Days: 69 (11 rest days, plus 5 days in Berlin)Km: 1,398 Paid accommodation: 61 nightsFree accommodation: 8 nights Best food: Formule Midi (three-course meal at lunch)Best drink: Bordeaux Wine Favorite word: RandonnéeFavorite place: BretagneFrance in one word: Food France was without a doubt the most challenging part of the hike. Not only does it have… Continue Reading
In our last week in France, we crossed two départements: Les Landes with its large pine forests, eventually opening to the Atlantic, where we spent some nights in small beach resorts, and the Basque part of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, where we already got a taste of Euskadi (Basque country in Basque). When we arrived in Ciboure, we… Continue Reading
An important date was approaching: José’s 40th birthday was falling right on the year of our trip. How convenient that we were not far from Bordeaux at that point, where we could meet his birthday guests and celebrate in style. José’s brother Jorge arrived from Portugal, to hike with us and spend some fun days… Continue Reading
Just when we started to settle into the life of hiking on the Way of St. James, we had to face the question: Are you real pilgrims? Which brought us to the question: What ARE real pilgrims? We often stayed at the home of families who host pilgrims for the night, offering a dinner together, a cosy… Continue Reading
Coming from England, Brittany doesn’t represent such a huge cultural shock. This part of France has always valued its celtic roots rather than the French influence, which is felt in the local language, music, and architecture. Stone is one of the main elements in this region, be it as natural sculptures along the shore or as… Continue Reading
Days: 55 (20 rest days, including Christmas and New Year) Km: 733 Paid accommodation: 40 nights Free accommodation: 15 nights Best food: Sunday Roast Best drink: Cider Favorite word: Pub Favorite place: Jurassic Coast United Kingdom in one word: Mud Hiking in the UK was not our first idea when we had thought about the route. We were… Continue Reading
“The Downs… too much for one pair of eyes, enough to float a whole population in happiness, if only they would look” Virginia Woolf, diaries After hiking along the gorgeous white cliiffs and enjoying the dramatic views at the North Sea coast during our first days in the UK, we didn’t expect the South Downs to… Continue Reading
Before we tell about our first week in the UK, let us explain how we got the crazy idea to cross the channel in order to hike in a country known for bad weather, bland food, and high prices. In case anybody forgot, our quest was to hike along the E9 – the European long distance… Continue Reading
Days: 7 (2 rest days) Km: 134 Paid accommodation: 5 nights Free accommodation: 2 nights (Thank you, Grote Routepaden!) Best food: Seafood in Oostende Best drink: Beer! Favorite word: wafels Favorite place: Bruges Belgium in one word: Beer Belgium has been a very short part of our trip – which was unfortunate, because we enjoyed the serene landscape, the… Continue Reading
Our passage through Belgium could have been like this: After the security check, we crossed the border, walked to Bruges, did some sightseeing, hiked along the coast, one of the shortest in our trip, and arrived at the French border. The end. It was far more exciting than that, as you can imagine. The seven… Continue Reading
12 crossed countries
319 hiking days
89 resting days
Updated on 11/06/2016 – ARRIVED IN LISBON!