Hiking
Browsing by Tag
The Last Stamp – Reminiscence of an 828 Kilometre Walk
After 38 days of walking through the Northern Spanish countryside through the provinces of Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and finally Galicia, we had arrived in the legendary city of Santiago de Compostela just as the sun had begun to break through the thick morning fog to shine down upon Santiago’sRead More
DAY 38: The Road to Santiago
I pulled on my trusty blue and grey hiking socks one last time in the jet black darkness of the Albergue. I stuffed my scarlet red sleeping bag into its case and fit it expertly into my backpack automatically, my hands accustomed to the art of packing. I tied myRead More
DAY 37: Where the Sun Meets the Sky
I felt a twinge of uncertainty overtake me as we set out on the path in the early morning, the fog dancing through the trees like a siren, waiting to draw us into its murky grasp. The cool mist had always had a calming effect on our fast paced morningRead More
DAY 36: Walking on Eggshells
The colossal gong of the monastery of Sobrado dos Monxes began to toll as we turned the corner and left the city behind. I could see the magnificent bell tower in the back of my mind, ringing hourly just above the left wing of the church that I had exploredRead More
DAY 35: Storm and Sanctuary
My torch lit up the dark world around me, the distant, milky silhouettes of our fellow pilgrims starting out on the day’s path, coming to life in sharp outlines. The warm lights of the Albergue lit up the inky horizon in starry bursts of comfort and the sounds of everyone
DAY 34: A Walk Down Memory Lane
“I started out in Melbourne as a manager at Footlocker…” Dad began. I settle in eagerly to the walking rhythm of the Camino de Santiago del Norte, my feet pounding on the tar road in a tempo that has become second nature in these last 34 days. With the openRead More
A Trek Through Time … A Great Wall Hiking Adventure
The sheer scale of the crumbling 14th Century walkway on which I stood, overlooking the rugged valleys below in the distance, made me contemplate what must have motivated the First Ming Dynasty Hongwu Emperor to build it. He had risen as high as this wall, in just as short aRead More
DAY 33: The Last Blacksmith
A charcoal grey puffball of a cat glared at me diabolically from behind the enclosure of a window. His eyes bore into my shadow and gleamed devilishly as if he had just told us his nefarious plan to take over the world. The flash of my phone camera surprised theRead More
DAY 32: The Enchanted Forest
The chilling dawn fog swept through the tent as I unzipped the door. The brittle wind invaded our little sanctuary, sweeping any warmth we’d had previously, away in one fell blow and stinging my skin in the process. It. Was. Freezing. I hurriedly ran inside the warm sanctuary of theRead More
