CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 0 Comment(s) | 22 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=311035] | 2008-08-12 07:54:25
 CaminoGirl | Laura Polt | Travel Blog |
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt
I´ve finally started my trip around the world... my big adventure that I´ve always wanted to do. I decided not to wait until retirement to do this trip (my experience with breast cancer taught me that - now that I´m back to full health, this is the right time to go)! I´m traveling solo, and I've met amazing people along the way. My plan is to go around the world and my intinerary is still in progress. It includes Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I´ve posted this blog so you can follow me on my trip."Camino Girl" refers to the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), a 1200 year-old pilgrimage across Northern Spain that spans 500 miles (800 Km). I decided to begin my adventure by walking the Camino for 35 days. It was definitely the right decision... Check out my Spain entries below for the photos.
My most recent entry is listed at the top (they´re in reverse chronological order). If this is your first visit, you can scroll down to the bottom to read my earlier entries. If you want to get an email when I post a new entry, click the "Subscribe" button to sign up. Be sure to send me an email... I´d love to hear from you!
- Laura
Joined on: May 13th 2008
Last Login: August 25th 2008
Blog Entries: 12
Photos: 175
Last Login: August 25th 2008
Blog Entries: 12
Photos: 175
Status: BLOGGER
Blogs & Travel Journals
by CaminoGirl, order by Date newest first.
I'm back in Seattle for a few weeks before I leave for the other side of the world. On my way home, I stopped on the East Coast and the Midwest to visit my relatives. My cousins in Maryland showed me around the memorials in Washington DC (my first visit there). I also went to New York City, Baltimore and then flew to Denver, Colorado to visit my aunt and uncle. The Rocky Mountains were majestic. The last couple of photos are from my hometown area near Seattle, my favorite place to be in the Summer! [View Full Entry]
By CaminoGirl
July 5th 2008
July 5th 2008
I made it to Santiago and the end of the Camino!
Europe » Spain » Galicia » Santiago de Compostela
July 5, 2008: After 500 miles and 35 days of walking, I've finally arrived in Santiago! My feet are very happy about this, and my blisters are healing nicely. I'm staying in the old city near the cathedral for a few days to relax and explore the city. I attended the daily pilgrim mass at the cathedral and watched in amazement as the largest incense burner in the world swung over our heads from a pully above, powered by half a dozen priests pulling on the other end of the rope. The swinging of the giant "botafumeiro" was originally used to [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 4 Comment(s) | 14 Photo(s) | 2 Video(s) | [diary=301642] | 2008-07-20 06:54:05
Here are photos from the last couple of weeks on the "Camino"... I´m in the providence of Galicia. It was originally settled by Celtics, and still maintains its Celtic culture. Because it´s located between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, it gets much more rain than Southern Spain. Oftentimes, it´s misty and rainy. As I get closer to Santiago, the scenery is getting more lush and green... I´ve been walking with a few people from Ireland who say it reminds them very much of their homeland. [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 8 Comment(s) | 24 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=296586] | 2008-07-07 18:19:50
Summer has finally arrived in Spain! These are photos of my walk on the Camino after the halfway point from Leon. The scenery has been beautiful, and the rain has finally subsided for awhile.... Almost done! Love, Laura [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 24 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=294086] | 2008-07-02 21:18:17
I'm still walking... And my feet are doing okay - I try to wrap every toe and heel with tape to prevent more blisters. At the end of each day, I can hardly stand on them any more... but by the next morning, they´re ready to go again. It truly amazes me... thank you feet! I'm officially a "Pilgrim" of the Camino de Santiago. The life of a pilgrim isn´t bad... at least it's much better than it was 1,000 years ago. Most of us sleep in "alburgues," like hostals with dorm rooms (less than $10 per night). I get to [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 1 Comment(s) | 22 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=292803] | 2008-06-28 18:11:51
I´m back on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). It's been raining here in Spain almost every day since I arrived. They say this isn´t typical weather for this time of year. At least it´s nice and cool for walking. We actually had 2 days of blue skies yesterday and the day before. My blisters are healing, and new ones pop up every few days... I'm soaking my feet in hot water while I type this message to you on the Internet. This hostal is an oasis... the owner is playing celtic music on her CD player and making [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 5 Comment(s) | 16 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=286377] | 2008-06-15 18:13:25
I started walking the "Camino de Santiago" (Way of St. James) last weekend. So far, I´ve walked 72 miles and my feet are paying for it! Two words sum it up so far... MUD and BLISTERS. Besides that, it´s been great. The Camino is a pilgrimage that Europeans have been trekking for over 1,000 years. The goal... to reach the Cathredal in Santiago de Compostella in NW Spain, where it´s believed that the remains of St. James (the apostle) was buried. My average day of walking has been 8 - 9 hours with an hour break for lunch in the middle. [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 7 Comment(s) | 22 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=284361] | 2008-06-06 13:04:47
I´m getting closer to the "Camino de Santiago," the famous pilgrimage across Northern Spain that I´m planning to trek... Now I´m in Basque Territory, visiting the brother-in-law of my good friend, Christi. Ivan´s brother, David, and his wife, Liz, have been hosting me at their house near Gernika for the last couple of days, about 20 miles east of Bilbao. They have a 10-month old baby boy named Iñigo. David is from Seattle, and Liz is from Vancouver, Canada, so it´s nice to hang with English-speaking people again. David and Liz have been living in Spain for 2 years now. They [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 12 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=280859] | 2008-05-28 14:07:37
Pueblo Ingles has been a fabulous way to meet the people of Spain. I´ve been talking with Spaniards all week - so much so, that my voice is starting to go. In the mornings, we are assigned to 1 Spaniard each hour for 3 sessions of 1-to-1 conversation. Then we have discussion groups for an hour. We can talk about anything we want to, except for American Politics (which I hate talking about anyway) and the Spanish Civil War (when Franco took power in the 1930s). Lunch is at 2 pm (in Spain, they eat their meals much later than we [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 1 Comment(s) | 8 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=280311] | 2008-05-26 13:24:34
Pueblo Ingles literally means "English Village." It´s a 1-week English immersion village for Spanish people so they can practice their English with "native English speakers" without having to travel to Enlgand or North America. I applied as a volunteer through their website at www.puebloingles.com. This week there are 18 Spaniards and 18 Anglos (from USA, Canada, Ireland and England). The schedule is structured and rigorous, but it´s a brilliant way to meet Spaniards in Spain without having to speak Spanish. As a matter of fact, it´s forbidden to speak Spanish at all! It´s located in Va [View Full Entry]
CaminoGirl - Laura Polt | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 7 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=277256] | 2008-05-24 17:54:21