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Where did you walk ( locally ) in 2021?

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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.
Walking today along the trails of Burns Bog, the "Lungs of the Lower Mainland". Beautiful place to walk, especially through the forest on the wooden boardwalks that protect the ecosystem. Got a bit nervous though as it was a windy morning and at times the trees were swaying, squeaking and groaning... really! Whenever a strong gust came up, bits of bark, small branches and chunks of moss would rain down. Caught a glimpse of a Purple Finch through the thicket and a Hairy Woodpecker high in a cedar tree.

 
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2nd ed.
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
lupins in bloom
Reminds me that one of my daughter’s favorite books as a child was Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney. Based on a real woman who was the “lupine lady” and planted lupines everywhere. Every time I see them in bloom I remember the book and its refrain — you must do something to make the world a more beautiful place. Thanks @Icacos.
 
It’s great to learn this; I did not know the story of the “lupine lady.” To tell the truth, I’ve been thinking of surreptitiously scattering around some wild flower seeds myself. This may just give me the impetus I need!

And ... now I know why autocorrect kept changing my ‘lupins’ to ‘lupines.’
 
«Hot summer day « today, +15C, sun and no wind. Tried to reach my top of the hill through the snow but had to give up halfways. Hope the snow disappear soon.
 

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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,-
Walking my favourite 10km close to home route today. Through a wooded area, past our community garden into the Terra Nova Natural area, following the west dyke trail and the river to home. Along the way two hunting coyotes and spring wildflowers - Chives, Beach Peas and the glorious Yellow Flag Irises. Nearing home, I shared the path with some new Canadians.

 
Omg!! Wow to these. The colour ! & the yellow irises !! +++++++++ and the coyotes Spring is beautiful on your walk !! I would love to have been there ...
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Reflections in this year of Covid.

As far as I can see, life is one long, slowly unfolding tragedy punctuated by brief moments of joy. For me, the Camino was and is one of those brief moments of joy. Small wonder we want to do it again, and again and again.

1. Portland. 2. Port Fairy. 3. Peterborough, Bay of Martyrs.
The Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia.
 
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Yesterday I roamed the streets of Agen celebrating with all the world. Finally, after many dreary months the cafés have reopened. After which I visited the Musée des Beaux-Arts and spied a ceramic platter serving amidst fronds of seaweed and foliage, a snake and several little fishes, a frog, lizards, crawleys, crustacions and a worm.


*Platter by Bernard Palissy (16th century)
+ caterpillar
 
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Lovingkindness,
Your platter photo is perfect to commemorate France's reopening!
Thanks for sharing.
Palissy's trompe l'oeil work is such fun. He had a huge kiln in the Tuileries Garden, Paris, during the 16th c.; a street in the 6th arrondissement is named for him.
 
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@mspath, Hello!
...it is thought that Bernard Palissy was born in St Avit, a hamlet through which I walked this Sunday past. I was hoping to encounter frogs and a snake and other greeblies in honour of his work but the only thing seen, apart from a little stone fish was a slimy limace:

 
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Did you enjoy some famous Agen prunes while there ?
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
There was something yellow in the sky this morning that impelled me out of the house. I rushed along to catch a local train and started walking back home, along by the coast, from the south side of the city, so the sea was on my right. My distance app tells me it was around 18km from point to point. There is a spot known as Seapoint. It was only about 9am, and the temperature was not high, but there were up to a hundred people already in various states of readiness either to go in or to get dried off after a swim in the icy waters. Soon after, the cormorants. Then, a different view of the twin towers of the now disused Pigeon House towers from the usual one from the Northside vantage point I generally post. Taken through the trees edging the nature reserve. Finally, a sign of NORMAL SERVICE BEING RESUMED... the toll bridge opened, to let through one of the very first Dublin Bay tourist trip journeys...

 
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Map: Saint-Sardos in a grand loup via Lacepede and Quittimont (24 km)






*(3-5) Église Saint-Sardos de Saint-Sardos (12th century restored): exterior capitals dismounted, displayed inside the church. The exterior of the church can be seen here #505

Ps Quittimont is equidistant, roughly 12 kilometers between Clairac to the left (Voie de Vézelay/GR 654E) and Laugnac to the right (Voie de Rocamadour/GR 652).
 
