharing a laugh with a Belgian hiking trio. And now a tintoBaca selengkapnya
Sing a Song ...

I've been singing on the Way from time to time. Right now I have the Carpenters' "Sing a Song" on my Camino sing list.
Last night at an Italian albergue we were treated to a live guitar performanceBaca selengkapnya
Leon .. like moths to a flame

Medieval pilgrims and modern pilgrims alike are drawn to the Spanish cities for provisions and to be wowed by their cathedrals. Leon is no exception. An elegant cathedral with exceptional stainedBaca selengkapnya
A Knight's Tale ...

It's beginning to look a lot like ... the Medieval Ages. Grand cobblestone bridges, jousting fields and all manner of statuary and signage evoking the days of knights, chivalrous deeds and quests.Baca selengkapnya
Slow down ... you move too fast

Ya gotta make the morning last. Just skipping down the cobblestones. Lookin' for fun and feeling groovy.
This Paul Simon song has come to mind many times over the past 24 hours. Last night, we stayedBaca selengkapnya
Cross my heart

We have left the Meseta, the great plains of Spain, and have headed into the mountains. Crosses everywhere including the famous iron cross at Cruz Ferro where we left a heart stone that Coleen foundBaca selengkapnya
And the words of the prophet are written

... well in Spain, they are written everywhere. On Camino markers, underpasses and traffic signs. I have grown to appreciate the colours and novelty demonstrated by the Spanish graffiti artists andBaca selengkapnya
Look, there's a castle. ..

I love castles.
Yesterday in Ponferrada we walked the castle walls of the former bastion of the Knights Templar. Great medieval castle with a secret tunnel, turrets and pageantry. I could imagineBaca selengkapnya
Go Your Own Way

So I see a Pilgrim today walking down the trail backwards. Perhaps sun stroke ... perhaps just different strokes for different folks. But this peregrino was certainly hiking the Way on his terms.
AndBaca selengkapnya
What's in a name?

I tried convincing 2 Italian peregrinas that my name was Juan Diego. I said it with gusto and exuberance, and a bit of a bow. They weren't buying it. Eventually when I said my name was Scott, the oneBaca selengkapnya
What makes a pilgrim?

I still haven't answered that question.
Some would argue that it involves a measure of sacrifice,. There are those who fall in the "no pain, no gain" camp. For others it is walking every mile of theBaca selengkapnya
Feliz Cumpleanno

On this fine day in Manitoba, Canada a beautiful baby, now woman, was born. Happy birthday Coleen.
Greetings from around the world are being sent your way from family, old friends and new CaminoBaca selengkapnya
PelancongYou both look vibrant...if a bit wet. Love you two!
PelancongLove your opening words. Feel I am beginning to read an adventure novel.