Summer 2025 - Camino de Santiago
This is a 1500km pilgrimage from Le Puy-en-Velay, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The trek should take 6-7 weeks. Trekkers (in the thousands!) stay at churches, hostels, or camp along the way. Most people choose shorter routes but I will complete the longest route, because why not!?
Camino Blog
31/03/2025
Day Before Departure to London, UK
I went from an apartment, to a car, and now to a backpack. Having downsized twice now, I realize how many things I had that I don't really need. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a truely minimalist lifestyle in contrast to one of relative excess. So, I've got my spork, my headlamp, and my journal. It's time to adventure.
04/04/2025
Edinburgh
Alas, I have made it to my first destination, Scotland. I don't think I've ever been awake for 30 hours, but between moving out, catching ferries, flights, and buses - all with some delays - I arrived in London at 11:30 AM. At that point I had been awake for 24 hours, apparently you're supposed to fight jet lag until you sync with their time zone, but by 5 PM London time I had to sleep and did so for 11 hours. That was the best sleep I've ever had. London seemed quite familiar from the little I saw, lot's of graffiti and old housing. Edinburgh however, blew my mind. I have never before seen such dense and pervasive old school architecture. Seeing a majestic castle atop a great green hill in the middle of town reminded me of Mel Gibson with a blue face. I arrived at my forst volunteer spot, it's quite dirty here but there's a very strong and friendly community of diverse humans. There are four of us to a room, and about three rooms. I may stay here for three weeks or one, there is a another volunteer option in Vezelay, France in a castle. I may go there instead. I had ablayover in Iceland and I was very impressed how strong a culture an island nation of 400,000 has; strong economy and stronger language. Anyway, it's 7:30 AM here and my three roomates from Manchester, Italy, and Diego from I don't know yet are all still aound asleep. It's time to start my first day as a volunteer in Edinburgh!
07/04/2025
Volunteering
I should mention that the El Camino hike doesn't start until early May. Until then, I will be volunteering at an abondoned World War 2 bunker. It's wilder than it sounds. Someone has bought the bunker and is now restoring it into an entertainment venue. It's a slow process. People from all over the world come to offer help. I'm making good friends with my roomates from Italy, Miami, and Manchester. Karaoke was held in the abondoned bunker for all but 12 people, replete with smoke machines, speakers, instruments, and a 15 foot tall skeleton wrapped in Christmas lights. It was a sight to see, dancing humans in a semi-derelict bunker with WW2 memorabilia galore. There are goats, emus, and chickens that provide us with fresh eggs every morn. We joke that if an apocolyse truly were to come, we would be hunky dory. For the final week of April, I will be meeting one of my closest friends in Spain, where he has been teaching English. They take two weeks off there for Easter, and the festivals will be rich and lively. But for now, I will be walking the streets of Edinburgh in preparation for the El Camino. I walked 25 km through town yesterday. I had meant to only train that day but came across an 8 story tall distillery. It had a chic modern black design with a bar on the eighth floor. I arrived with my huge 30 pound backback and enjoyed a whiskey while overlooking the sprawling city of Edinburgh, with magnificent spires galore. Other volunteers happened to be at a small live music pub nearby, so I joined them. I was taken aback by the skill of these musicians, as they each downed pints every few songs - even a tiny Scottish gal with the voice of an angel. Scotland is more than I ever could have imagined, and it's only my fourth day. About 80 more to go!
21/04/2025
Crossing Straits
My time in Edinburgh has passed. I'm happy to leave for perhaps more sanitary living conditions, but I am terribly sad to be leaving the people I have met there from all over the world. It's amazing how close you can get with humans in so short a time. At the bunker, I was doing labour work. I was using heavy equipment and almost drove a tractor over a cliff, but all is well. It was fun digging in the rain with fellow travellers. Yesterday, after a ten hour bus ride from Edinburgh, I arrived in London again. I had a full day this time and chose to spend it retracing the steps my grandmother took to her highschool. During the war, she sometimes skipped classes to walk around the recently bombed buildings. I spoke with a gentleman who is now living where my grandma did, I was hoping he would invite me in for a cuppa, but instead we had a brief and friendly chat. She lived near the Crystal Palace, perhaps I should be a die hard fan now for the Crystal Palace Premier League futbol team. It was great to explore this part of my heritage, so starkly different from the rock and taiga of Denendeh. I had a run in with an unfriendly, well-dressed German girl last night. The night before last night, we all went out with some Australians, they were these hulking rugby players who worked in the Tasmanian SWAT devision. They were as kind as they were large. But for some reason, this girl did not like me despite my friendliness. I thought nothing of it, until last night when she struck me in my bunk. I was in bed and the fellow below me waa snoring like a chainsaw, at three in the morning, when she got back from drinking, she had a fit about the snoring, thought it was me, and hit me in my bunk to wake me, even though I was already awake. I scolded her that assaulting people is bad, she broke down crying and switched rooms. And last night was supposed to be my full eight hour sleep! What a drag! There's more to tell about how mean she was to me for no reason, and because of how kind I was to her, I suspect racism but I suppose we'll never know now. But after a few more hours of rest, a coffee in the morning, and filing an official complaint - all is well! Quite literally everyone else I've met has had a beautiful soul, and I can't wait to meet many more. I'm writing this as I cross the Strait of Dover. I'm on another ten hour bus trip to Paris. After tomorrow, I'll be taking a 24 hour bus trip from Paris to Madrid, including a five hour layover at the border. I'm looking forward to watching the landscape change, and feeling the temperature drop. I'll miss the chilly weather of Scotland, even if my American friends there, from Florida and LA, despised it. I am excited for France and Spain, it will be an enjoyable calm before the rough weeks to come on the Camino trail. May my body be strong, and fate kind.
