The M8 on the way to Sant James

[lars_bergquist]

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I used to do quite some long range backpacking before I had to have my hip joints and shock absorbers changed. That was up in Swedish Lapland. I used a small size zoom case, you know the kind that is meant to take a SLR with a zoom, nose down. Mine, a Rowi Globetrotter, has a removeable horizontal partition that means that with a small SLR (my old Olympus cameras) or a Leica M with a prime lens attached, another lens can be carried horizontally in the lower compartment. Even a 90mm Elmarit-M does fit.

 

I put the case on, strap over one shoulder and under the other, before I donned the large backpack. The sternum strap on the pack kept the case from swinging. Everything carried comfortably and out of the way, and still immediately accessible.

 

The Scandinavian counterpart to the trek to Santiago de Compostela would be the Pilgrim Trail across the mountains, from Sweden to Saint Olof's grave in Trondheim in Norway. This has been revived in our time, as the Lutheran horror of Popery has abated ...

 

The old man from the Age of the Long Trails

[Fotomiguel]

Fifth day

Estella-Torres del Rio 28 km.

Today I had one of the most beautiful day of my life. For the moment the weather treats me kind. The landscapes and the light were amazing. The color look like oversaturated. Almost unreal. I took about 100 shots. Today it was so easy to shoot every 200 hundred meters. I hope the I'll be able to reproduce the beauty of this places.

Today my M8 block itself. I had to take out the baterie to make it reborn. It' the first time that this happens to me. Later no more problems.

I've used all my lenses and I think that my sensor is a bit derty. May be tomorrow I'll clean it.

Thank you for your support.

Kind regards

Miguel

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[Rick]

Miguel. This is most interesting. I look forward to seeing your pictures and to read your diary of experiences. I am still working but hope to do something similar when I have more time.

 

All the best,

 

Rick

[Fotomiguel]

Sixth day.

Torres del Rio-Logroño 22 km

Today the way was really different and by the way, not nice. I didn't take any shot until I arrived to Logroño. Here I was luchy to get a couple of nice street shots and a really nice on the river " Ebro ". No more than 10 photos.

I started the " camino " alone but I've been meeting and loosing people who is walking on the way too. Now we are one canadian, one more man from Mallorca ( what a coincidence! ) and one of brazilian who was two days missing and we met him again. It's easy to make some friends in the camino. One from the Canarian island quitt because a strong pain in the feet. Let' s see how long I will resist.

Kind regards

Miguel

[Fotomiguel]

Logroño-Najera 29km

It's getting cold and weather. I'm a bit tired. The day was not especially good for taking pictures. I didn't shoot too much but one of my batteries run out quick.

Regards

Miguel

[wilfredo]

Tio, ¿y tú cuando lo haces, eh? Bueno, si quieres lo hacemos juntos... tu andando y ¡yo en el tren de la Robla!

 

Venga, amigo, un fuerte abrazo. Espero volver a verte pronto.

 

 

Put on your walking shoes, how about next Spring?

[wilfredo]

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Miguel,

 

Animo, sigue el camino. Tal parece que el Camino de Santiago es una metafora sobre el caminar de la vida. Hay dias buenos y no tan buenos.

[Fotomiguel]

Gracias Wilfredo.

Uno tiene que pasarlo mal para después valorar lo bueno. Hoy he disfrutado mucho.

Saludos

[jtorrents]

Miguel, mucho ánimo!

[Fotomiguel]

8th day. Najera-Grañón 29km

After two bad days without nice landscapes, today was totally different. It was cloudy and a bit rainy but with sometimes the sun through the clouds making really dramatic pictures. One has to be ready for the shot because everything changed incredible quick. Some good pictures have given me extra power and I feel much better. Today i took a wrong way so I had to walk some extra km but I'm happy again. I would love to see some of my pictures on a big screen

l

Kind regards

Miguel

[Fotomiguel]

Gracias Joaquín. La verdad que e camino vale la pena y si encima se hace con una M8, ya no se puede pedir más.