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3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
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.
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Following a new path through a field of buttercups into a wooded area at Terra Nova natural area. I say "new" because someone has tried to close the entrance to this 1 km stretch through the woods with a fence on either end. Walkers will not be stopped An alternate route has been created on one end by the footsteps of locals who walk this path daily. At the other end, the fence has been pulled aside. I met a woman who lives nearby and she has been walking the path for over 20 years and nobody knows who put up the fences.
I saw an Olive-sided Flycatcher high in a tree catching dragonflies and got a quick shot of a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
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.
I have discovered places on my doorstep that I never knew existed.
One word.
Bliss.
View attachment 101170 View attachment 101171 View attachment 101174
Haven’t we all Lexicos!
so glad you have found some nice places near to you.
we realised this over a year ago that in pursuit of travelling to other countries we did not know of the beautiful places within spitting distance of our homes.
We know now though and with a greater appreciation of where we live.
Armed with a pile of 1:25000 maps of Essex, we set off and had a great years walking a bit further afield too
 
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.
Sunday morning: sunrise 5.05. I don't need to close curtains, so light calls me early. Out towards the statue at the end of the Wooden Bridge. I took some words from a speaker on the point of a journey...
At the end of the wall, I found a Deliveroo worker listening deeply to some clearly religious songs, in Spanish. Did he sleep there all night? Was he safer there than in town? I left him in peace. Most of us are so fortunate, we can sleep in safety.
I include a quiet little video, where you can hear the seagulls, and almost smell the seaweed! From the position of the sun, and the date, it was probably taken mid to late afternoon, facing west. For visitors, bicycles to rent are easily found in the city, many of them electric, and the path out is smooth and flat.
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
I love when names are provided.
I’ve checked out The Wooden Bridge on Google Earth.
 
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.
I think that my now almost one year of regular rides out in the country has made me feel the changing of the seasons in a way I didn’t appreciate before. Sure, it’s industrial agriculture, but even so, the planting, sprouting, growing, harvesting, and then lying apparently barren till the cycle starts again is an incredible affirmation of the circle of life. The first shot reminded me of @SabineP’s church!


 
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
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,-
8km in the Bode-Valley, a small river valley in the Harz mountain-range:


The "Rosstrappe", famous landmark

View from outlook near the "Hexentanzplatz" ("Witches Ballroom") towards the town of Thale

view down to the valley

the ways, zigzagging over 300m descent through the forrest

The Rosstrappe again, view from other side



Views from the river Bode

Rocks near the Hexentanzplatz

BC
Roland
 

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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.
6km at the "Devil's Wall" near the town of Quedlinburg and a city-walk in Quedlinburg


The Devil's Wall, a rock-formation from the cretaceous period

view to another part of the "Teufelsmauer"

The "Emperor's Spike"

another part of the Devil's wall, in total it stretches more than 20km from Ballenstedt to Blankenburg

near the banks of the river Bode

St. Benedictii, the Marketchurch of Quedlinburg

view of the half-timbered-houses, mostly well preserved

the "drunken raven" of the Höllenhof (Hell's courtyard), founded in 1215

view of the "Sternkiekerturm" (tower of the starwatcher), one of the old watchtowers of the fortification of Quedlinburg

BC
Roland
 
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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).
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Another voyage of discovery for us and less than 7 miles from home
Perhaps I should have known about this walk as I'd worked in and around the area at the start of the walks or years ....obviously work got in the way back then!
Drove to Chingford area and onto the Lee valley Way walk
The river which is approx 50 miles long starts in Luton and flows down to the Thames, has in parts been made into a canal with many "locks" which enable the "narrowboats" to pass up and down the canal.
Locks are devices used for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on rivers and canals
Most in the UK are worked manually which can be hard work but we've seen some in France which are mechanised.

