Tag Archives: Walking

Day 8 of the Via Francigena

Borgofranco d’Ivrea to Piverone – 14.5 miles and 8.5 hours.

Last night we stayed at our first yucky place. Finding rooms can be tricky if you don’t have a reservation. We walked until we found a bar (cafe) which happened to advertise a place to sleep. Brindini Dreams. A rambling apartment with lots of single beds. It was filthy. We dreamed of a cleaner place!

Dinner in town was wonderful.

Mosquitoes have arrived! The elevation is lower and the temperatures have risen.

Today we walked by and through hay fields, tree farms, neighborhoods, a super green lake (we thought it would start bubbling like a witches brew) and moist woodsy areas with lots of mosquitoes.Our first stop in Iverea was at Brunchy right after the Lidl store. They had bacon and eggs!!! It was fantastic. Eggs are not typical here.

Goodbye stone roofs hello terra cotta. The construction is changing. More modern concrete structures with less older stone homes.

It’s fun to see worn stones on the steps.It was hot! Phew. By noon we were feeling the heat. Made each step just a bit heavier.

Usually we find our place to sleep then shower, wash our clothes, hang them on the line and head to the bar. Today we are lingering a bit longer than normal. I think the heat got the best of us.

Day 7 of the Via Francigena

Last night we stayed at the Hotel Ponte Romano. Our room had a king bed, twin bed and a crib. We have a grandchild due in a month and wondered if it was a sign. It made for a great clothes drying rack.

We started the day with resolutions to our clothing snafu. After three attempts by me to get the wine out of my shirt Bill told me to throw it in the shower with him. He removed the stain and is now is our official clothes washer.

On our way out Roxanne and I decided to look under the cars nearest to the hotel for Bill’s boxers. Roxanne happened to mention how clean everything looked and at the same time I spotted a public garbage can. Voilà! Right on top were Bill’s britches.Verres to Borgofranco d’Ivrea – 10 miles and 6 hours with our normal stops.

The temperature and slight breeze was wonderful if not for the humidity. We all experienced our own personal sauna.

The Via signage changed to fancy signs and the path was clearly marked except for one time where we had to read about the one kilometer walk on the shoulder of a busy highway.

Hillside terraced vineyards ruled the day.

By the way Italians do not stop for people in crosswalks and there’s some kind of fascination with Snow White’s dwarfs.

Roxanne’s post and photos:

The Fab Five are feeling the luck of the Romans today because this morning near the Pont Saint Martin 1st Century BC Roman Bridge Paige retrieved Bill’s underwear that had fallen three stories out the hotel window the night before.

Day 6 of the Via Francigena

Woot woot! What a marvelous day.

11 level miles from Verres to Pont Saint Martin.

The morning temperature was absolutely perfect for walking warming up as the day unfolded. If we could just hit the pause button on the morning thermostat.

The Dora River has the most unusual but interesting and unique color. We spent time trying to figure out how to “explain” the color to you and gave up opting for you to figure it out by looking at the photos.Tomorrow we will officially leave the Aosta Valley where water fountains (not like home – these are large granite tubs per se where water constantly flows out a faucet and is used for drinking and washing) are found just around every corner and there’s water, water and water – gushing, falling and meandering.Constantly finding ourselves with grins on our faces as we marvel in the sheer beauty of Italy. Some of the details… most homes have flower boxes bubbling over with color. If there’s space there’s a garden. Walls are decorated. The vineyards are geometric works of art. The old stone buildings (be still my heart) tell stories. Roofs are made with heavy and huge rock tiles – the best have some rusting around the edges. There’s so much more for later…Bill – Your kisses are sweeter than hône.

Austin Powers – Do I make you hône baby?

Bill and I had tiny snafus with our clothing today. I knocked my red wine glass over towards myself consequently shattering the glass and wearing the wine. Bill decided to dry his undies in the window and the breeze carried them away.Sadly the view from our room (above) is of a 2000 year old year Roman Bridge. Hope the actual white noise from the flowing river doesn’t keep us awake tonight.

Walking in the Roman wagon wheel furrows again.

Roxanne’s photo:

Follow us as we walk the Via Francigena

That’s right. Approx. 1000 kilometers.

