Camino de Santiago: On Galicia’s enchanted forests

July 5, 2014 in Europe, Spain

The trees of the Galician forests have eyes. Big ones that are open wide and always watching as pilgrims pass through the bowered paths tripping lightly across the wide stone […]

Camino de Santiago: Day 31: In which my feet do not hurt

June 30, 2014 in Europe, Spain

I hate putting on my boots. The process is preceded by a ten minute ritual of popping blisters, applying antiseptic, cutting and folding gauze, bandaging raw spots with tape and […]

Camino de Santiago: Gregorian Chant

June 28, 2014 in Europe, Spain

The interior of the cathedral is crumbling. I can’t say that I’d even call it a cathedral, more of a chapel built to the scale of the small town that […]

Camino de Santiago: The rocks speak

June 26, 2014 in Europe, Spain

Astorga to Rabanal is a lovely walk. Today was marked by the messages, inscribed on stones, and left along the path. Before long, I found myself hunting for them, like […]

Leon: On parties and pensive walking

June 24, 2014 in Europe, Spain, Travelogue

Leon put on her party dress for our birthday. Parades of festively dressed bands playing hard brass as they marched in the streets. Classic Romani men playing reed pipes while […]

Camino de Santiago: On the meseta and what I am learning

June 20, 2014 in Europe, Spain

The meseta is long and hot. After two weeks toiling through mountains and rolling hills, over rocky terrain and ankle deep slippery leaves, one would think it a relief to […]

Camino de Santiago: On feet, faith & chosen family

June 18, 2014 in Europe, Spain

The meseta is long, and hot. The Way stretches off, through endless waves of grain blown by oceans of invisible wind across the long miles of nowhere. The Pyrenees have […]

Camino de Santiago: Surprises

June 14, 2014 in Europe, Spain

Everyday the Camino surprises me. Wheat fields laughing in red poppies. Spanish blue skies ruffled like flamenco dresses with clouds. Flocks of sheep crowding the path, jockeying for position in […]

Walking the Camino: On broken hearts, ghosts and a nude man on a hot day

June 9, 2014 in Europe, Spain

The Camino is littered with broken hearts. Some so raw that they’re carried in blood soaked hands, by pilgrims whose eyes are lakes of sorrow. Some, bandaged with great care […]

Portraits from the Camino de Santiago

June 6, 2014 in Europe, Spain, Travelogue

We’ve been walking for a week. Our days are full and finding time to write has been a challenge. Words don’t do the stories justice, really. They never do. Instead, […]