05/05/2025
Tapas
Perhaps my tongue is weak, or perhaps all coffee connoisseurs are wrong - but espresso tastes terrible. It's so acidic and bitter, I'd much prefer the watered down and far larger serving across the sea; in the typical American fashion. Otherwise, France and Spain have been fantastic. The food is delicious, people seem to stay up later, and I enjoy the higher density of humans. I stayed with my close friend in Spain for over a week. He lives in the city center of Madrid two stories above a busy alleyway. It was enjoyable smoking a cigar with him, as we watched the busy street below, waving at close neighbours doing the same. We visited Granada, about 4.5 hours by bus, which is known for their tapas culture. If you order a drink they serve you with a small dish. Often you would forget about tapas, order a drink, and end up with vinegar sardines or chicken liver - the surprise was always welcome. I survived the 24 hours bus trip from Paris. I was locked out of my friend's apartment when I arrived after my night bus from 12 am to 7 am, being so close to a bed, the wait was dreadful but I was let in when the roommates woke. I was expecting a quiet time in Madrid but it ended up being a fast paced stay with lots of friends and visitors, public concerts, and late night city expeditions. I loved my time in Madrid and made many new friends. Something else very interesting happened here, there was an unprecedented nation wide black out that lasted 8 hours or so. The black out affected Portugal and, I believe, France as well. For that whole period all traffic lights were off, subways stopped in the middle of tunnels amd the people had to be rescued, buses were packed with people panicking to get home, there was zero cell phone service, you could really feel the tension in the air as each hour passed. Police men with helmets and batons at their side were growing in presence, as were their mounted colleagues on branded horses. People couldn't pay for anything as card systems were down. It started at about 1 pm, I had a great time at the start. I was in the zoo and there wasn't many people that day. I will remember connected with the giraffes, a rhino, and a sea lion. I played peek-a-boo with the giraffe that was about five feet away. The rhino was only separated from my by 6 foot moat. The rhino didn't seem to like my presence, so it snorted at me and gave me the classic hoof scraping the earth. My heart jumped and I promptly left Mr. Rhino. I watched the sea lion swim im circles for almost an hour. Each lap it would surface and look at me. I felt peace here. It was sad to see the animals in such a limiting space, but what a perfect metaphor for what humans have done to themselves. But as I left the zoo, I really saw the choas outside. Traffic was heavy and all drivers were disgruntled, traffic men did their best to direct the vehicles. I passed by a fresh accidentband a man lay on the road, not moving. I thought he was dead, but at least he was blinking. I hope he's okay. I met up with my friend at his place, and walked around. Strangers were gathered around the few who had radios, all waiting for some kind of update or explanation. Many of us thought that this would last a long time. I began to imagine being trapped in Spain for a long time. (Tapas and cigars for a little while longer?) Young people were gathering with their speakers or guitars, there was singing and dancing everywhere, all apparently celebrating not working tomorrow morning or the nigh apocolypse. Although joyous in appearance, there was still an unsettling hum of uncertainty - as though those dancing to the music would just as soon loot the nearby vulnerable stores. Police cars zoomed to and fro, surely stretched thin during these chaotic hours. Around nine or ten, the lights finally came back on and everyone in the streets cheered in unison. Using contactless payment and power outlets after this had never felt so good. I am now in Le Puy, France. It is gorgeous and cold here. I will be starting my 750 km trip to the Spanish border in two days. I will meet up with my friend there and continue to Santiago. I don't think I'll be able to finish the full 1500 km but I will get as far as I can. Normally people have about 8 kg packs, but mine amounts to about 22 kg. I am strong, but this may prove to be a much harder trip than anticipated. No matter, I will take one step at a time. I will be making more regular and shorter posts from now on, so stay tuned! Also, forgive my spelling errors. I am directly updating the HTML code on my phone and it's a bit tricky. Anyway, I will now finish my café allongé and continue reading this book about the search for extraterrestrial life. Good bye!
