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Camino Trivia Quiz: Saints, Miracles of the Camino Frances
Trivia quiz about saints and miracles along the Camino Frances, the French Way of the Camino de Santiago. How much do you know?
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Mushroom foraging in Olympia’s Tolmie State Park
2023 has been a tremendous fall for mushroom foraging in Olympia and the south Puget Sound area. With that in mind, I headed to our favorite state park to capture as many varieties as possible. Not only was this a fun and different way to explore a familiar trail it also gave me an excuse to walk slowly and enjoy a beautiful fall day. While my fascination with mushrooms is high, I have not yet worked up the courage and confidence to collect mushrooms for eating. For now, I am more than content to do all my foraging with my camera. Tolmie State Park, located in the heart of the…
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The Camino de Santiago: Why Pushing Yourself Matters
The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, is an ancient pilgrimage route that spans across Spain and leads to the shrine of the apostle St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Over the years, it has gained popularity not only as a religious journey but also as a remarkable physical and spiritual experience for people from all walks of life. One crucial aspect of this pilgrimage is the choice you make in how you traverse its rugged terrain: Will you push yourself by carrying your own pack and tackling the difficult parts, or will you opt for an easier route via taxis, buses, or other shortcuts?…
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10 Things we will do differently on our next Camino
Our 38-day Camino Frances trek was one of our best trips but there is always something to learn and room for improvement. Here’s our list of lessons learned in no particular order (except maybe the first one, this is the most important change we would make). We’ve also added a couple of bonus Camino Frances-specific tips at the end. Plan shorter days We learned pretty quickly that our feet do best when limit our distance to 10 to 12 miles. For this trip we had booked ahead the entire trip so were committed to a few long days. Now that we know 15 miles is too much for us we…
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Relive our Camino de Santiago French Way Trek
We recorded Relive videos on our fall 2023 pilgrimage from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela. The trek took 38 days (including some rest days); the videos will give you a glimpse of what each day looked like, I’ve also added some thoughts about some of the days: lessons learned and things we’d do differently next time. The distance numbers are what we tracked on All Trails and will include any distance spent being lost and exploring (I sometimes started the Relive videos late so the numbers you see there might be different). Day From To Distance (miles/KM) Where we stayed Cost per Night (USD in 2023)…
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Antigua Excursion: What to do with your limited time in Guatemala
Puerto Quetzal was the third port on our Panama Canal cruise on the Norwegian Joy and the “Antigua on Your Own” shore excursion was one of our favorites of the entire trip. With its cobblestone streets, stunning architecture, and rich history, Antigua is a must-see destination for anyone visiting this fascinating country. This quick stop left me wanting more and and a return trip with more time in this beautiful country has been added to the list. Tour Bus Trip to Antigua The one-and-a-half-hour bus trip from Puerto Quetzal to Antigua offers stunning views of Guatemala’s landscape and countryside. As the bus traveled the winding roads, we saw rolling hills,…
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Working Remotely on a Cruise Ship: 11 Tips for the Ultimate Work and Travel Adventure
Working remotely on a cruise ship may seem like a dream come true for digital nomads, but my experience wasn’t as positive as I had hoped. While the scenery and ports of call were breathtaking, the internet access and workspace were often unreliable, making it challenging to stay productive. The constant noise and distractions from other passengers and crew members also made it difficult to concentrate on work when in public areas. Despite the challenges, I learned valuable lessons and tips that can help others make the most of their remote work experience on a cruise ship. By being prepared, flexible, and managing expectations, it is possible to enjoy a…
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Cruise Ship Packing List: 6 little things to make your cruise easier
Packing for a cruise is pretty much like any other vacation, but there are a few extra items to consider.
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Transiting the Panama Canal in a Cruise Ship: What you need to know before booking this trip
Transiting the Panama Canal was another bucket list trip for me and Bob. The canal, an engineering marvel that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was completed in 1914 and has been a crucial passageway for global shipping ever since. Today, cruising through the Panama Canal is a popular itinerary for many cruise lines, offering passengers a unique glimpse into this engineering marvel, as well as the stunning natural beauty of Panama’s jungle landscape. This trip also let us check South America off our continent’s visited list. Choosing an itinerary There are several itinerary options for a Panama Canal transit in a cruise ship, ranging from shorter 7-day cruises to…
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New Year’s in Paris: Fireworks and Pain au Chocolate!
After Christmas in London, we hopped on a train and headed to Paris for the New Year Holiday. This trip crossed a few things off the bucket list: The Chunnel, New Year’s Eve on the Champs-Élysées, and Raclette. We spent four days in Paris before taking the train back to London and flying home. We packed quite a bit into our short stay. Getting There and Back Again We left London early on December 31st to give us plenty of time to get settled in our hotel and work our way to the Champs-Élysées. Due to national rail strikes that were impacting The Underground, we took an Uber to St.…
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