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Where did you walk ( locally ) in 2020?

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I new here on the boards and this is my first post. Just got back from spending 9 days in Sochi, Russia. Spent everyday walking 5 to 7 kilometers around the city which is really hilly. I was hoping someone here might be able to tell me what kind of distances I should be walking in order to be more prepared for the Camino?


Hi @archecotech and welcome here! Hope you will post more. We are a nice bunch of people! :cool:

There are so many different ideas about training and preparation for a Camino. I believe that someone with an active lifestyle and not too many physical ailments can walk a Camino. Take it easy the first week of the Camino and your body and mind will adapt to the rhythm.
There are numerous threads regarding training and preparation. You can type in some keywords in the searchbox in the upper right corner of this page.

Can you share some pictures about your recent walk around Sochi?
 
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Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
I was hoping someone here might be able to tell me what kind of distances I should be walking in order to be more prepared for the Camino?
Start slow. When you get out first thing in the morning walk to the nearest place to get coffee. Once the staff starts to recognize you extend that further by walking to a bar. Optionally you can take a break anywhere with a brief stop at a church.
 
Start slow. When you get out first thing in the morning walk to the nearest place to get coffee. Once the staff starts to recognize you extend that further by walking to a bar. Optionally you can take a break anywhere with a brief stop at a church.
Defiantly the best advice I've seen
You'd make a fantastic walking coach Rick!!
Customers should start rolling in soon
Book me in!!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
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Today, between a morning rain and an expected afternoon rain we took one of our short walks. Slowly over this year a disc golf course has been constructed. The latest piece has been a bulletin board. It is still lacking the bulletins but a few discs were placed there recently. I suppose some are going to be lost in the woods when they land under deep layers of leaves.

Preparing for the walk involved the sad assembly of one of my rain shells with its zip-in companion of a fleece jacket. They are going to be together for a long time.

Yesterday we had a walk in a place we had only visited once before long ago. A friend recently moved to a condo abutting a conservation area. We got a viewing of her new home and then together we wandered "her estate". At the end it connected to a paved rail-trail bike path. Those oak leaves I mentioned the other day were slippery on the down slopes and were worse when a wet root was underneath. There were a few butts to the ground moments.
 
@archecotech, kia ora (greetings, good health) and welcome. I see you have been "looking" for about six years and now ...

Your antipodes is likely to be somewhere near Pitcairn Island, deep in the South Pacific Ocean. And I live on a bigger island relatively close to Pitcairn. So my manner of speech might be quite different to yours.

You ask "what kind of distances I should be walking in order to be more prepared for the Camino?"

To start I would "walk" back from that question and say there are several aspects you may care to think about, one of which is what range of daily distances should you prepare for. In no particular order the aspects I would think of include:

Health: This is of both body and mind. For me, training is getting my mind ready to cope when I don't get what I wanted for a given day as well as getting bodily fit. I normally see my doctor a month or so before setting out so I can answer the travel insurance questions properly. And the first thing they do is check my heart and lungs. Kindly they haven't checked my sanity for doing this, yet.

Equipment: Work out what you will need/want to carry. For some this can be no more than a backpack, sleeping bag, a change of clothes, a waterproof jacket and a bottle of water. And, now days, a smart phone to take photos. That is likely to be quite light. Others, like me, take a tent and air mattress, another change of clothes, a tablet with phone, a camera (a point and shoot or even a DSLR) and gadgets to help make it all work in the field. On a few routes you might find services that will take your pack to you next destination. Of the many routes I walk I have found that service on only one: French/Spanish border to Santiago de Compostela (Camino Frances as it is called). You may come across several references to a maximum weight of 7 kg (15 lb) or 10% of your body weight. These are different ways of getting a walker started. In the end it is what you are comfortable with over many days that will decide this issue for you.

