Hi and welcome to my little travel and camino blog! I only update it sporadically, when I am planning or am on or have just come home from some form of adventure, when I have something new to tell. Other than that I live a pretty quiet life, working from home, reading a lot and cooking food from the places I have been to keep the memories of my walks alive.
Why the nickname? Nidaros is the old name for Trondheim, my home town, an old pilgrim city at the end of St Olav’s Way in Norway. Its symbol is a rose, hence Nidarosa.
I started my long walks by doing the Camino Ingles, from Ferrol in the north-west of Spain, to Santiago in 2009. It confirmed that I had some of the kit and most of the attitude right, and I have been refining both ever since.
I then walked a portion of the Caminho Portugues from Tui in 2010, before struggling to find the time, money and company to walk the Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago in August to October 2012. Though I started with company I walked on my own from Sahagun, though never really alone.
But the Post-Camino Blues hit again and I went back to Astorga in September 2014, to walk my favourite part in Galicia.
… and then I did the same bit again in March 2015 for my honeymoon!
… and since a good thing can not be repeated to often, I have kept going back there again in September every year until covid struck. What can I say? I just love Galicia, and September!
I have also started from St Jean again a few times and explored other walks with my now camino hooked husband, and I plan to try some of the other routes too, like the Caminho Portugues coastal route from Lisbon, or some of the French ones connecting to the Francés … and I want to continue slowly and stealthily surrounding the Welsh by following the Welsh Coast Path following the coastline.
And I still hope to finish my walk on the Norwegian pilgrim path from Oslo to my hometown Trondheim, which I started in May 2018. Coming home a pilgrim is something I have dreamt of since I was a teenager, but sadly we were beaten by a heatwave that spring – we both had symptoms of heatstroke, it was difficult finding and carrying enough water, and we would have had to slow down, meaning we wouldn’t have reached the 0 km mark in the time we had available, so we decided with a heavy heart to leave it for another time.
The best cure for a broken hiking heart is of course another walk, so until then, I just keep walking. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to get in touch with me, and buen camino!
Somewhere Slowly 
Thanks for mentioning my Website. You might also check out the book about the walk. Lots more details and information. http://booklaunch.io/edit/55044d7977d745b823c5e541
Hi Jane, your blog was very helpful – we have now decided to walk it West to East. I will definitely check out the book, thanks for the link – and good luck on your Long Trail!
Linda
I am SO happy I met you on the CS Forum and thankful for all of your FB help! When I take breaks these last few busy days before leaving on my first Camino EVER (May 17, 2016), I come in here and read posts…which are thoroughly enjoyable! Tina
Thanks for visit us in the pilegrimsoffice in Oslo. All are welcome to contact us at http://www.pilegrim.no
Dear Nidaros 🙂
My name is Blanca, I am a freelance English-Spanish translator from Santiago de Compostela; I also teach Spanish to foreigners and English to Spaniards, here in Santiago. I am organising now an English workshop aimed to adult students who want to improve English where we’ll all cook Galician or Spanish easy recipes and dishes at a very small but cozy cooking school in Santiago (no Spanish speaking at all, and to be held on a Saturday or a Sunday, no dates yet, but all year round)
I am looking for 5 English-speaking volunteers to attend the workshop. This will be a very entertaining event for the volunteers as I am aware that most pilgrims do not meet people from Santiago at all: at this event they would meet 8-10 “locals”, we are animals in danger of extinction! Tourists do not really get to to interact with us or to know places out of the packed town centre: here, they would get useful tips from me and the participants during their stay in Santiago. It’s a huge opportunity for them to meet “real” Santiagueses (locals from Santiago) or Compostelanos (locasl from Compostela, which is the same as Santiagueses), and to know first hand about our culture and Santiago while at the same time being offered a fantastic chance to learn about our cuisine. At the end of the workshop we’ll all have the dishes there either for lunch or dinner or I’ll provide tuppers in case people prefer to take them home. English-speaking volunteers will mix with locals and after the workshop, who knows if any of the participants, probably some, would like to show them around or to give them a lift to the beach, or going with them for a beer, or better a Galician wine, or for some tapas to one of those bars where we, Santiagueses, go!. That’s up to the social abilities of volunteers! Yes, we all cook and have fun, and ….yummy! my dishes /their dishes!
I myself will be the teacher / cook. I like cooking, and I am not bad at it, my dishes are very traditional in general, I cook exactly as my mum used to; but the main goal for my students and this workshop is not cooking but practising English while we go through different issues of the language or maybe the latest international news or questions related to Way of St. James (I have translated plenty of papers for art specialists and professors of Santiago University)! Or just, and most importantly, SOCIALISING!
A workshop where 10 Spaniards and 5 English-speaking volunteers will be side by side, meeting each other and enjoying the experience and the dishes! Encouraged and conducted by me, a different way of learning and for the volunteers, a unique experience along the WAY.
The volunteers only need to speak English with the participants, no teaching at all, no academic background is required. Well, questions and doubts may arise, but I only need their English speaking!
They will have to come with an open mind, be chatty, lively and ready to meet Spaniards and Santiagueses.
The volunteers are lucky to have English as their mother tongue, I don’t think pilgrims or tourists in general are given an opportunity to really get to know us.
So, I would be very grateful if you could please forward this message to people who may be interested in it or to publicise it on your website or by any other means. If they are planning to come to Santiago, I would need to interview them via skype before their arrival.
This workshop is planned to be held on a fortnight basis, so I need to reach a good number of volunteers.
My contact email is : bfernandez_es@yahoo.es or francalingua@francalingua.com
And skype: francalingua (Santiago de Compostela)
I have my translation website, my facebook page as well as my tailored-made Spanish courses if people need information on me
http://www.francalingua.com
https://www.facebook.com/francalinguablanca/
https://francalingua.wixsite.com/blanca
Thanking you in advance
Best wishes
Blanca Fernández Piñeiro
I have just read about your Camino in 2019 from Rabanal to Santiago … and thoroughly enjoyed it! It took me back to ours in 2017 and I’ve recognised so many places – thank you for sharing this beautiful walk with us! I will definitely read more about your other Camino’s 👣
Thank you for your kind comments, I am glad you enjoyed it – I certainly did and I can’t wait to go back as soon as it is safe and sensible to do so. In the meantime I am lucky to have so many memories and photos to keep me going. Take care and hope you enjoy my tales.