Day Five on the Camino

Weather was beautiful today, clear skies, moderate temperatures and no rain. Unfortunately, we have all had enough of the Camino. Santiago Ways, the company we booked our trip with, consistently underestimated the kilometers we need to walk to get from one city to another. Perhaps they are just calculating the distance from city A to … Continue reading Day Five on the Camino →

Final Day Walking the Camino

On our final day walking the Camino we went from Padron into the city of Santiago de Compostela. We walked 31 kilometers, more than 45,000 steps. That was an insane amount of walking! Here is a photo of the Camino we walked, from Tui to Santiago. This map was included on our credencial del peregrino … Continue reading Final Day Walking the Camino →

Fourth Day Walking the Camino

The weather was sunny and comfortable today and the sights were delightful. However, as it was the fourth straight day of walking long distances, getting to our final destination was tough. We covered 29 kilometers, more than 40,000 steps. It was very hard to walk that far! I also discovered that one of my toes … Continue reading Fourth Day Walking the Camino →

Third Day Walking the Camino

No rain today and many beautiful sights. Walking is getting harder though as it is the third day in a row of long-distance hiking, including going up and down many hills. Also, when Google maps says there is a cafe up the street, that may not be the case. So expect some disappointments. I would … Continue reading Third Day Walking the Camino →

Second Day Walking the Camino

We walked 20 kilometers today in Galicia. That was about 30,000 steps. This is a beautiful part of Spain that reminds me of Switzerland, with its rolling hills and charming homes displaying an abundance of flowers. Here are two photos I took in this Northwest region of Spain. Here are some of the many flowers … Continue reading Second Day Walking the Camino →

First Day Walking the Camino

Hubby and I walked 33,000 steps today, almost 23 kilometers. That’s the most either of us has done in almost 34 years of marriage. Bonus: we are still speaking to each other! Here we are about to begin in front of Tui Cathedral We saw lots of lovely sights along the way. Here are some … Continue reading First Day Walking the Camino →

Walking the Camino de Santiago

My hubby and I are finally walking the Camino de Santiago along with a British couple we befriended here in Spain. We had planned to go in May 2020 but the pandemic started a few months earlier. Things were still dicey in May 2021 but now in May 2022 we finally felt it would be … Continue reading Walking the Camino de Santiago →

Ukraine to Spain, Our World in Turmoil

By Susan Champion BBC News photo of fighting in Ukraine Somewhere in a Kiev basement A mother cries out Is there a bus leaving soon? Is there a bus leaving soon? Asks the child’s aunt Our homes destroyed, nothing left Our homes destroyed, nothing left No food or water How must we survive here now? … Continue reading Ukraine to Spain, Our World in Turmoil →

Dutch People Led Resistance to Nazis during WWII

In honor of National Holocaust Remembrance Day, I am going to highlight how Dutch people were leaders of the resistance to the Nazis during World War II. By reviewing the Righteous Among Nations site, I learned that Dutch people offered the most resistance against the Nazis during World War II in terms of per capita … Continue reading Dutch People Led Resistance to Nazis during WWII →

Italy at Christmas Despite the Pandemic

During Christmas time 2020, we had planned to go to Italy as a family. Of course, this plan was cancelled along with everyone else's plans once the pandemic struck us hard starting in March of that year. We decided to try again to see this culture-rich country in 2021. The original plan was that our … Continue reading Italy at Christmas Despite the Pandemic →