I was sitting in a restaurant this week, waiting for friends to arrive and half watching the giant TVs overhead, when a report on a bull jumping a fence in Spain caught my attention. Perhaps you’ve seen it? During a festival in Caparroso, Navarre, a bull released into a ring made a mad dash forContinue reading “A Night at the Bullring”
Tag Archives: Spain travel
Camino del Norte, Day 8: The Shortcut
Larrebetzu to Pobena: 46 km Did we really walk 46 kilometers in a day? Of course not. This was the Day of The Shortcut. When Eric and I walked our first Camino, we were purists. The familiar mantra “Walk your own Camino” meant that it was meant to be walked, and I confess I feltContinue reading “Camino del Norte, Day 8: The Shortcut”
Camino del Norte, Day 1: Irun to San Sebastian
There are some days on the Camino de Santiago that, when you look back, seem to fill a week’s worth of experiences and stories. First days are often like this – the trail is new and every yellow arrow or red-and-white marking is exciting, every hilltop view or medieval town is a surprise. The firstContinue reading “Camino del Norte, Day 1: Irun to San Sebastian”
Camino del Norte: First Impressions
After 21 days (and 21 beds) of travel, I’m home from my third trip to the Camino de Santiago, this time along the Camino del Norte. I’m brutally jetlagged after the 10-hour flight from Paris, but wanted to share some initial impressions before I get lost in the madness of re-entry. (I also need aContinue reading “Camino del Norte: First Impressions”
Camino del Norte Packing List
I’m 36 hours from departure for the Camino del Norte, and so this afternoon I gathered all the things to see what I have. This is my third Camino, so certain things are familiar (same backpack, sleeping bag, pillow, towel, etc.) But once again, “what to wear” was a question that needed some thought. InContinue reading “Camino del Norte Packing List”
Camino del Norte: To Plan or Not to Plan, That Is the Question
Three weeks from today, we’ll be on an airplane, flying (direct!) from Seattle to Paris. Which means that right about now, I’m on that teetering seesaw between over-planning for the Camino del Norte and promising not to over-plan. I’ve got all of the gear: I’ve spent hours stalking REI Garage bargains, buying all of theContinue reading “Camino del Norte: To Plan or Not to Plan, That Is the Question”
The Abbey
The photos last week caught my attention. The chapel, covered in snow. The lone pilgrim, covered in a poncho but soldiering on. I knew this place, and the people who guarded pilgrims along this stretch of road. Although when I’d passed by, the sky was grey and full of rain, not snow. From Walking toContinue reading “The Abbey”
Cows of the Camino
When our thousand-mile Camino trek ended, Eric and I took a train east, from Santiago to Irun. The hills of Galicia and then the plains of the Meseta sped by in a blur of landscapes without details. This was the only way I’d seen the world for years, I realized, from moving metal boxes thatContinue reading “Cows of the Camino”
My Camino Miracle
Happy 2018! I’m so excited to finally be able to say “my book releases this year.” To celebrate, I want to share one of the most meaningful memories of my Camino journey. It happened on the infamous Day I Walked Over the Pyrenees. As soon as we crossed the Nive River, the road started toContinue reading “My Camino Miracle”
Planes, Trains, and Spain: How to Get to the Camino de Santiago
Your pilgrimage begins as soon as you walk out your door, says a popular Camino mantra. Historically, that’s true. After all, the original pilgrims to Santiago didn’t have the choice to hop on a plane or train to get to a well-marked and collectively-accepted starting point. They just picked up their belongings and started walking.Continue reading “Planes, Trains, and Spain: How to Get to the Camino de Santiago”
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