• Goodlife Pilgrims
  • Goodlife Pilgrims

Camino Frances 2022

Years of dreaming becomes a plan for a 60-day trip to Spain with the intention of walking for 40 days on the Camino Frances and following on to the ocean to the end of the world, Finisterre, and Muxia. Baca selengkapnya
  • Awal trip
    29 Agustus 2022

    Last Training Hike in Florida

    20 Agustus 2022, Amerika Serikat ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We got one last training hike in with packs today before our departure for Madrid. Always the last couple of days before a big trip are stressful and we tell ourselves we’ll sleep on the flight. Yeah, right?

    International travel in and of itself is exciting but it has been surprising how scary taking on a 500-mile trek across Spain feels. Who does this kind of stuff? A Pilgrimage in the 21st Century? Apparently many!

    We’ll make a few updates during the next week and begin the big trek on the Camino Frances a week from Monday.

    This will be our first time in Madrid. Any suggestions?
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  • Early Birthday Cake

    26 Agustus 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    A couple of days early... my wife’s sister’s daughter baked me a birthday cake 🎂! I guess she’d be my niece-in-law? What a nice gesture. We leave Madrid tomorrow by train to position ourselves for our Monday start from Saint Jean Pied de Port. Gracias Elle! Muy rica.Baca selengkapnya

  • Putting Our Inner Tourists On Pause

    27 Agustus 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    We left our comfortable and well-located Hotel Sleep'N Atocha on foot for the Atocha Train Station. One Train to Pamplona and Taxi ride to Saint Jean de Pied de Port and we’ll be on foot for the next five or six weeks, if all goes as planned. There’s a vulnerability in this kind of adventure that Cristina and I are sharing that I am not quite able to explain yet. We shall see…Baca selengkapnya

  • Shared Taxi to Saint Jean Pied de Port

    27 Agustus 2022, Perancis ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    When our train arrived to Pamplona we started looking for other Pilgrims. We made friends immediately with Marco Antonio from Mexico and got in the Taxi queue to share a ride to SJPDP. Gregor from Austria stepped in line after us and we all agreed to ride together. Veteran Pilgrims speak of Camino magic and like to say the Camino provides. It did today. It was a special ride over the Pyrenees with a couple of very good natured and very encouraging Jóvenes. Dinner at our Gite Bidean was fantastic.Baca selengkapnya

  • It Really Is Straight Up To Orisson

    29 Agustus 2022, Perancis ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    We weren’t the slowest but I had to work very hard to keep my heart rate under 150. The sun was rising behind us and fortunately Pascal, our amazing host at the Gite advised us to not forget to turn around and look behind us.

    The way up over the Pyrenees is everything and more than they say about it. At times I didn’t even try to take a photo because it would not have done the view justice.
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  • Third And Longest Day So Far

    31 Agustus 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    After a sleepless night in the Roncevalles Monastery Dorms due to the snoring, we had a great breakfast and hit the trail. Six hours later we walked into Zubiri and found our Albergue Suseia, showered, washed our cloths, and set off to find lunch. We will be eating another communal dinner tonight in the Albergue, which have all been fantastic.Baca selengkapnya

  • Zubiri to Pamplona

    1 September 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Left the best albergue, Albergue Suseia of the walk so far and it really was a pleasant walk out of Zubiri along the Rio Arga. I saw my first goose sign. We saw where pilgrims are abandoning things that they feel are too heavy, for example a full bottle of water. We also started to see where pilgrims have made quite a mess with toilet paper and etc., to the point where farmers are putting up signs. The last bit of the walk was frustrating for Cristina because we had to walk about 4 km on hard sidewalk to get to the center of Pamplona.

    We hand washed our clothing
    In our room, but it became apparent we would not be able to get it dry, so we’re over in front of the big cathedral drying are clothes.

    Now we are looking for dinner!
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  • Pamplona To Puente de ls Reina

    2 September 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    It’s a long walk into and out of Pamplona. We had fantastic chocolate croissants and coffee in the first little Pueblo walked thru on our way to our first big landmark, the Alto de Perdón. Coming down was rough. We had very delicious tortias for lunch. Next we took our second detour of the Camino to visit the Ermetia de Santa Maria de Eunate. We arrived Puente La Reina with almost 30 Kilómetros logged on the trail on the Garmin Watch. But we always walk more for food and seeing the sights of what ever town we visit. The temperature has dropped so it looks like we’ll sleep well tonight. I’m taking a lot of B-roll footage on the GoPro but don’t want to spend much time editing… I’ll put up a bit when I can like tonight. We’re crossing paths with earlier acquaintances. It’s like seeing old friends after years. Maybe it’s the shared experiences and telling of Camino “war stories” that bonds us so fast?!?!Baca selengkapnya

  • Puente La Reina to Estella

    3 September 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    We started earlier today from Puente La Reina, but it still was a hot walk. We arrived in Estella around 2pm, and got right after our chores. Now we are out walking around waiting for the restaurants to open after siesta, some at 7pm and others at 8pm. Today is the beginning of a ancient music festival. They kicked it off with ringing all the bells in the city.Baca selengkapnya

  • Estella to Torres del Rio

    4 September 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Our seventh day walking. Hot and hard but encouraged by our friendly pilgrim companions. We went a little further today than a normal stage to set ourselves up for a shorter walk into Logroño where we will take our first rest day.

    They say the first third of the Camino Frances is the physical challenge. THEY are right!

    Cristina recited a pilgrims prayer several times out loud as we were walking. At one point, with the heat, we both had the sensation that we had fallen asleep while walking. We were well hydrated, at one point Cristina shared water with a Gallego we met the other day who was suffering. We were not overexerting. I think we are just plain tired, not sleeping as well as normal combined with all the other factors… we’re two sleeping-walking pilgrims. 😂
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  • Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

    8 September 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Not a hard day but there were a couple of hills. Cristina likes motoring uphill and can really kick it into high gear when she needs a toilet. I don’t like going downhill much and have never walked faster to find a latrine. 😂 It’s a gender thing. 😉

    You see a church spire in the distance and think you are getting close. It’s an evil trick the Navarran and Riojan Lords of old play on pilgrims.

    Great company last night at dinner. Would not trade all the aches and pains and miss the Camino experience. When a local say’s, “Buen Camino,” to you, it really feels heartfelt and is appreciated!

    Yes, those are live chickens in a pen inside the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de La Calzada,
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  • Santo Domingo to Belorado

    9 September 2022, Spanyol ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    We made it to Belorado around 1:30pm with taking three substantial rest breaks. Our albergue was supposed to have a restaurant but it was closed due to the lack of employees to operate it. Many of the small villages seem to struggle to keep going.

    Across the street another restaurant was open and we were able to Join our friend Marco Antonio from our taxi ride from Pamplona to Saint Jean. We had the Menu Del Dia, a three-course meal with drinks included for 13,50 Euros! It was excellent.

    All of our chores done... Washing and air drying our clothes. Its going to be an early night for us. The temperature has dropped so we're looking to sleep well.
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