Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time. – Steven Wright For many the Camino ends in Finisterre, a three-day hike west of Santiago where views of the boundless North Atlantic give the cape its name as the End of the World. But the rightful terminus is in Santiago de Compostela. So why … More Santiago de Compostela
Anybody can make history; only a great man can write it. – Oscar Wilde You’re standing inside a church in a city that was once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, the Ostrogoth Kingdom and the Byzantine Empire. Today, this little-known town has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites featuring the best Byzantine art outside … More Where are you now?
Everyone’s destination is the same; only the paths are different. – Sushmita Sen Hendaye, France – Saturday, June 11, 1983 A woman’s voice pierced the early morning fog crying, “Bordeaux?” in a high-pitched shriek. Nothing about the morning had gone right. Awakened as the train pulled into the station, our trio scrambled to gather bags … More The longest 500 hundred yards
I would rather own little and see the world than own the world and see little of it. – Madhu Shetty You’re standing amid the ruins of an ancient fortress where an important battle was fought in 1536. The site, high atop a hill, overlooks a former capital founded in the 13th century. Though the … More Where are you now?
Autumn is a second spring where every leaf becomes a flower. – Albert Camus Timing is everything, and that’s especially true for travel. When prices plummeted in the wake of 9/11, Robie and I snagged a great deal on a cruise up the Nile. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, we wandered around Prague … More Is there an off-season on the Camino?
In my experience, the most important decisions tested my courage far more than my intelligence. – Ben Horowitz Recently Robie and I were forced to reevaluate our plans. The test came from an unlikely source. When we met Alec and Angela at The Black Marlin in Sarandё, we had no inkling of the trouble they’d … More A test of our roving retirement
Every step is a destination. – Anonymous I promised my sister that on Ikaria I’d begin training for the Camino. But with the journey still ten months away, how in shape did I want to get? Besides, on a mountainous island everything Robie and I did involved a hike. Buying groceries meant a trek to … More Training for the Camino
A sunset in the Aegean includes joy and sorrow in such equal doses that in the end, only truth remains. – Greek poet Odysseus Elytis When we set out, Robie and I referred to our plan as off-season slow travel. Before we stepped off the hamster wheel, our limited vacation schedules were always a mad … More What is off-season slow travel?
The people you surround yourself with influence your behaviors, so choose friends who have healthy habits. – Dan Buettner Robie and I didn’t set out to age in reverse, on Ikaria it just happened. Ikaria is a blue zone – one of only five in the world – where people regularly live longer than average. … More Where people forget to die
All places, no matter where, no matter what, are worth visiting. – Paul Theroux I used to avoid reading travel narratives. I just couldn’t stomach following someone else’s voyage down the Amazon or trek across the Himalayas. Not when I so desperately wanted to be the protagonist in a far-off adventure and reading their … More The Pillars of Hercules
Reid & Robie 