In 2015 I flew to Lisbon to walk the Caminho Portuguese. During the flight I spotted Cape Finisterre, my final destination, down below. It took about 45 minutes to fly from that point to Lisbon. It would take me nearly 4 weeks to walk back. In the modern world, journeys that once took weeks or months by land and sea can now be accomplished in a day or so.
For part 1 of the Caminho Portuguese, click here. The first week on the Caminho Portuguese had proved to the most difficult and demanding of all my caminos, but I as long as I could get out of bed in the morning and put my boots on without assistance I was prepared to carry on. I had reached the town of Alviazare, about half way between Lisbon and Porto, after six days, and I expected to reach Porto in another six. Carlos, the owner or the albergue in Alviazare, had provided great hospitality to all his guests, and he kindly…
Most families have a black sheep, the person they store in the proverbial attic for fear of embarrassment, who they only acknowledge at funerals. I’ve probably been that person in my own family. Let’s face it, no one who walks multiple caminos could be considered sane, and the insane are rarely welcome in polite society. I’ve been fortunate to walk the Camino Francés, a beautiful journey of spiritual fulfilment, redemption and lasting friendships, the Norte and Primitivo, a challenging trek of stunning vistas and warm collegiality, and the Via de la Plata, an epic journey of haunting isolation that rewards…
Many people walk the Camino looking for answers. They may be looking for guidance about the next stage in their life, they may be grieving the loss of a loved one, they may be trying to resolve a dilemma in their relationship, or they may be looking for a profound spiritual or religious experience. Or they may just want the head space that a long walk offers. Walking 800 KM to Santiago may or may not solve all your problems. It may give you insights that will help you along your journey in life, and it may assist you in…
Facebook The Cathedral in Santiago Deciding to walk the Camino de Santiago can be quite a daunting challenge. Although a veteran of four caminos, opting to go on another still raises many concerns and anxieties, which no amount of preparation can allay. I am about to embark on the Via de la Plata, a 1000 KM trek from Sevilla, in Spain's southern province of Andalucia, to the city of Santiago de Compostela, in the northwestern region of Galicia. This is the longest of the caminos, which leads through some of the most isolated parts of the Iberian peninsula, where the…