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We’re in London. Briefly. Tomorrow, the long set

We’re in London. Briefly. Tomorrow, the long set of flights begins.

I’m feeling what I think is meant by the Portugu

I’m feeling what I think is meant by the Portugués word “Saudade”.

It describes a profound emotional state that combines:
- Longing for something or someone you’ve lost
- Nostalgia for what was or what could have been
- A subtle pleasure in feeling this very yearning
- A touch of melancholy and wistfulness
- Love intermingled with absence

I will miss being on Camino. I will miss these landscapes passed through at the speed of footsteps. I will miss the people I have met or reconnected with so briefly but who have so touched my heart.

On Sunday, we exited the Camino Francés in Sarria

On Sunday, we exited the Camino Francés in Sarria and took a train back to Santiago. The next day, we began walking towards the ocean. We will reach Muxia tomorrow and our caminos will come to an end. We are still enjoying ourselves but looking forward to returning home #caminodesantiago #caminomuxia

CAMINANTE NO HAY CAMINO Caminante, son tus huellas

CAMINANTE NO HAY CAMINO
Caminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada más; Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar. Al andar se hace el camino, y al volver la vista atrás se ve la senda que nunca se ha de volver a pisar. Caminante no hay camino sino estelas en la mar.
~ António Mercado

WAYFARER, THERE IS NO PATH

Wayfarer, your footsteps are
the path, and nothing more;
Wayfarer, there is no path,
the path is made by walking.
By walking one makes the path,
and upon glancing behind
one sees the trail
that never will be trod again.
Wayfarer, there is no path,
Only wakes upon the sea.

We are still walking with another week or so before we begin making the long journey back to New Zealand. Today, we are in Las Herrerías, another place we volunteered in 2017. @alberguelasherrerias #caminofrancés #caminodesantiago

We left Léon this morning, walking westward back

We left Léon this morning, walking westward back towards Santiago de Compostela on the Camino Frances. The gray skies, muted colors, and cooler temperatures make for good traveling companions, drawing us more inwards. Tomorrow, we’ll revisit one of the albergues we volunteered at in 2017 @albergueverde

Feels like the whole world is going underwater. We

Feels like the whole world is going underwater. We were baptized by rain an hour before reaching Santiago, then the sun made an appearance and dried us out as we reached the cathedral. It was short lived as the remains of Hurricane Kirk have been lashing the city the past two days.

Patricia leaves us tomorrow morning. Mary and I will head east to Leon. We hope to find drier conditions as we decide whether to embark on the wilder, more isolated Camino Primitivo, or opt for the more predictable option of re-walking some of our favorite sections of the Camino Frances.

Being in this moment continues to be a challenge as our hearts and thoughts continue to be drawn to all those suffering from the storms back home.

I’ve been thinking a lot about water. How it gives life. How it takes life.

#caminodesantiago #caminoprimitivo #caminofrances

Two days of rain, rain, and a little more rain. Bu

Two days of rain, rain, and a little more rain. Bunk rooms full of wet gear and people, lots of roadside walking with vehicles sending spray over already saturated rain gear. I feel ridiculous even posting this given the situation in Asheville. We are so fortunate to be here and every chance we check our feeds our hearts break a little bit more. We are thinking of you Western North Carolina. We love you. We hope you are safe and dry tonight

My heart is going out to Asheville this day, one o

My heart is going out to Asheville this day, one of the many places we’ve been fortunate enough to call home. We hope all of you are safe. We’ll be crossing the border back into Spain later today. #caminoportugues #caminodesantiago

It’s been a wet couple of days but spirits are s

It’s been a wet couple of days but spirits are still mostly high. Sun is peeking through the clouds this morning.

Our Camino Portugués has begun. Sunny skies today

Our Camino Portugués has begun. Sunny skies today as we left Porto and followed the coast north. Tomorrow we’ll head inland with forecasted rainy conditions for the next several days. #caminodesantiago #caminoportugues

Had a wonderful 24 hours in Barcelona. Now we’re

Had a wonderful 24 hours in Barcelona. Now we’re off for a weekend visiting friends in Murcia.

Waking up to a harbor view in Auckland this mornin

Waking up to a harbor view in Auckland this morning thanks to credit card points. The next sunrise we see will be in Barcelona.

Just finishing a 4 day tramp on the Queen Charlott

Just finishing a 4 day tramp on the Queen Charlotte Track. At the track’s end is the home of Outward Bound New Zealand. Looks like a crew is coming home. Mary and I have been sharing fond memories of our time at NCOBS.

My world for the next 13 hours.

My world for the next 13 hours.

Last leg of my 2023 Tour USA almost complete. A be

Last leg of my 2023 Tour USA almost complete. A beautiful fall day in the Pacific Northwest viewing the Larch trees with my little sister. The journey back to New Zealand begins on Tuesday.

I’ve grown up listening to U2, their music a ste

I’ve grown up listening to U2, their music a steady companion in good times and bad. Last night seeing them again live after 20 years was truly special. They certainly still know how to put on a celebration.

When I was a teenager, this road was open to cars

When I was a teenager, this road was open to cars and I used to drive up it at night when I needed time to think. It’s been closed to vehicles for decades now. Now it’s still a great place for me to think while running. Lots on my mind these days while I visit with the past, knowing my remaining visits to this place where I grew up are limited.

From spring flowers in Aotearoa New Zealand to fal

From spring flowers in Aotearoa New Zealand to fall colors in Alabama. So nice to spend time with folks I have so much history with. Heading to Tuscaloosa soon for The Chukker Weekender.

Stepping on a plane soon to leave this tranquil pl

Stepping on a plane soon to leave this tranquil place we now call home. I’m heading to the US for a two week ramble across multiple time zones to catch up with some very important people. Alabama, here I come.

This weekends outing was a loop finishing off alon

This weekends outing was a loop finishing off along the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. I felt like I had the whole park to myself on this beautiful winter day. #trailrunning #abeltasman #aotearoa #goldenbaynz

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