News

GR65, the le Puy Camino days 5 to 23

This is a long-delayed post finishing our story of the walk. In April after the snowstorm on the walk I wrote a brief note reassuring everyone that we were OK: We survived the snow! After a difficult day of walking in snow that sometimes drifted waist deep, we took a shuttle bus the next day … more

Day 4 – GR65, the le Puy Camino

We have been in Europe for two weeks, mostly visiting friends and family in the Netherlands and enjoying unusually warm and sunny weather. Last Sunday we went by train from Amsterdam to Le Puy en Velay in France, about 100 km southwest of Lyon, to begin a 30-day walk to St. Jean Pied de Porte … more

Caminos del Norte and Primitivo, 2019 and 2021

In August 2021, when COVID seemed to be in decline, Inge and I went to Europe. In the Netherlands we spent three pleasant weeks which included a family wedding and a one-week cycling trip. In September I went to Spain to finish a walk I started in 2019 while Inge stayed on in the Netherlands. … more

A Philosophy of Walking by Frédéric Gros

A book recommendation for winter nights in the northern hemisphere. (Those of you in the southern hemisphere can file this away until your summer is over.) A Philosophy of Walking is a thoughtful and beautifully written book by French philosopher Frédéric Gros. The book is a mixture of his own thoughts and his commentary on … more

Avoid fx fees—travel cheaper

(Updated June 2020 to remove Rogers and Fido Mastercards which now only rebate fx fees on US currency.) Canadian banks love it when you travel. When you travel outside Canada and use your credit card or withdraw cash from an ATM, your bank converts the amount you charge or withdraw into Canadian dollars at a … more