St Anthony's 13th c. Abbey

Wait for low tide at Gillan Creek

The alternative route is almost two miles longer if it's not low tide!

Cadgwith Cove

The seafood in Cornwall has been outstanding. This small fishing cove pulls some nice-sized crab and lobster along with many types of flat fish like sole. Our inn for the night is across from the boats. They served a lobster "thermidor" and crab chowder in the pub.

Lifeboat stationed off Cadgwith

Thatched-roof homes

The Lizard, most southerly point

The trail continues its relentless hugging of the coastline, up and down cliffs, and across heads with heather and gorse cover. The serpentine rock is a geological standout producing finely polished colored stone used in royal palaces and mansions in London. Below the lighthouse stands prominently at Lizard Point.

Rest break outside Penzance

Lamorna Wink

The walking on this section is proving long and arduous (think roller coaster flanked by high hedges). Like they say in Cornwall, don't ask "how far"; ask "how long". The saving grace is a pub like this, bringing out the inner pirate on this old smuggler's route when sustenance is most needed.

Tiny fishing cove of Penbrith

Land's End

We started our week along the South West Coastal Path at Lands End, England's western-most point. The sunny weather is not expected to hold for long.

At the Savoy, London

Hyde Park, London

Basilique St Senien, Toulouse

This church dates to 1043, and is located in the center of old Toulouse. Toulouse has a charming brick and stone old town near a large square called Place du Capitole. Now Toulouse is most famous for being the headquarters of the parent company of Airbus, arch rival to Boeing.

Lourdes, France

Lourdes is an historic town in the Pyrenean foothills and a worldwide spiritual center. In 778, Charlemagne laid siege to the fortress built on a high rocky outcropping. The town would be the site of many conflicts through the centuries, even at one time belonging to Britain. In 1858, a 14-year old peasant girl named Bernadette saw an apparition in the shallow cave next to the river. The apparition (later believed by the local priests to be the immaculate conception) delivered a message to build a church. Lourdes is the second most visited city in France after Paris, attracting 5 million visitors annually, many seeking prayer and healing.

Cirque de Gavarnie

A few kilometers from the end of the trek is a spectacular steep-walled semicircular basin of rock with a waterfall dropping several thousand feet.

Day Eight - Baysellance to Gavarnie

We left the highest hut in the Pyrenees at 8:00 am. A light rain came down but I didn't care. This is our last full day of hiking and it's time to proceed to civilization, including hot showers. The hut was crowded last night with several large groups plus many campers chased inside by the rain. Every bunk was taken. I slept on a 3-person bunk between Dan and another man. Luckily it was a relatively quiet night in the dorm room. After the usual morning bowl of cafe au lait, accompanied by pound cake and leftover bread with butter and jam, it was time to hit the trail. We descended 4,500' crossing snowfields, some with precarious snow bridges hollowed by warming temperatures. With waterfalls converging everywhere, we are at the headwaters of the river flowing into the valley leading down to Gavarnie, and ultimately Lourdes. When I think of the Pyrenees, I will think of hearty blue daffodils set in green meadows, granite ridges and sparkling blue lakes, all above the clouds.

CB at Refuge Oulettes

I wear my warm lightweight down jacket everywhere after arriving at the hut. There are no showers at most of the high refuges but there is a cold water basin which is fine, for a while anyway!

Dan at Refuge Oulettes

Happy to have arrived after climbing up nearly 4000 ft over two cols and descending nearly 2000 ft to get to the refuge.

Day Seven Refuge Oulettes to Baysellance

The rain is back but the view from the bunk room is tremendous looking up the meadow and glacial moraine to one of the last large glaciers in the Pyrenees.

Day Six - Refuge Wallon to Refuge Oulettes

Two Spanish hikers we met on the trail and at dinner the prior evening. Augustin is also a marathon runner, and even their walking pace was incredibly fast.

White dairy cows on the high meadow

These cows are the true workers of the Pyrenees producing a flavorful local cheese.

Day Five to Refugio Wallon

Contemplating the last 50m to the pass and the way back to France.

Day Four to Refugio Respomuso, Espana

After climbing 1k ft out of a rocky bowl, Dan contemplates the route down to a series of lakes leading to Spain.