09/05/2025
Camino: Day 3
My blog post was deleted because my browser closed while writing it, oops! I will update on day 1 and 2 tomorrow. I walked 37 km today and am quite sleepy. I managed to find a home to sleep in with a delicious meal made by the host.
10/05/2025
Camino: Day 1, 2, 3, and 4
The hike is not what I expected. Instead of scruffy young adventurers there are affluent, retired French people; all decked out in the finest gear. I am by far the youngest on the trail, but that hasn't stopped me from meeting amazing people. People call it the Camino Family, because no matter what pace you have, you always seem to cross paths with the same people. I particurly like these older german guys I keep seeing that I shared a small room with on day two. I hear about Parisian pride, and was amused when the head of a parisian family assured everyone at the table that a -25C day in Yellowknife wouldn't be nearly as cold as a -5C day in Paris, because it's a 'wet cold', classic. Oh, and appartly his son was a fancy chef, he said that about three times. The hostel host yesterday literally cringed when she found out I was anglophone. It was tough following the intimate dinner with three older french people. She was quick to usher me out the door the morning after. I'm enjoying these experiences of being a bit of an outsider. I already really try to include people, but I don't think I've been trying hard enough, especially with foreign people. My body is getting used to the tough conditions. My feet are hardening, and my shoulders and back are getting used to the weight of my backpack. Shoulders like mule. I must rest now, the room is finally getting to bed. I'm rooming with three lovely french people, co-ed dorms.
12/05/2025
Day 5 and 6
Today marks kilometer 150. The past two days have been the best so far. Two dinners ago, I was plating food for 20 or so people, the food was delicious. The hike the day after was rough, mostly uphill, very windy, with heavy rains. The mud made things tough amd perilous. But upon arrival in a tiny town, I stayed in an old castle built in the 1100's. It was cold in the castle and there was a very tight spiralling staircase going up three stories. I ended up getting supper at a local restaurant with a fella I was walking with. It can be hard speaking French with people, because few people are willing to simplify their language, they just switch to English or continue to speak quickly with complexity. But this guy spoke English at the same level I spoke french. So our conversations naturally switched between both. A perfect language exchange! Today's walk was perfect. It started woth 5C weather, then as I descended the sun came out and making the lush forest and purple flowers pop. Tonight's dinner was fantastic. We had the whole history given to us by the host. A seashell is emblematic of the pilgrimmage, you sea people with ome attached to their bag. I was unaware it was used as proof of completion for delinquents who were forced to do the pilgrimmage as punishment. Bunk mates tonight are two swiss fellas, a quebecuer, and a swede. May the best snorer win.
17/05/2025
24hr Spread Eagle
It's incredible what 24 hours of rest can do for the body. After 8 days of arduous trekking, after a day of 35 km from 9 AM to 9 PM and then sleeping near the trail in my bivvy bag, then walking 26 km more the morning after at 6 AM, I arrived at the next town, not in pain, but sheer exhaustion. I decides to get a private room for two nights for a modest price. I spent the next day laying in the grass by a church reading my book. I felt like I could literally feel my muscles and tendons strengthening. It was incredible. I enjoyed some woodfire pizza and an ice cream cone. A nice change from the usual cheese, nut, meat trio for a meal. The morning after, I left and was amazed at how light the ~50 lbs. bag was. I thought I forgot heavier items but it was just because I had finally taken a rest. Every day for over a week it was 8 hours of walking, socializing, sleep, then walking again. My body was exhausted. Anyway, 5 more weeks to go! My backpack is becoming an appendage of mine. It's shape and contents constantly change with the weather and my needs. It's alive! It's as though I've stepped through am invisible membrane since my last post. From mountainous chill and rain, it's now lush fantasy land. Many of the cities I've been walking through have been awarded top 100 most beautiful towns in France, and it's easy to tell why. It's all green, and laced with flowers. Everything is made from rock - the roads, the fences, the houses, the shingles. There are rivers, cats, birds, fountains, and markets. Now I understand the great appeal of France. Paris was meh, but the rural south is *chefs kiss*. I can't wait to see the Pyranees, and rural Spain. Adios!