Weight - yours and the equipment: Several members observe that the lighter you are it is easier to carry a slightly heavier pack and contents. The point being, it is the overall weight on you legs and their joints that count the most - an overall lighter (whatever that means for you) is better than a heavier weight. I'm going to stick my chin out here and say, based on comments from members of this forum, a lighter you will get through better. And that combined weight should also be considered. In my experience, overall fitness is the key that can lead to a successful outcome.

Working up - fitness: I still remember with acute embarrassment my first training walk in January 2012. It was mainly downhill on good surfaces for about 4 km and took me over an hour. After a period of recuperation at a café, I caught a bus home, and still needed a rest spell and hot water foot baths as my feet were exceedingly sore. And that was without anything on my back. Shortly after I came across the Body Mass Index (BMI) and found I was well into the obese weight range. The gym was not for me. What was for me was to increase my distance and to keep a training trip log. Beforehand, for my route of the day, I would get a list of waypoints and the distances between them and put them in a worksheet (Excel or similar). These might be a bus stop, trains station, café. I would record my start and stop time for each section, which might include several waypoints. If my stop was for toileting I would adjust my recorded start/stop time. The purpose being to see how my weight reduction was going, was I doing longer distances between significant stops and how my rate of march was changing. As you would imagine, these generally improved and after only three months my statistics were quite respectable. For 2012 I did 33 one-day training trips totalling 837 km (mean 25.4 km) at a mean rate of 4.84 km/h. This year I have so far completed 28 one training trips totalling 721 km (mean 25.8 km) at a mean rate of 5.77 km/h and have done several multi-day "sightseeing" trips which I don't record as formally. My weight took some time to get under control as I didn't want a rushed reduction that might not be sustainable. In the event it took three years with regular training trips and a reduction of intake (but not a change of diet as I had a partner to consider) to achieve my goal.

Working up - equipment: Having done some tramping in my youth I was aware of the types of stuff I might need, but soon found, for all the stuff I wanted to take and purchased from the local shops, it would weigh a ton. I won't elaborate at this time, but I searched for extremely low weight but durable essential gear for me. With everything included (I wanted weight at the start of a day), such as water, snacks, tent etc etc my start pack weight now is about 7.5kg. While my future trips will need a tent, if I was to leave it at home starting weight would be about 0.9 kg less (6.6 kg).

Time to do all this: Without going into the background (read my blog for that) I had four years to prepare. And I needed all of it to test my gear, discard or replace what was unhelpful, get my weight down, get my fitness level up.

Distance range: It slowly dawned on me that a mean trip distance of around 25 km was OK but there would be some days (no accommodation after 25 km, for example) that I might need to do much better. My target was 40 km. My training trip log shows 10 days where I exceeded 35 km and 3 where I exceeded 40 km. When on camino, especially when approaching Compostela, there were a small handful of days around 40 km.

I hope this long answer is helpful. For other points of view you could search the forum. At the top right of this page is the search function. You care to start with a search term of "distance" and refine that as you need.

Finally I say to you kia kaha, kia mā'ia, kia mana'wa'nui (be strong, confident and patient) and get going when you can.
 
@archecotech, I can add what was in my mind during my preparation. Arrive as I was to the furthest end of my world the cost (count it as you will) of not making a reasonable fist of getting to Compostela was quite high. So a lot of my preparation was focussed on minimising anything that might prevent my completing while at the same time having opportunities to get the most out of my adventures (as a neighbour called them).

Should you decide to walk from your home (possibly over several years) you will also likely have many adventures.

Kia kaha (be brave and strong)
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Today I went for a walk on a hill where I don’t walk very often. A beautiful day with sunshine and a little breeze. All the paths are well marked and the views great.
 

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I am trying to branch out, so yesterday I cycled all the way down to Amish country, only to remember that it was Sunday so none of the buggies would be out. :( But it was still a very nice ride over some new terrain — lots of falling down houses and barns, which made me wonder what happened to these places that were once so loved.

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WOW! Love the circular arch! Lovely architecture - but sad to see so many derelict....brought back memories of Spain in many ways. S xx
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Not quite the Camino, but it’ll do.
 

