Hiking in the Rain

See my AnnieWalkersCamino website at 

www.anniecarvalho.weebly.com

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe

A pause for the cause.

I know I sound like a commercial.

And no, I do not get a kickback for each one sold.

I just love, love, LOVE this poncho!

Does this look familiar?

Trust me, it's not comfortable at all.

The solution?

An Altus Poncho.

A few pilgrims in their Altus Ponchos

Bridget and Peter wearing their ALTUS

The Buchaneers ALTUS up!

The coverage is amazing, your pack and your body stay warm and dry

A billed ball cap will keep the front up off your face. 

Get one.

You won't be sorry!

Cuz wet paws are no fun!

The Pelgrimspad in ENGLISH - Coming Soon!

Today I finished reading the English version of Pelgrimspad: Through the Eyes of Hans Brinker.

This guide is being written by Jan Gerritsen, who has graciously asked me to do the editing.

The Pelgrimspad begins in Amsterdam, Netherlands and continues to 's-Hertogenbosch, a distance of about 210 kilometers.


The Pelgrimspad 2 continues to Vise' in Belgium and from there a pilgrim can take various routes on their way to Santiago.

Although there are plenty of little places to rent a bed, there are also lots of camping spots along the way for the frugal pilgrim or the one who just enjoys sleeping under the stars.

Until now, all the guides have been in Dutch or German. This will be the first ENGLISH version and this route is sure to become a favorite, based on what I've read so far!

It was so exciting to read these notes!
My feet are itching to walk!

I plan on starting in May, if all things go my way.

So stay tuned, Pilgrims!

An English Guide to the Pelgrimspad is on the burner!

Buen Camino!

* * *

Note:  If you are interested in walking the Camino Santiago, 

or the Pelgrimspad, 

but are not quite ready to go it alone, 

consider joining Annie

on one of our small, affordable Camino walks. 

For more information see our website 

at this link: AnnieWalkers Camino

Walking the Pelgrimspad - Amsterdam to Santiago

I turn 60 in August of 2012 and to celebrate, I plan on taking a 3 month hike. There are two routes I'm considering. One is from Rome to Santiago with two of my friends who are ALSO turning 60. The other route I'd really love to walk is the Pelgrimspad, beginning in Amsterdam and going all the way to Santiago de la Compostella in Spain.

This is a lovely route, flat for much of the way. It passes rivers, windmills, historic towns and villages.

The Pelgrimspad is broken into two parts or "Deels."  Deel 1 goes from Amsterdam to Hertogenbosh, about 199 kilometers. That is about 124 miles.

This stage goes through some lovely countryside! (photos by Hans Schultz)

Direction Sign

Waymark

Sometimes the way is marked by signs, and other times by small painted waymarks, so a pilgrim must keep their eyes open!

Deel TWO:  Deel 2 continues on to Vise' in Belgium, and is about 267 kilometers, about 165 miles for a total of 289 miles.

All along the way, campsites and other facilities are available.

The cost for camping; about 10 Euro per night.
Pensions;  25 – 35 Euros, including breakfast.
Hotels; 40 - 100 Euros per night

I plan on camping as much as possible, and staying in pensions only if it's raining.

According to Jan Gerritsen's guidebook, most of the Trail is on unpaved roads through forest and meadows. Large stretches are on paved roads and only short stretches are on tracks.

Once I reach Belgium, I'll continue to either Vezelay or Paris where I'll pick up the Camino. I haven't figured out how I will reach these cities yet. I'm talking to other people who have walked this route.

Click on Map to Make Larger

The trail runs southwest from Vézelay , famous for its pilgrimage to the shrine of Mary Magdalene, whose relics are reputedly kept in its magnificent Abbey.

Two distinct branches, of similar length comprise the Vezelay route - one passing through La Charité-sur-Loire, Bourges, Déols and Chateauroux, and the other through Nevers, Saint-Amand-Montrond and La Châtre - meet in the village of Gargilesse.  I'm not sure which I'll take yet. The route then continues across the foothills of the Limousin, the hills and valleys of the Périgord and the plains of Aquitaine and the Landes.  It joins the two other routes (from Tours and le Puy-en-Velay) near Ostabat.

The Paris route is the green line on the map above. 

It is approximately 1700 km from Vezelay to Santiago. That is 1056 miles for a grand total of over 1345 miles! KOWABUNGA!

I'm hoping to make this entire walk in about 3 months. If I run out of time, maybe I'll visit friends in Wales or find a housesitting job out of the Schengen countries for 3 months, then return.

According to the Confraternity of St. James website, the Vezelay route covers a wide variety of landscape and passes many historical sites & monuments.  After the foothills of the Morvan, the Niévre offers a great diversity of views, valleys, hills and forests, with only rare and very scattered dwellings. The large plains of the Berry are far from monotonous with their immense agricultural landscapes crisscrossed by hedges and copses. The valley of the river Creuse, and those of its tributaries (such as the Bouzanne or the Sédelle) are pretty at all times of year, with their gorges and the sites of their surprising dams. The Limousin is a land of forests and springs, of extensive cattle and sheep-raising, with its own distinctive architecture.  The Périgord, rich in livestock, agriculture and wine-growing, is crossed from one side to the other across the valleys of the Isle & Dordogne rivers.  The Gironde is the land of the vine (wines of Bergerac & Bordeaux), whereas the Landes, despite the vast plantations of pine-trees which may seem to isolate the pilgrim, present an ever more varied environment as one travels further south. As one approaches the Pyrenées Atlantiques one becomes aware with each passing day of the landscapes and the rushing mountain streams which announce the imminence of the mountain passes which are to be climbed.