This time it’s the Via Francigena (fran chee gena).

From ancient and medieval times it connected Canterbury to Rome. Today most pilgrims start in the Swiss Alps. Luckily, unlike our predecessors, none of us have to return home by foot.

Different from the famous Camino de Santiago where over 200,000 pilgrims annually walk the 500 miles from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain the Via has only a combined 2,500 walkers, bikers and horse riders.

Bill and I walked the Camino de Santiago Frances in 2013 and in 2016 walked the Camino de Santiago Portuguese with Vino Verde Man, Chapmeister and Rockenstein . It was so utterly perfect that the five of us, on September 3, 2018, will step out the door of our hostel at the Great St. Bernard Pass in Switzerland and make our way to Rome.

The first two days have us descending 6,000′ in elevation. Hello knees…In the meantime, we walk to build up our strength. Unfortunately, the last couple of days have us walking at the local community center as our hometown has the most hazardous air in the USA caused by the horrific fires in California.

Curious about what’s in my pack??

If you didn’t read my ultimate packing guide from the last pilgrimage hop on over and check it out.

I made some adjustments – more than expected in the consummate search for perfection.

Here’s the list (new means different from last time):

New pack – the Osprey 24 liter Sirrus
The same Nike shorts which unfortunately have been discontinued.
New (update – North Face changed the material and the new ones are too thick) North Face Everyday Pant
New North Face on the Go Skirt (forgoing the skort)
Target tank top
New Athleta Speedlight Tee
Same Lulu Lemon Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve
Smartwool – one each – Mid-Weight and Light-Weight long sleeve shirts
A crazy and stupid indulgence – hippie palazzo pants from Walmart – who said ya can’t be groovy on a pilgrimage?
New My Trail Co rain gear – jacket and pants. Jealous of Rockenstein and Vino Verde when they stepped out in the torrential rain all duded out with their My Trails rain attire. They stayed dry when I soaked to the bone in my cheap $1.99 rain poncho.
New REI 650 Down Jacket
OMG – I get to wear new but the same Altra Footwear Lone Peak 2.5 shoes!! YAY!! Shoes are the most important part of this whole list. Altra is now on version 3.5 with 4.0 coming out any day now. They changed their design and frankly the changes do not work for me. Geared up to wear the Altra Timp Trail – actually hiking in them with a friend when I realized she was wearing my favorite 2.5’s. Where did you get those???? Rockenstein! The zero drop wasn’t her thing so she passed them on. Well, that generous friend who only wore them twice gifted them to me. Doing a happy dance every time I put them on. Thank you Boo!
Crocs backup shoe for the end of the day, showering, etc.
Tights, undies, bras, merino wool gloves, a neck buff, homemade pillowcase with velcro to stuff my down jacket in to make a pillow.
Travel size toiletries.
Sea to Summit Traveller silk sleeping sack to keep the cooties away.
PackTowl ultralite beach towel

All weighing in at 11 pounds. Of course, I’ll be wearing some of those clothes so my pack will be lighter.

You men might be wondering what’s in Bill’s pack. Basic black and flip flops!

We’re super excited. Jump on board and walk with us. Tell your friends to sign up for our blog – http://www.billandpaige.com. Instagram Story @paigeshawdotcom and Facebook @billandpaige.

See you there!

Spring in Downtown Charleston

Remember January and the bomb cyclone?

Check out Springtime. It’s magical. The temperatures are mild and mother nature is singing.

Walking has become our way of life since moving to the historic downtown area. We really got to know the neighborhood averaging 7 miles a day – four of those days include a two mile jaunt to yoga – all in preparation for our upcoming pilgrimage (stay tuned).

Our pace is slow because there is so much to see.

Come take a journey with us.

Where……

flower boxes are in abundance,

charleston-greenery-historic-shutters-windowbox

windowbox-charleston-flowers-greenery-shutters

window-box-charleston-white-flowers-shutters

charleston-home-historic-shutters-windowbox

entries are dreamy,

entry-blue-door-vines-shutters-charleston

and pink homes rule!

Rainbow Row is like candy.

From tiny to traditional.

