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  • Home
    • About The World Walk
  • Writings
  • Photos
    • North America
      • U.S.A.
      • Mexico
      • Guatemala
      • El Salvador
      • Honduras
      • Nicaragua
      • Costa Rica
      • Panama
    • South America
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Perú
      • Chile
      • Argentina
      • Uruguay
    • Antarctica
    • Europe
      • Iceland
      • U.K.
      • Denmark
      • Germany
      • Belgium
      • France
      • Spain
    • Africa
      • Morocco
      • Algeria
    • Prints
    • 360°
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Europe

Day 987 - I arrived in Valencia over two months ago thinking I'd be here three weeks. If I'd been staying at a hotel or AirBnb I'd be dead broke. Instead, because of the generosity of a friend, Sav and I had a house in the country we were able to stay atDay 977 - Savannah and I are waiting on one last package before taking off for Algeria. I ordered a GPS which for the rest of this walk will ping my location to a map every ten minutes. I'm excited to have an exact record of my route and to share my advenDay 943 - Fairly good summation of my time in Valencia. - #spainDay 938 - Savannah on one of our many walks through the orange groves. The oranges are ripe right now which means whenever I want a snack all I have to do is walk across the street and pluck a few. I'm definitely waiting for this visa in the right place aDay 928 - While walking I do my best to avoid cities. Navigating their chaos with Savannah and my cart can be overwhelming. So even though I walked from Copenhagen to Gibraltar, Barcelona is one of the few European cities I've really been able to soak in.Day 924 - Being a tourist in Barcelona for a bit. - #teampixel #spainDay 922 - Savannah-girl has been enjoying her downtime in Valencia. We have a nice long break ahead of us while I work on getting a visa for Algeria. - #spain #teampixelDay 895 - Spain has made for a wonderful adventure, but today Savannah and I head to Morocco! For Savannah this will be continent number four and for me it'll be number five. Excited for the adventure ahead! #Theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 894 - Two days ago, Savannah and I trudged over hill after hill until reaching this reservoir where the road flattened out and followed the shoreline. It was on this road, with sweat dripping from my brows, that we happened upon a group of people closDay 893 - The purpose of this walk is to really get to know the world, to feel its scope and patterns underfoot. That means accepting what's laid out in front of me regardless of what it is. I don't hunt down mountains, castles, or blue-green lakes; I simDay 892 - The best walking is had in the morning. My legs are fresh, I'm motivated, and there's always a sunrise to watch. Yesterday morning was especially nice, the sun was being covered then reemerging from behind the clouds, making it feel like the sunDay 891 - We've been blessed with clouds lately, and yesterday it rained for the first time since leaving San Sebastian. We're making good time. In just a few days Sav and I will be boarding a ferry to Morocco where we'll be walking the beautiful MediterrDay 880 - In the Andalusia region of Spain houses are generally whitewashed twice a year. The white color keeps the houses cool during the scorching summers and the lime in the whitewash disinfects and repels bugs. The cumulative result is streets like thDay 879 - Cities are great, so are hotels and cafés and beers in the plaza, but I feel more human in the shade of a tree. In those hours I'm not trying to be anyone. The leaves shift in the wind. The cattle trots over the crunchy earth. The man and the doDay 878 - A few days back I dropped myself in the shade of a tree and about two hundred dragonflies shot airborne all around me. The buzzing of hundreds of dragonflies resonated in my ears like feedback. My initial reaction was to find a different place tDay 877 - There was a moment last October, after being in sustained agony for half a year, that the antibiotics began to work and I had a happy thought for the first time in months. I thought in that moment I would back to my positive, normal self in no tDay 876 - I've had the dream of walking around the world lodged in my head since I was seventeen. It's been an obsession so profound that over time it's become inseparable from my identity. I worked like a dog, saved for years, and aggressively paid downDay 875 - The first cloud cover in weeks followed me and Savannah all morning. It was actually relaxing to walk, not a struggle against the heat. We took a few breaks, but because I was anxious to take advantage of the good walking the breaks were just loDay 874 - I have a delicate relationship with paths like this. For short periods they're good. The cart jostles on their imperfections but that's manageable for a while. Savannah can be off leash. There's quiet, tranquility, a feeling of freedom. But whenDay 873 - The heat is not to be fought. There's no winning against it. A victory one day is paid for the next. It can only be avoided, outmaneuvered. Today and tomorrow will essentially be half-days for me and Savannah. The temperatures will be above 100°Day 872 - Cathedrals towering between the narrow streets, blooms of flowers grown in the shade, a hilltop castle - Trujillo is the most beautiful town I've passed through in Spain. The truly amazing thing about Trujillo though is that it possesses the samDay 871 - If there is any sort of heat Savannah and I won't walk for the few hours around solar noon. This isn't due to the temperature, it's usually hotter after solar noon, but because with the sun at an angle there's shade from the cart for Savannah toDay 870 - Me and the girl churned out some serious mileage this week. Granted, that's mostly because the land was fenced in and finding a place to camp took until sundown most nights, but still! Savannah took that thorn