In Between, We Breathe

When I moved to Spain after a long walk across a hot country, no one, least of all myself, named what I was doing as putting on my own oxygen mask first.

SpainLeslie H ColeFebruary 5, 2021Madrid, Camino, Swimming Pool, Breath, Pilgrimate Comments

Taking a Breath

The perfect breath is 5.5 breaths per minute, 5.5 litres of air, 5.5-second inhales and 5.5-second exhales.

SpainLeslie H ColeFebruary 2, 2021Madrid, Breath, Slow Travel, Camino, PilgrimageComment

Pilgrimage or Thru-hike on the Camino

In anticipation of another long walk, I’m beginning to explore what the Via Francigena has in store for me. I don’t think there are backpack services, but is it a thru-hike?

CaminoLeslie H ColeJanuary 12, 2021Camino, Pilgrimage, Cafe, Spain, Trough Hike, Via Francigena, Camino FrancesComment

5 Books by Women Who Walk

This list of favorites came from an autumn spent reading memoirs by women authors who walk and have published books about their experiences.

CaminoLeslie H ColeDecember 18, 2020Camino, Slow Travel, Women, Reading, BooksComment

What Do Pilgrims Carry?

It is the rare pilgrim who carries nothing at all, but I’ve seen those, too, and I’ve wondered if their souls were as free as their backs, although they might have been using a backpack service.

Camino, Slow lifeLeslie H ColeNovember 20, 2020Camino, Slow Travel, Travel Writing, Backpack Comments

Documenting Your Travels

For better or worse, I often use words to chronicle events, and journals are the artifacts I will leave behind when I’m gone.

Leslie H ColeNovember 13, 2020Camino, Quick Prep, Slow Travel, Documentation, Writing, Electronics, PostcardsComment

How Do You Document Your Adventures?

Visual images are one way to tell a story. What do you carry on a journey to document your “way”? Journals or diaries? Phone calls to family and friends? Stillness in a moment?

Slow lifeLeslie H ColeNovember 10, 2020Portugal, Camino, Porto, Photography, Documentation, Vintage cameraComment

Electronics on Camino: Burden or Bounty?

Maribeth, who married Sam in 1942, and the car her neighbor loaned them so they could have a wedding photo in front of a vehicle and look like a couple with a future.