Hello my friends! It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? At least a month since I’ve posted something here, and since so many of my recent posts have been about my summer journey on the Chemin du Puy, it feels like ages since we’ve actually caught up.
So here I am, with a little post to say hi. What have all of you been up to since I last checked in? I hope there’s been a lot of walking and maybe some traveling and adventures. Some of you have been out on a Camino, some of you are doing your best to discover new local walks. And some of you are continuing to just get outside everyday, walking the same old roads. I like all of these options.
My corner of the east coast had its first snow of the season on Saturday, and I have to say, I wasn’t quite prepared. Mild weather has stretched long into the fall this year, and so even though we’re well into December, I’m not quite ready for winter. But on Saturday, it was unmistakable: winter is here.
I always slow down at this time of the year, and I’m sure that this year will be no different. Already I think I’ve gotten back into a good writing routine, and I’ve returned to my big project, ‘The Book’. This is my memoir about my Camino Frances, interspersed with some other life tidbits (though this ‘interspersing’ is proving to be a difficult task). I’d written the bulk of a very rough draft nearly two years ago, and in the meantime have worked in fits and starts, getting little accomplished before becoming completely overwhelmed and confused about what I was trying to write.
Writing this book has felt, at times, so overwhelming and I’ve felt so far from having anything good, that it’s been easy to just walk away. I always intend to come back, but beginning the process again is difficult and I never get very far. But about a month ago I had this feeling that was hard to ignore- a bit of a tug, a persistent nudge, something echoing and bouncing around my mind: the book. The book. The book.
So I’ve come back to it and it’s been slow going but man, it feels good to be in it again. So that’s probably where you’ll find me this winter- sitting at my kitchen table, maybe with a glass of red wine and some mellow music playing on Spotify, muscling through the language and structure of my story. It’s where I always try to be in this season, sometimes more successfully than not. This year, I hope for great consistency and steady forward progress. Wish me luck!
And, beyond the writing, I’ve been continuing to walk. There have been a few new places: hikes in the Catskill Mountains of New York, a towpath along the Susquehanna River in Maryland, a new walking path a few miles away from where I live. But otherwise I’m in my familiar park, looping through my neighborhood, sometimes pacing back and forth in my apartment when my legs are feeling itchy (ahh, these cold and short winter days!).
On the horizon, well, there’s just more of the same. In an effort to save money for a desperately-needed new(ish) car, it’s doubtful that I’ll be taking off for any long-distance walking adventures in the springtime (but my memories of the Hadrian’s Wall trip last spring are such happy ones, and I’ve already done a good deal of research on hikes in Ireland for the springtime. For now this is just wishful thinking, and Ireland in the spring will probably have to wait at least another year).
But even as I’m staying put for the immediate future, there’s always the summer to dream about. Ahh, these have been such fun dreams. It’s all but certain that I’ll be returning for a 4th (!!) trip to La Muse, my writer’s retreat in a small French mountain village. If I hadn’t made such good connections in these past two years I don’t know if I would have returned again so soon, but more and more I realize that I’ve been craving community. And I’ve had this incredible fortune of finding an artistic community of people I adore, and we have this really special and beautiful place we can return to and reunite in. Several of my friends are returning this summer, and I can’t resist the pull to return with them. And even though I seem to do more hiking and sitting-on-the-terrace-talking-and-wine-drinking than I do writing on these retreats, I think it is good that I’m giving myself the space and time to work on my projects. If I can continue to move forward with my book in these next months, then I just might be able to have a workable draft ready to send out by the end of the summer. Maybe.
A friend from the retreat has suggested a quick trip to the Italian Dolomites after our stay at La Muse, full of hiking and good food, and this is very, very appealing. (Do any of you know anything about the Dolomites? This would be a new area for me and I’m curious to hear of your experiences!).
And then, of course, I want to do some long-distance walking. Maybe some part of a Camino, maybe a trek through England (there are several I have my eye on). There’s still a lot to be figured out, but this is the fun part, when everything is a possibility, and I can research and look through photos and try to figure out what I most want to do. I’m lucky, very lucky, to be in this position.
Other updates:
-I’m still loving my Nadine Walks Instagram account. I try to post a photo every day, all of my favorites from my past-treks and Camino’s. Right now I’m still posting about my walk on the Camino del Norte, from 2015 & 2016. If you have Instagram and haven’t followed this account, please come over!
-The e-book I published two months ago, ‘After the Camino’, is still around. It was such a fun experience to put together a book and share it with people, and I hope that more travelers and pilgrims will continue to find it.
-Have you heard about #walk1000miles? It’s a free challenge that was created by Country Walking, a top-selling magazine in the UK. I think it’s been around for at least a few years, and it encourages walkers to sign up and join a larger community of people who are all trying to walk 1,000 miles in a year. It’s easy to join and is all honesty-based, so all you have to do is track your miles. There’s a very interactive and supportive Facebook group and check-ins throughout the year, which all helps with motivation and encouragement. Even though I’m not in the UK, I signed up and thought it would be a lot of fun to track my miles for 2018. I know a lot of you reading this could be interested in the challenge, so here’s the link… we can do this together!