through the paw as though it were lDay 869 - If I've stayed in one place for a while I get nervous the morning I leave. But once I'm on the road for a few days I find myself ignoring the hotels I pass and looking forward to the feeling of the wind flowing through my tent in the evening. ThDay 868 - After two days ascending and descending the Sierra, Savannah and I are back in the lowlands. The temperatures are about ten degrees higher on this side of the mountains, but the humidity dropped by about 50% too, so even though it's 98°F (37°C)Day 867 - I've camped just about everywhere there is to camp. In the Andes at 15,000 feet my tent walls were frozen solid. In Alabama I laid surrounded by swamp, unable to sleep until four in the morning because of the humidity. In Costa Rica I woke to aDay 866 - It was a twenty-eight mile day yesterday. There was no reason to stop. We only crossed two towns; one in the morning and another at the end of the day. The middle of the day was occupied walking through some especially beautiful landscape - fielDay 865 - After three days of keeping Savannah cooped up in an apartment we're back on the road. Her paw looks good and has held up the twenty-two miles we've walked so far today. The vet in Salamanca took great care of her. Moving south of Salamanca theDay 863 - I find there are few things as adept as a starry sky in acting as a sort of measuring stick for which to put my life into perspective. However, this two thousand year old Roman bridge had much the same effect. How quickly my body and name will bDay 862 - Sav and I left Salamanca this morning and after an hour Sav began limping. When I stopped to look at her paw I noticed her fur was matted with blood and a gash had formed between her knuckles. The wound was bad enough that I knew the only thingDay 861 - It's only been two weeks but I'm sticking to my new plan of taking a day off every week. I'm always glad for the day of rest, but it's oddly a difficult thing for me to do - when I'm in a rhythm walking I want to keep it up. If hadn't stopped IDay 860 - I've walked through ranches, palm plantations, wind farms, solar farms, bluebells, pineapple fields, beach, jungle, snow, altiplanos, páramos, and even the butterfly migration in Mexico...but the past week was something new - fields upon fieldsFamily Portrait - 8/12/18 - Frómista, Spain - 10,100 miles walked together. . . . (Also, we're actually in Salamanca and taking the day off tomorrow. This photo was taken a few days back.) . . . #Theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 858 - I've been wanting to experiment with those white frames around my photos for about two years. My favorite follows on Instagram use them, they have a way of creating separation between the viewer and photo so the photo looks more like a print thaDay 857 - This is certainly one of the coolest places I've stumbled across. I headed to the center of Villalpando looking for a place to eat when suddenly the pavement was overtaken by sand and the road opened to this sand-floor plaza. Spanish flags hungDay 856 - I'm currently walking miles of farmland. This photo is from a few days back while I was in Castrojeriz. A little further north from where I am now I passed lots of cuevas (caves) which were being used for all sorts of things. The first cueva I sDay 855 - I'm pretty exhausted today. I drank way too much caffeine yesterday and didn't get a great sleep last night. I'll still force out 35km or so, but right now I'm going to find some shade and fall asleep for awhile... #theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 854 - Yesterday Savannah and I turned off the Camino de Santiago and headed south. I was looking forward to breaking out on a less traveled path, but after just a few hours I had a strange sense of loss. Even though I only said, "Bien Camino" to mostDay 853 - It is a wonder that the town of Castrojeriz thrives as it does - founded twelve-hundred years ago in a dry, harsh landscape, the town consists of little more than nine hundred permanent residents. It's the Camino de Santiago coursing through theDay 852 - In Perú I took a day off every week. In Spain and beyond I'm going to get back to that. While walking these great distances I tend to see the end of each country as the next checkpoint. I'll put my head down and plow through the mileage, contentDay 851 - When I was home a few months ago an aunt of mine asked for advice on how to overcome fear. Because we were among company I didn't give myself time to think and I gave a knee-jerk answer. But since then I've given the question a lot of thought anDay 850 - "I spread my wife's ashes along the Camino. She made me promise. She died three months ago. Three years ago she was diagnosed with liver cancer. We went through the state health care system in Germany first, but things weren't moving quickly enoDay 849 - Nájera - town between the rocks. The proximity of the rock wall reminds me a bit of Purmamarca in Argentina (dig through my photos and see what I mean). I've been having lots of déjà vu lately, maybe because South America was so strongly influenDay 848 - The worst of the heat has broken. From a high of 100° (38°C) yesterday we're suddenly only reaching a high of 80° (27°C) today. That huge drop in heat allowed Sav and I to sleep in today (until 6:30). During the heat wave we were waking at 5:30Day 847 - There's a wonderful sensation in spotting one of these villages for the first time in the distance. They're so defined against the landscape that they shine like beacons. A new village crops up every six miles or so. The church spire in the centDay 846 - Last October I was on death's doorstep and this March I picked up walking again. In hindsight I didn't give myself remotely enough time to recover. I didn't realize it when I was walking from Copenhagen, through Germany, Belgium, and France, butDay 845 - In the towns I'm passing loads of backpackers walking the Camino, but after the towns I separate from them as they follow sinuous paths and I follow the roads. Generally I prefer to be far removed from other tourists, however, the infrastructureDay 844 - There was a beautiful fog coming down from the mountains to Pamplona yesterday. Sav and I didn't pass directly through Pamplona but circled around it. The landscape is dry now and the sun is hard. Sav is handling it like a champ, but I'm not goiDay 843 - Coming down from the mountains and into the August heat. It'll get up to 95° today but it feels cooler than San Sebastian because there's no humidity. I'll have to figure out the best schedule to walk through this weather. I may start at 5 and oDay 841 - We're back at it, baby! What a strange and challenging day. The path I planned on taking along the Pyrenees looked much cart-friendlier online than it turned out to be. We summited one peak then I nearly broke my ankles on the narrow, rocky pathDay 839 - The strange dicotomy of the walk - meet wonderful people and leave them. I'm finally finding my crowd in San Sebastian, but I know once this package gets delivered it's back to the road. On this adventure, the only things I can count on are chanDay 836 - The sun just won't seem to set on San Sebastian. After two weeks of back and forth with customs I finished the import paperwork on Monday, but the package has yet to be shipped from Madrid. I can't wait to get back on the road, but when that'llDay 830 - Visa in hand, now waiting to hear back from customs about my package of shoes/tent insert/underwear/credit card/GoPro accessories. For a month I kept telling my parents to wait before sending the package because I thought I'd have the visa any dDay 825 - A swim in the ocean, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Croatia battling valiantly - definitely a good day. #theworldwalk #travel #spain #teampixelDay 824 - Just a few more sunsets on this spectacular coastline. #Theworldwalk #travel #spain #teampixelDay 823 - Sorry for the radio silence the past few days. I turned off my phone and took a train a few hundred miles to be with some friends. And though technically I'm not allowed to leave San Sebastian while waiting for my visa, the trip was exactly whatDay 818 - To be honest, this is the least fun I've had while on the walk. I stayed in four other places for a month, Bogotá, Lima, Montevideo, and London. In each of those places I had either family or close friends. Here I only have acquaintances. WhileDay 815 - While the rain clouds swell Savannah and I make our way down to the ocean. The leaves are damp from the morning rain. The air is brisk. The sun hasn't been exposed today. When I make it to the ocean I sit in the water for a long while. SavannahDay 814 - Visa papers have been resubmitted in Spanish. Hopefully I hear back in a decent amount of time. These day hikes are nice, but I miss the adventure and challenge of the road. I want to once again earn a good night sleep. I want to stagger into neDay 809 - I finally heard back from the immigration office. I've haven't received the extension yet because I need to resubmit my health insurance in Spanish. I'll get that in on Monday then go from there. In the meantime I'll continue walking this tremenDay 808 - Nothing like unwinding beside the ocean after a ruff day of napping and walks in park. #theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 807 - Wonderful hike last night. To watch the sunset I returned to a stone peak I discovered a few days earlier. The wind was really kicking but Sav found herself a nook in the stone for a little peace. #theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 805 - Coming from the suburbs of New Jersey I wonder how growing up beside views like this would have changed me. #Theworldwalk #travel #spain #teampixelDay 803 - From the book I always return to, 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius: "Very little is needed to make a happy life, it is all within yourself in your way of thinking." #theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 802 - No word from the immigration office yet. My visa application seems to have taken a siesta. Thankfully I have a good place to stay and lots of nearby hikes to keep busy. #Theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 800 - It may not look like it in this photo, but today was the first 80° day I've experienced in Spain. Sav and I did a few hour hike and in the heat I was able to work up a good sweat. There's still no word on my visa extension, so for the time beingDay 799 - Long days are one of the greatest boons for a walker. Long days mean sleeping in isn't punished and finding a place to sleep isn't so pressing. Right now there's still light in San Sebastian until 10:30 or so. #theworldwalk #travel #spainDay 798 - No word on my visa extension just yet. The immigration office said it would probably take two weeks so I should hear back in a few days. In the meantime I've been practicing Spanish and taking short hikes with Sav. Yesterday we walked a bit of tDay 796 - That visa extension is feeling more important by the minute... - - - #Theworldwalk #travel #spain #teampixelDay 791 - My days in San Sebastian have so far consisted of a furious amount of studying Spanish, intermittenly broken up by lots of walks in the park. I love having enough time here to build some habits. It streamlines each day. It makes studying easierDay 788 - The papers have been submitted. I'll hear back about my visa extension within ten days. Until then I'll be dusting off my Spanish in San Sebastian. I've forgotten so much and the Spanish here has a different accent and is spoken much faster thanDay 787 - This photo was taken back in Biartitz, France, but I'm in San Sebastian, Spain working on extending my visa. It's looking more promising than I initially thought, but I won't know more until tomorrow. I'd love to explore Spain so I'm really hopiDay 786 - My last night in France was one of the best. Rather than wild camping like I usually do, I stayed at a municipal campsite beside the beach. I watched the sunset then laid in my tent and read. The air was cool and there wasn't a mosquito around.Day 784 - Blue passionflower, indigenous to South America but now readily found in France and Spain. Sav and I arrive in Bayonne, France today, just a day walk from Spain. Once we're in Spain I'll see if I can get my visa extended. Keep your fingers crossDay 783 - I had a tough time finding a place to sleep last night. The path we were on ran through a nature reserve so we couldn't just set camp anywhere. The reserve made for gorgeous, peaceful walking during the day, but also meant it was tough to find aDay 782 - Savannah always gets the zoomies before bed. She needs to burn off that excess energy, I suppose. Other than Savannah, one of the main reasons I enjoy this lifestyle so much is each morning I wake with a purpose - walk. It isn't the walking in aDay 781 - We're nearly at the southwest coast of France. We've been walking through lots of pine forests. Some of the forests are laden with ferns, others have floors of sands. I prefer the ferns, but of course anything is preferable to sand - fills yourDay 780 - The forecast called for rain the previous two days, but other than a few light showers the rain has held off. It's a good thing because Sav and I are nearing the coast and the sand paths we've been walking would be a torment if wet. #TheworldwalDay 778 - I was able to explore a bit of Bordeaux today thanks to one of my Instagram followers offering Savannah and I a place to stay. We've been living a very luxurious life here. Savannah has been lounging while I've been plumb full of local wine andDay 777 - Over the past few years I've passed hundreds, if not thousands, of horses, but until yesterday I'd never see one with heterochromia. The blue eye was confusing and mesmerizing, it seemed to imbued the horse with a mystic awareness - especially bDay 776 - The heat is ratcheting up which means a new cut for Sav. The shorter hair has been helping already - much less panting. #Theworldwalk #travel #france #teampixelDay 774 - This is Rue des 3 Four at dusk. It's one of the first streets Savannah and I take to reach center Angoulême. The street is part of Old Angoulême and has been walked on at least as far back as the end of the Roman Empire (3rd or 4th century). We'Day 773 - Other than protection from the elements, a bed, and quick access to food and water, one of the best parts about staying in one place is that I don't have to shoot in the harsh midday light. #Theworldwalk #travel #franceDay 771 - Wandering around Angoulême while I wait for these new debit cards to arrive. Could be worse problems. #theworldwalk #travel #france #teampixelDay 769 - There are few things better in this world than throwing out a tarp and falling asleep beneath the stars. I did it almost every night in the deserts of Perú and Chile because it was dry and free of mosquitos, but last night was the first time I cDay 768 - The morning walk through Verteuil-sur-Charente had a heck of a backdrop. Savannah and I will do a half-day today since our hotel reservation is for tomorrow and only 40km away. Hopefully my new cards will arrive Monday. #Theworldwalk #travel #frDay 767 - Interesting day so far. In the morning I received an alert of a $400 charge in Lille, France I didn't make and because of that my card was shut off. Thankfully I had a backup card. With that card I went to the ATM, but inexplicably, my card wasDay 766 - In Germany there were buildings hundreds of years old which were power washed and brushed meticulously to be kept in impeccable form. In France, a country equal in beauty to Germany, there's an artistic blindspot to maintenance. Moss is left toDay 764 - Château de Sully-sur-Loire was built as early as 1102. It was home to the dukes of Sully and until only sixty years ago was owned by a single family, the Sullys. It's embankments help protect the town from flooding. And in 1719 the home sheltereDay 763 - Walking beside wheat fields in the French countryside. It's cold and rainy today, but yesterday was perfect. Cloud cover like this is what I dream of; the right blend of warmth from the sun and relief from the shadows. #theworldwalk #travel #fraDay 762 - After six miles this morning we came to a village where I sat on a park bench opposite the post office. Since it was Sunday everything was closed. No one was outside but myself, Savannah, and the birds singing above us. I listened to the birds fDay 761 - Sav is a puddle hunter. Even if she's just drunk her fill she needs a taste of each and every puddle. When she finds a deep puddle she'll run through it with her mouth open like she's a blue whale filtering for krill. Today it's rainy and thereDay 760 - We're off the Eurovelo paths and making a b-line for Spain. The Eurovelo was super peaceful, but almost too much so. The paths were so uniform it was becoming monotonous. Now, we're taking small roads and sometimes we're forced to the side due tDay 759 - We left this view at the cheapest, dog-friendly hotel in Montargis to get back to the road. It's a perfect 65° and my legs are feeling strong so we should put in some good mileage today. #theworldwalk #travel #franceDay 758 - Savannah and I had a nice day off in Montargis yesterday. We laid around the park for a few hours and walked the streets to the setting sun. Whenever I stop I have a pang of guilt knowing I could keep walking if I really wanted to, but once I waDay 756 - Following trails and hoping for shade. The heat has ratcheted up a little the past few days, but the plan is to take tomorrow off for a breather. Any particularly French meal I should seek out for dinner? #Theworldwalk #travel #franceDay 755 - I took a big gamble returning to the road only a few months after beginning my recovery from my bacterial infection and colitis. But a month and a half ago I stopped taking steroids, and two weeks ago I stopped the targeted anti-inflammatories,Day 753 - I took a wrong turn this morning and walked