WHEN WALKING

Home to Santiago – Day 42 Messanges to Labenne-Ocean: 32km The one-week family holiday starts today and during the time it takes me to complete today’s walk, my family will be flying the distance I have travelled this past six weeks. Better get a move on. After packing up the tent in record time, I… Read more: LE JOUR DE GLOIRE EST ARRIVÉ

Home to Santiago – Day 41 Taller to Messanges: 32km This morning, after I don’t know how many hundred miles, I leave the Voie de Tours to head across to the seaside and my family. I say goodbye to the path that brought me Denis, Peter — I don’t know where he disappeared to —… Read more: CROSS COUNTRY

Home to Santiago – Day 40 Onesse-Laharie to Taller: 26km Travelling in a group gives the day a slightly different tempo. First thing in the morning, Ulrike leaves on her own path to the coast. I hear her saying goodbye to Chantal. “Maybe we’ll meet again.” Arnaud translates into French, to which Chantal replies, “No,… Read more: TALES FROM THE WOOD

Home to Santiago – Day 39 Labouheyre to Onesse-Laharie: 24km I have breakfast with Ulrike this morning. I have my porridge made from the night before, my demi-baguette with jam and butter, a yogurt, a banana, a bowl of coffee. She has a potato from last night’s dinner and is off while I am still… Read more: FOCUS WHERE YOU WILL

Home to Santiago – Day 38 Pissos to Labouheyre: 17km We leave our little holiday chalet and set off very leisurely. It is short stage tempo. The path will take us in one straight line to Labouheyre with almost nothing in between to distract us, . I fall behind to look at the church and… Read more: SHELTER

Home to Santiago – Day 37 Mons to Pissos: 32km Gérard assures me this morning that there will be no storms today. They have all passed. Nor rain. Yesterday he spoke to an old man at a boulangerie, who showed him the sky and gave him a prediction far more certain than anything he might… Read more: SUN, SAND AND CHALETS

Home to Santiago – Day 36 Le Barp to Mons: 20km After breakfast, François sets off a little earlier than me. He too has an appointment to meet with his family, and as his is a little ahead of mine, I don’t think we’re likely to meet again. I suggest a photo and he whips… Read more: FALLING INTO STEP

Home to Santiago: Day 35 Gradignan to Le Barp: 27 km It’s dark when I set off. This will be a new discipline for me, with the 2pm curfew in the forest here. But before I leave, I have a chat with Gérard and Chantal. Chantal likes to practise her English with me. I like… Read more: ENTERING THE FOREST MASSIVE

Home to Santiago: Day 34 Bordeaux to Gradignan: 10km I have all the time in the world to leave Bordeaux, and I take advantage of this. I can’t arrive at Gradignan until three o’clock, and the walk to Gradignan is a mere ten kilometres. This is a luxury I very rarely have, and I’m glad… Read more: HALF HOLIDAY

Home to Santiago – Day 33 Arsac to Bordeaux: 22km This morning I have breakfast with Brigitte and, let’s call him R, who is getting ready for his day at work. When R leaves, I talk shop with Brigitte and we exchange ideas on teaching and language learning – I realise I have not quite… Read more: AT REST IN BORDEAUX

Home to Santiago – Day 32 Cartelègue to Arsac: 23km (plus ferry) Leaving Cartelègue, I’m entering wine country proper. The villages feel more functional, the fields dedicated to grapes. But this is all good for making progress, as are lower temperatures and a grey sky, which I’ve now learned to love. After a month of… Read more: THE ROAD TAKEN

Home to Santiago: Day 31 Petit Niort to Cartelègue: 32km The mornings are a little cooler at the moment as are the nights, so a 7am lie-in is neither impossible nor imprudent. As I am making my way along the lanes, I think I hear the sound of medieval music coming from the church just… Read more: MY HORSE COMES IN

Home to Santiago – Day 30 Pons to Le Petit Niort: 32 kilometres This morning, I’m up at quarter to six and out by quarter past seven. I am and I am not a morning person. I just find it such a leisurely time of day. Matheus, on the other hand, is up at 6.15… Read more: AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Home to Santiago – Day 29 Saintes to Pons: 25km It’s past eleven by the time I finally leave Saintes. I was planning to leave late so I could see the cathedral and the basilica which I’d missed last night, but eleven is pushing it. First of all, breakfast in the halte, which is provided.… Read more: WHEN TO GIVE IN?

