à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Hiking
Amtrak: An American Camino?
I recently traveled in an Amtrak “roomette” from Boston to Denver. It’s not a choice I would have considered but, my younger brother’s wife, sensing that a slower trip West would be less jarring than a faster one, suggested it. Since I was still reeling from the shock of re-entering the United States after walking … Continue reading
To Hang On or Let Go?
There is an end-of-Camino ritual at Finisterre, to burn something from the trip (or toss it into the sea). The symbolism is personal: for some, it could be a form of spiritual completion, a break with the past and/or the promise of a new beginning. A few days before arriving to the coast, I walked … Continue reading
To the Camino, with Gratitude
The last few nights I have dreamed that I was walking long distances outdoors; I guess the Camino is still rooted in my subconscious and in my body, which has been conditioned to keep moving. With no more yellow arrows to follow, will I take up sleepwalking?! Since it’s Thanksgiving, here are some appreciations, from … Continue reading
Endings as Beginnings
I´m nearing the end of my walk; in less than two days, I´ll arrive at Finisterre (the end of the earth). In some ways, it is much like the beginning. Then, I started up a mountain in the midst of the Basque country, a region straddling France and Spain that, thanks to its remote location, … Continue reading
Almost there…but who is counting?
Santiago is 790 kilometers from St. Jean Pied de Port (France), where I started the Camino. Signs along the way proclaim the kilometers remaining. When the numbers were in the high triple digits, I ignored them, unlike other Pilgrims who photographed some if not all of these markers. Frankly, it was too depressing to contemplate … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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