an hour through tall grass and brush before realizing I was headed away from town. I thought I'd use a farm path as a shortcut and instead added six miles to my day. Six miles is nothing in relation toDay 753 - For however much I want to see Paris, the stress of walking through such a massive city just isn't worth it. I'm following roads west of the sprawl and am almost south of the city. I'll return one day, but this is a different sort of journey I'mDay 751 - Back in Guatemala I walked a narrow road along the coast used by trucks overflowing with cane. The trucks threw up dirt, dropped cane stalks, and passed my shoulder by inches. I walked that road for nearly a day. Once I got off it I was stressedDay 750 - Things you don't see in America - yellow fields of canola rolling towards a castle in the distance. I've walked by two types of yellow fields in Europe. The one pictured at the end of Germany was mustard, it's flowers are few and high on the steDay 747 - Heavy thunderstorms are expected all day tomorrow. I'm hoping the forecast is wrong, I don't want to be stuck in the tent all day. If only I had a shell on my back like one of these guys, then I could curl up when it was raining and walk when itDay 745 - We're off the canal and into the forests and countryside. The small roads and bike paths we've followed have been gorgeous. I only have 47 days left on my visa though so I know at some point I'll have to get off the scenic route and save time byDay 736 - There are few things better than finding a great camp spot. Last night Sav and I stayed on a secluded field of grass and woke this morning to a colorful sunrise. #Theworldwalk #travel #germanyDay 720 - We managed a quick 21 miles today. The forecast was for snow, but we must have out-walked the storm because we didn't see a flake until four. Now it's coming down like sleet and we're bundled in the tent. Nothing like a good excuse to call it anThrough my two years of walking I've been taken in by friends, family, and complete strangers. In a new city or on a tough road there's nothing better. You not only get a warm bed and shower, but are given a peek into another life. I've woken to mountainDay 711. I have bad news, The Walk is on an indefinite hold. Four months ago, shortly after returning from South America, I began to have minor stomach pains. For a while the pains were mild, just small cramps. I went to two doctors and was treated for IBDay 709. Some wonderful people north of Dumfries put me up yesterday. I haven't really gotten into a rhythm walking yet, that'll take a few more weeks at least. Walking twenty-four miles a day demands a lot. It's not just a mental transition, but a physicDay 708. Tough day in the rain yesterday. I was chilled to the bone after a few hours. The terrain in Europe so far has been much easier than South and Central America, but I think I'd take dry heat over cold rain. #theworldwalk #travel #UK #teampixelDay 707. Gorgeous blue sky yesterday, brutal wind and rain today. That's the nature of Scotland, I suppose. It's gonna take some getting used to. #theworldwalk #travel #UKDay 706. What a day yesterday. I took a wrong turn and ended up walking through pastures for four hours. I trudged through a river and waved off some bulls and their calves. At the end of the day Sav and I found a spot on a hill to watch the sunset, but wDay 703. There's a lesson on this wall. #theworldwalk #travel #UK #teampixelDay 702. Savannah and I had a fantastic day today. Most of the day we followed a lush bike bath. Around 11 we stumbled upon a cafe to have tea and lunch. Then in the afternoon I was able to reach a friend of a friend's home to be put up for the night. NotDay 701. My view from the tent tonight. I'm following a bike path and spent nine miles or so looking for somewhere to set camp. Ultimately I settled with an open field just beside the path. It's definitely less than ideal, I'm totally exposed, but this isDay 700. Sav and I are staying one more in Dundalk before getting underway. It'll be about a month until our next rest in London and there are some loose ends more easily taken care of at a relatives than on the road. It's crucial to make sure everythingDay 699. Sav has had a pretty great week. Nothing to do but eat food, run on beaches, and play with her cousin. Tomorrow we're back on the road, making our way to Belfast then jumping on a ferry to Scotland. Photo credit to my cousin Margaret! #theworldwaDay 697. I imagine after living in Europe for a while you end up taking the castles for granted, but coming from the States I'm blown away by how powerful they all seem. #theworldwalk #travel #irelandDay 696. Touring around Northern Ireland with my cousins it seemed like there was an incredible beach around every bend. I couldn't spot any people on this one, but there were about a hundred cows. Even the livestock know how to live here. #theworldwalk #Day 695. My cousins in Dundalk have been treating Sav and I like royalty. We've toured all over, seen just about every relative I have, and drank damn near a well of tea. Sav and I will probably head out in a few days, but for now I'm taking full advantagDay 691. Busy day exploring the Dundalk region. For breakfast and a morning walk we hit the small port town Carlingford. After that we visited the home of my great-grandmother where at least six consecutive generations of my family have lived. And finallyDay 689. I couldn't get into much of a rhythm today. After my months off in Uruguay and the US I've lost that ability to turn off my mind and walk for hours on end. In a static life every impulse can be satisfied the moment it crops up, but walking all daDay 683. Yesterday, after hiding from a hail storm, the sky cleared and I walked right by this church. There wasn't anyone there, there were no signs, just insane casual beauty. #theworldwalk #travel #irelandDay 682. I don't think I walked more than forty minutes in one go yesterday. Rainstorms came and went all day. Sav and I were caught in a