-Finally, I decided to try to use some affiliate links on this blog. I’m not sure that it’s really something that will be worthwhile for me and for what I do here, but occasionally I talk about the gear that I use on my walks and I love to recommend stuff that has worked for me (like, for instance, my Keen shoes
Thanks for staying with me and continuing to read, and if you have a minute, leave a comment and let me know what you’ve been up to in the past few months. Happy holidays, happy winter, and all my best. I’ll be back soon.
Hi Nadine.
I’m lucky enough that I am able to walk to work. I even walk home for lunch most days. BUT TODAY IT WAS SO COLD!
I walked about 300 miles on the Via Francigena this fall (it was much warmer). Very different from the Camino Frances. I walked with friends that I met in Spain, but we only met maybe 20 other pilgrims over the course of 20 days on the trail.
I’m very happy to read that you’re working on a book. That’s great! I can’t wait to read it.
Hi Nadine
You’d LOVE the Dolomites, I’ve visited a couple of times and trekked there a few years back. There are two recognised trails crossing them which, with great originality, are called Alta Via 1 and Alta Via 2 for which Cicerone does a VERY good guide book. They also do a separate Walking in the So limited guide book with a great range of day walks that may be done individually or linked together. Accommodation on the plateau is available in mountain huts that are very well appointed, provide good accommodation and excellent food; these are generally owned and run by the Italian Alpine Club but membership of your own A.C. or mountaineering body usually qualifies for a discount. I generally get discount as am a member of the British Mountaineering Council and the Austrian Alpine Club (Which also provides me with mountain rescue insurance).
The Dolomites are sensational, beautiful, spectacular and the natives are friendly. But, be aware that there are some sensational situations where a strong head for heights and a steady nerve are essential. There are some “protected paths” which provide a metal cable and/or short ladders and you would need not to be phased by them. There are also the wonderful “via ferrata” which you may wish to try but these do require the use of some specialised equipment and the knowledge and practice of using it. In the event of your not being familiar with VFs you should Google them and have a look. I’ve also just put via Ferrari into the search box on YouTube and there are some fun videos from the So limited worth looking at.
Anyway, hope you give the Follies a go and if there’s any information you need that I might be able to help with just give me a shout.
Ultreïa.
Richard
Thank you so much for this, Richard, it’s all such great advice. I still have to really dive in and start doing some research- and I might reach out and ask you some questions as I begin to learn more. (I will watch some of those videos, though I’m not sure that I’ll be brave enough to try anything too difficult or risky!!).
Last para ‘Follies’ should read ‘Dollies’ which is a common diminutive for Dolomites in the UK.
Hello Nadine, Thank you for making me aware of the “walk 1000 miles challenge”! I’ve just signed up. I usually prefer cycling, but my bike has been stolen and this sounds like a great way to keep fit and have some support, too. I’m looking forward to spending more time outdoors in 2018 after having been glued to my desk until the end of October (when I submitted my thesis).
Hi Antje! I’m so happy that you’ve signed up for the 1000 miles challenge! I would love to hear about your progress throughout the year! And now that you’ve submitted your thesis (congratulations!!), I’m sure that you’ll get to spend a lot more time outdoors. Happy New Year!
Hi Nadine,
I’ve already said that you’d like the Dolomites but I’m interested that you’re thinking of another walk in the UK.
If it’s not already in your mind, have a look at http://www.thepilgrimsway.co.uk as this will tell you about England’s premier pilgrim route, as followed (from London) by the characters in Geoffrey Chaucer’s book, The Canterbury Tales. There are two options starting either from London or Winchester but the two join together in Kent. I’m hoping to do it from London, possibly next year if my knee is ok, as it is an historical route and as it ends up in the beautiful city of Canterbury where I went to school and as my family comes from Kent. Incidentally Cicerone have brought out an excellent guide book that covers both routes, a copy of which is on the table beside me.
Anyway, it’s worth having a look.
Happy New Year.
Richard
Hello Nadine, Thank you for your reply! I’ll probably do non-spectacular walks in my neighbourhood, where there’s a nice forest and a lake. I’m also looking forward to taking some day trips to the Netherlands (just across the border from where I live) to do some walking and speak some Dutch (a sadly-neglected skill during the rest of the year). My holidays will be more about music than about walking as far as my plans go so far, but I’ll take breaks in between rehearsals to get moving. 🙂 I’ll keep reading your blog to stay motivated!
As far as walks in the UK go, I enjoyed walking part of the Welsh Coast Path years ago and parts of the Coast Path in Cornwall even longer ago. I may have pointed this out before, but do you know “The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce? You might enjoy it, although some parts are very sad.
Best wishes for the New Year
Antje
Auntie, have you walked any part of the Pieterpad in the Netherlands. It crosses the country north/South and I’ve been thinking of walking part of it (flat so sparing on my knees!). You’re right about Harold Fry which is a book extending the script of a radio play on BBC4 which was even better. Happy New Year. Richard
ANTJE! Bloody autocomplete strikes again.
Hello Richard (sixwheeler),
I’ve done a South-North bicycle tour of the Netherlands, which in part is the same as the Pieterpad – some of the people in the places I stayed were doing it. It would indeed be mostly flat with the exception of the South Limburg region and parts of the Hoge Veluwe National Park in the Arnhem/Nijmegen area, where there are modest hills of maybe 200 m altitude. However, I’m not quite sure where exactly the Pieterpad goes in those areas. It may be that it manages to be rather flat even there. Best wishes Antje