21/05/2025
Tough
Oh, the mental toll of going off trail. The night before I had terrible allergies, so much that I moved and slept outside under a hostel roof in my outdoor set up while it was raining. The sleep was bad, but it was actually nice sleeping somewhere dry, dozing off to the sounds of rain. The next day was a bigger one, a minimum of 31 km, there was no town in between. After some chow, I set off at 8:30. After about two hours of walking I figured things didn't look quite right, there was too much road. It turns out that the trail signs I've been following without error until now belong not just to the GR65 trail I'm doing, but all GR variations. So after checking the map, I realize I had gone 3 km off trail. This may not seem like a lot, but six kilometers before the final destination, the mental toll was high. Knowing that I should already be there when my feet are tired and I'm thirsty was a real treat. And then arriving to town, realizing that my hostel was another 2.7 km away, uphill, this had been my hardest day so far. I am developing a pilgrim smell as well, but of this I am quite proud. I am washing my clothes frequenty, but the big, clunky back pack is hard to clean and rid of the scent of grind and perseverence. I don't mind, I can't speak for the innocent city dwellers on the other hand.
22/05/2025
Pine Smell
Today was a relaxing 25 km. The trail was a consistent, thin, and enshrouded in tree canopy. It often smelled heavily of pine. For a long section, it was owned by a park and they added style with dispersed stone tablets with quotes on them, and picnic tables with decor amd sometimes even staling bread. I am the only man in the gite (hostel) tonight. I was last to arrive and they all happened to be in the front yard facing the open style entrance. Some were kind, some were perhaps shy. In the room with four beds shared with three older ladies, I got the only top bunk. The ice was broken before bed when I nearly tipped the bunk bed over, causing a commotion. Then I tried going up again, and my bunk mates bra was hooked to my shorts. We all had a good laugh. 30 km tomorrow towards a farm to sleep for the night. I'm looking forward to it.
27/05/2025
Fruit Country
I stayed on a farm the other day, at the end of the long hike they had laid out free cherries and apricots from the farm for pilgrims passing by. The fruits were crisp and so fresh, perfect after a long and hot day of hiking. The other day I also saw a lizard, it was emerald green and about the size of a rat. Smaller lizards are seen everywhere and they skitter into the bushes all the time. In open fields for as far as they eye can see, I was walking and enjoying the view. I heard a lizard skitter by my feet but when I looked down I saw a two inch thick snake writhing at my feet. I nearly soiled myself. The weather is getting much more hot. I'm developping a comfortable and cost effective routine. I am embracing the way of St. Jacques. My moustache hair has never been this long, yougurt is increasingly harder to eat.
30/05/2025
Steak
Today was the second most difficult day of the trek. It was not the longest, but by far the hottest. 27 km in 32 degree weather. I've experienced this on a walk in Taiwan, it was just as hot and even more humid, but at least I could sit where I wanted, didn't walk as far, and wasn't carrying a 45 pound bag. It's as though the sun was at it's zenith the entire day, Helios himself was resting in his throne, bored, basking relentlessly upon us pilgrims. I felt sort of like a blue rare steak, my exposed forearms and calves slowly roasting. I felt that the sunscreen was doing little. From now on if it's above 28 or 29 degrees I will wear long sleeve everything. Twenty minutes from the hostel, it seems Helios' boredom had not subsided. For his entertainment, he led me down the wrong path. Long story short, I ended up having to drag my pack through a literal tunnel of thorns. I triumphantly emerged out the other side, back into the sunlight, muddied and with thorns wrapped around me. Perhaps somewhere, the sun god lazily smirked. The hostel was beautiful, and 6 of us shared a meal in the yard with a grand view. The sunset was fantastic.
05/06/2025
Big Man
I have been joined by one of my closest friends, the great Korean Stallion, Soobin himself. Sitting at well over six feet tall, his stride is a challenge to keep up with. I feel like a hobbit with his big pack hobbling after Gandalf, but we're covering good distance. The Pyrenees are now in view. At first they were spooky; hard to make out just beneath the cloud line, like prowling giants. But as the clouds cleared, sun shined, and valley opened the Pyrenees' majesty became clear. I am crossing the border into Spain soon. I'll have to manage with my non-existent Spanish. Ole.
