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About Ruth McDonald

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So far Ruth McDonald has created 696 blog entries.

I am a Pilgrim; We All Are

A Facebook post of mine that encouraged others to consider taking a particular Camino route and the variants it offered received a comment from the head of a particular Camino association that surprised me. He said that if you take an unauthorized variant you are not on a pilgrimage and not a pilgrim but rather a tourist. I was offended and strongly disagreed, but I ...

By |2024-06-06T11:25:13-07:00June 6, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , |8 Comments

Albergues: Stretching Beyond Our Comfort Zone

June 1, 2024 - Foz to San Ciprián/Ciprao - 30kms - Hostal Buenavista June 2, 2024 - San Ciprián/Ciprao to Viveiro - 30kms - Oli Vita Hostal June 3, 2024 - Viveiro to Barqueiro - 25kms - Hostal O Forno There are no municipal albergues on the Camino del Mar, but in Viveiro there is Oli Vita Hostal. Although it is not exclusively for pilgrims ...

By |2024-06-03T10:54:29-07:00June 3, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , , |6 Comments

”Old people do it!”

May 16, 2024 - Cervera de Pisuerga – Guardo - 36 kms - Hotel el Tremazal May 17, 2024 - Guardo - Puente-Almuhey - 19kms - Albergue Peligrinos May 18, 2024 - Puente-Almuhey - Arrimadas - 32 kms - Hotel Rural Monasterio de Ara Mada Well I’m not made of sugar, thankfully. Today was cold and a soaker. But I am now sitting writing this by a ...

By |2024-05-18T08:14:53-07:00May 18, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , , |5 Comments

Weather

May 15, 2024 - Aguilar de Campo - Cervera de Pisuerga - 29kms - Hostal El Resbalón We consider ourselves lucky when we are settled into our hostel before the rain, the thunderstorms or, as in the case today, the sleet lets loose. Most days our timing is good and I am so grateful that we are not camping. Yesterday was the first day on ...

By |2024-05-15T23:24:02-07:00May 15, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , |8 Comments

From the Vasco to the Olvidado

May 7, 2024 - Salvatierra - Vitoria - 28kms - Apartamento  May 8, 2024 - Vitoria - Miranda de Ebro - 35 kms - Pensión Matillas We have now come over 3000 kms from Budapest and 1020 kms from Arles.  Today was one of my best riding days ever. It started with a good climb over a mountain pass and then a slow descent along ...

By |2024-05-08T10:57:54-07:00May 8, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , , , |2 Comments

Leaving France and Entering Spain but the Pays Basque Continues

May 2, 2024 - Bayonne - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - 25kms - Brit Hotel de Paris May 3, 2024 - Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Oiartzun - 30kms - Txikierdi Alde, Spain We have now crossed into Spain, and although the landscape and culture are markedly different,  we are still in Basque Country. For days now we have been  surrounded by hills dotted with traditional Basque farm houses or Exte as ...

By |2024-05-03T22:48:15-07:00May 3, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , |1 Comment

Finding a New Line

April 23, 2024 - Marciac - Lacrabere - 26 kms - Gite Castaine April 24, 2024 - Lacrabere - Morlaas - 29 kms - Hotel Bourgneuf April 25, 2024 - Morlaas - Aubertin - 29 kms - Maison de Fleurie  After much hand wringing and back and forth with the pros and cons we have decided to leave the Voie d’Arles just before Orloron-Saint-Marie and ...

By |2024-04-25T23:58:56-07:00April 25, 2024|Categories: 2024 Arles to Santiago|Tags: , , , |8 Comments
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