We had been staying in pilgrim refugios for most of the way from Pamplona and it was decided to enjoy some luxury. Not normally being the luxury type, I was eventually convinced to stay overnight at the magnificent Parador of San Marcos in Leon. Leon was originally a Roman military garrison and its name was a […]
High Street – Roman Road
We were on the Coast to Coast track. As the wind rose the temperature dropped. We stopped and put on our wet weather gear and beanies. The wind relentlessly nipped at our ears. The gusting of the wind and the swirling of the clouds added to the beauty of this stark wilderness and I took photos to […]
Don't let the side down – have a rest.
When you are out on the track, you do have to pace yourself. We had been walking well all day, with some stops – morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, getting closer and closer to the day’s accommodation. Some of us have the propensity to maintain a momentum which may be difficult to stop if […]
To visit a castle – sometimes take a bus
What a lavish breakfast at Hotel Helvetie in Montreaux, Switzerland. We were journeying along the ancient Via Francigena, the path that stretches all the way from Canterbury to Rome. After breakfast we decided to take the local bus four kilometers to Chillon Castle which lay on the lake’s (Leman) edge and came face to face with hundreds of other tourists who […]
To Santiago
For over a thousand years people have found their way to the Camino and followed it to Santiago de Compostela. The fascination with this medieval journey continues. Many who undertake it do not know why they feel drawn to it. I didn’t for a long time after. The main questions are: am I capable of […]
Italian water guzzler
How much water do you need on a walk? It’s really good to know. I’ve seen a lot of articles and guidebooks say “take enough water for the walk”, but how much is enough? We were in Siena, Italy by good fortune on the day of the Palio and planned to spend the day enjoying […]
A side trip to Assisi
We were walking sections of the Via Francigena when we decided to visit the hilltop city of Assisi. I had heard and read about it for years. We ended spending four days here, mostly walking. Because it is situated on a hill (the foothill of the large Mount Subasio) we got a lot of exercise in. […]
La Rochelle – the Templar port
Walking in France – and arriving in medieval towns like La Rochelle is an amazing experience. I hadn’t read much about French history, but I had heard that the Templar fleet left La Rochelle days before King Philip IV arrested the Templars across France. It’s been said that the fleet transported the Order’s treasure to […]
People make the walk (1)
People make your journey. We were walking up to Skiddaw – I think – (this was in 1985) and we met two walkers heading in the same direction. It was a cold wet day so we shared some jokes and took some pictures of our rather slow progress up the valley. It’s amazing how meeting […]
Lose weight? – not necessarily.
Some of us, including me, always think that we will lose weight if we walk. In general this is true. However, if our food intake increases when we go on multiday walks, then it’s not a given. Like the erosion of the chalk cliffs at Burling Gap, weight loss can take time; you need exercise […]
Take Better Digital Photos eBook
Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook