One Month+ Later Date 30 Sept 2026  Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Total Lodging: $ 935 Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1580 / $ 199 Total Transportation  (Deb & I) : $ 357 Total Food: $ 1038 Wrap-up It's six weeks back and things are settling down. I completed my US Coast Guard Auxiliary Crewman qualifications for the season. I have fully stepped into the staff officer positions of flotilla and division Recreational Boating Services Outreach. I am back in my German language studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Oasis Adult Education Center. This is all for my upcoming trip, preparations underway, to Germany. I plan to hike along the Baltic Sea from Lubeck to Stettin, Poland by following the European Long-Distance Trail, the E9. I made contact with the Veterans Outreach Center in Rochester NY about a volunteer position. It sounds promising. Deb and I have just finished a week-long trip to Colonial Williamsburg. The experience o...

Back 13 Days Date 31Aug 2026  Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Total Lodging: $ 935 Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1580 / $ 199 Total Transportation  (Deb & I) : $ 357 Total Food: $ 1038 Post-Camino Crash This may be the worst camino crash that I have had since I started walking the Camino de Santiago in 2014. All the things in life that gave me pleasure before my service at Ribadiso still give me pleasure. But those activities do not bring fulfillment. Waking up is a drag when my day is more completing a set of self-improvement checklists than doing something for someone else.  Case in point: Being a US Coast Guard Auxiliary Search and Rescue Crewman is both exciting and tranquil. Most times I am simply enjoying being on the waters of Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay, under blue skies with white clouds forming on the horizon. It settles the soul. These days with the high price of gas and fewer boaters out, few and far between are the ti...

Day 27: From Madrid to Rochester Date 18 Aug 2026 (Tuesday) Weather Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): Total Lodging: $ 935 Airplane(s): Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1580 / $ 199 Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I): € 40 Taxi to arpt Total Transportation  (Deb & I) : $ 402 Food (Deb & I): € 10 bkfst Madrid arpt $ 22 meal Atlanta arpt Total Food: $ 1212 Random Thought of the Day Feeling nice to be almost back home. Currently in Atlanta's Jackson Airport. Queue is ready to board for the final flight to Rochester. On the Road / Notable memories 6:30 a.m. Taxi to Barajas arpt, Madrid 7:00 a.m. Arrive Madrid Barajas arpt. 8:00 a.m. Baggage checked, through security, through immigration check and at the gate. 9:00 a.m. Boarding.  10:00 a.m. Take-off. 1:00 p.m. After an 8 and 1/2 hour flight we have cleared immigration. 2:00 p.m. Made it through customs, bags rechecked, through TSA and in Terminal B fo...

Madrid :  Day 26 Meaningful Moment I was texting my granddaughter this morning just to check in, and I had this thought that what I said to her kind of really sums up what this different kind of Camino has been about.  "I won't say that we had a blast, but I can definitely say that we had a most rewarding experience. I would say a spiritual experience, of course people tend to define that in many, many ways. I'm sure that I can say for both Deb and I that it was very rewarding to spend 2 weeks in service, as it gave us a very different perspective on the Camino de Santiago." Date 17 Aug 2026 (Monday) Weather High: 100f. All sun again! Would be tough to live here. Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): $125 Zinc 1 @Calle 10 Arenal / 2 nights Total Lodging: $ 935 Airplane(s): Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1580 / $ 199 Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I): Total Transportation  (Deb & I) : $ 357 Food (Deb ...

Ribadiso to Madrid :  Day 25 Meaningful Moment Deb and I get some down time now. Been out three times in Madrid already today. We are staying near the main points of the city.  Of course, we have been here now more times than I can count on one hand. So as we're walking about looking at all this wonderful architecture and history and culture, we recall the memories of previous times. Date 16 Aug 2026 (Sunday) Weather High: 96f. All sun. Doing for shade. Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): $125 Zinc 1 @Calle 10 Arenal / 2 nights Total Lodging: $ 935 Airplane(s): € 500 Santiago to Madrid Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1580 / $ 199 Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I): € 40 Taxi fm Ribadiso to Santiago airport € 40 Taxi fm Madrid Airport to Madrid Central Total Transportation  (Deb & I) : $ 357 Food (Deb & I): € 30 tapa hopping € 30 night time food run Total Food: $ 1038 Random Thou...

