The Edge of the Planet is a Lovely Place to Be
I had time to take one hike on the Isle of Barra in the southern Hebrides and it was another of one of those occasions when I could not believe the place in which I had found myself.
Experiences
Special places; Stories about knitting and spinning; Encounters with locals; Excursions; and much more!
The Best Way to Fly Across France!
I LOVE trains for so many reasons: no security lines, show up at the station 10 minutes before departure, carry on everything and have all your stuff available to you during the trip, wide seats, easy to walk around, scenery, low-carbon footprint, AND I can have my knitting!!
Quest for Fiber: Serendipity Too Blatant to Ignore
The theme that I picked for my journey before I began was “Expect the Unexpected” because I wanted to keep my heart open to every possibility. Little did I know how profoundly this theme would manifest itself in the coming year.
Camino: Day 24
As I prepare for probably 10 miles today, I am looking forward to the walking. If someone were to say that it was time to stop, I would rebel. I am not read to quit. Will I feel the same when I get to Santiago? Or Finisterre?
Camino: Days 21–23
But I got to thinking about how taking advantage of this refuge fit in with my gratitude choice for the day—being appreciative of things that happen in my life. If you are appreciative for the offer of a gift or opportunity and accept it, then you honor the giver.
Under the Douro Fog
I am lingering in the Douro River Valley here in Portugal. Sometimes, when I walk through the countryside, I feel like I am in a scene from Under the Tuscan Sun.
Camino: Day 20
We started the day at about 3º C—pretty cold—but by the time I reached Cerdeño on the outskirts of Oviedo in the late afternoon, I was hot, sticky, and completely wilted. I stopped in a grocery and bought cold water and cold orange juice and downed them all at once in a nearby park before continuing on into Oviedo.
Camino: Day 19
Soon, I came to the place where the Camino Primitivo splits from the Camino del Norte. It is a weighty decision for me to choose to do the Primitivo. Most pilgrims who start on the coastal path, stay on the del Norte all the way; some choose the Primitivo. The official start of the Primitivo is actually in Oviedo (two more days walking), but this is the place where pilgrims coming from the del Norte must decide.
Camino: Days 14–15
David, the hospitero, greeted me warmly, and unlike in most albergues who begin the registration process right away, he said, “First things first…Sit down. Would you like tea? Café? He asked where I was from, how my day was and I felt like he was truly interested. I ended up in a room of four beds by myself.
The Art of Quitting: Finding Gratitude in Disappointment
Sometimes (well, many times) when you are traveling, things don’t turn out the way you envisioned them. I had such great plans to visit some parts of Scotland and for the past year I had even visualized myself there.
Quest for Fiber: A New Tradition in Herding Sheep
But then, the sheep came to a wide place in the road and as they spread out, the dog went to work. The farmer only occasionally had to give him direction; the dog zig-zagged behind the tractor making sure there were no slackers.
Quest for Fiber: The New Lanark Cotton Mill
I spent the entire day walking through the exhibits showing the living quarters, spinning machinery, children’s living conditions, the non-profit company store, and today’s working spinning mill making the New Lanark Wool Yarn.
Quest for Fiber: Picky about my Hentilagets on Bressay
You find hentilagets where sheep have rubbed up against walls or fences, but the best pieces for spinning are on the ground. I found that most hentilagets are rubbish. They have been weathered too much and are slightly felted,
It Takes a Team…
I arrived in Reykjavik on June 30 to begin a trip I have been planning for over two years. But it has taken a TEAM to launch me
I am Off on Another Adventure!
I am Off on Another Adventure! Some of my readers have become aware that I will soon be embarking on a new travel adventure, so I thought it would be a good idea to update everyone. I left my little yurt near Pahoa, Hawaii, which was home for a year, on June 1. I will be …
Quest for Fiber: Chinchero Textiles
I enjoyed visiting Centro Textil Llank’ay the most. The women were very welcoming and since we were the only customers, we had a nice visit with them. One talented young woman was knitting a very fine chullo (hat) and manipulating three colors of yarn which she ran around the back of her neck.
Shopping…Cooking…Eating: Causa
You can be very creative with this dish. A vegetarian central layer of steamed veggies, egg salad, or various cheeses, work well…And you can use anything that sounds good for garnish: tomatoes, cucumbers, grated carrots—just use your imagination.
Quest for Fiber: Colores! Colores!
Since I arrived in Calca, I have been trying to find a natural dyeing workshop to learn how the Quechua traditionally dyed their fiber.
From Coca to Coffee and Cacao: Part 2
Raul grows the native Chuncho cacao, whose fruit is smaller than the more prevalent hybrid varieties. Cacao is ripe when the fruit turns yellow.
From Coca to Coffee and Cacao: Part 1
The coffee here is shade-grown—a growing method which encourages the farmers to nurture the forest as a whole.