Apr – Jul 2022

100 Skies without You

A personal pilgrimage Read more

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Trip start
April 12, 2022
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- Day 1
- Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 10:34 PM
- 🌧 17 °C
- Altitude: 4 m
- New Zealand Te Aroha -37.53857, 175.6922237°32’19” S 175°41’32” E
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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- Day 2
- Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 8:00 AM
- 🌧 11 °C
- Altitude: 721 m
- New Zealand McCormick Creek -37.51455, 175.7424537°30’52” S 175°44’33” E
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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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 7:47 AM
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 265 m
- New Zealand Tutumangao Stream -37.54167, 175.7237°32’30” S 175°43’12” E
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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- Day 43
- Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 9:59 PM
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 22 m
- New Zealand Te Aroha -37.538602, 175.69216737°32’19” S 175°41’32” E
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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- Day 48
- Sunday, May 29, 2022 at 10:00 AM
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 531 m
- Germany Alter Botanischer Garten 48.141364, 11.5613948°8’29” N 11°33’41” E
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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- Day 52
- Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 7:43 AM
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 254 m
- Spain Ayuntamiento 43.36, -5.84543°21’36” N 5°50’42” W
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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- Day 53
- Friday, June 3, 2022 at 7:09 AM
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 76 m
- Spain Bolgues 43.398333, -6.01543°23’54” N 6°0’54” W
The bells are ringing
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
TravelerWaking 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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- Day 53
- Friday, June 3, 2022 at 7:44 AM
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 58 m
- Spain Battle of Peñaflor 43.403333, -6.03833343°24’12” N 6°2’18” W
Buen Camino - the kindness of strangers
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Travelerjust 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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- Day 53
- Friday, June 3, 2022 at 7:46 AM
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 62 m
- Spain Peñaflor Bridge 43.403333, -6.04166743°24’12” N 6°2’30” W
Sometimes the signs they are confusing
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
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- Day 53
- Friday, June 3, 2022 at 2:00 PM
- ⛅ 20 °C
- Altitude: 65 m
- Spain Cornellana 43.411667, -6.14833343°24’42” N 6°8’54” W
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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- Day 53
- Friday, June 3, 2022 at 6:02 PM
- 🌧 18 °C
- Altitude: 67 m
- Spain Cornellana 43.411667, -6.1643°24’42” N 6°9’36” W
We don't mess around with chocolate
June 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
Settled in at Roca Madre and heading down to Corleonna for a pick me up - everything feels lighter without the pack and I'm feeling tired but ok.

So I arrive at the bar with Laura (divorce attorney from Vegas) and Julia (teacher from somewhere more southern) - friends for 40 years although some strain is starting to show and order Caliente sjokalade (yup I'm at a bar and trying a little spanish - Jason Headley would be so proud of me https://youtu.be/UABqrdBll1c so this chocolate arrives, it is hot but it's like mousse you can stand the spoon up in it. SalutRead more
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- Day 54
- Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 12:51 PM
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 259 m
- Spain Salas 43.408333, -6.2643°24’30” N 6°15’36” W
Tasty Salas
June 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
TravelerSalsa was my firsts major stop today and I visited the confectionaire for Manzana something (Apple Danish) super delicious had it at a private riverside restaurant - service was invisible but the ambiance was to die for
6/4/22Reply
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- Day 54
- Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 3:00 PM
- 🌧 15 °C
- Altitude: 640 m
- Spain Bodenaya 43.4, -6.32333343°24’0” N 6°19’24” W
Bodenayo - no room in the stables
June 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
I missed this recommended stop for to bad reception at last night's alberges and with it missed another installment in the fight between 2 American friends of 40 years - vaccine/ no vaccine and who cares most about being a good Catholic. Not my circus not my monkeys but I hope they sort it out. A beautiful spot though.Read more
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- Day 54
- Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 4:22 PM
- 🌧 13 °C
- Altitude: 670 m
- Spain La Espina 43.395, -6.33666743°23’42” N 6°20’12” W
Alone in a crowd
June 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Arrived footsore and weary today, amazing how accurate that term is - not knee sore or back sore or cold sore but aching in my feet ( no blisters or hot spot) just a lot of weight for a lot of miles.

The back up Alberges (the third I tried) was empty when I arrived and I was too tired to walk down stairs so I just hung up clothes to dry and shed my boots and limped down to the supermercado for yogurt and oats, cheese and a roll ( that turned out to be stuffed with chorizo) and tomato and a selection of drinks, and chicken noodles soup. then cooked a yummy late lunch.i was just finishing when a hurricane of Spanish men arrived with way to much energy for having walked nearly 35 km. After thoroughly quizzing me they proceeded to talk at high speed and volume for the next 2.5 hours then left enmasse to ship out drink having made lunch (at 5 pm) I was tempted to leave and try somewhere else I think I've been a bit spoiled by the smaller intimate alberges we have been in to date but I decided to tough it out although I put myself in the other room with a single bunk bed.Read more
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- Day 55
- Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 6:56 AM
- ⛅ 10 °C
- Altitude: 743 m
- Spain Bedures 43.388333, -6.3543°23’18” N 6°21’0” W
Wrong side of the bed
June 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Woke up this morning having not got to bed till 2 pm courtesy of the wall between the 'private' room and the kitchen being an office partition. At 11:30 I finally went in and asked the remaining 2 guys to talk in their room, they were very apologetic but I felt it off sorts and alien and I realised later pretty lonely. I got woken just before 6 and got up feeling a little footsore and had a hot shower which helped immensely and was on the road by 6:30 feeling tired, a bit grumpy and shaking the dust of La Espina from my feet.