bad one in the afternoon which soaked through my rain gear. It wasn't until finding an underpass an hour later that IDay 785 - The girl and I left Bayonne this morning and are headed towards Spain. Huge thanks to @arnaud_bueno, who I met all the way back in Costa Rica, for taking Sav and I in for the night. Nothing like a shower and bed to power up. #Theworldwalk #traveDay 779 - From deserts to vineyards, this girl has been with me through it all. Adopting her was one of the best decisions of my life and it almost didn't happen. When she was brought into the shelter she was only three months old and I was nervous aboutDay 775 - Sav and I are out of Angoulême and back on the road. It's been slow going so far. After the week of relaxation I need to get myself back in the headspace where I can turn off and churn out miles. Sure I'll be back to that in no time. Au revoir ADay 772 - I'm getting into a little bit of a rhythm here in Angoulême. Sav and I go for a walk in the morning, then at nine I stop at a cafe and write for a bit. Midday I run errands and in-between we hide from the sun in our room. Then, as the sun is setDay 770 - A little while back Savannah and I followed a railroad line that had been repurposed into a walking path between towns. The land was already isolated so the transformation was relatively simple. The tracks were removed and the pavement was laid.Day 765 - Van Gogh used to paint wheat fields just like these and it's easy to see why. Their colors are always shifting. When it's windless they appear green, then when the wind picks up the fields glisten shades of gold. It makes for incredibly peacefulDay 757 - Sometimes, even walking in the correct direction, the pavement ends and we must push along a barely discernable path in the rain. The easy road will end, as will the tough one, we must always remember that. #Theworldwalk #travel #france #teampixDay 749 - Two straight days of heavy cold rain. That means hood up, headphones in, and plowing through. Savannah doesn't seem to notice though. She likes the rain. She loves running through the wet grass. We're both walking in the same conditions, but rigDay 748 - Not every day is a great day. There are hours when all I want is a bed and security. There are days when the miles seem impossibly long. It takes a lot of energy to stay in good spirits when my body is sore and my mind is taxed. But even in thosDay 746 - It never stops. From the live oaks in Georgia to the blue bells in France, I only walk a sliver of this earth each day and yet each day I walk a new world. Amazing how much variety can be found by doing the same thing everyday. #Theworldwalk #trDay 744 - We slept just inside the French border last night and I didn't realize it until this morning. I'll be in France longer than any other country in Europe so I'm hoping it's good to me. So far the walking has been great and the croissants even bettDay 743 - Cherry blossoms and glassy water. The skies have been clear lately, but it looks like rain all day tomorrow. Sav and I will put in a lot of miles today and hopefully out-walk the worst of the storm. #theworldwalk #travel #belgiumDay 742 - Fishermen, sailors, and rock climbers - I'm seeing them daily as make my way through Belgium. Not exactly the drama of climbing the Andes or pushing through the Atacama desert, but it sure is nice. #theworldwalk #travel #belgiumDay 741 - About a month back I started messing around with an Instagram page for Savannah - @savannahthegood Any photo of her is automatically one of my most liked posts, and I take photos of her constantly, so why not? I'm fairly certain she'll rocket beDay 740 - We arrived in the small city of Huy yesterday and this morning the place was calm and covered in fog. From a high of eighty-two the temperature is going to drop over the next week to make for some especially pleasant walking. When you live outsiDay 739 - Our first full day in Belgium was incredible. The walking path we followed was lined with trees which kept Sav and I cool all day. At one point we passed through an area where the raining cherry blossoms painted the path pink. The beauty slowedDay 738 - This was our view most of the time in southern Germany - mustard fields, wind turbines, and country roads. Yesterday Sav and I crossed into Belgium. I loved Germany, but it feels great to enter a new country. The small changes add new wonders toDay 737 - In northern Germany I was camping mostly in forests. Now it's farms or just patches of woods. Lately, I've been sleeping better exposed on the edge of a farm than hidden in the forest. It feels more honest. I imagine if someone sees my tent theyDay 735 - We stayed in Dusseldorf last night but are back in the country already. I've decided to change my route through Europe so we went south instead of following the Rhine. I'll be walking towards Paris for a more direct route to Barcelona. SwitzerlaDay 734 - Out of the country and into the cities. Walking along the Rhine so far has meant far more people on the bike paths and far more towns than farms. Still, it's good, easy walking. We have someone putting us up tonight - can't wait for the shower aDay 733 - Snapped this moments before Savannah slipped and dropped into the canal. She needed the wash anyway. #theworldwalk #germany #teampixelDay 732 - These bike trails are sinuous as can be, but they're certainly not short on scenery. We took the long way around beautiful Lüdinghausen yesterday, circling this steeple as we went. #theworldwalk #travel #germanyDay 731 - I'm learning my pace again. I'm walking slower, taking more breaks, and stopping earlier. This isn't the deserts I walked in South America. I must always adjust to where I am. I remember in Costa Rica I would walk from 4am to 10am because of theDay 730 - I love seeing the different style homes in each country. There are always design aspects born out of necessity. Single story homes around the equator because of the heat. Steep roofs in Scandanavia because of the snow. In