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The above seems to be a link to my blog. My blog! I find that so hilarious, as if I had nothing else to do but keep a blog!!!If you are interested, and if I succeed in giving the correct link - have a peek at some of the many interesting spots along the Dublin quays.

The link above is a trip down memory lane, with wonderful images capturing the harsher times before any Celtic Tiger roared and then was quieted...


if the link does not work, to my blog, it is a Wordpress document and maybe kirkie47 will take you there. I am sorry I am not too good at finding the way to reach it. the name of the document is A stroll along the Quays, Dublin...
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Last week with sun over the horizon, low sun at noon today. View from my homely hill. The river is not frozen yet.
 

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Stewart Island, NZ
!
I got stuck at Mason's Bay for several days in a big storm once — wow that was 35 years ago now. But I will never ever forget it. Magical.

Not quite the Camino, but it’ll do.
This is perforce our Collective motto now! :cool:

My not quite the Camino but it'll do is the fireworks of a bougainvilla that's grown up a tree near my cloister walk — Scarlet flowers against the sky.
 

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The above seems to be a link to my blog. My blog! I find that so hilarious, as if I had nothing else to do but keep a blog!!!If you are interested, and if I succeed in giving the correct link - have a peek at some of the many interesting spots along the Dublin quays.

The link above is a trip down memory lane, with wonderful images capturing the harsher times before any Celtic Tiger roared and then was quieted...


if the link does not work, to my blog, it is a Wordpress document and maybe kirkie47 will take you there. I am sorry I am not too good at finding the way to reach it. the name of the document is A stroll along the Quays, Dublin...
Kirkie
I just love that song and the photos to go with the video
Old photographs of earlier times and harder times too

Looking at these old photographs reminded me of the stories my mother used to tell me of the time she worked in the poverty stricken tenements of Dublin as a midwife in the 1940s and out of the Rotunda hospital.

The popular U.K. Tv series of "Call the midwife" depicted this era very well and had she been around to watch the earliest episodes, would I'm sure have brought back memories ......Dublin..or the East End of London ...the social problems were the same.
Sorry I think I may have hijacked the thread
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
A selection of Camino Jewellery
I went out for another Sunday trot around in a circle. I did not have to swear once behind my mask, as I was too early for most of the runners. Here is story of the light coming out of darkness...Edit: the diving bell insisted on appearing. If you search on internet, you will get the history. It is a very neat exhibition space. I always learn something more when I go in and read it all, because I am blessed with poor retention when it is not a matter of life and death...
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Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
The corn fields look like home to me. Is that a tree house for children in the picture? I think it is a great idea to branch out with short drives in the car to new walking routes. This one is very nice!

Indeed a tree house! First I thought it was a watchtower for hunters but of course they do not hunt on the walking paths! Doh...
Friends of mine walked that route two days ago and the children loved it. Perfect spot for a picknick.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I had a nice walk in my favorite forest today. Good temperature and I also had a nice companion🙂
 

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This is what has happened to the gorgeous New England autumn foliage.
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On our walks Peg and I keep a lookout for teaberries. If we find any we nibble on just one berry apiece on each walk. They last from autumn though spring that way. Here's a picture from the spring.
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Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Some time to spend in between housecalls today so took some pics of the town in lockdown.
The abbeytower and the fountains.
The main church.
The town hall, now only used for ceremonies and tourist office.







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Some time to spend in between housecalls today so took some pics of the town in lockdown.
The abbeytower and the fountains.
The main church.
The town hall, now only used for ceremonies and tourist office.







