Last updated Jul 12, 2022 | Published on Dec 8, 2021 | Travel Turkey
With a population of over 15 million people, Istanbul is a vibrant city with no shortage of amazing things to see and do. The city famously spans two continents and is split by the Bosphorus Strait, a wide channel that is easily crossed by a network of ferries and...
Last updated Nov 24, 2021 | Published on Nov 24, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
After my arrival in Santiago de Compostela on October 20th, 2021, I was eager to begin exploring the city. I had spent the last 16 days on a pilgrimage along the  Portuguese Camino to reach Santiago. Now that I had finally arrived, I couldn’t wait to see the...
Last updated Nov 18, 2021 | Published on Nov 18, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
On October 20, 2021, I finally reached the ultimate goal of the Portuguese Camino: the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. According to tradition, Saint James the Apostle is buried underneath the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. After his remains were (supposedly)...
Last updated Nov 18, 2021 | Published on Nov 7, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
I snuggled into my bed, enjoying the comfortable mattress and soft sheets. Like most nights on the Portuguese Camino, I had sprung for a private room and was thoroughly enjoying it. The thought of bed bugs on the Camino was far from my mind. The following day, I would...
Last updated Nov 18, 2021 | Published on Oct 31, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
“¡Buenos dÃas!” said a friendly-looking man, waving at me from the other side of a fence. The greeting broke me out of my reverie. I had headphones in and my mind was miles away. I removed my earbuds and smiled, looking around. The man was standing in a...
Last updated Nov 6, 2021 | Published on Oct 28, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
I awoke this morning feeling much better than I did yesterday. I still felt a bit tired, but otherwise much improved. It seems that spending the day in bed was exactly what I needed. Time to continue along the Portuguese Camino towards Santiago de Compostela! I was a...
Last updated Nov 6, 2021 | Published on Oct 25, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
I awoke to a dingy hotel room with a sore back and a headache. My body felt as if I had gotten hit by a truck. I had slept poorly the previous night thanks to an extra firm mattress. My trick of stuffing pillows under my hips and shoulders had helped a little, but not...
Last updated Nov 6, 2021 | Published on Oct 22, 2021 | Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
“Una copa de vino blanco de la casa por favor,” I said to our server. The woman taking our order was the owner of the both the café and also the adjoining albergue (hostel) in which we were sleeping that night. In fact, Natalia and I had given her all our...
Last updated Nov 6, 2021 | Published on Oct 20, 2021 | Hiking in Portugal, Hiking in Spain, Portuguese Camino
Sunlight streamed through the windows of my hotel room and nudged me awake. I groaned. We had stayed up a bit later than I had intended the previous night. And we drank a lot of wine. By this point, I had been walking every day for a week. I was ready for a day off....
Last updated Nov 6, 2021 | Published on Oct 18, 2021 | Hiking in Portugal, Portuguese Camino
The 8th day of my pilgrimage on the Camino Portuguese was a big one for me. I would reach the official halfway point between Porto, Portugal and Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I also planned to cross the border from Portugal into Spain. Or, I would come very close to...