Germany, which is fairlDay 729 - After my friend Ann Marie died at sixteen one of my most fundamental values became Carpe Diem. Initially that meant packing in as much activity as possible into each day. But over the years my interpretation of Carpe Diem has evolved. Carpe DiemDay 728 - Spring is coming. Occasional thunderstorms and warm weather are predicted for the days ahead. Flowers are blooming. Birds are chirping. Shorts and short sleeves are out. For a little while before the summer heat I'll have perfect seventy degreeDay 727 - Sav and I got a much needed hotel room last night. I was way too rough on my body these past two weeks. I told myself I'd ease back into things, but by my third day back I was walking 24 miles and not taking a break midday. I have to be smarterDay 726 - That thirty mile day really did a number on me. My body was not ready for it. I barely managed eighteen miles yesterday and am walking with lead legs today. I'm thinking of finding a cheap hotel for the night. A deep sleep would have me right asDay 725 - Pretty rough day yesterday. It was windy, cold and rainy. I started losing it a bit when after four hours in the rain the forecast said there was only a ten percent chance of precipitation. I don't know if the rain clouds were following us or whDay 725 - Mossy grounds make for the best place to camp. Sav and I are passing through Bremen today on our way to the Rhîne. We've been following bike paths so the route has been a bit circuitous, but far more scenic than if we followed the most direct roDay 724 - Though Savannah lived a pampered life for the six months we were home, I can tell she was meant for the road. For the first two years of her life we did little else but wake up and walk eight hours. She puts in the miles with her tail wagging, kDay 723 - It's my 29th birthday today and beside some clothes and books in NJ everything I own is in this photo. One of the biggest struggles in actualizing the walk was keeping what I owned to an absolute minimum. Because I had the walk in my mind long bDay 722 - There's been a good amount of snow since Denmark but it looks like the weather is finally breaking. It's 50° today and it'll be 60° tomorrow. I'm looking forward to waking up and not seeing my breath. It'll making brewing the morning coffee muchDay 721 - Three years ago I spent my first Easter on the road. I was only three days into the walk and set camp in a patch of woods behind someone's house. I left them a note to tell them I had no bad intentions and in the morning they invited me in for bDay 719 - It was just slightly windy yesterday. Thankfully today is sunny and calm, making for some easy miles. Flowers are starting to bloom around here so I'm hoping there aren't many more snowstorms. #Theworldwalk #travel #germany #dogDay 718 - A big, windy storm rolled through last night and today. The worst of it was this morning so I waited that out in the tent. Once noon rolled around the storm had calmed down so Sav and I got walking (Sav loves the rain and snow). It snowed all daDay 717 - One of the best parts about the walk is actually not knowing where I'm going to sleep each night. Rather than ending in a hotel I'll find a nook to make camp in. Sometimes they're not ideal, but more often than not I'm able to find a really peacDay 716 - Before I took a single step of this world walk I had paper bike maps to guide me all the way from NJ to Florida. However, on just my second day of following them I found myself on a gut-wrenching shoulder-less Pennsylvania road. Within twenty miA little sore today, but not too bad considering I walked 24 miles on my third day back. A few blisters on my feet coming in as well. All in all Denmark has been treating me very well, only hope the rain continues to hold off. #Theworldwalk #travel #denmaFamily Portrait - 3/25/18 - 8500 Miles Walked Together - Faxe Ladeplades, Denmark #Theworldwalk #travel #denmarkThe cold air makes is tough to get out of the sleeping bag, but it's also great incentive to keep moving. Sometime this morning me and Savannah passed through beautiful little Køge. We walked straight through the packed downtown. There were loads of peoplFirst day back on the road in half a year went swimmingly. Denmark was a good choice to regain my feet. For half the day @savannahthegood and I followed secluded bikepaths. For the other half we had a massive sidewalk After only 15 miles I called it a dayLast day in Copenhagen. I stayed the week because I wanted to take advantage of my friends here before leaving. It's not every city I'll have a personal tour guide. Tomorrow it's just me and Savannah again. #Theworldwalk #travel #denmarkI never saw myself living in a city. The lack of green space and tall buildings give me a feeling of claustrophobia. During the walk I try to avoid cities. The countryside is far safer and more peaceful. However, Copenhagen has separated itself in my mindI never imagined a place as bike friendly as this. Dedicated bike lanes, lights, and parking everywhere. Even when it's below freezing and windy biking around Copenhagen is an absolute joy. #Theworldwalk #travel #denmark #teampixelThe colorful houses of Nyhavn. #Theworldwalk #travel #denmarkWe made it! After six months battling a vicious bacteria Savannah and I have landed in Copenhagen where my friend, @marlysealexandra is putting us up. Sav and I stopped our walk in Scotland, but decided to pick back up in Denmark. All the bikepaths here mDay 704. Sav and I walked four miles to the ferry this morning. We sat on the ferry for two hours then stepped into Scotland. From the dock we walked one hour along the coast before finding a heavenly spot to camp by the beach. It was five o'clock but I dDay 698. Went sailing, had tea. Another good Irish day. #theworldwalk #travel #irelandDay 694 The main reason people head to the Giant's Causeway: the surreal basalt columns. It was pouring rain while we were there which made for treacherous walking. I'm surprised there weren't more people