Meandering Live Oak trees tell a story

and horses add to the charm. However, they are quite controversial right now – animal cruelty activists think it’s time to end this tradition. You decide.

Herons fly free…

and the iconic Ravenel Bridge links Charleston to Mt. Pleasant and offers fabulous views from the 5 mile round trip walking path. Built in 2005 – it’s the 3rd longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

However, it’s not all walking. We started the act of fishing on the Ashley River. It’s salt water – where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form the Charleston Harbor and flow into the Atlantic Ocean. We just walk across the street with gear in tow – it’s right out the door of our home. I say “act” because the fish have completely avoided our hook. It’s about the tide and bait.

All this – from sunrise

to sunset.

** click on photos to enlarge and head over to http://www.paigeshaw.com

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Camino de Santiago Portugues Final Day 20

Life is simple on the Camino – walk, eat, sleep, walk, eat, sleep, walk… Oh and follow the yellow arrows – sometimes it’s like “Where’s Waldo” but that’s part of the fun.Yesterday, June 4th we walked 26,850 steps and 11.38 miles into Santiago de Compostela. The crazy Peregrino video. Click here.

We had the best time and couldn’t have asked for better Camino buddies. Some picked up new trail names: Rocknstein and Chapmeister. Darrell had a love affair with Vino Verde. Bill managed to wear his flip flops everyday and was discovered to be a contrarian and I talked too much and was referred to as being a pain in the ass.

Bill did the math and realized that we spent approximately 400 awake hours together which equals about 5 to 10 years of socializing. Sort of like speed dating…Our bodies stood the test of time and distance. Consider the writing on a Pilgrim’s t-shirt: Know Pain Know Gain.We are Peregrinos!!!The video of our entry into Santiago de Compostela – click here.

Camino de Santiago Portugues Day 15

Bill and I slept with a mosquito last night. That darn thing buzzed our ears for hours. After jumping out of bed and turning on the lights 4 times trying to kill that f**king thing Bill ultimately smashed it in his ear. We only had 2 hours left to sleep.

Another glorious day through wooded areas on cushy paths and rural neighborhoods on pavement.

Ferns, ferns – everywhere.

Yucky burbs.

We had the best Pilgrim’s lunch today. It is where I fell in love with Fabado – cooked beans similar to pinto beans. I dressed them with vinegar, salt and a bit of Tobasco Sauce. Unbeknownst to the rest of the group I have never eaten a bowl of beans. My new favorite meal!

When Bill and I walked the Camino Frances we learned to eat the Pilgrim’s menu (a starter, entre and dessert) at lunch time instead of the usual 8:30 mealtime. Opting for a glass of wine and less heavy tapa in the evening.

We walked 28,330 steps and 12.02 miles into Cesantes, Spain where some of our rooms overlook the Atlantic.

The Atlantic.

Hydrangea bigger than my hand.

Granite walls for the longest distance.

The outline on the ground for displaying flowers for Corpus Christi Day

The afternoon washing of our clothes

Camino de Santiago Portugues Day 13

It POURED last night and continued this morning so once again only our waterproof amigos headed out to walk to Tui, Spain.

We were paid huge amounts of money to go ahead and secure a hotel with heaters and a bathtub for Roxanne.

Adios Portugal – Hola España.

Our rock stars walked 13.5 miles through the mud and around lots of puddles. The clouds parted and they showed up dry!

Photo of the Day 144

Filling water bottles from a public fountain on the Camino.

@rockdjones #camino #fountains
Somewhere on the Camino – we were lost and didn’t know it!

May 23, 2016

“Looking up” in Porto

Things are “looking up” after a much anticipated 2 day rest in the charming city of Porto. The facades of the buildings are unique in character – from bright colored tiles, painted corrugated steel or stucco and balconies streaming with laundry.Not to mention the Duoro River, port wines and sardines.

And, of course the street art…

We start day 8 of the Camino tomorrow. It’s going to be an ass kicker with a whopping 18 miles of city pavement through the burbs of Porto.

Rumor has it that more people start their Camino here so we expect a crowd.

Camino Santiago Portugues Day 7

Another foggy start but the sun broke through much earlier today. We peeled off the layers earlier than usual. The sun makes our packs feel heavier.