Home to Santiago – Day 28 Saint-Jean-d’Angely to Saintes: 36km This morning I wake up early, but I delay my start as the thunder rumbles outside. Very few lightning flashes, though, and not the downpour I’d expected, indeed, hoped for. So, at seven o’clock, after a brief goodbye to Suliac, I get walking in the… Read more: ARCS

Home to Santiago – Day 27 Aulnay-de-Saintonges to Saint-Jean-d’Angely: 36km The boys left super early this morning, while it was dark. I think they do not want another day like yesterday. Jean-Charles leaves a little before me, leaving me to shut up and leave, during what I now know is nautical twilight, full visibility and… Read more: MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Home to Santiago – Day 26 Brioux-sur-Boutonne to Aulnay-de-Saintonge: 23km I see the dawn. It’s a miracle. For once I managed to get up early and leave early. Twenty minutes later than I’d planned, but even so, twenty minutes before seven means I have just over three hours of walking before the temperatures go over… Read more: MELTING POINT

Home to Santiago – Day 25 Melle to Brioux-sur-Boutonne: 16km I’m worried I could get used to this shorter day business. It is quite nice, arriving in time to lounge about on your own little gite, to get your washing done in time for it to dry, to write up the day while it’s still… Read more: HAPPY ALIGNMENTS

Home to Santiago – Day 24 Chenay to Melle: 25km As I set off down the road from Chenay, I’m quite excited to see two men out trimming the hedges with a scythe. You rarely see non-grim scythers nowadays. By the time I reach them, they’re in their van, but with the windows down, and… Read more: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Home to Santiago – Day 23 Lusignan to Chenay: 22km One of the loveliest things when walking is to enter a town or a village and to hear your name called out. This morning, after a visit to the beautiful church at Lusignan, where the music starts as you walk in, where the crypt is… Read more: ÇA PLANE POUR MOI

Home to Santiago – Day 22 Ligugé Abbey to Lusignan: 31km Today is proving to be a pleasant, nondescript day after the excitements of yesterday.  After getting up early, although not early enough for Lauds, I have breakfast alone, because everyone else is better than me. And I set off through the village of Ligugé,… Read more: IN THE LAND OF THE FAIRY MÉLUSINE

Home to Santiago – Day 21 Dissay to Ligugé Abbey: 28km It’s an easy walk to rejoin the path in the morning. The ladies from the albergue have given us little pieces of paper with a map and instructions. So my school lessons on directions finally come in useful. When directions are given, I usually… Read more: MONKS AND MACARONS

Home to Santiago – Day 20 Châtellerault to Dissay: 25km In a strange effort to prove my love to Châtellerault, I break the basic rule of using the cooler part of the day to get some kilometres under my belt. Instead, following the advice of the lovely young woman in the tourist office, I head… Read more: THE MANU, BONHOMIE AND THE DISCOVERY OF GUINGUETTES

Home to Santiago – Day 19 Draché to Châtellerault: 35km Breakfast is prepared by Emmanuel, and I come down just in time to see Marie leave for work. He makes the coffee, as requested, and stays to chat. I realise that discussing the route would be the easiest topic for both of us, and also… Read more: WALKING THE LINE

London to Santiago – Day 18 Sorigny to Draché: 32km This morning I wake up just in time to say goodbye to Fabrice. Peter is long gone. I take the opportunity to have a proper breakfast in the kitchen: cereal, rice pudding left by a pilgrim, hard-boiled eggs. God knows what has happened to the… Read more: MONUMENTAL

Home to Santiago – Day 17 Tours to Sorigny: 27km In the morning, I attend the blessing in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Martin. I enjoy the ritual and the timelessness of it all. It gives you space, although I worry I am piggybacking on the faith of others. I stay for the… Read more: LOST IN TRANSLATION

Home to Santiago – Day 16 Villedômer to Tours: 35km I go to the pilgrims’ service in the morning in the little Campsite Chapel, as it would feel wrong not to. But I am the only pilgrim in the congregation, and I find the words and the kindness less sincere than the words and kindness… Read more: THE LOIRE REIMAGINED

Home to Santiago – Day 15 Prunay-Cassereau to Villedômer: 19km I chat with Nadine over breakfast. The family are all still asleep. The children were up late. She’s a beautiful soul. She tells me about the little cake I’m having, my Ronsard, named after one of the poets of La Pléiade, and more importantly, full… Read more: BETWEEN LE LOIR AND LA LOIRE

Home to Santiago – Day 14 Vendôme to Prunay- Cassereau: 26km Always stop at the first bar-tabac when walking into town. This morning the first bar-tabac is almost full of regulars working away at their scratchcards. But a stranger with a rucksack seems to make a welcome change. As soon as I walk in, one… Read more: EN FAMILLE

Home to Santiago – Day 13 Cloyes-sur-le-Loir to Vendôme: 36km I love this morning already. All it takes is a pharmacy. After coffee in the corner café, I go in to the pharmacy to get some antihistamines to stop my legs swelling up from the bites, and the lovely lady makes every effort to understand… Read more: HUMAN PICK-ME-UPS

Home to Santiago – Day 12 Bonneval to Cloyes-sur-le-Loir: 32km Eva Maria is ready with breakfast at 7. She likes to work at night, she tells us, getting inspiration in the dark, and painting. It’s a spiritual process. She’s keen that Denis and I leave together. And so we get booted up in the courtyard… Read more: PROPER PILGRIM

Home to Santiago – Day 11 Saint-Loup to Bonneval: 20 km It is forecast to reach 38°C today. And how do you walk in that? You don’t. As negotiated the night before, to ensure an early start, I’m up at six for breakfast at 6.30 and, for once, I’m actually on time. Breakfast is in… Read more: How Do You Walk in 38°C?