Saludos

Miguel

[ArtZ]

I

 

Quan surts per fer el viatge cap a Ítaca,

has de pregar que el camí sigui llarg,

ple d’aventures, ple de coneixences.

Has de pregar que el camí sigui llarg,

que siguin moltes les matinades

que entraràs en un port que els teus ulls ignoraven,

i vagis a ciutats per aprendre dels que saben.

Tingues sempre al cor la idea d’Ítaca.

Has d’arribar-hi, és el teu destí,

però no forcis gens la travessia.

És preferible que duri molts anys,

que siguis vell quan fondegis l’illa,

ric de tot el que hauràs guanyat fent el camí,

sense esperar que et doni més riqueses.

Ítaca t’ha donat el bell viatge,

sense ella no hauries sortit.

I si la trobes pobra, no és que Ítaca

t’hagi enganyat. Savi, com bé t’has fet,

sabràs el que volen dir les Ítaques.

 

II

 

Més lluny, heu d’anar més lluny

dels arbres caiguts que ara us empresonen,

i quan els haureu guanyat

tingueu ben present no aturar-vos.

Més lluny, sempre aneu més lluny,

més lluny de l’avui que ara us encadena.

I quan sereu deslliurats

torneu a començar els nous passos.

Més lluny, sempre molt més lluny,

més lluny del demà que ara ja s’acosta.

I quan creieu que arribeu, sapigueu trobar noves sendes.

 

III

 

Bon viatge per als guerrers

que al seu poble són fidels,

afavoreixi el Déu dels vents

el velam del seu vaixell,

i malgrat llur vell combat

tinguin plaer dels cossos més amants.

Omplin xarxes de volguts estels

plens de ventures, plens de coneixences.

Bon viatge per als guerrers

si al seu poble són fidels,

el velam del seu vaixell

afavoreixi el Déu dels vents,

i malgrat llur vell combat

l’amor ompli el seu cos generós,

trobin els camins dels vells anhels,

plens de ventures, plens de coneixences.

 

Lluis Llach

 

 

Eh, Miguel,

 

Bon viatge!

[jtorrents]

Miguel,

 

ya tenemos ganas de ver algunas fotos...;-)

[ArtZ]

Miguel,

 

ya tenemos ganas de ver algunas fotos...;-)

 

Eso, eso... ¡queremos fotos!

 

Yes, indeed, we want pictures!

[Fotomiguel]

Grañon-Belorado 16 km

Today a short tram but a couple of good pictures. I finish before lunch and I had a nice "siesta" and time to recover myself. It's getting cold and windy.

I would show you some pictures if I could, but It's going to take some time. And then how many would you like to see? If I take a couple of good ones each day and I arrive to Santiago....

Kind Regards

Miguel

[Fotomiguel]

10th day

Belorado-Agrés 28 km.

Today I've had a strong and cold wind on my face. So the day was hard enough but at least it had a reward: so beautiful clouds over Agrés at the end of the day.

Cheers

[Fotomiguel]

11th day

Agrés-Burgos 25 km

The beginning of the day was really hard. Rain, wind, snow in the way and then when the sun came, the way was plenty of mud. Then arriving to Burgos was so tedious. Finally I got the center of the city and... UFFFFFFF What a cathedral. The Burgos Cathedral is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Incredible. My M8 got wet a bit. I was worried about the condensation but It didn't happened.

Regards.

Miguel

[Fotomiguel]

12th and 13th days

22 km to Honillos del Camino and 32 km to Itero de la Vega. From now on starts the worst part of the way. My M8 block itself because the cold weather. I had to take out the batterie again. Landscape is becomming boring during many km. Really cold and humid. I want to arrive to Leon but still a long way. Villages are lonely. Hornillos had just 16 people. One can see nobody through the villages.

Cherrs

[ho_co]

We're with you, Miguel!

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Fermo]

Come on, Miguel! I'm waiting for you at the end of the camino!

 

Venga. Aun faltan etapas duras, pero tienes que acabar antes de que empiece el Xacobeo del 2010 para no verte enmarañado en los millones de personas que acuden durante ese año. Animo y un abrazo. S.