Tag Camino

An Unexpected Passion

Reg Spittle 10 Comments

How did I get to this point in my life, more than 12 years after I left the working world?

Today, I share with you these words from carryoncouple.com, where my wife Sue traces our journey:

The headlines jump out at us daily — Find your passion…Create a more purposeful and fulfilling life.

Passion is such a strong, emotional word. Does everyone have a passion? What if I can’t find mine? Will I be happy if I’m not passionate about something…anything?

Reg and I have never dwelled on finding answers to these questions. We set goals, make plans and often make decisions as life’s pathways unfold before us. But then something interesting happened…

In 2013, not long after we had both retired, Reg and I walked Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Neither of us walked with expectations. We weren’t searching for healing or peace or direction. I just knew that we needed to do it. Reg wasn’t so sure, and may have been the most reluctant pilgrim on the Camino that year, but my stubborn enthusiasm opened a new world of interests and travel opportunities for us.

Passion had found us!


Since that fateful walk through Spain, we have become passionate about long distance walking, exploring some of the world’s most beautiful treks. I keep our carryoncouple blog up-to-date, sharing bits and pieces of our travels. We both started additional blogs; Reg posts book reviews and I share my favorite photos. Reg became serious about writing, publishing three separate books detailing our adventures. I’ve designed maps for his books as well as the covers.

Reg recently released his third book, (here’s a link) Hoofin’ It On The John Muir Trail, an adventure memoir recounting our 30-day trek through California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. This, along with his other two books, are available at Amazon.com.

In April we will set off on a couple new trekking adventures. One through Italy on the Via Francigena and another shorter walk on England’s Cotswolds Way. I hope you’ll follow along.

A Year After the French Camino, the Trail Calls Us

Reg Spittle 5 Comments

A year ago, our steps connected these two historic pilgrimage places, nearly 500 miles apart on the French Camino, or Le Puy route.

We climbed on interior stairs to the top of the Statue of Notre Dame de France. The statue graces the highest point in Le Puy, France, and offers a spectacular view of the medieval city, home to the Camino that has hosted pilgrims for centuries. The 1860 statue was constructed using cast iron from 213 Crimean War cannons and delivered by Napoleon.

Le Puy marked the beginning of our journey.

Six weeks later, we stood on the iconic bridge in St. Jean Pied de Port, just five miles from Spain. It marked the beginning of the Camino Frances, the most traveled distance trail in the world and our first trek 10 years ago. On our way to St. Jean, we traveled over countless mountains and hills, along valleys, over rivers, and through French villages during an unusual fall heatwave that tested our resolve. Farms, ranches, forests, high plains and much more lined the trail. We stayed in small hotels, a few hostels, and were nearly stranded without accommodation and food more than once.

The memories make our seventh distance trek feel fresh. We are eager to tackle another trail, but where will it take us?

That’s for 2025 to unveil. The beginning of the year will also unveil Reg’s third trekking adventure book; more on that later.

Meanwhile, we will walk vicariously via YouTube and on trails around our Ashland, Oregon home.