Category: Travel
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Day 3: Monistrol-d’Allier to Saugues
~10 miles (big uphill and then rolling hills) Today was challenging, although not as difficult as yesterday. The route went up the mountain instead of down, but the path was wider and not quite as vertical as the day before. Shortly after leaving Monistrol-d’Allier we came across a small chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene built…
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Day 2: Montbonnet to Monistrol-d’Allier
~10 miles, mostly downhill (but very steep and difficult) Todays walk was hard. We descended about 1500 feet in just a few miles; the track was near vertical and filled with rocks and roots and lined with blackberry and stinging nettle. The long decent was rough on my knees, but we went slow and managed…
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Day 1: Le Puy to Montbonnet
~10 miles, mostly uphill (although fairly easy overall) I’m not even sure where to begin. Today was a multitude of days all contained within about 10 miles of waking. We started in Le-Puy-en-Valley and ended in Montbonnet, crossing farmlands, fields, tiny villages, and many hills. The day was relatively cool (low 60’s) and it rained…
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Brussels, Belgium (Pre-Camino)
Synchronicity is a funny thing. We often notice that which we are focused on, however sometimes it feels more significant than that. Sometimes there are moments in life where you can’t help but feel like you must be on the right path. Our visit to Brussels was just such an experience. We stopped in the…
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Amsterdam
Our time in Europe, began with 4 days in Amsterdam, one of my favorite cities in the world! It had been 14 years since I visited and I was looking forward to getting over jet lag while reacquainting myself with this place. Our plane landed at 9 in the morning, after a 10 hour flight,…
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Packing for the Camino
I have this funny narrative in my head about having the “perfect” backpack of belongings for our upcoming walk on the Via Podiensis in France. I’ve had 11 years to plan (since I walked my last Camino in 2012 and learned so much about pack weight—mostly that I had TOO much), so it just seems…
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Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
I had the pleasure of spending the last few days in Estes Park, Colorado for a work conference and was captivated by the expansive and dramatic landscape. In between workshops, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours (I know, not nearly enough time, but it’s all we had!), in Rocky Mountain National Park…
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The Next Adventure: Camino de Santiago (Via Podiensis—France) July 2023
Two months ago I bought plane tickets to Europe with plans to walk my second Camino, this time the Via Podiensis (also knows as the Chemin du Puy) in France. I walked my first Camino 11 years ago this summer (~175 miles total on the Camino Frances in Northern Spain); a decision that, at the…
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Sunset on the Oregon Coast
Sunsets are often beautiful, but sometimes they take your breath away.
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Spring on the Oregon Coast
April 13, 2023 I spent the week on the Oregon Coast. It’s been years since I’ve written a blog post, but being out here has pushed me to start writing again. I’m also taking a social media break—at least trying to. I’m one of the people who love to be “in the know,” and I…
It Could Be Sunshine 