Category: Historical

Anna & Michael beside a hilltop St Cuthbert's Way way marker

St Cuthbert’s Way, UK

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Symbol of Roman soldier's helmet and St Cuthbert's Way logo on a signpostSt Cuthbert’s Way is a beautiful and intriguing walk across borders and through centuries of history that have left an indelible imprint on the landscape. 

From the ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian Abbey in Scotland, up into the atmospherically foggy Eildon Hills, alongside the green verged, swift-flowing River Tweed and on to an ancient Roman Road, St Cuthbert’s Way climbs up through beechwoods and silver birch forests to the wild, sweeping Cheviots. After crossing the border it continues on through Weetwood Moor, past St Cuthbert’s Cave, across rolling fields to the coast and, on the low tide, to the mystery-shrouded Holy Island of Lindisfarne. From Lindisfarne, you can continue on up the Northumberland Coast to Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England. Read More

Anna walking past a street-art forest scene in Decazeville

The Way of St James, Chemin de St Jacques, Part 2

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The Way of St James begins in Le Puy-en-Velay in the Haute-Loire and continues for 750 kilometres, through southern and south-western rural France to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the foothills of the Pyrenees. From here it crosses the border into Spain and continues a further 780 km (or more depending on the route chosen) to the holy city of Santiago de Compostela.

This is the second in a three-part series on walking the Way of St James. Read More

Looking over a misty Lot River on the Way of St James

The Way of St James, Chemin de St Jacques, Part 1

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A wooden pilgrim shell, Way of St James

Early each morning, as they have for centuries, pilgrims gather in the romanesque Cathédral Notre-Dame-du-Puy to be blessed before starting their journey on the Way of St James, the oldest Camino de Santiago route outside of Spain. Down a flight of 60 steps, pausing to take a last look back at the imposing white and black striped facade of the cathedral, reminiscent of the great mosque of Cordoba, and onto an ancient trail first walked by Bishop Godescacl in the winter of 951 AD. Read More

Anna waits while Canadian geese cross the Thames Path

Thames Path, England

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Mid Summer, 2019

Thames Path track markerThe Thames Path follows the river from its source in the rolling Cotswold hills, past historic sites and cities, in and out of quaint villages, wildflower meadows and beech woodlands and on through the heart of London to the futuristic Thames Barrier in Greenwich.

We walked the first 55 miles of the 185-mile Thames Path in 2018, following the river from its source to Oxford with our friend Geoff and his 11-year-old son Finn. This year, the four of us are walking from Oxford, the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’, to Henley-on-Thames, a journey of some 50 miles.  Read More

Landscape of patchwork green fields on the Burren Way

Walking the Burren Way, Ireland

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The Burren Way in Ireland is a 125-kilometre walking route from Lahinch on the wild west coast of County Clare. It follows ancient droving tracks, greenways and county byways through the heartland of the Burren to Corofin village. A five-day walk across the largest karst limestone landscape in Europe. It’s an immersion in Irish history and culture and an exploration of natural and archaeological riches including neolithic tombs, ring forts, early medieval castles and ancient centres of learning.

Burren comes from the Irish word, Boireann, a ‘rocky place’, a landscape of bare hills and lowlands. A tilted, folded, glaciated land of limestone pavements, hazel scrub, deciduous woodland, rare wildflowers, lakes, turloughs, springs, fens and grasslands. Its cliffs, escarpments and twisted hills are pale grey. On days when the sea and the sky have a shifting soft paleness, the landscape is more ethereal than existent. A subtle and abiding beauty.
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Lycian Way, Turkey

Lycian Way, Turkey. Part 3: Karaöz to Geyikbayiri

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On our 15th day on the Lycian Way, we wake to the sound of waves lapping on the beach in Karaöz. The Lycian Way is a mythic and ancient route; a 500-kilometre walk around the Teke Peninsula in southwestern Turkey following old ways, past traces of Lycian, Greek and Roman civilisations, alongside turquoise fringed beaches, through coastal villages and high up into the rugged Taurus Mountains.
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Close up of Myra theatre decorations Way, Turkey

Lycian Way, Turkey. Part 2: Kalkan to Karaöz

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A week’s walking on the Lycian Way finds us in the old fishing village and now resort town of Kalkan. The Lycian Way is a mythic and ancient route; a 500-kilometre walk around the Teke Peninsula in southwestern Turkey following old ways, past traces of Lycian, Greek and Roman civilisations, alongside turquoise fringed beaches, through coastal villages and high up into the rugged Taurus Mountains.
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Looking out over the Mediterranean, Way, Turkey

Lycian Way, Turkey. Part 1: Ovacik to Kalkan

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The Lycian Way is a mythic and ancient route; a 500-kilometre walk around the Teke Peninsula in southwestern Turkey following old ways, past traces of Lycian, Greek and Roman civilisations, alongside turquoise fringed beaches, through coastal villages and high up into the rugged Taurus Mountains.

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A pilgrim walks towards a village and a castle on a hill

Walking the Camino Mozárabe: 5 things you need to know

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1. Why should I consider walking the Camino Mozárabe?

You might consider walking the Camino Mozárabe because when you walked the Camino Francés, you wished you’d walked it years ago when it was less crowded. Or, maybe the Camino has got under your skin and you’re ready for another, more adventurous, pilgrimage.

The Camino Mozárabe is well-marked and you’ll be mainly walking on old tracks and quiet minor roads. You’ll visit the history-laden cities of Granada, Córdoba and Mérida, walk past Roman ruins and visit fortified hilltop villages. 

Could it be in your Goldilock’s zone of a quieter, less travelled Camino with a rich cultural history, dazzling architecture and good infrastructure for pilgrims?

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A pilgrim approaching the hill town of Magacela on the Camino Mozarabe

Camino Mozarábe, Spain. Part 3: Córdoba to Mérida

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Three hundred and seventy plus kilometres from Almería to Córdoba on the fabled Camino Mozarábe. An injury. A rest day in Córdoba. Uncertainty in the air as we set out on the final stage of the journey to Mérida, the old Roman capital.

Córdoba to Mérida (246 km)

A singular woman in a bright red flamenco dress walks home from a late-night gig through the quiet, early morning streets of Córdoba. We catch a suburban bus bustling with Sunday hikers a few kilometres up through the forested hills to Cerro Muriano to lessen the impact of today’s long-distance on Michael’s injured tendon.  Read More