MO FAUX CAMINO

  Highlights: Today we woke to not being able to see across Lake Washington and checked to see if it was smoke or fog.  The smoke from California fires is apparently higher up this time and the three Air Quality Indices I checked said that all was well. Continuing my Fauxmino was on. Day 30 - the second to last day.   I drove to what I think is the best dog park in the world – Marymoor , which is a multi-use super popular site of not just off leash dogs having fun but outdoor concerts and movies, soccer and other sports, and a Remote Control (RC) Airplane field. Marymoor is also the de facto home of Cirque de Soleil when it tours Seattle. On the real Camino, I would have done a demanding 20.5 miles to get me from Melide to Arca where I would have walked peaceful forest paths, sampled creamy Arzua cheese, and felt excitement building as I neared my goal! In my 18.5 miles today, I focused first on my feet as they tried out new Camino-approved shoes and “guaranteed ...

Highlights: I started today’s walk thinking I was just testing out my tootsies after a medicated week off to heal from the abuse that I had wreaked over the past month and a half.  I wore sandals that didn’t touch the healing parts and set off planning to do “just a few miles”.  I headed to one of my well-worn paths through residential Kirkland.  The coastal fog was heavy, but I was comforted by the knowledge that today was turning into a high 70s (~25 C) day and that it wasn’t smoke. Before I knew, it, my inner camino had kicked in, the fog had lifted, and I found myself in the beautiful  Bridle Trails State Park  that is obviously walking distance from my house. While this park is designed for the many horsey folks in our area with “four arenas and a calendar full of horse shows and organized rides”, this is also a fabulous walking area with 28 miles of soft-earth forested trails to explore.  Since I hadn’t planned to do Day 29 today, I didn’t...

Highlights: It’s time for another 7-day summary before I describe Day 28.   After the first 28 days, I would have walked 433 miles (really walked 443) from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Hospital Alta da Cruz, Spain. I have completed just over 91% of the Camino de Santiago to the popular destination of Santiago de Compostela and over 80% if I were to do the additional 73 miles to the Coast.   As you can tell, I have been rethinking my ultimate destination.   I realize that I have hit a  very real Camino wall as I see the light at the end of this tunnel. If I were doing the real Camino, Day 28 would have taken me from Barbadelo to Hospital Alta da Cruz where I would have crossed the long bridge to Portomarin, visited a fortress-church, and traversed small villages. Day 28 on my Fauxmino ended up being somewhat disturbing, if not bizarre. I arrived at what was reported to be the Interurban North Trailhead in Everett in a tiny parking lot whose first two spaces w...

  Highlights: Today had a practical goal – to walk to Cottage Lake in Woodinville to help Don with his maiden kayak voyage and to get some, not all, miles in for Day 27.   On the real Camino, I would have travelled 14.3 miles from Triacastela to Barbadelo, visiting the Benedictine monastery of Samos, and feeling the excitement of new pilgrims joining the path in Sarria. As I have come to experience over and over, my expectations were greatly exceeded as Google maps led me on a different path that captured my interest the whole way. Near home, I started with my old friend the Kirkland Cross Corridor trail and walked to what usually is my turning around point on my pre-Fauxmino morning walks.   There I began new territory, passing by my Fiat dealership, where I looked for more versions of my little car that still delights me.   I saw signs of our Covid times with middle and elementary school signs that normally would be announcing meet the teacher nights.   ...

  Highlights: What a difference a day makes.   Day 26 was glorious.   On the real Camino, I would have walked 16 miles from La Faba to Triacastela, entering the misty mountains of Galacia, enjoying stunning views, and observing traditional rural architecture as I passed through the villages to the historic town of Triacastela.   On Day 26 of my Faux Camino, I walked 17.5 miles, some of it in the rain with my trusty umbrella as the AQI (Air Quality Index) moved downwards towards safety from 162 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) to 77 (moderate).  Day 25's journey from Boeing in Renton on the Cedar River Trail had felt like more of a chore than a pilgrimage.   Today, even though I struggled to find the trailhead at Landsburg Park at the opposite end of the trail, the personality of the trail completely changed.   I was back to forest-lined, beautifully groomed paths that offered thoughtfully placed picnic benches beside the gently rushing Cedar River...