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Something I constantly remind our members and non members that total over 30,000 is that we are an all volunteer organization. I marvel at this when I consider all that we do for no cost to members or non members. Here in the capital area with over 1000 on our email list our hikes and practice...
As a chapter coordinator, I just received this morning an email, the text of which follows:
Hello, Chapters!
As we have had many inquiries about the status of credentials, I wanted to make sure that everyone has the information on this issue.
A few weeks ago, the Coaches let me know that...
The climb up to the top of the pass was challenging for us. The broken stones of the old Roman road was a twisted ankle waiting to happen. We went slowly. But the walk down from the top of the pass is breathtaking and unforgettable. You can Segovia from miles away and the meseta beyond it. The...
Yes! In the sacristy, and there is a special pilgrim blessing as well. On our most recent camino, even though we weren't walking from Madrid or to Madrid, we went back to the Iglesia de Santiago and asked for a stamp, the last we would get on that trip. The priest at first was puzzled, then...
Segovia is indeed a jewel. Please do take this advice and spend extra time there. We also loved Valladolid. And there we had a camino angel which was more common on the Madrid than any other camino we have walked. We got up early and went to a bus stop. A guy driving a Mercedes convertible...
We absolutely loved the Camino Madrid. Very few pilgrims, but the variety of landscapes and towns and the villagers who embraced us made this unforgettable. A few things. Despite many attempts over the years when we were in Madrid, we never found the Amigos office open. Never.
Our absolutely...
Our first night in Roncevalles we heard a large thump which woke us up. A big Irish lad had fallen. My wife did some stitching of his bleeding forehead. This scared the wits out of many of us. Since then, I have been very leary of top bunks with no fences and have used every possible means to...
Some friends recently walked the Camino Dos Faros. They said it was tough at time, but an experience they will savor a long time. We are interested in walking this short route to Finisterre, but are wondering if we can start in A Coruña , walking from there to Malpica, where Dos Faros begins. If...
I'm confident that it will be. Why do I say this? When we showed up, we were among the first. Then more and more and more came. They simply put down mats for all the newcomers. It was a packed room. After a very simple communal meal in their kitchen, we gathered in the 12th century bell tower...
We just returned home from watching our second total solar eclipse here in the U.S. in 7 years. Our next is in 20 years. We have become hooked on the magical, mystical, moving unique experience of a total eclipse and are eager to go to Spain in two years to see the total solar eclipse there. It...
We went to St. Augustine a few months ago. We stopped by the cathedral office and they told us they have no stamp, no credential and no program. They could not describe a 25 km path. They told us that the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, just 1 mile north of the cathedral, had borrowed...
My wife and I regularly train new walkers. We always say that the three most important items are shoes, socks and backpack. We make no recommendations; they must suit the walker. Feet can be so different, even the two feet of our own! If you like the trail runners, stick with them. We prefer...
We saw cyclists now and then, but they disappeared when we hit uphill stretches that would be incredibly challenging. We assumed they went on the roads in these areas. Not much car or truck traffic on this route. The few bigger towns, Cahors and Moissac, would be a joy ride on a bike.
There are many good options, but if you haven't wa
One of our favorite camino combos was the Salvador followed by the Primitivo. No crowds, but still plenty of walkers. And drop dead gorgeous. But...ya gotta like mountains and vistas.
Otherwise, I would do the Aragones. To us, it was a...
If Asturias is where you want to rest, there are three of my favorite towns there: Oviedo, Lugo and Mieres. No need to say anything about Oviedo and Lugo. They are magical. And plenty of people watching, which is something we like to do after long camino walks.
I mention Mieres because it's...
I brought my vitamins and medications (ibuprofen, aspirin, diarhea/constipation -related)_with me when I walked from Le Puy last September, and my wife brought hers. We put them in plastic bags, some distinguishable in the same bag. The weight addition was negligible and they take up very...
Can't say I remember other than it was on the main street over a deli. We were winging it, going against all advice regarding walking in France. We arrived, the door was open, we selected bunks. When the proprietor arrived, we were asked who we were, scolded for not calling in advance. But they...
We walked this two years after the walk from SJPdP to Roncevalles. They are both beautiful; do not miss it if the day is nice, as it was for us. They are both steep. Combining these two factors, take it slowly, drinking in the beauty. What is different is that peaks tower above you. It's...
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