We climbed straight uphill out of Agueda into a commercial area – our first experience with traffic lights – they cause congestion – roundabouts keep the traffic moving.

The yin and yang of walking….. ugly industrial areas to beautiful abandoned mansions.

Noisy construction zones to peaceful fishing on a Roman bridge.

Pavement to acres and acres of eucalyptus trees with trucks harvesting the same.
***In Portugal it is imperative to own a barking dog.
***In Portugal out of the cities it’s essential to own a tractor to work the fields and to go to town for dinner and shopping.

In Portugal Cala lilies grow wild

and some decorators have a quirky sense of repurposing.

22,634 steps and 10.15 miles into Albergaria-a-Velha.

Camino de Santiago Portugues Day 5

What a glorious day. Early morning cloud cover turned partly cloudy skies with a slight breeze – perfect walking weather.

No highways today!

Wooded paths, floral paths, a few muddy paths and small town streets.

We love our coffee stops. Cafe con leite (milk) for 4 of us and cafe Americana for Chappy.

Today we feasted on Mealhada’s local speciality Leitão à Bairrada (suckling pig). Delicious!

36,654 steps and 15.53 miles.

Short day but our legs and feet are trashed – eating Ibuprofen like candy.

Camino de Santiago Portugues Day 4

Today, we Pilgrims marched to the beat of Darrel – he kept our pace. Who better but a drummer – the metronome man.

We mostly walked the highway – sharing the road. It was loud, dangerous and DRY – skirting the low laying muddy paths.We have now stood inches from an 18 wheeler – multiple 18 wheelers – two 18 wheelers side by side going 70!

On the backroads Bill charmed a group of women – offered a sweet woman his walking sticks in exchange for her cane. She kindly accepted and didn’t want to give them back.34,616 steps and 14.71 miles- all on pavement. Our bodies are angry.

Darrell found a great little apartment in Coimbra for tonight – wall to wall laundry.Tomorrow – the authentic Camino – hopefully with no deviations.

Photo of the Day 138

Sharing the roadway somewhere on the #camino in #portugal.

#threemodesoftransportation #caminosantiago

Coimbra, Portugal

May 17, 2016

Camino de Santiago Portugues Day 2

Today was our 2nd first day. 4 days ago we started the Camino only to be waylayed by the rain and flooding.

We moved to higher ground and started again today in Tomar. A quaint town with a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Templar Castle and Convent de Cristo.

Portugal is in bloom – limes, oranges, loquats, calla lillies, roses, bottle brush, fushias, poppies, lemons, figs, grapefruit, daisies, pansies, birds of paradise, carnations, iris and numerous more….

If we weren’t walking on pavement we were walking in mud. Tip toeing around trying to find the driest areas. The previous rain still seeping out of the earth.

We marveled in the beautiful weather, breathtaking scenery and camaraderie.

Ultimately, it kicked our asses!

45,162 steps – 19.11 miles.

Tomorrow is our first second day.

Photo of the Day 13

Warm walk

The frigid wind convinced us to take to our Camino prep walk indoors today.

January 13, 2016

Photo of the Day 8

Walking again…

Day 30 – Tough day for Paige

Day 30 – 17.70 miles

I had a tough day – pain in my feet and ankles all day. Bill was a champ as alway.

Fog until noon – sunny an warm afterwards.

Stumbled on the perfect Albergue in San Xustain – story book!

Sitting at a table – books in hand – gin and tonic – surrounded by flowers – unusual for this time of year says the bar tender – should be freezing at night.

A cow herder came through with 7 cows soon after 3 men on horse back momentarily followed by chickens and a rooster!

3 more days!!!

Day 29 – almost there

A loopy punch drunk Peregrino stole my phone and wrote yesterday’s blog. Sorry!

Day 29 – 13.33 miles

A person must walk the last 100 kilometers of the Camino to obtain a certification of completion. Last night we stayed in Sarria – just outside the 100 kilometer mark.

At breakfast this morning all we saw were sparkling new hiking boots and Peregrinos dressed like ski bunnies.
The Camino was full.

If anyone can identify the type of tree in the close up below, please let us know.

4 more days!!!