Maybe There Will Be Cupcakes

Ginny Bartolone's Blog of Many Years

Tag: Hiking

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 8

    The Fourth Camino: Part 8

    Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6, and part 7! After the experience with the erupting shower, the desire for normalcy overwhelmed me. You should expect challenges on these hikes, but there was something glaringly different about this one. I knew the pandemic would make this harder and I…

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 7

    Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, and part 6! Let’s take a moment to talk about plan A. I’ve always had an inexplicable attachment to the small village of O Cebreiro. It sits on the edge of a mountain just after you cross into the province of Galicia–a staggeringly…

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 6

    Hello! For those just joining, here is part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, and part 5! Before you leave for the Camino, it’s easy to daydream about what a typical morning might look like. Maybe you open your eyes to the first signs of sunlight, breathing in the smell of woodsmoke from the…

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 5

    Check out parts one, two, three, and four! I barely slept that night. The snores, the creaking metal beds, and my aching knees kept me awake staring at the bedsprings of the bunk above me for hours. I’m no stranger to insomnia, and I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with it, even on a hike.…

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 4

    If you’re just joining us, here is part 1, part 2, and part 3. “What is it about Camino people and motivational phrases?” Ben asked about a month before our trip. Camino people–myself included–love a good lofty expression. Everyone walks their own Camino. The Camino begins when you reach Santiago. The Camino provides. There is…

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 3

    You can find part one here and part two here! The grip of the old world finally loosened when we woke up the next morning. We were in Spain. No more airplanes, check-in booths, train tickets. The spell of a difficult transition was broken. Our original plan had us getting up at 6 am and…

  • The Fourth Camino: Part 2

    You can find part 1 here!:) We woke the next morning at 7 am, just three hours after getting home. I’m not supposed to be here, I thought as I winced against the NYC sun. We hadn’t even closed the shades. My hiking pants were draped across my laundry bin. Should I just put them…

  • The Journey Back

    I’ve written a lot about coming home from the Camino and how the process can be harder than the walk itself. After three of these crazy journeys, I’ve found that it takes almost exactly a year for me to suddenly realize how I’ve changed. The year leading up to it is wildly confusing, especially the…

  • Rewinding 12 Days of Hiking in 3 Hours

    I ripped off the bandaid rather early on my last morning in Santiago. I shoved all my things into my backpack one more time and said goodbye to my comfortable hotel haven, to the cathedral, and to the people at Pilgrim House. I exited the city the way I came in, past the restaurant where…

  • One Day Without Motion

    Waking up in Santiago feels pretty darn good. It takes a moment to realize, however, that you’re in a room by yourself and you have nowhere to walk. My body shifts into healing mode the moment I arrive. I typically feel sorer on the first day in Santiago than I do the whole trip. I…