We met Vanda at the starting point of the Portuguese Camino. She is the female part of our Portuguese friends and had decided to come with us on our first leg. It was wonderful as she led us out of ‘fadoland’. The male part had painted some dripping yellow painted signs in strategic places where we could see them because we were looking for them, while locals could not easily see them for they weren’t [...]
I waited at a distance to capture the greetings between Corrie and our Portuguese friends, outside the Brasileira (a dark and mysterious coffee shop, once the meeting place of poets and writers destined to change the world) not far from the world’s oldest bookshop. I waited in the shadow of Pessoa’s statue with my Itchy camera. There’s nothing for me like the capturing of that first emotional look and hug of old friends whom you [...]
Just a short message to let you know of our departure on Wednesday for our walk on the Portuguese Camino starting in Lisbon and ending in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We will spend time in Madrid and Lisbon then leave on the camino around April 5, and hope you can join us as we post each day.
At first I saw you standing by the road Just one, to let the world know: ‘I am here’, That glance that stole my heart and really showed The power of that beauty when so near. Soon others then appeared in similar flush, I loved you all, I knew not how to choose, You spread to fields afar in one red blush, Not one of you, could I, afford to lose. Yet was not love [...]
Sitting in a bookshop reading introductions to books about the city/country I’m in is a crucial part of my enjoyment of that place. So when Philip said we may not be going there for a while, I sulked a bit. As I sat in my very comfortable sulking chair, trying to look for a positive slant to this dilemma, a couple of books talked to me. Alain de Boton spoke first from his ‘Art as [...]
Longfellow wrote a poem about it, which made it to the film studios, and I’m reading one of many books devoted to the pride and joy of Brugge in Belgium. It is the Belfry tower, and tower it does in all its medieval glory over this stunning town. Nearly 400 steep and ever narrowing steps challenged my balance as they took me to the top of this famous landmark. As you step back in time, [...]
Sabine was there to greet us and to drive us from Nimes to her plentiful old stone house near Florac. Her family have had this mountainside getaway for three generations so it is in her blood. We met her and her friend on ‘the way’ in Italy. Corrie had a huge blister, and Sabine being a doctor saw it as her duty to care for her during our 2 week walk together in Italy. There [...]
On our way, 1st class now (price is similar to 2nd class??) to FLORAC to spend a few days with our friend Sabine in her country home. Because of continual strikes, one can only travel on certain dates so planning is crucial. We leave the north with some photos from Pontarlier Our travelling companions
Our home was on a busy highway and well off the Via Francigena track, so google maps showed us a nearly non-car road that would cut across a field and join up with our camino track from yesterday. Back along our field track, along the small road through the fir-tree-forest and into the storm-hit village of last night where the council was removing the gravel from the new road that the storm had washed up. [...]
Six kilometres from our final French village, Pontarlier, seemed like a good plan so there wouldn’t be a long strenuous day to finish with tomorrow. Climbing steeply out of our valley home was a great way to start the day. While it is harder and longer than normal, for us it is more enjoyable as there are or may be, little surprises waiting round the corners and there is a need for greater concentration. Around [...]