Home to Santiago: Day 10 Berchères-Saint-Germain to Saint-Loup: 32km My reason for leaving late today is my unexpected love affair with one of Floriane’s chickens. The big, white, non-exotic one has been following me around all morning as I pack up the tent. I feed it a few oats and from then on it just… Read more: THE MAGNIFICENT TWIN BAR-TABACS OF LÈVES

Home to Santiago – Day 9 Muzy to Berchères-Saint-Germain: 39km Monday 27th July, first week completed. I have breakfast with Catherine, who has crumpets, which excites me greatly. She gives me a postcard with a piece of her art on it. I have pears from her garden and a cucumber to eat en route. She… Read more: BATTLING WATER SHORTAGES

Home to Santiago – Day 8 Évreux to Muzy: 35km I’m loath to leave my beautiful room in Évreux, but it’s getting a little late. Time to visit the cathedral, get the stamp and go. But it seems that Évreux has an issue with stamps. I go to the cathedral first, and I’m very happy… Read more: NICE DAY FOR IT

Home to Santiago – Day 7 Saint-Cyr-la-Campagne to Évreux: 38km I wake up at 6.30 after a great night’s sleep. Celine’s husband, whose name I will never know, is already up and sitting in the garden. The dogs bark in excitement when I appear. I’ve heard them sniffing around the tent already this morning. And… Read more: A PALACE ON THE PLAINS

Home to Santiago – Day 6 Rouen to Saint-Cyr-la-Campagne: 30km I spend longer than planned in the outskirts of Rouen looking for a charging cable, and am so annoyed about having to do this, I indulge in visits to three boulangerie-patisseries en route. It is nearly midday before I leave the city. I am walking… Read more: LOST IN THE WOODS

Home to Santiago – Day 5 La Bucaille to Rouen: 27km This morning, as I’m running around the garden, spinning and flapping my arms with a tent on my back to dry it out, looking as if I’m taking part in a birdman competition, Benjamin’s mother pulls up. I remove the tent and go over… Read more: GETTING SOMEWHERE

Home to Santiago Day 4 Saint-Maclou-de-Folleville to La Boucaille: 27km Last night I had a brainwave, and this morning I am woken up by an alarm on my phone telling me to remove my underwear from the bread oven. Drying laundry while walking leads to many improvisations Buoyed up by a morning chat with Daniele,… Read more: COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Home to Santiago: Day 3 Offranville to Saint-Maclou-de-Folleville: 32km In the early hours, I realise I’ve packed for the heat, but not for a pleasantly mild spell in Normandy. I zip up my rain jacket over my legs, put on a hat and disappear into my sleeping bag. This is the first and last time… Read more: NO TROUBLES AT THE MILL

Home to Santiago Day 2 Dieppe to Offranville (10km) My fear is that, having come into France, I’m now going to be guilty of a whole host of generalisations, but I have over 40 days walking through France to be enlightened. Mind you, I’ve had 50-plus years in England, and that hasn’t worked. So, I… Read more: NORMANDY LANDING

Hampden Park to Newhaven: 29km Familiar Territory So, this is the big one. A 2,000km walk originally planned for Spring weather, postponed to the record-breaking heat of summer. All preparation has been dominated by thoughts of this heat. I have toyed with cooling shoes, planned shorter contingency days, allowed for extra water, and been stricter… Read more: WALKING FROM HOME TO SANTIAGO: DAY ONE

Glendalough to Glenmalure round trip: 35km A Sense of Completion Today is the day it all came together. Final proof that the unplanned stay in Glendalough was meant to be. The day started with two Norwegian girls in my dormitory decorating their heavy-sleeping friend’s bed with balloons and flags, and, as we’d been warned the… Read more: WICKLOW WAY: STAGE 4

Hollywood to Glendalough: 30km Second Chances So, nothing to do with the original plan to walk the Wicklow Way. But having seen the existence of a Saint Kevin’s Way shortly after setting off, and shortly after finding that the Glenmalure hostel was closed at short notice and my planned walk thus curtailed, I made a… Read more: SAINT KEVIN’S WAY

Wandering around: 25km Today is an attempt at a rest day. The problem is, I like to walk on my days off. So, having got to Glendalough a day ahead of schedule, I decide my rest will be a mental one: no plan, no destination, just explore. However, I discover there are all sorts of… Read more: ATTEMPTING A REST DAY IN GLENDALOUGH