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Sabine, what a lovely town..it must be a pleasure to work there

For us another walk through lanes and leaves
An arrow to guide us, otherwise we'd probably have got lost...but what's new there!
A bridge across the M25 notorious motorway. And .boy could we smell the fumes as we passed over it to the little church
Some mushrooms of some kind...maybe they are fungi as there are signs nit to pick the fungi...not sure

And the cattle are working hard too...
Thank heavens that someone has a job during this crisis ...keep munching that grass ladies!!image.webpimage.webpimage.webpimage.webpimage.webpimage.webpimage.webpimage.webp
 
Sabine, what a lovely town..it must be a pleasure to work there

For us another walk through lanes and leaves
An arrow to guide us, otherwise we'd probably have got lost...but what's new there!
A bridge across the M25 notorious motorway. And .boy could we smell the fumes as we passed over it to the little church
Some mushrooms of some kind...maybe they are fungi as there are signs nit to pick the fungi...not sure

And the cattle are working hard too...
Thank heavens that someone has a job during this crisis ...keep munching that grass ladies!!View attachment 87703View attachment 87704View attachment 87705View attachment 87706View attachment 87707View attachment 87708View attachment 87709View attachment 87710
Annette, I consider you extremely lucky, as well! Hard to believe you live on the fringes of London, yet have all this beauty in nature not far away.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Annette, I consider you extremely lucky, as well! Hard to believe you live on the fringes of London, yet have all this beauty in nature not far away.
Thanks Crissy,
Yes I know we are so blessed to live where there is such easy access to green spaces either walking or a short drive, and that is why I feel so so sorry for those who live in high rise flats/apartments with no outdoor space, not even a balcony, especially those with children, or alone during the very strict lockdowns this year in Europe and indeed all over the world.
 
The Coast Track in the Royal National Park, Sydney Australia. 26KM with an overnight camp about 18KM in, right on the beach at North Era. An absolutely beautiful little trek.
For those of you who want to know a little more about the Coast Track, check out my blog post at https://tinyurl.com/y423pvcb and be sure to add it to your itinerary when we can all travel freely again.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I haven’t had a ride lately because it’s either been too windy or rainy. I finally decided to just deal with the wind. I always try to ride into it, so it pushes me home, but it’s been strong these days, about 20 mph. Felt like I was flying on the way home!

I made it back to Amish country since the wind is still out of the south. I watched a teenage boy running with his horse in a tether, saw lots of buggies, went to a graveyard with tombstones from the early 1800s, and saw a bald eagle!!! My one bummer moment was riding past the Amish school and seeing about 30 kids and a teacher running around outside with no masks.

Maybe not as inspiring as a day on the camino but still.....
 

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Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
Last evening as the sun set, there was a sliver of a setting moon next to the Lotus Pond where I was walking. What you can't see in the photo are the bats who were coming out to feast on flying termites. And
I almost trod on a small snake, a surprise for us both!
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Sunday I had a nice walk in 15 degrees C. Yesterday the temperature fell and winter came rather suddenly. Today we have snow, sleet, hail and wind. I think I will stay indoors..
 

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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Today at 11.00 at my homely hill. Very low sun, may be the last glimps of it until end of January.
 

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...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
With both my phone and camera. These are with my phone - I didn't want to carry my heavier camera this morning :)

I was reluctant to ask you this question, because I know that good photography requires much more than a good camera. But it just seemed to me that the resolution and lighting on those shots was far better than a camera phone can produce. They are, as usual, beautiful. I was in no way suggesting that your camera was the reason they were so good.

I’ve told this anecdote on the forum before, I think it involved Kinky. I had a good friend who was a very talented photographer. She often heard things like — you must have a great camera, those are excellent pictures. So once she said at a dinner party — this dinner is delicious, you must have a great oven.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Today at 11.00 at my homely hill. Very low sun, may be the last glimps of it until end of January.
:eek:
I grew up in the tropics, and can't imagine this Our day length changes by maybe an hour and a half (at the most) between midsummer and midwinter. But then I've never seen an aurora borealis, and I bet you've seen plenty @ranthr.

Under covid-19 conditions, the seasonal Darkness must feel a bit more intense than normal.
 
I was reluctant to ask you this question, because I know that good photography requires much more than a good camera. But it just seemed to me that the resolution and lighting on those shots was far better than a camera phone can produce. They are, as usual, beautiful. I was in no way suggesting that your camera was the reason they were so good.