06/06/2025
Timing
My pal and I are pushing longer days and the end of the Puy-en-Velay Camino is nigh. People pay a lot more for dinner and breakfast at the hostels. The dinners are often gourmet. Budget pilgrims enjoy a more simple cuisine. However, I have discovered, if you are eating your nuts and sausages at about 7:30 PM the hosts will often give you not just some of the leftovers but all of them. It's a joy to fill up on chicken stirfrys, sauteed veggies, soups, and dessert after 30+km; especially when it's free. #caminohacks
10/06/2025
Pyrenees Hospitality
The Camino phone app has warning about today's hike as people have died on it. I thought they were being a bit dramatic until completing it today. That may have been the hardest thing I have ever done. 45 lbs bag, 32C weather, 1400 m of incline, 26 km walk. There was no hiding from the sun. I found a nook of shade full of painful thistle bush things, and next to a herd of sheep. They curiously peek over the rock just above to check me out. They were probably asking for water. Many horses amd sheep lay motionless in the heat, they looked dead. After endless incline I finally met back up with a treeline for some shade. I laid motionless for 15 minutes. Above me, four hawks circled me. I stayed as still as possible and they got closer amd closer. Their sharp eyes no doubt noticed my breathing and eye movement so they moved on to the next opportunity. Whether they wanted to snack on me or not, it was an eerie experience. Once again, Helios reigns. Praise SportsGrade sunscreen, and canned sardines ans cashews that got me through today. 27 km tomorrow.
14/06/2025
Second Last Stop
Instead of breaking my last trip up into two days, I decided to join my friend in doing a meaty 43 km in one day. This is beyond a maximum for the feet. I was on a sort of high to begin with, for the first 30+ km, but I must say that the last five kilometers were brutal. At every moment I wanted to rest, but any length of rest wouldn't take the ache from my feet, and time was limited to check into the hostel. But alas, I made it. My feet ached for the rest of the night as my pal and I enjoyed a nice night out in the biggest city I have seen in over a month. My first Camino is now complete. I did not complete the full route to Santiago of 1500 km, but I have done 860 km. Perhaps one day I will return to compete the rest, the Spanish portion. Already the first three days of the Spanish portion are a lot different. It feels rushed, the hostels rush you out in the morning and some start playing music at 7 am. The meals at night seem to emd as soon as they start, you are rushed out so the next batch may be served. Quite a difference to the intimacy of the Camino in France. The town I am in now is a massive university town. As I type this, a marching band is blasting music 20 feet from me, followed by an entourage of a few hundred youth, all singing in unison. After my late siesta today, I read, then I left to walk around at 8 pm. It had just started raining and as I walked down the middle of the street alone, hundreds of people lined the streets. Every store was packed, there was bar after bar. I wish I had a decible counter because the symphony of voices was incredible. Off to Barcelona tomorrow in a shared vehicle with randoms. That should be interesting.
19/06/2025
Gan Eden
On Sunday I made my way to Catalonia, East of Barcelona. I took a train to a more rural area. I had made plans to volunteer at a family's home. As Barcelona's infrastructure faded, I sent location information etc. to my sibling in case these people were Ted Bundy enthusiasts. I was picked up from the train by the host, he was thin, direct, and a bit serious. We went to his place and we got along, after over a month of pilgrimming, this man presented me with a guest house all to myself. He then brought me sheperds pie, veggies, and a beer. I'd say that's a solid start. It's now Thursday, and I am quite close with their family. The father was a professional juggler and clown, the mother is a composer and singer. They both fled the war in Israel, and used to live in a pseudo-anarchic society. They discribed it as bliss, until the war really started. With no ticket or plan, they left the country. Two years later, they are here, and I am with them; helping them settle into their new home. The work is hard, tiling, cementing, painting, but after working there is always fantastic food, nice drinks, and great company. It's amazing seeing how different cultures are forced to learn 3 or more languages. Their two daughters, who want to play all the time, are already speaking Hebrew, English, Catalan, and some Spanish. As they play in the pool, that we just filled, they switch between all three languages. It's awesome. On my trip to Barcelona from Pamplona I hitched a ride in a random car that I found on an app, with three strangers who also didn't know each other. I expected the worst, but they all spoke English...and French, and Spanish, Catalan, and Basque. Again they were all bouncing between languages. They told me of struggles for independence I wasn't aware of, of Basque and Catalonian resistence against Spain. At the end of our 6 hour trip, the two women helped me find my train, and said good bye with the classic kiss on each cheek, that was the first time I had done that. What a great way to greet or say good bye, it's quite intimate. Despite worrying, the car ride and volunteering has been phenominal. On Saturday, we will watch a Disney movie here with the family. I am helping them practice their English, and I'm getting quite good at juggling batons. The father has great stories of juggling at red lights in traffic, and about true acts of kindness from people in their car, the difference between someone in a Mustang giving him 20 euros out of pity, and someone else offering apples, coins, or company because of true appreciation of both his juggling and himself. We also made music from his looping station, I tried my hand at throat singing, I don't think I did too bad.