falling. The worst I saw was a girl slip and accidDay 693. Heck of a day today. Me and the cousins took a road trip into Northern Ireland to see the Giant's Causeway. The most iconic section of the UNESCO World Heritage Site is where basalt columns form a peninsula into the sea, but the hike around the sDay 690. Somehow I managed to walk from Dublin to Dundalk in just two days. I thought I was a little out of shape for that, but when I woke up today the skies were clear and I was in a great mood to walk. Savannah and I did about 45km (27mi) today. It shoDay 688. Last day in Dublin. I've loved my few days here. The brick buildings, blue-collar attitude, and lack of skyscrapers remind me a lot of Philly. Tomorrow Sav and I start our quick 2-3 day jaunt to Dundalk. In Dundalk I have loads and loads of familDay 687. Reddit AMA is live! Use the link in my bio to ask me anything! Looking forward to answering your questions! #theworldwalk #travel #irelandDay 686. Savannah and I made it to Dublin two days ago. Yesterday we did nothing but bum. My legs were killing me after having not walked in a few months. It's definitely going to take me a month or so to get back into form. Today though my legs are feeliDay 684. I have the feeling that Europe, for me, will be much more about the architecture than the landscapes. That's not to say the landscapes won't be beautiful, but I've been in love with just about every building I've seen so far. #theworldwalk #traveDay 681. Sunny yesterday and rainy today, these are the Irish summers I suppose. Through all of Central and South America I probably had less than two weeks of rain. For months I walked through desert. This is going to be a bit of an adjustment. #theworldDay 680. Minus the camera and clothes on my back, this photo captures all my possessions for the next three years. One day I'll want more, but for now I'm pretty content. #theworldwalk #travel #ireland #savannahtwwDay 679 Once I had Savannah's European paperwork and I knew I'd be walking again soon I became really nervous about what lay ahead for me. Mostly I worried my passion had faded and that I started something massive which I wouldn't finish. But when I beganMe and the girl have landed in Europe! The process of getting her in was long and a bit precarious at times. The effort was well worth it though. After walking all of North and South America with Savannah, I can't imagine taking on Europe without her. ForGodafoss, waterfall of the gods, where a thousand years ago the statues of Norse gods were thrown when Christianity was made the official religion of Iceland. The most beautiful waterfalls I've seen. I imagine those Pagan gods had no problem being sent baIn order to be alone with the Sólheimasandur plane crash I walked to it at three a.m., just as the sun was rising. The Douglas Super DC-3, in operation by the US Navy, went down in 1973. The crew survived and the plane was never recovered. What remains isSituated on the Mid-Atlantic ridge where the Earth's crust spreads apart, Iceland is in a perpetual state of transformation. All the volcanic activity below means cheap hot water and electricity. It also means the formation of unreal places like DimmuborgRoughly fourteen percent of Iceland's landmass is covered with lakes and glaciers. This means as summer builds hundreds of waterfalls double, triple, even quadruple their flow with glacial runoff. When one of those waterfalls is paired with low-lying straIcelandic sheep are some of the heartiest sheep in the world. They have two layers of wool; the bottom layer is light and insulating, while the top layer is strong and water-repellent. I've seen these guys standing out in downpours with thirty miles per wHeaded toward the east coast fjords and hoping to see a few hundred puffins. #theworldwalk #travel #icelandI took a day hike to this crater yesterday. The hike should have been about eighteen miles, but on the way back I attempted to take a shortcut over the mountains which ended up adding three miles of sliding down hills and walking through bushes. Not a smaMisty hot springs that you could, illegally, swim in. If it were legal then it'd be filled with other tourists just like you and lose it's magic. #theworldwalk #travel #icelandI'm liking this day hike thing. I have time for a coffee in the morning and get to see some highlights of Iceland. Here's the path around the massive crater Hverfall. Pretty gnarly stuff. . . . #theworldwalk #travel #icelandWell, change of plans for Iceland...after talking to some park rangers we found out the route we were planning to take through the center is unpassable at the moment. So it's time to improvise. Since we already have flights booked we can't wait for the paIt's so strange walking with a backpack rather than a cart. The backpack offers a lot more freedom, but the cart is less stress on the body and allows me to bring much more water. The backpack is good for Iceland, but I still prefer my baby carriage. . .After a sunny fifty-five degree day, a winter storm decided blow in which trapped my sister and I in our tent all day yesterday. Thankfully we set up beside a lake so we had plenty of water. Weather here is crazy, usually I'm pretty good at reading the skA day and a half of cars and buses and we're finally at Asbyrgi National Park. It feels amazing to be free and in the open air once again. Let's do some exploring! #theworldwalk #travel #iceland #teampixel #giftfromgoogleOn our way to Akureyri we went looking for a secret hot spring along the west coast. Unfortunately it was so secret we never found it. We did see this cool rock formation though. Tomorrow we set off and the muscle soreness begins. #theworldwalk #travel #iLeg three of The World Walk begins! And for a little while I'll even have a walking partner. My sister and I touched down in Reykjavik, Iceland and will be driving north tomorrow to then walk Iceland from north to south. These past two months were lazy, a

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