I’ve told this anecdote on the forum before, I think it involved Kinky. I had a good friend who was a very talented photographer. She often heard things like — you must have a great camera, those are excellent pictures. So once she said at a dinner party — this dinner is delicious, you must have a great oven.
I didn't think you were suggesting that at all :) I took it as a genuinely curious technical question - I often have people asking me what I use. It depends on the situation, the location, the light, the activity. Phone cameras can provide incredible images these days and have great editing capability.
Very funny anecdote 😁
 
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Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
How to get good pictures, a story from 40 years ago that I told elsewhere on the forum. It shows that it isn't the camera that does the job.

Lloyd and I were discussing photography. He said that people raved about his vacation pictures but he really wasn't a very good photographer. His secret: he would walk up to someone with an expensive camera or someone with more than one. He would hold out his camera and ask "Would you mind taking a picture of that with this?"
 
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One photo from my routine Saturday early morning walk... but none from a later one where there were too many runners and cyclists invading the footpath, sending me home too soon.
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The photo is of The Spire, a modern structure in O’Connell Street, Dublin. It has a story, but you need to have a look for it if you want to know more.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
:eek:
I grew up in the tropics, and can't imagine this Our day length changes by maybe an hour and a half (at the most) between midsummer and midwinter. But then I've never seen an aurora borealis, and I bet you've seen plenty @ranthr.

Under covid-19 conditions, the seasonal Darkness must feel a bit more intense than normal.
´The activity on the sun is high these years so if the weather is clear there might also be aurora borealis or nordlys as we call it, regularly in periods. I am not good at taking pictures in the dark and add a picture my son took some days ago .
My life does not feel much different from my ordinary life so far during the pandemi in the North of Norway. We are allowed to walk out as far as we want and have lot of space around our home. We of course limit how many people we meet, and have to stay home instead of travelling, but I guess we are better off than many others. Only 300+ have died in Norway so far.
 

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A good clear (meaning no rain) morning today so I had a nice long walk along the Fraser River from home to the tiny, quirky, "off the grid" 100 year old village of Finn Slough and it's resident family of mute swans. Settler fishermen from Finland in the 1920s created the unplanned, unregulated collection of stilted houses, boardwalks, net sheds and boats and it's been a fringe community ever since. Most of the houses are heated by solar energy or wood stoves - in the fall and winter I always love the smell of smoke in the air. Not sure why they're called "mute swans" - they're pretty darn noisy - especially as they run along across the water before take-off :)

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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Oh dear, I was late this morning, but actually so was everyone else, so the walk was fairly stress free. A friend stopped the car on his way past to greet me, and the other human interaction came towards the end of the walk. I stopped to congratulate a young woman who was picking up all the debris from a gathering, along the quays last night. She was surprised to be thanked. She was thinking of saving the seagulls...that encounter lightened my steps all the way home!
Repetition does not make familiar, the light is different each new day. The third photo shows the original landing steps for the little ferry that used to transfer workers in both directions to the other side of the Liffey, before there were nearby bridges. I remember those times!
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I took a short overnight at Myakka State Park on Friday night. It was only 5.5 mi from the trailhead to the campsite. The trail was still pretty wet, and the vegetation had not thinned out yet for the winter. There were a lot of sections that were over my ankles in water and mud. I felt like I was bushwhacking a bit through waist high prairie plants not knowing for sure if I was on the trail.

The area used to be used for cattle raising, and you can see the remnants of a pit where the cattle used to get a cyanide bath to kill the bugs. Maybe you could filter the ground water, but I always carry in bottled water. Four liters of water adds a bit to your pack weight.

I saw a lot of racoon and deer tracks. There was also a lot of damage on the trail from the hogs. However, I did not see any of them. I scrounged up some stuff to have a fire, but the mosquitos were swarming after dinner. I hid out in my tent for the rest of the night.

