Paula’s Epilogue So concludes another adventure with Wildebeest and Zebra. So ends our roaming as accidental tourists, stumbling into kindnesses and shared humanity.  Children all over the world chase pigeons.  We return with equal amount of gratitude and humility. Maybe when we feel most ridiculous, we feel most alive. We are aware that once 20…

We made it to Santiago de Compostela. I am feeling a sense of loss that this journey is over. I will miss starting the day with a challenge and ending it with a sense of accomplishment.  I will miss the intimacy of walking for hours in silence with Paula.  I will miss the unexpected surprises…

“Where are youz guiz from?” At first Dex’s accent was distracting, the tongue stud wasn’t helping.  The tables in the center piazza were tightly arranged.  Dex and Ricky, both English, one from New Castle the other 10Km outside Canterbury.  The two men met several years earlier and became buddies for an annual guy’s trip, their…

We moved with the River on a bright sunny day listening to Saunder’s A Swim in a Pond in in the Rain and then Carroll’s Constantine’s Sword, not speaking much but fully connected through our Ear Pods. This was an easy stage, mild undulations through pine, eucalyptus and gum forests along streams and creeks.  …

We’ve walked through England, across France and the Alps, the length of the Italian Peninsula and Portugal without encountering more than a handful of fellow travelers per day, so walking in a river of people flowing toward Santiago requires an adjustment.  We are with walkers of all sizes and shapes and from every nationality known…

April 24, 2025 Paula’s Weekly Summary: News from the Back. We’ve walked 567km averaging 27 kms a day.  Vasco de GamBa has kept us safe and on the path. While walking, frequently single file, we engage in interesting conversations.  The road noise can be overwhelming, and we often fail to hear the correct words or…

As we crossed an old roman bridge, now suitable only for pedestrian traffic, in a pine forest decorated with rows of wild calla lilies, about 10 km from the nearest town, we heard a siren’s wail of bagpipes.  A wedding procession?  Scottish observance of the day after the day after Easter? A funeral dirge? A…

Caminha’s center square is a sea of tables and chairs belonging to various restaurants and cafes housed in the noble looking structures lining its sides.  It’s easy to imagine it in the summer, a beehive of joyful activity, yet while only a few people sat drinking coffee this morning it was beautiful.  The 16th century…

We were in a hurry, because in the historic, traffic restricted, center of Viano do Castelo, the luggage had to be at the front door of the B&B by 8:00 am. As usual, I slathered my feet with Aquafor, quickly pulled up the socks, slid the into the boots and carried the bags to the…

We decided to avoid the seashore route in favor of a trail that took us through the wooded hills further inland. A gentle wind carried us forward at a good clip. In celebration of Easter every hamlet and town sets off fireworks, some pretty loud bangs and crackles, which followed us pretty much all morning.…