Here we are again. Butterflies, open pack, stuff everywhere, and me ticking off points on my checklist. Tomorrow I am on my way and what I haven’t got, I’ll either have to get or go without. Of course I have a packing list, but have you ever tried to actually follow one of those things?? … More Last minute checklist
If you are going to Spain, either as a pilgrim or tourist, I highly recommend that you download the AlertCops app on your mobile phone. It’s easy to set up, and lets you call or send text messages to the nearest police emergency line, specify which language you speak, choose from a number of easy … More Top pilgrim tip: Alert Cops app
The second best part of any camino is planning for it. But where do you even start? With a guidebook, is one answer, and I always recommend having a (decent and recent) guidebook available when planning. These days there are also lots of websites offering bits of information, and just deciding on which website to … More Top pilgrim tip: Planning websites
As in, things that are not too hard or soft or hot or cold or big or small, but Just Right. My favourites are, in random order: Pacerpoles: I won’t go on any long walk without my Pacerpoles. The specially designed handle make them an absolute joy to use and can be rinsed off so … More My Goldilocks list
I am currently sitting in Torp airport in the south of Norway, waiting for my flight home. I will have three days to get some extra training walks, wearing the clothes I will be walking in, and finalise the packing before I fly out again. Toiletries, odds and ends will be put in, taken out, … More Holding my packing nerve
You may have noticed that there is a counter on this blog steadily ticking down to another adventure. Not long now before I fly off to France to meet peregrina extraordinaire Colleen, of Are We There Yet? blog fame. We will spend a day walking, lunching, no doubt talking a lot about caminos past and … More New adventure coming soon!
I never thought I would, and I might not again, but here it is – my packing list in folded and laid-out form. Of course I forgot my sleeping bag, which was still hanging about drying after getting a permethrin spray yesterday, and my shoes, which are in the hall – out of sight, out … More I did the packing photo thing!
Tomorrow I leave home, though I won’t be flying out until the day after. Every last bit of packing has to be done by the time I walk out the door tomorrow – eek! I know I will forget something, I just hope it won’t be my mobile charger lead, because it’s different than my … More The day before the day before
Today it’s three days until I fly out. Getting there will take a bit of time, but I don’t mind – I get to stay in Santiago one evening and morning, see some of Spain on the bus, arrive in time to have a meal with other pilgrims. Thinking about packing (yes, still) and how … More Kit tetris for camino nerds
If you are new to the camino or that sort of long distance walking – ie not backpacking as such – you might be forgiven for thinking that anyone who has done this repeatedly would have the packing list and training down to a fine art by now and be able to just put on … More 5 days to go
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A stream of consciousness
With my new novel Lost in the Fog to-be published September 21, 2020, last fall I embarked on a four month trip to France, Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean. The main reason for the journey was to hike the Camino de Santiago, a 550 mile pilgrimage. With this blog, I am excerpting from the journal I kept. As David Lynch once said "getting lost is beautiful".
My times on the Camino de Santiago
One Man – 500 miles – No Proclaimers
Willing, Wondering and Weary: The Travels of J9
Notes from the Camino de Santiago
Talk the walk
Thoughtful wanderer in search of virtual meaning
walking together on the way of saint james
The tale of a chubby guy, lots of wine and over 1200km of Camino walking
Eating my way to Santiago - just a few tips for non-Spanish speakers to read menus in Spain
Santiago de Compostela
Follow My Life Changing Camino Travels
a few of my thoughts whilst walking
writing and adventure in a delayed gap year
Camino de Santiago de Compostela - before, during and after