I took the service road on the way out. I was still ankle deep in mud and water, but I did not have to bushwhack. The canals that run parallel to the service road were full. There was a ~block long section of the road that was underwater. It was knee high black water. You could only see down about four inches. I was glad I had my trekking poles. I have seen a big gator on the trail before, and it always creeps me out that there might be one laying on the bottom.

I needed to break up the monotony of my morning residential walks. I will head back to Myakka again next month. Unfortunately, they only have two backcountry sites open due to COVID restrictions. 👣 :D 😎
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The photo is of The Spire, a modern structure in O’Connell Street, Dublin. It has a story, but you need to have a look for it if you want to know more.
Today I was more in the mood to search for the story.

When I saw your picture @kirkie it didn't take long to see a prank but then I figured MIT could do better.
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Holoholo automatically captures your footpaths, places, photos, and journals.
A circular walk in the forest
Some new paths and some old paths
We just followed our noses this time wherever a path took us

The children's farm...closed now but the animals are still cared for
Some of them were probably there when.....at the crack of dawn 40 years ago and bleary eyed I was walking the girls there trying to tire them out!

A plaque commemorating the Man Booker prize for fiction in 2011 and another one on the other side for 2013 ...lots of lovely trees planted
A sign to follow had we wished beside the picnic table and a redundant gate

The Camelot pub ..our old watering hole on our walks ...hopefully open next week
A tree having a "bad hair day"
Still a lot of mud around...Charlie slipped on it and went flying into the bush...
Oh dear!!

A church that we've passed so many times over the years but never went in to see
Some parishioners were there and opened the door for us ..then putting lights on the trees for the first time ever ......apparently the lights will be seen for miles when in place ..a wonderful "lift" for all of us during these unsettling times
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...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
.....
My not quite the Camino but it'll do is the fireworks of a bougainvilla that's grown up a tree near my cloister walk — Scarlet flowers against the sky.
Here is the bougainvillea by our front door. Many years ago I visited a local school fair and they had a bougainvillea cutting that looked dead and they offered it to me for 50 cents.

I planted it by the front door never really expecting it to survive, let alone grow. It sure proved me wrong! If I don't cut it back severely every year then we have difficulty getting in the door.

It is flowering at the moment and so I guess that means it is going to be a long hot summer this year.

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A walk in the misty rain this morning to check out an artificial nest that's been installed for a pair of bald eagles whose previous nest had to be removed to make way for development. I'm happy to report that the eagles are very happy with their new home and have been undertaking some renos. I am unable (or don't know how) to attach the link giving further information but, for those who might be interested, google 'Demovicted eagles return to North Van home.' There's also a short video showing the eagles doing their refurbishing.

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
The adventure mountain on an old coal mine site in Beringen (BE).
You can either choose to take a walking path or take the 300 or more steps (which remind me of Portomarìn every time I take them).
 

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Yesterday's walk was at the place I grew up. Flanders biggest artificial lake created as a flood control area for the river Demer. If needed, it can have 11,000,000,000 liters of water.
A special place for me, because I was there, as an 8 year old boy, when they start digging it.
Yes, that was impressive..

 

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Late night and early morning.
The magic hours of the day.
 

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Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
A grey day for a four and a half hour walk over to Vancouver and half way back before resorting to transit. I thought - at least - for my efforts I would find over in town some decent hot chocolate, but I was disappointed. (I dared hold out hope for some good hot chocolate over there because recently a friend introduced me to a cafe - just four blocks from my house - that serves to-die-for hot chocolate, the likes of which I had not had since my visit to the cafe across the plaza from León cathedral. I'm sure many of our forum members will know that cafe.)

Vancouver's skyline from Lions Gate Bridge with Stanley Park and the seawall in the foreground, and mallard ducks in Lost Lagoon.

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Wow @Theatregal . Big skies!

