Solitude

While biking around the Four Corners area I brought some light and not so light reading material with me. One of the books was "Solitude - Seeking Wisdom in Extremes" by Robert Kull and I let you decide in which category of reading material this may fall. In any case, the author, no stranger to hardship in life, decided to go for a Ph.D. at age 40 and chose to spend a year on some remote island in the Patagonia wilderness, without human contact, besides a monthly email, to study the effects of solitude on his body and soul.

After a month of bicycle riding on and off the Continental divide and another month relaxing at home I am positive that solitude can be experienced even in presence of other humans, but I must admit, a year in Patagonia makes for better book sales.

Robert's thesis is available for download here.

summer 09: dog days in LA

yeah, it was that kind of day... blue sky, hot sand, cool ocean...

It's been 7 hours and...

32 days or so, since returning from the Camino Santiago. A lot and nothing has happened. For a while I thought it was an achievement to walk 500 km, but that has been a bit "relativiert". Searching for the next adventure, I came across reports of folks that have walked, biked, sailed or otherwise traveled the earth for weeks, months and years, many without much fanfare.

How about this one?

2006 Slovenia – China – Slovenia 2008
33.ooo km - 24 months - 22 countries

by bicycle, solo, female

Then there is Heinz Stuecke, riding since 1962. He has visited all countries on earth, filled 20 passports and has the following, most understated web site.

But it also goes as a couple... 5 years on the road, no plans to stop.

Camino Santiago: 450 km for now

Yes, the lion had his final roar for now. After 450 km I stopped in Leon and returned to the mother country, saving Santiago for a different day, season, company and mode of transportation? Who knows. It was an experience that is difficult to put in words or images, and it will be different for anybody going on this journey...

Camino Santiago: Trés Grande Vitesse

While sitting in the TGV I took some shots out the window, at 320 km/h the green meadows obviously fly by, at 3 km/h different story.


After 11 days of hiking, I finally got some ideas about the purpose of the Camino...

Can you walk the Camino with 1 Euro in your pocket?
Can you walk it being sick, exhausted, drained?
Can you walk it?
Can you?

Camino Santiago: Day 9, Ventosa to Cirueña

Still walking...
Tendinitis has teamed up with the blisters...
Finding my own pace? Maybe, I started to day with the idea to walk 10km, then get a hotel room for 2 days and rest up. Well that plan went out the window, the 10km turned into 27km and it looks like i am going at it again tomorrow. I have been getting up before sunrise for the last 10 days, and usually been walking by 6:30 or earlier. In the morning it´s cool and quiet. After 3 hours the pastry shops open, just in time for a croissant or two. Then some more walking until the sun kicks in and it´s time for a siesta. During this time of the year some hostels fill up between 2 or 3, which turns the afternoon in a kind of rat race, which is not so much fun. I quit the race and stop now at smaller auberges inbetween, that are not in the designated endpoints of the recommended stages, much more fun. The last couple of days it was wine country, it´s time for a change...
90 km to Burgos, that could be my final destination this time around, back with a bike or two (aka tandem).
Hasta.

Camino Santiago: Day 7, Sansol to Logroño

One week on the trail, the blisters are drying, now the feet get tired, the heat has kicked in. We can see the grain ripen, while walking. the color changes from lush green to a touch of yellow. the vieyards have started, we see green cherries and grapes.
I found a perfect walking stick, made new friends from Italy, Germany, Argentine. It´s now a handful of people that recognize each other, walk and talk for a bit, separate, to meet again in the evening.
Vamonos!