Author Archives: themadhatter1722

Often times while staying at an albergue in the middle of nowhere, with no sites of interest to explore, the only thing you can do is talk to the people there who are also in the middle of nowhere. After liver and lima beans, striking up conversations with perfect strangers rates right up there onContinue reading “ORISSON FRANCE”

The Michelin Guide is a small, concise booklet with lots of information but what it excels at is pictures! After planes, trains and busses the area we will walk on our first day shows a fairly significant elevation change. The albergue we will walk to is the second little yellow hut on this simple diagram.Continue reading “St. Jean Pied du Port to Orisson”

Most of the time the story is told from “Once upon a Time”. This story starts with “The End”. The “idea” and the reality of any endeavor are universes apart. A two-pound black box called an iPad was stored safely among the other, what I believed to be, necessary items in my pack. I wasContinue reading “RETROSPECTIVE”

(To the tune, “I’m Gonna Be”) When I wake up, yea I know I’m going to be, I’m going to be the gal who finally makes it off to Spain When I go out, yea I know I’m going to be, I’m going to be the gal who looks out for the shells If IContinue reading “500 MILES”

Pronounced: al-berg-gay which translates as hostel, paradores, shelter, or lodging. Any way you pronounce it, it simply means to me a place to lay my head. After waiting (and wading) through covid for two years, it is finally going to happen. In two weeks from today, I will be getting on a plane heading toContinue reading “ALBERGUES”

Last week I attended a celebration of life of a woman who’s impact on the world was far reaching. She had the uncanny ability to always see the world in a golden light which she then shined on the rest of us. She was one of those rare people who fully understood the need toContinue reading “Pleiades”

Looking at the sunrise this morning, I could almost imagine I was just waking from a trans-Atlantic overnight flight, lifting the little plastic cover on the window next to my seat and feeling butterflies about the soon to be landing in Spain to begin the Three Sisters Camino. My “flight” was long and boring but nevertheless,Continue reading “With just a little imagination……”

Ninety-four degrees is similar to thirty below. Either way it’s just too miserable to be outside attempting any type of physical activity. It’s even too hot to drive to the beach. This isn’t the type of weather I remember as a kid (that was a long time ago) and I am sure there were daysContinue reading “LET’S START THE TRAINING AGAIN!”

In the continuing tradition of getting out into Nature until the big aluminum bird takes us across the pond, we are not letting any moss (that’s another blog, stay tuned) grow under our feet. It never ceases to amaze me how much things change. This year’s sojourn to Cobscook Bay State Park is a perfectContinue reading “62, 54, 80 Hike”

Sometimes the journey begins, more or less, with a single step. In some cases it isn’t actually putting one foot in front of the other but a thing. In this instance, it just happens to be liverwurst. My story of liverwurst and friendship begins over 30 years ago while working the night shift at theContinue reading “2022 or Bust”