My two longest local walks (within 150 miles from home) in 2020 both led me to a discovery of "proper" Caminos I had not known about.
I don't have photos handy, but I shot some vids. Hope it is ok to link them, instead of making screenshots

My attempt at the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri (AVML) was preceeded by a warmup on the Via della Costa between La Spezia and Genova. It is quite beautiful along the Tirrenian Sea (only got a video in German about that though - 560 zwischen Mare, Monti e Santi). It is one of the options for pilgrims traveling between Rome and Santiago. The AVML itself is also used as a pilgrimage route. If follows the crest between Piemont and Liguria and is used by many predominantely French pilgrims on their way to Assisi . Lot's of ups and downs but I can recommend it if you like the wilder side. I slapped together a non commentary and thus "international" version here:

The second, longer walk of this year took me just into my rather expansive backyard. Walking from Italy into France I stumbled upon a Camino that traverses the beautiful Queyras. It was waymarked a few years ago, but has some historical grounding in that people (from some valley here) indeed traveled those passes on their way to Santiago in the old days. I followed it for a few miles twice as it parallels the Tour du Queyras (GR58) Again, here is a short visual recap:
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
A walk through the remaining streets and sidewalks of the abandoned site of the Vancouver Wireless Station. Beautiful and erie at the same time with signs of the neighbourhoods once there - faded road lines, a fire hydrant, foundations of buildings, a child's community wading pool. There is large gathering of eagles and other raptors here due to the abundant rodent food source that thrive at an eco composting site nearby.

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The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I was out before sunrise, and how pleasant it was to be watching the daylight overtake the darkness. The usual spots, with one new one: The Ferryman Pub. It has survived at least 40 years of development to the right and to the left, and still it shines out, ready and waiting for the reopening date this coming week when it can once more offer sustenance to guests. As ever, I look at the Jeanie Johnston sailing ship: what hope was invested in that flimsy vessel when it was the escape from poverty for so many, to the promised land of Canada and the USA.
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Walked 10k. with a friend but did not take many pics.We missed an arrow but got quickly back on track.
Two Celsius so time for a wool cap. Seeing bars and restaurants are still closed we were happy to see that one café served hot drinks for take-away.

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I took my ride yesterday since it was sunny and no wind. Temps were below freezing when I started out but it was a very nice ride! My destination was Cerro Gordo, whose name is curious because it is a town with no hills anywhere for miles around. I learned the name comes from the fact that one of the founding residents had been instrumental in defeating the Mexican Army at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War, 1855. To take a bit of luster off the name, this same citizen then returned to fight with the confederacy in the Civil War.


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3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I took my ride yesterday since it was sunny and no wind. Temps were below freezing when I started out but it was a very nice ride! My destination was Cerro Gordo, whose name is curious because it is a town with no hills anywhere for miles around. I learned the name comes from the fact that one of the founding residents had been instrumental in defeating the Mexican Army at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War, 1855. To take a bit of luster off the name, this same citizen then returned to fight with the confederacy in the Civil War.


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What a sky!...and lovely clear photos
Peregrina 2000
What area of America were these photos taken in
Which state?
I've always loved looking at the different states in America on maps ..the sheer size of the place intrigues me ....one state in America can be bigger than the whole of the U.K. Or my little island of Ireland!!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
What area of America were these photos taken in
Which state?
Hi, Annette,

I live in Illinois, about 150 miles south of Chicago. I always start and end in my town, Champaign, and the entire area around me is rural. I am trying to visit all the towns within riding distance, most of which were settled in the late 1800s. Slowly the distance I can bike is increasing, but I don’t think I’ll ever make it up to Chicago. 😁
 
to-die-for hot chocolate, the likes of which I had not had since my visit to the cafe across the plaza from León cathedral. I'm sure many of our forum members will know that cafe.)
I absolutely loved that cafe in 2015 for it's incredible hot chocolate. I returned in 2017 and was disappointed to find it out of business. (Sorry about hijacking the thread, my lovely memory compelled me.)
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Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
Hi, Annette,

I live in Illinois, about 150 miles south of Chicago.
Hi Annette,
I live 90 miles NW of Chicago in Illinois and have had the pleasure of meeting up with Laurie a couple of years ago for a hike in one of our state parks with delightful canyons approximately halfway between where we each live.
 
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