Author Archives: Jaime Carrollo

Today celebrates the feast day of San Isidro, Isidore the Laborer, patron Saint of farmers and by extension, those who live and work in the countryside. Luis, who runs the Pikua Landetxia Casa Rural where Peter and I spent the night, considers himself a country worker but laments that he does not get to celebrateContinue reading “Day 4. Happy San Isidro Day”

I woke up this morning and fitted a plastic cover over my backpack because rain was predicted all day until late afternoon. I stepped out of the hotel and a vicious wind ripped my plastic cover off. I went back inside to do some more engineering, then went over to Peter’s hotel. My cover survived.Continue reading “Day 3: Lessons in Geology”

I arose at 6:30 and after a quick shower, began reorganizing my backpack and day bag. It takes a few days to get used to the new routine and I wanted to make sure that the items I would need throughout the day were easily accessible. This included placing my Hefty trash can liner whichContinue reading “Day Two: My first “stamp” of the trip”

Day One was a very long day. It started on Thursday at 6 am in Houston and ended up on Friday at 6 pm in Pasaia at the Donibanea Hotel. I arrived at San Sebastián airport, which is actually located in Hondarribia, next to Irun, the Basque city next to France and the official startContinue reading “Day One: the Camino del Norte begins”

The Camino calls. It is almost time to go. Time is a funny thing, as I learned when I retired and discovered I had more “time” to really think about it. Time is as real as the Colorado River that I rafted down a couple weeks ago: flowing, everchanging, evermoving, yet ungraspable. With help fromContinue reading “Heartbeats and Eternal Life”

When I wrote the last post about a month ago, it was on the eve of arriving in Santiago de Compostela. A couple days ago, I sat down and read through all my posts, with a map at my side to help remember the routes and villages I visited. I went through my photos toContinue reading “This is the last post from last year’s Camino de Jaime along the Camino Frances: The next stage of the Camino”

Let’s start with yesterday: Lisa and I walked from Palas de Rei to Arzua, vía Melide, a town well known for its pulperías, or octopus restaurants. Pulpo Gallego is a popular dish throughout Spain. The octopus is boiled until firm but tender and then spiced with paprika and coarse salt and drizzled with olive oil.Continue reading “Today, and Tomorrow”

Today was a very utilitarian day. I walked from Portomarin to Palas de Rei. I had a coffee here and a coffee there, none too good, but each good enough to take the time to drink. Arriving in Palas de Rei, I did my laundry. I met up with Lisa and we had a mealContinue reading “Short post today”

I walked past the Iglesia Santa Marina as it’s bells rang out 8:00 am. Today was a very foggy and misty day, as it was meant to be. The fog did not lift until I passed the 100 kilometer marker. You know that today was going to be different. Let me list a few thingsContinue reading “Closing in on 500 Miles”

I did not fall asleep easily last night. An unusual feeling numbed me and I could not understand what was it’s cause. Confused thoughts rambled through my mind. Had I come this far only to somehow not finish the walk? Was I in some limbo from which there was no escape? Would I never wakeContinue reading “Green Sky”