Ribadiso Albergue : Day 24 Meaningful Moment This has been such an amazing experience. To do a Camino in service instead of by walking.  So many interesting people to meet with so many interesting stories.  So many people who just want to talk and share.  So many people who know just what they want, are here for the moment, and then on to Santiago de Compostela.  I feel like I've been a part, a small part, in the lives of many people who have passed through this place of sanctuary for the night.  Spanish, Italians, Polish, German, Chinese, Korean and even a few Hungarians and Romanians and people from Great Britain, one from Slovenia, one from Belgium and, hard to believe, only a sprinkling of Americans.  Undeniably the best part has been sharing this entire experience, starting with our visit to Leon and ending here in Ribadiso, with Deb. Date 15 Aug 2026 (Saturday) Weather Temperature in the high 70s. Mostly sun. Total All Caminos: 2...

Ribadiso Albergue : Day 23 Meaningful Moment There may be something more significant later today, but we started on opening with only five pilgrims. Haven't seen such a low number like that, possibly since we started working here. It's now 7:00 p.m. and there's only 10 pilgrims here. It is incredibly boring. 9:30 p.m. Deb and I said our goodbyes to Elena, one of our two bosses. It's been a pleasure to work with her. Her style contrasts greatly with our other boss, Jose. We say goodbye to him tomorrow. Date 14 Aug 2026 (Friday) Weather Temperature in the low 80s. Cloud cover in the morning. Sun in the afternoon. Followed by a late afternoon cloud cover. Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): Municipal Albergue de Peregrinos de Ribadiso da Baixo (room provided) Total Lodging: € 700 Airplane(s): Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1000 / $ 199 Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I): Total Transportation  (Deb & I) : $ 26...

Ribadiso Albergue : Day 22 Meaningful Moment Had a nice talk with Deb this morning about some issues that have been perplexing me in my life.  I find her to be a fountain of common sense. Date 13 Aug 2026 (Thursday) Weather Temperature in the high 80s. Cloud cover that rather quickly gave way to sun, sun, sun in the afternoon. Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): Municipal Albergue de Peregrinos de Ribadiso da Baixo (room provided) Total Lodging: € 700 Airplane(s): Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1000 / $ 199 Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I): Total Transportation: $ 265 Food (Deb & I): € 10 Coffee and Churros con chocolate € 20 ensalada de queso de Arzúa (very salty) & French fries Total Food: $ 910 Random Thought of the Day Typical start to a morning. Lots of cleanup because we had lots of people last night. But got it all done and then took a walk into town for some shopping and churros and coffee. It'...

Ribadiso Albergue : Day 21 Meaningful Moment Total solar eclipse in Ribadiso Minutes into the eclipse. About 30% partiality. Date 12 Aug 2026 (Wednesday) Weather Temperature in the high 80s. Pretty much sun all day. Total solar eclipse tonight. Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): Municipal Albergue de Peregrinos de Ribadiso da Baixo (room provided) Total Lodging: € 700 Airplane(s): Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc: $ 1000 / $ 199 Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I): Total Transportation: $ 265 Food (Deb & I): € 4 Bar Manuel coffee  € 10 Mesón Ribadiso Drinks and Tartar de Almendra Total Food: $ 875 Random Thought of the Day 9:15 a.m. (-10h to total solar eclipse) All finished with the daily chores of wiping down the bunk beds, wiping down the bathrooms, picking up litter around the bridge over the river and the other morning things. Deb and I plan on a morning walk in a little bit. Morning walk: this morning we walk...

Ribadiso Albergue : Day 20 Meaningful Moment Breaking dawn over the Rio Iso, Ribadiso Received the news today that one of my hiking buddies who suffered a major stroke shortly before I left for Spain, has made enough progress to move from the intensive care to rehabilitation home.  I visited him twice before I left for Spain, and each visit reminded me of the fragility of life.  Then I started remembering all the funerals I've been to in the past 12 months of people from various relationships. It's made me think that I have not given it sufficient thought about how I want to be treated, should something like that happen to me.  The truth is that, like the old joke goes - I want to be physically healthy, physically strong, physically capable but I leave this planet because I got hit by a bus. Date 11 Aug 2026 (Tuesday) Weather Temperature in the mid 80s. Pretty much sun all day. Total All Caminos: 2450 miles Lodging (Deb & I): Municipal Albergue de Pereg...