A lot of narrowboats seen all the way
Some used for holiday lettings and river adventures but more recently as homes for many people iin and around the London canals due to the high rents and house prices ..some are really beautiful inside with all the mod cons

We walked to Cheshunt and thought about getting a bus back but it was too fiddly to organise so we walked back stopping in the lovely little town of Waltham Abbey for coffee and again at the Greyhound pub....also did a detour to the Lee valley country park ..so a total of 17 km and a lovely tranquil walk by the water
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Buongiorno @Esauro57

Novara looks like an interesting place to explore. I have just discovered this site:
Amici di Santiago Novara! Perhaps you have walked a few of these trails, too.

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* Trails in the diocese of Novara
Thank you for your precious information ...Will try to walk to one of those proposed in the near future!... I would like to get my second covid shot first then try the Francigena ...starting from my doorstep...Trecate to Rome ...this is one of my dreams right now...
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Ah, those rice fields
won’t forget them in a hurry on the Via Francigena
we were nearly eaten alive by the mosquitos back then
I’d risk it again though!
Me too... and how about the clouds of vapour rising from the fields, hitting one in the face. It was like walking through a sauna for days on end, not to mention the suffocating nights! I met three teenagers with swollen faces just after they had exited the Po valley. They had slept outside without anything to cover their faces and been tortured by the mosquito...
 
You're welcome!
 
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.
At last I could walk to my local hill today without walking in snow. My homeplace Tana was the hottest place in Norway yesterday, +29 C. The river is open, summer showed up and I had a midnightsunwalk to the top of the hill, having a break with coffee in the sun.
 

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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.
Map: Agen. The Hermitage via Monbran. Circuit 424

From Agen railway station to Vérone one follows le Chemin de Saint Jacques (GR 652) before turning left to Monbran. Later one returns to the pilgrim trail beside the Agen Canal.


(1) orange dots: Caprasius of Agen (4th century martyr) is said to have lived here as a hermit at the time of the persecution of Christians by Dacien, prefect of Gaul. Caprasius and others took refuge in the prehistoric caves dug into the southern slope which dominates the city. Sent by Maximian, Dacien massacred the Christians of Agennum on October 6, 303. Later, in the Middle Ages hermits set up their cells in the cliffs, devoting themselves to solitude and prayer and also to welcoming crowds of pilgrims (1). To the left of the caves but not in the photo is a monolithic chapel built in the 12th century to honor the martyr Vincent of Agen (3rd century).

(2) View down to Cathédrale Saint-Caprais d'Agen.

(4) The road to the right is where the pilgrim trail (GR 652) continues. Here, I turned left, direction Monbran.


(5) Monbran

(7) Café Velo! Beside the Agen canal bridge is a real gem, situated in an old water works building. Here cyclists can store their bicycles, take a shower then spin their laundry whilst sipping coffee and eating delicious food...

(8) finishing beside the Agen Canal. What a pleasant day!
 
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I include two photos. One from the other day, and one from today. The short greeting on the plaque is a testament to at least two realities from times past. The statue was paid for by subscriptions from taxi drivers, in an age when Catholic religious practice still had a dominant place in this country where I live. The tribute is replicated in various ways around the city, paid for by a range lcategories of workers - bus drivers and port workers as examples. The second reality is clear in the misplaced apostrophes! That is another whole story. The descendents of those guys are now cool as cucumbers, deftly managing zoom calls for their online literacy classes!
Today's photo was taken at the end of a stroll on my bike, along the city quays. The silence was a gift!
My reflection during the ride was on history, herstory, mystory.
At many points I thought: where were my people 200 years ago? I know some of them, on my paternal side, were scratching a living in the Inishowen Peninsula in the North West of Ireland. Some of them went to Canada, some to USA, some to Australia and New Zealand. Our family name is not too common, so most likely the links are pretty close for anybody with the same surname!
Where were your people 200 years ago? I don't know where to post a further question, so it will stay here: many people ask, why do you walk 'The' Camino? Perhaps, a longing to connect with where we come from... I had wanted to use the adjective inchoate, but am not sure enough that it is true expression of the deep longing within to identify our beginnings... I believe that in some way the draw is linked to connecting with beginnings.
Enough! The photos.
 