Day Three - Refuge Arremoulit

One of the higher huts on the Haute Route, the refuge was fortified with stone walls for the cold wind that roars up the valley. We napped on the top bunk outside the kitchen, smelling the preparation of duck confit and fresh bread. The bunks were warm and moist with condensation on the walls. Our dinner table included hiking couples from France, Holland, Canada, and USA of course.

Day Two to Refuge de Pombie

Skies cleared this afternoon, and after 7 hours of hiking up and over the high col, the refuge was finally spotted far below us beside a pretty lake. Huge steel bowls of steaming hot soup (puree de pois) and pasta with tomato sauce was served family style. Afterwards, creme brûlée and the much treasured cheese were served. We slept with about 20 other hikers on cots in the big tent to the side of the refuge. It was quite chilly but after adding an extra musty wool blanket, I slept like a zombie.

Day One to Lac d'Ayous, French Pyrenees

The hike up to the refuge next to this beautiful mountain lake was a total rainout combined with snow and sleet. Visibility was minimal and it was a stark welcome to the Pyrenees. Nevertheless we arrived, totally clad and cold in our rain gear, to a warm hut. I quickly stripped off my wet clothes pulling dry replacements from my backpack, oblivious to the people around me. Pierre-Jean checked us in and soon, hot chocolate and vin chaud (warm sweet red wine) were on their way. The hut filled up with mainly French hikers all trying to dry their gear and wet boots in the foyer. The weather was quickly forgotten. We met two nice women, Katherine and Dominique from Bordeaux, one of whom was hiking the entire route from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean to celebrate her 50th b-day. We'd spend the next two nights with a few of the people we met here, quickly forming a community of hikers on the haute route east.

Refugio across Spanish border on GR 11

Tonight we stay in a small ski village called Candanchu at about 5,000 ft. It's very green here in the Pyrenees with rocky peaks and long vistas down wooded valleys.

Bayonne, France

Potted trees guard the bridge access to this Medieval town which prospered from the whaling industry. The spires of Cathedral Ste Marie rise above the skyline.

Beach off elegant Basque village of St Jean de Luz, France

San Sebastian, N Spain

Historic Basque city on the Atlantic Ocean's Bay of Biscay 20km west of the French border. The town was completely rebuilt after the 1813 war between Napoleonic and Portuguese-English forces. Basque cuisine features pintxos, like tapas, found in every bar and restaurant. A culinary adventure, last night we sampled octopus salad, shrimp with garlic and olive oil, and lightly sauteed fresh pimentos with sea salt washed down with Heineken from the tap. It's going to be difficult to go to the mountain huts after this!

Guggenheim Bilbao

A temperate evening in Bilbao. Caught this shot of one of Frank Gehry's most famous buildings just after arrival here, and shortly before sunset. Can't wait to see the inside tomorrow.

On a clear day ...

View of Mt Rainier from top of Mt Si. Pre-trek prep with backpacks involved multiple trips up and down 3,000 ft on this popular day hike.

Pyrenean Haute Route (PHR)

The PHR is a long distance trail from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean following the main ridge of the Pyrenees through the border area between France and Spain. Our plan is to tackle a section starting at the village of Lescun, France. We will carry only clothing, lunch and extra food, first aid kit, map, compass, and water in a relatively lightweight backpack. The plan is to stay at rustic huts along the way. A mid-July start is ideal as the snow should be mostly gone from the high passes. But we'll be bringing plenty of warm clothes and waterproof gear because, as usual in the mountains, weather conditions can vary unpredictably.

International Kite Festival Day, Jaipur

Kites fill the sky today. Young men and families cheer their kites on from rooftops, roadways, and just about everywhere. From our hotel rooftop, we captured a fallen kite, one of many decorating the trees. A guy from the rooftop next door generously tossed over some extra string attached to a pebble and tried to show us his technique. Let the record show our small paper kite was air born for about five seconds!

Hawa Mahal, Wind Palace in Jaipur, the Pink City

The landmark of Jaipur is an elaborate screen built in 1799 by the maharaja for the women of the royal household to observe processions outside without being seen. There was a strict "purdah" observed at that time. The top is meant to replicate the crown of Lord Krishna, the deity of the maharaja. It's five stories high with the outside wall about a foot thick. On the inside there are some 900 niches and alcoves for viewing through small windows.

