Tell me a story…

I am decidedly anti-collector, but not when it comes to other people’s collections.

FoodLeslie H ColeFebruary 26, 2021Shrewsbury, Teatime, Slow TravelComment

To More Slow Roads

I look forward to more long empty streets in small towns, whenever that happens.

CaminoLeslie H ColeFebruary 19, 2021Camino frances, Slow Travel, PilgrimageComment

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

Alternative Footpaths in COVID Times

Though the well is capped, we can still sip the waters of freedom. Small journeys on foot, starting and ending at home, remain legal and plausible.

Shrewsbury to RomeLeslie H ColeJanuary 29, 2021Via Francigena, Slow Travel, England, COVID, Pilgrimage, The Old WayComment

Wanderlust This and Wanderlust That

The svelte chihuahua in a skimpy bikini and sunglasses caught my attention, and I stopped clicking through long enough to listen to her rap.

Leslie H ColeJanuary 19, 2021Via Francigena, Slow Travel, Pilgrimage, GuidebooksComment

Camp Coffee or Cafe con Leche?

One constant that defined my two Camino thru-hikes, and what I looked forward to every single day was a café con leche shared with fellow pilgrims who walked with the same goal to reach Santiago de Compostela.

Shrewsbury to RomeLeslie H ColeJanuary 15, 2021Camino de Santiago, Through Hike, Slow Travel, Via Francigena, Cafe Cullture, Espresso, PackingComment

5 Guides to the Camino de Santiago

Curious about what makes a good guidebook, I decided to explore some guidebooks for a pilgrimage and route that I know rather well.

CaminoLeslie H ColeJanuary 8, 2021Camino de Santiago, Guidebooks, Slow Travel, Camino Ingles, Camino Primitivo, Camino francesComment

Where is Your Next Road?

The world went on hold in the year that shall not be named, and so did I. I couldn’t even begin to think about the possibility of a walk through England, France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Camino, Shrewsbury to RomeLeslie H ColeJanuary 5, 2021Camino de Santiago, Pilgrimage, Community, Slow Travel, Via FrancigenaComment

A Camino Symbol of Community

On a medieval Camino, a pilgrim carried a scallop shell back from the ocean to show they’d reached the end of their intended journey.

CaminoLeslie H ColeDecember 22, 2020Camino de Santiago, Pilgrimage, Community, Slow TravelComment

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

Authors on the Shelf

Dark winter days motivated me to knock some walking books off my long reading list. I’ll share several titles by women who walk in my Friday post this week.

Slow lifeLeslie H ColeDecember 15, 2020Porto, Portugal, Bookstore, Reading, Writing, Travel, Slow TravelComment

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

We All Carry Something

Part of the joy of a long walk is unburdening ourselves of the weights we carry.

Spain, Camino, 2014Leslie H ColeNovember 17, 2020Semana Santa, Spain, Slow Travel, Camino de SantiagoComment

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

Pilgrimages Outside of Europe

The Kumano Kodō, a world heritage site, is a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that crisscross the Kii Hantō, the largest peninsula of Japan.

Slow lifeLeslie H ColeNovember 3, 2020Pilgrimage, Kumano Kodo, Hike, Slow Travel, RouteComment

The Bar at the End of the World

O’Refuxio is the bar at the end of the world, the last bar on the Camino de Santiago. I never went inside, but I did take a photo.

CaminoLeslie H ColeOctober 27, 2020Camino, Photography, Pilgrimage, Electronics, Slow Travel, DocumentationComment