My day made an immediate upturn upon meeting Jose sans his lovely wife Maria who we passed back and forth with on the lat few hours of yesterday with. Apparently she decided to sleep in and take a taxi 🚕 a decision that sounded very smart to me. Jose was walking much faster on his own + no pack so he headed off which was good as we had reached the limits of our shared language. Well mostly his shared language.

Mary and Joseph came upon me yesterday I was talking to a horse 🐎 (not the one below but somewhat similar) and I was trying to reassure them I was not totally crazy and Jose said no problem Steven from New Zealand who talks with horses. (I guess their are worse sobriquets).I then had a recollection of which I was very proud cabello (horse right) he shakes his head, not a word caberro - ah yes the double ll as 'r'. I was still pretty proud 'Steven who can spell horse'

So I trotted on still achy feet wondering about doing to take a nurofen but basically couldn't be bothered enough to hunt it ( that cow below was channeling my vibe) and little bit by little bit started feeling better. I reached my half way point in Tineo at 9:30 supposedly a bigger town but everything was closed so I pushed on and as I went out of the town the sun started to rise through the hills.Read more
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- Day 55
- Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 10:00 AM
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Altitude: 608 m
- Spain San Martín de Semproniana 43.336667, -6.50333343°20’12” N 6°30’12” W
Astounding bucolic beauty today
June 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Heavily laced with the smell of manure - wow those stables bring tears to the eyes
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- Day 55
- Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 10:44 AM
- ⛅ 11 °C
- Altitude: 804 m
- Spain Mañores 43.34, -6.44543°20’24” N 6°26’42” W
Well met
June 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
my next companions are Anurada and Nunditha the cousins from India and Mumbai (I think) a great connection and I walk into Campiella and have lunch together before they head on to Borrell
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- Day 55
- Sunday, June 5, 2022 at 7:57 PM
- ☁️ 15 °C
- Altitude: 602 m
- Spain Bustiello de la Cabuerna 43.336667, -6.52666743°20’12” N 6°31’36” W
No dinner
June 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
good thing we had a big lunch today as no dinner tonight - it's Sunday- the pub's still open though.

Just chilling out on the alberges down with the English rose 🌹 Emma and Brazilian beauty Caroline.

Evelyn the harpist made a brief appearance at the casa bar but I think she got a private room.

I was briefly tempted to do the private room but the alberges was empty and had a washer and dryer so I could dry my clothes properly.

I started regretting that decision tonight after a very chilled out afternoon chatting with Caroline and had a little nap to be awoken by the arrival of the Spanish lads - there was the normal noise explosion but they have disappeared now and seemed somewhat subdued and exhausted - it seems they had a big lunch today and did the last few hours of the walk in the full sun.

I think everyone is a bit worried about hospitalis tomorrow it's a big walk (minimum 28 km) for us since we need to walk an extra 4 km to get to the start and no water or shops on the way.

Hopefully the boys will settle and we can get a good rest.Read more
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 7:00 AM
- ⛅ 11 °C
- Altitude: 567 m
- Spain Orrea 43.331131, -6.53779943°19’52” N 6°32’16” W
My body is talking
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
My feet specifically. Now I'm not exactly sure what they are saying but I think it goes something like this:

'You f#%#ing a#$hole you sit on your ass for 25 years and get fat and then decide out of the blue to walk over 300 km plus extras for getting lost and then carry a freaking backpack as well - you b@%%$#d'

but I might have got that wrong 🤔Read more
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 9:00 AM
- ☁️ 11 °C
- Altitude: 1,211 m
- Spain Concellín 43.303333, -6.63333343°18’12” N 6°37’60” W
A place of remembrance
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
This marker is just before the peak of hospitalis and I was walking alone so I got to spend some time and tears placing markers for the girls and Luke.
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 10:00 AM
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 1,154 m
- Spain Reigada 43.293333, -6.67166743°17’36” N 6°40’18” W
A long day today 30 something km
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Hospitalis - not for hospitable for hospitals they had 5 on this 18 km stretch no water, very exposed - but we had cows
Looking surprisingly cruisy. 😁 [Barbara]
6/6/22Reply
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 10:48 AM
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 1,154 m
- Spain Reigada 43.293333, -6.67166743°17’36” N 6°40’18” W
A house on a hill - a very steep hill
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Very cool looking house on the top of a hill at the top of Hospitalis - I just had to walk up.

Very sad to see the graffiti
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 12:02 PM
- ⛅ 13 °C
- Altitude: 1,154 m
- Spain Reigada 43.293333, -6.67166743°17’36” N 6°40’18” W
It's a symbol
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Windmills - more than things to tilt at
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 12:15 PM
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 917 m
- Spain Sierra del Palo 43.265, -6.69666743°15’54” N 6°41’48” W
Great ball of ... something
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Came across this dog in this deserted looking village - it had a goiter the size of a tennis ball hanging from its hotels looking for all the world like a migrated scrotum. Couldn't get a picture from the front in time and perhaps no one wanted to see that anyway.Read more
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- Day 56
- Monday, June 6, 2022 at 3:58 PM
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 919 m
- Spain Berducedo 43.236667, -6.76543°14’12” N 6°45’54” W
A room of my own
June 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Arrived feeling pretty good, and walked to my private room that I booked last night with the help of Carolina only to find that my bags had arrived but I was not booked here but further back down down the road still a room of my own with a shower ensuite was wonderful, and the nap fantastic followed by the 3 course peregrine menu amazing - forgot to photograph the steak and chips for second course.Read more
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