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talkthewalk - Annie Hastwell

Welcome! Please join me as I begin my big walking adventure, taking about 5 weeks to walk 800 km across northern Spain along the Camino de Satiago de Compostela. I'm certainly not the first to do this as the Camino is an ancient pilgrim's trail that has seen thousands upon thousands tredding this same path for hundreds of years. I leave Australia on May 8th, and plan to start walking from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the south west of France on the 9th. I am taking the route know as the Camino Frances. Thirty five days of walking should see me at my destination - Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The destination is not as important to me as the journey, and "being in the moment" as I take time to enjoy the people I meet and the country through which I walk. So read the blogs, chat back to me, take a guess at how many blisters my feet will endure and enjoy the journey with me.

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Joined on: April 27th 2008
Last Login: June 27th 2008

Blog Entries: 13
Photos: 3

TB Code: [blogger=70497]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by talkthewalk, order by Date newest first.

By talkthewalk
June 18th 2008

Santiago - can you believe it?

Europe » Spain » Galicia » Santiago de Compostela

To you all - my fellow sojourners, Yes! Santiago! In my journal I have written 22 pages! Don´t worry this will be a condensed version. My journal is in many ways, Jack at the end of the working day. He sits patiently and listens to me pouring out my day as I cook dinner. He with glass of wine, me enjoying the creativity of the cooking. Well no cooking, no Jack so 22 pages in the journal. (You can see what the poor man has to put up with when I´m home!) Yes Santiago! I decided I wanted to get into [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
June 15th 2008

ai´ve arrived!

Europe » Spain » Galicia » Santiago de Compostela

Hi Everyone, Yes I´ve arrived in Santiago, but you are not going to hear about that yet. You will just have to wait and walk the last few days with me first - like I had to do. Firstly - Tony - Wow, I´m so glad you emailed. I lost my little book with your email address in it. Will email you with news of Daniel etc separately. Zina, enjoy Bali! Sam to answer your question re the most important thing in my pack - my journal and guidebook are number 1. My fine silk Balinese shawl is 2 as it [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
June 11th 2008

Magic on the Camino

Europe

Hi Everyone, Thanks for all your comments once again - they really keep me going! Yes, Pete, I thought you might remember the daily bread and cheese. Somehow this time it´s not so tedious - mind you we were eating it for 5 months! I keep stearing clear of the callos on the menu too - tripe, and it´s still difficult to see the difference from calamari in a tapas bar. So far so good. Re photos, I don´t know how to reduce the size and then publish. You´ll have to show me when I get back and I can put [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
June 10th 2008

Back Again!

Europe » Spain » Galicia

Hi Everyone, You can see by all my typos last blog that I had to get off the computer very quickly as another pilgrim in the Albergue was wanting to use it and I´d been on it a while - I´m not a super fast typer. She was also VERY insistant - most un-pigrim like I thought. But I´m trying to mot have judgemental thoughts. I did say ¨trying¨! So, as I was saying, the call of the countryside is so strong now. I saw the sights of Astorga with a restlessness. As thouigh this was not what I was here [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
June 9th 2008

In love with the Camino

Europe » Spain » Galicia

Hi All, It´s been a few days since I´ve been able to blog, so I have some catching up to do. The weather has improved vastly so socialising has encroached on blog time and some of the places I´ve stayed have no internet. The weather has turned on glorious Spring sunshine and warmth and the track has taken some stunning turns. Leon - Villar de Mazarife 23.1km Walking out of a city is a little tiresome but gives me a chance to see the other side of a city away from the medieval ruins and grand cathedrals. This is the real [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
June 2nd 2008

Sunny Spain at last!

Europe » Spain » Castile & Léon » León

Well all I can say is thank you! thank you! From reading your comments I think all your positive SUNNY thoughts are working. Yes I have had some sunshine and it´s glorious. I shall never take those beautiful rays for granted ever again. All your comments are truly appreciated and do keep me going. You don´t know HOW MUCH! Having the extra day off in the wonderful Moanstery Hotel San Zoilo made all the difference - I felt very strong the next day and walked to the halfway point of Terradillos de los Templarios 26.8km, (400.5km) and felt great at the [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
May 29th 2008

Wearing my Beanie to bed now!

Europe » Spain » Castile & Léon » Burgos

HI All, Yes you read it right, I now wear my beanie to bed to keep warm. Jack wants a photo! No deal. Socks and sandals are one thing but me in a beanie tucked up in my sleeping bag is quite another. All I can say is roll on Paris and French lingerie. The night I blogged last was the coldest so far but there was a little reward the next day. The walk was only 14.5 km into Fromista and I decided to stay because the sky looked ominous and there had been some thunder. Miraculously the sky cleared [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
May 26th 2008

Freezing Cold and Miserable

Europe » Spain » Castile & Léon » Burgos

Hi Everyone, How do I make a blog interesting when I am freezing cold and sick of the weather? What happened to sunny Spain? I figured you can´t just read about the good bits - you have to go through the pain too. The last week has been getting colder and colder and wetter. At the end of the walking day a lot of us just go to bed to get warm, (no not together) or else hang out in smokey bars. But there´s only so much Vino Tinto one can consume before dinner. I have checked the weather report and [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
May 21st 2008

Villamayor Montjardin to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Europe » Spain » La Rioja

Hi everyone, Having a rest day means I can catch up on more of my adventures, not to mention sleep and putting up the feet. Thanks Janet for your advice - shall do the stretches. And on to the walk...leaving lovely Villamayor at 7am was truly inspitational and worth rising early. As I set foot out of the Albergue door I was greeted with a soft yellow and hazy sunrise over the valley below. I really enjoy the first steps out as the day has so much promise and every morning is different. I see different wild flowers every day and [View Full Entry]

By talkthewalk
May 20th 2008

217km and only 2 tiny blisters

Europe » Spain » La Rioja

Gee guys, you made me all weapy with your comments. It was so good to hear from all of you and those who emailed too. Many fellow walkers ask me if I am walking alone. the obvious answer and the one I give is ¨yes¨. But it occured to me yesterday and has been confirmed by all your comments, that I am not walking alone at all. As I walk I often think, ¨I must blog about this scene or this experince. I want to let all of you know what i am seeing and feeling.¨ So, one of those moments [View Full Entry]

TravelBlog » talkthewalk

talkthewalk | Annie Hastwell | Travel Blog

talkthewalk - Annie Hastwell

Blogs & Travel Journals

Santiago - can you believe it?

ai´ve arrived!

Magic on the Camino

Back Again!

In love with the Camino

Sunny Spain at last!

Wearing my Beanie to bed now!

Freezing Cold and Miserable

Villamayor Montjardin to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

217km and only 2 tiny blisters