Chicago! One of the great cultural centers in the U.S. Highlighted are a few of the many sightseeing possibilities on a travel adventure to the Windy City. A favorite spot in the downtown Loop area is Millennium Park. This top tourist attraction opened in 2004 and spans over 24 acres. [...]
During the final days of Camino Portuguese we passed through more Galician forests, rustic villages with horreos, & scenic Spanish cities. Intermittent rain followed us, and we sometimes left later in the morning after waiting for showers to subside. Overall, sunshine balanced out the wet days, and we felt [...]
Hola Espana! A sign announced our arrival to Spain after crossing the bridge from Valenca. We were now in Tui in the region of Galicia & more than halfway through our Camino journey. Tui is a popular starting town for Camino Portuguese and 117 km (73 miles) away from [...]
From Ponte de Lima the path continued through cobblestoned towns, tree groves, and countryside with a mountain backdrop. Many homes were bordered by grapevine fences next to gardens that grew summer produce in abundance. Cloudy skies turned blue for the final days of the route in Portugal. Our walking [...]
Happy Holidays! Check out the 10% discount on all Pilgrim Pouches & Zipper Pulls! Perfect for gifts! Black Boot Bag: 4.3 oz.; medieval style boot design, which is the Pilgrim Pouch brand logo inspired by the countless walkers who have trekked the Camino over the centuries. Gold Bee Bag: 5 [...]
The Road from Sao Pedro de Rates to Barcelos wandered through eucalyptus groves, pastoral neighborhoods, & fields bordered by vines. Camino guidance included a variety of plaques, yellow arrows, & stone markers that showed how many kilometers were left to reach Santiago. On the Central Route there were more [...]
The wait was over! In June 2022 Dad & I walked Camino Portuguese from Porto, Portugal after several years of planning. Our route included walking three days along the coast & then crossing over to the Central Route northward to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There are two coastal [...]
Checking out Camino routes to walk next? The Camino Primitivo is a lesser known trail that has gained popularity in recent years. This path, called "The Original Way," was the first route walked in the 9th c. It spans over 200 miles & typically takes two or more weeks to [...]
San Diego's Balboa Park is a favorite place to spend an afternoon with the Pilgrim Pouch. Opened in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, the park encompasses 1,200 acres & includes museums, an organ pavilion, art studios, tea house, gardens, & a Lily Pond with koi fish (& ducks!). The buildings [...]
The 13th c. bridge over the Gave d'Oloron river in Navarrenx Interested in a Chemin de St. Jacques walk across France? Consider the Via Podiensis, one of 4 main French trails that connect with Camino Frances in Spain (the others are Via Turonensis from Paris, Via Lemovicensis from Vezelay, [...]