Camino de Santiago: Léon to Santiago

The past two weeks I walked the Camino de Santiago from Léon to Santiago de Compostela with a good friend of mine for a total of 276 kilometers. Several years ago I walked the section from Pamplona to Burgos with him, so I have done two large sections with a few remaining to have covered the entire trail. I am sure I will walk the entire trail at some point.

The trail was outstanding despite the occasional crowds, especially during the last ten kilometers walking into Santiago. Two days of hard rain and temperatures reaching 90 on some days did nothing to discourage my pleasure in every step I took on the trails shown above. I found the walk relaxing, enlightening, and meditative and it was good to be walking with my friend and sharing such great distances with him. It was also fun to meet some new folks, whether sharing beers, dinner, conversation, or games of cribbage.

Rota Vicentina Beaches

One of the greatest things about walking the Rota Vicentina are the many nearly secluded beaches. Often, I was hiking the cliffs high above the beaches, but frequently it is necessary to drop down onto a beach, cross it, and walk back up the other side. Very difficult to not stop and enjoy a break once my feet hit the sand.

And the solitude! Very few of the beaches along the route had any people on them. Several fellow hikers were usually seen, and occasional loungers, but mostly I was alone with the wind, the sun, and those constant waves.

Rota Vicentina Splendor

I recently returned to walk the Rota Vicentina in Portugal, a magical and awesome place. This time, I started in Santiago Cacem, about a two hour drive south of Lisbon, and finished 275 kilometres later in Lagos. It took a total of 56 hiking hours and about two dozen Tostas and Bifanas, ubiquitous and tasty local sandwiches.

Time slowed down during the entire trip, whether walking through cork forests, crossing an empty beach, or standing on the edge of a cliff to watch the waves roll in. Though there are challenging stages along the way, the walk is enjoyable and the towns on each end of the stages welcoming and relaxing.

I will likely take a break from this walk only because this is my fourth time and I am itching to explore elsewhere, and the area is becoming more popular and built up. Still, I recommend this walk and the solitude one can still find along the way, as well as the breathtaking views. Happy hiking!

Summer Streets

I wrote this story in 2017 and it was published online by Gravel. Sadly, the journal has closed sometime over the past two years and they are no longer maintaining a website, which means my story is no longer available online for your reading pleasure. But now, here it is!

Book Report: November 2021

Great reading month! Some fantastic books beginning with a return to a Krasznahorkai short story collection and two standouts by American authors. First is A Disorder Peculiar to the Country by longtime favorite Ken Kalfus. He presents some ideas about the US that have gotten very little attention but have been on my mind, so it was good to see someone tackle this particular disorder. The second book, A Stone Face by William Gardner Smith, is incredible! Hard to believe I was unaware of it before this NYRB edition. Profound study of racism and survival. Required reading.

November stats in brief: 8 books read (5 in English translation); 6 novels and 2 short story collections; 2011 pages; 5 languages represented from 5 countries; 1 ebook and 7 real books; authors: 5 male and 2 female; translators: 2 male, 3 female and 1 unknown.

Santorini

This past November, we spent a week in Akrotiri on the southern part of Santorini. Very relaxing and quiet location, far from the crowds of Fira and Oia, although even in those popular cities, the crowds were not so large at this time of year. Oia may have the best sunset viewing, but we found the sunsets splendid throughout the island. Not much infrastructure down in Akrotiri but there is a decent grocery store, a handful of tavernas for cold beers and tasty meals, and plenty of walking opportunities. A half day sail to view the caldera from the water was a great break from walking and eating.

Trail to the Horizon: Sacrow, Brandenburg

I recently moved back to Berlin after two years in Bremen, which means better hiking opportunities in Brandenburg. I was able to find decent hiking around Bremen, like Heidschnuckenweg, which was quite enjoyable, but there is greater variety and closer options outside of Berlin. This hike last weekend was a loop beginning and ending in Groß Glienicke and passing by several lakes. It also passed through Schloss Sacrow Park where the Heilandskirche is located (pictures below). Glad to be back!

2020 Reading Data

Photo by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash.

117 books read in 2020; 27402 pages

shortest book was 45 pages, longest was 640 pages

90 were books in English translation; 27 written in English

101 different authors: 46 male, 54 female, 1 they

73 different translators: 30 male, 40 female, 3 mixed team

38 different countries represented

23 different languages represented

46 publishers with New Directions and Fitzcarraldo Editions best represented with 10 books each

oldest book published in 1842 and most recent in 2020

88 novels, 27 short story collections, 0 nonfiction, and 2 memoirs

59 physical copies, 58 ebooks, a 2020 trend I am not happy about

Book Report: October 2020

I walked a long distance trail this month so I was able to read a couple more books than normal. Despite traveling with my e-reader, I still focused on getting through my to-read pile of physical books, which I much prefer anyway. Nothing really blew me away in this batch but still a few books I enjoyed and can recommend. Two out of Spain: Fernando Aramburu’s Homeland, translated by Alfred MacAdams, and The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo, translated by Isabelle Kaufeler. And from the Swedish, the always impressive Lina Wolff and her short story collection Many People Die Like You, translated by Saskia Vogel.

October stats in brief: 12 books read (11 in English translation); 10 novels and 2 short story collections; 3142 pages; 9 languages represented from 10 countries; 4 ebooks and 8 real books; authors: 6 male and 6 female; translators: 5 male, 5 female and 1 team.

Photo courtesy of Ben White on Unsplash.

Gotha Station

Before I step foot on the Rennsteig, I am alerted to the throwback I will experience in Thuringia. I am in a unified Germany, but salient is the fact that I am traveling from the former West to the former East. I am not feeling nostalgia for better days, but the vibe of the Gotha station alerts me to what I am missing, the inner discomfort of daily life. The station is clearly rundown, in need of care, cash, and a bit of maintenance. However, I love the simplicity, the lack of artifice, its charming decrepitude. I am only passing through for a train transfer, which happens without a hitch, but I cannot help compare the developed eyesore of a station I have travelled from with the quiet and tired patterns found in this little outpost. The twenty minutes I spend here are insufficient.