...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/cycle/run with two of the grandsons ...about 9 km
They cycled. We walked unless they got far too far ahead and then we trotted
Cool under the trees and a few yellow arrows to guide the way......remembering those yellow arrows was I !!
The lure of the climbing tree could not be resisted though
Coffee, chips and ice cream at the Kings Head pub and back to Loughton where we had a meal at The Last Post pub
This was a former central post office built in the inter war years to serve the fast growing town of Loughten, now just on the outskirts of London
 

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Into the forest, feet dragging through sand. Vineyards with views across the Garonne valley.

Map: Circuit 72 Saint-Pierre-de-Buzet (11.7 km)


(1) Église Saint-Pierre (12th century) at Saint Pierre-de-Buzet


(7) wrought iron gate

Eglise Saint-Pierre à Saint-Pierre-de-Buzet - PA00084240 - Monumentum
“The church appears to have been part of a monastery whose location can still be seen. It is a Romanesque church of quite exceptional elevation. Square-shaped fortified bell tower, the sharp gable bearing the bells being posterior. The interior retains small columns with carved capitals. The vaults were redone, those of the nave having been lowered. Under the bell tower is an imposing round pillar.” (Google translate)



[Edit] ps Saint-Pierre-de-Buzet is 8.5 km from Aiguillon and 10 km in another direction from Vianne, two towns through which pilgrims pass on the GR 654-Est, a variant of the Voie de Vezelay which runs rom Bergerac to Montréal-du-Gers.
 
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3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
13,000 steps today; some areas more interesting than others
- a rose bush at its best
- completely new to me, a ‘bike slide’
- flowering thyme making the bees very happy
- a bear atop someone’s car port, made of pieces of driftwood and thoroughly weathered by the elements
I finished my wanderings just in time for my afternoon coffee, an iced latté at a favourite haunt, sitting in the sun. Then I bused home
 
Santa Monica.
 

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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Our first day on the Essex Way from Epping to Harwich....80 miles long and all through very rural countryside .

In 1971, the way came about as a result of a competition between Essex schools to select the best and most interesting track for such a footpath
The winners were the work of Chelmsford Technical High School
Fairly well marked, we walked through and around fields, lanes and forests
A lovely coffee stop at the Green Man pub at Toot Hill whilst listening to the water fountain

Onwards to Greenstead Church ... St Andrews the oldest wooden church in the world and rhe oldest in Europe still standing
It dates back 1200 years with a have dating back to between 845 and 1063
The church represents some 1300 years of Christian worship
Near the door is the grave of a 12th century crusader

On to Chipping Ongar where we got the bus and tube home
A great 13 km walk in beautiful weather
 

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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,-
Sorry folks, but these photos are HUGE
I haven't changed anything on the iPad .....
Pressed DONE...insert all....thumbnail..post
Anyone got any adevice as they are so much larger in size from the ones I used to post?
Also I never had any mb or letters /writing at the bottom of the photo
Not sure what's happened here
Thanks
Annette
 
They’re not huge on my iPhone; same size as those of many others.
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
An 18K walk with a story...
After a few kilometers, my feet started to hurt. Very unusual, but it can happen, I thought...
A few K further my feet and knees were hurting... What is wrong?
After 7K I decided to redo my shoes and guess what? This soldier forgot his riffle. In other words, I forgot to put in my insoles and walked the full distance on Lowa's without insoles...
I do not recommend to try this yourself...

 
Again on the Essex Way from Ongar
Initially the track is shared with St Peters Way for about a mile with the Essex Way then going northwards as St. Peter’s Way turns South.
Through fields of high grass, wheat and peas, we crossed numerous little bridges over the river Roding before reaching the little village of Fyfield.
Unfortunately the little church was closed due to Covid.
walked back to Ongar..about 14 km
 
Fail to prepare? reduce your risk by buying this book full of practical info.
2nd ed.
I haven't been on this thread for a couple of weeks as I haven't had any interesting walks lately, so this morning I decided to snap a few pics on my 4 mile walk on the local trail. It has been getting up in the mid 90's F for a full week so I go early.
The pink wild flowers are Crown Vetch. It is often used along some of our Interstate grades to prevent soil erosion.


 
Awww, thanks, Annette for the "like"! Nothing like all the beauty you are near outside of London and within 6 hours in all directions you are practically in heaven. It takes me a two day drive to get to the Rocky mountains or a 3+ hour flight!
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
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