I've also always wanted to see Lourdes, so a detour to Lourdes will be in the plans.

The Spectacular Pyranees

 However, I do love Paris and would enjoy spending a few days browsing The Louvre again.

Decisions, decisions!

And then, there's the trek from Rome to Santiago that Lillian has invited me to join...

Which shall I do?

* * * 

If you'd like to walk the Camino
but aren't quite ready to do it alone,
see my website:

Anniewalkers Camino

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe

Dreaming of My Next Trek

Even my doctor agreed yesterday 

that trekking is the best thing I can do for my health.

So I continue to plan and wait for the day 

I am free again to roam.

For my next trek, I have narrowed it down to 4 options.

Decisions, decisions!

Via de La Plata

From the Confraternity website:

 "The Via de la Plata follows the old Roman road from Seville to Astorga.  Several sections of the original paving have been exposed; many Roman milestones, and a number of bridges remain; and in addition to Mérida, one of the richest Roman sites in Spain, you pass many other Roman remains."

Beginning in Seville, in Andalucia, the route crosses Extremadura and part of Castille and León. At Astorga, you either join up with the Camino Frances, or you can turn west to reach Santiago via Puebla de Sanabria and Ourense. The countryside is spectacular, though dry, and Mermaid Lillian said that in the Spring the land is covered with wildflowers, something I'd love to see!

The views are lovely

Mornings are beautiful!

Finding water at a horse trough

The tiny green spot is me!

In 2009, I walked from Seville to Fuente de Campos, 

but was forced to give up because of extreme heat and lack of water.

I've heard the VDLP is lovely in Spring, so that is one option.

Camino Norte

The Camino del Norte (also known as the Coastal Route or the Northern Route) is one of the longer branches of the network of ancient pilgrim routes which together make up the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) . It runs for some 825 km. from the French border at Irún, through San Sebastian, Bilbao, and Santander to join the Camino Francés, (the main spine route of the Camino) at Arzua. It is also possible to divert to Oviedo and walk the Camino Primitivo (the original route) which joins the Camino Francés at Melide. 

The scenery on this route is fantastic with fine coastal views. The terrain is quite hilly for much of the route, and you are often sent inland to reach a bridge over the numerous rivers. It is much less crowded than the Camino Francés, and because of this, pilgrim accommodation is sparse in places. There is a great Wealth of ancient monuments, particularly churches and monasteries, and the larger cities have excellent facilities.

In 2009, I walked from Bilbao to Santander and really enjoyed this route. The beaches are beautiful. The hills are tough, a great workout! The taste of it I got in 2009 makes me want to begin in Irun and walk the entire route.

You go over hills, then down to beaches like this one!

 I would like to do this route in the summer months, if possible,

and take advantage of the many beautiful beaches

and the tasty Spanish seafood!

Pelgrimspad

My third option is to walk the Pelgrimspad! This is a which begins in Amsterdam and runs through Paris. It continues down through France via several optional routes a person could follow. I'd like to go through Lourdes and bathe in the waters there. This trek would take a full 3 months to walk but could be spectacular!  It begins in the flat Netherland country so by the time you reach the mountains, you are in shape. I really REALLY want to do this trek, and it is possible it could fit in with Option 4.

Who could resist a trek with scenery like this?

In 2006 I biked the first etappe of the Pelgrimspad - BEAUTIFUL!

 Rome to Santiago, Spain

Option 4 is to walk with Mermaid Lillian and Melinda from Rome to Santiago to celebrate our 60th birthdays!  I'm visualizing us walking along the coast at Cinque Terra, then perhaps to Asissi, then turning toward the Mediterranean again and passing through Genoa, Arles, then over the Pyranees.  This would be a 6 month walk, and due to Visa restrictions, I'm not sure how I'd swing this. Since an American can only stay in the Schengen countries for 90 days. I'm looking into doing some house sitting in Wales, the UK, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, or somewhere NOT a Schengen country to split up the walk. So basically, I'd have to walk for 90 days, house sit for 90 days, then return to finish the walk.

Another thing I might do is walk the Pelgrimspad,

then meet up with ML&M for the last 3 months of the trek.

That's it.

Those are my options.

My feet are itching to walk.

My body needs the chelation.

Come on Universe!

Provide the way...

Joe invoking San Roque in Seville

Me and San Roque outside O'Cebreiro

And onwards...

* * *

If you'd like to walk the Camino
but aren't quite ready to do it alone,
see my website:

Anniewalkers Camino

for more information about

Guided Walks on the Camino Santiago 

and on other Pilgrimage Trails of Europe