Jal Mahal, the water palace

Built for royal duck shooting parties...

Amer Palace Wall

Please don't make me pose!

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Built in 1599 on a rugged ridge line just outside the city of Jaipur, the Amber fort and palace of the maharaja was built with red sandstone and cream marble. Taking 25 years to finish, attractive frescoes adorn its walls and one of many ample chambers has colored tiles and inlaid mirrors.

Cruising in Kerala

Two men, one on the bow and one on the stern, punted the rice barge houseboat with long bamboo poles in the shallow waters. Moving at a walking pace, we cruised through public canals in between flooded fields next to small farmhouses. The birds were especially diverse due to fresh water in the rice paddies after the monsoon season clearing out salt water. The ubiquitous paddybird, heron-like with white wings, contrasted against the deep green of the floating hyacinth. The white-breasted kingfisher with an iridescent blue and brown back fished from the coconut palms while a brahminy kite, like a smaller bald eagle, soared above. Rice is grown for six months and the other half of the year is for prawn farming. For meals, the men served fried fish and tiny prawns coated with hot Kerala spices. A coconut gravy over potatoes and a cabbage-like vegetable dish also prepared with local spices was accompanied by rice and chapatis. Fresh pineapple for dessert. We slept under mosquito nets in the hot, still night, Dan and I on the bow.

Converted Rice Barge Houseboat, Kerala Backwaters

Amritapuri Ashram, Kerala

It wasn't long before I heard the greeting unique to Amritapuri, the home, ashram, and foundation headquarters of Amma. Om Namah Shivaya. A local twist on Namaste, it means, I salute the divine within you.

Amma is known as the hugging saint and spiritual teacher whose message is love. A devout mother-figure to millions, she is a tireless woman of otherworldly compassion and energy especially focused on the suffering. As a young girl, Amma first provided meditation and unconditional love to neighbors from her family's cow shed in their remote coastal village in Kerala, near the southern tip of India. By now she has hugged over 26 million people, and her organization has donated substantial funds to needy people in India and around the world. In India, she is considered a mahatma (a great soul) and counted next to spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama. She's been recognized by many organizations, including the UN.

First stop on arriving at the ashram, a Hindu monastery, is to check in. To a new visitor like me, it felt like arriving on campus for the first time. Find your dorm room and where meals are served, get bed sheets and a pail with a cute little broom. Dan and I are the guests of his sister, an Amma devotee who graciously guided us through the in's and out's of life in an ashram. We each listened to the evening music program: Dan with the men and me with the women in the colorful Kali temple. The singing is soothing and repetitive, mainly in Hindi and Sanskrit, with a meditative beat to purify the mind. Soon candles were lit. Flames danced around the forbidding figure of Kali, a fierce goddess in Hindu mythology that conquers demons. As my sister-in-law explained to me later, the demons are thoughts in your mind that keep you from finding peace. Well, everyone has demons so I gladly took the smoke from Kali's flame and ran it through my hair three times when the singing was over.

Soon after, we had dinner on the side of the large open-air auditorium where Amma gives Darshan, or hugs, that stretch through the night. Tasty meals are Indian and Western, all served by volunteers doing seva, or service for others. Everyone washes and dries their metal plates and bowls.

Dan's and my seva was folding sheets for the hundreds and sometimes more than a thousand visitors who stay at the ashram. It was a pleasant duty on the 12th floor with a great view and warm ocean breeze.

The complex itself runs smoothly. The day starts at 5 am with chanting I heard from our room. It is the most "green" lodging experienced on our trip so far. Recycling, no litter, and reduced power consumption (for example, there was no AC, no appliances, and no hot water in the basic rooms).

On the last night, our group of four joined the sunset meditation on the beach. The sun, a perfectly round orange ball, set into the haze of the sea. Then, the moon, just a sliver, appeared directly above the sunset, smiling on Amritapuri. The only sounds were the rustling fronds of the palm trees and the crashing waves.

It is time to explore the backwaters of Kerala but long remembered will be the loving embrace of Amma's home. Namah Shivaya.

Morning at Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam

Kovalam in Kerala, S India