Knockree to Glendalough: 30km Walking the Planks Today is a hard day, which I decide to treat as an experiment in mind over matter. Yesterday too, I noticed my legs aching in all the places where they haven’t ached for years. I’m stiff going up the hill, stiff going down the hill, and struggle to… Read more: WICKLOW WAY – STAGES 2&3

Marlay Park to Knockree: 20km Proper Walking It is Friday morning and I have been two days in Ireland already, visiting Piotr. He has introduced me to Dublin in the best possible way, with a series of curated walks. These deserve a post of their own, which they shall get. After a fine breakfast, we… Read more: WICKLOW WAY – STAGE 1

Beating about the Bushes Ewyas Harold to Hereford: 25km In keeping with the spirit of sacrifice appropriate to pilgrimage, I cheated today. But more on that later. Once again, the day began extraordinarily well: the post office in Ewyas Harold was open. The young man in the shop carefully guided me to everything I need… Read more: GOLDEN VALLEY PILGRIMAGE: DAY 5

Magic Mountains and Worrying Sheep Craswall to Ewyas Harold, 25 kilometres The first miracle of today is that I wake up after a good night’s sleep. I think I’ve got the hang of the camp bed now and how to make it comfortable, or maybe I was just that tired. The first part of the… Read more: GOLDEN VALLEY PILGRIMAGE: DAY 4

Parish Matters Peterchurch to Craswall: 20km As I’m packing up, I hear a rattling sound. I think I’d heard a similar sound earlier, so I go to the vestry door at the back of the church and open it. I find Judy, the organist, standing there. It seems I’d accidentally taken the vestry key instead… Read more: GOLDEN VALLEY PILGRIMAGE: DAY 3

Into the Golden Valley Madley to Peterchurch: 26km The day did not end as expected, but it ended well. After a cold night in Madley Church, poor James has barely slept a wink. Six foot three, and the legs that accompany that, is ideal for crossing styles and peering over hedgerows, less so for camp… Read more: GOLDEN VALLEY PILGRIMAGE: DAY 2

Hereford to Madley: 15km For the next five days I shall be walking the Golden Valley Pilgrimage with James, staying in churches and hunting for cooked food. Today came up trumps, with the huge added bonus of meeting up with family. They alone are worth walking here for. In order to maximise quality time with… Read more: GOLDEN VALLEY PILRIMAGE: DAY ONE

Birmingham to Hereford Stage 4 Linton Mill to Hereford: 28km Today is going to be a practical day. I have to get to Hereford, and I have to go on foot. The devil tempts me with the thought of buses, but I’ve come too far. My worry is that I don’t want to damage my… Read more: SPORT STROLLER

Birmingham to Hereford Stage 3 Worcester to Linton Mill: 27km Today I decide I am a walker more than a hiker. I walk with David to the Sabrina bridge and set off on the Three Choirs Trail. It started OK, and it had very elegant signage: little music notes appearing on discs. But although the… Read more: BLESSED IS THE EYE BETWEEN SEVERN AND WYE

Birmingham to Hereford Stage 2 Bromsgrove to Worcester: 25km I write this at four-o’clock after a pint of bitter shandy at the pub in Tyberton. I had only ordered a half, but it was the first place that had been open all day, and the pint disappeared in minutes. With that, I am ready to… Read more: OVERSHARING IN WORCESTERSHIRE

Birmingham to Hereford: Stage 1 Pineapple Road to Bromsgrove: 22km So after three days staying with Cath and Graeme in Birmingham, doing very little, as requested, I continue my journey from Birmingham, heading towards Hereford, via Worcester and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal. First stage a cheat stage to Bromsgrove. I have many pointless rules… Read more: BRUM BRUM!

London to Birmingham Day 6 Warwick to Pineapple Road, Birmingham: 33km Getting people wrong

London to Birmingham Day 5 Wigrams to Warwick: 24km Walking when you’re sick and tired.

London to Birmingham: Day 4 Church Stowe to Wigrams, over the top of Daventry: 26km Two things for today: weather and people, and the two very much combined. First of all, lovely as it is to have so many people kindly checking if I’m okay in the rain, I have to admit I rather like… Read more: WHERE ARE THEY ALL GOING SO FAST?

London to Birmingham: Day 3 Milton Keynes to Church Stowe: 37km

London to Birmingham Day 2 Berkhamsted to Milton Keynes 42km

London to Birmingham: Day 1

Walking with Junior in Spain. Auntie Rachel’s perspective

Junior’s Top 5s from his mini Andalucian camino. Food features heavily

Guilt-free clearance – a sentimental journey

Saying goodbye to precious stuff

Thoughts from the office 2017