The Camino Gypsy Chronicles: And I Would Walk 500 Miles

In celebration of mom and I completing 465 miles of hiking and landing safely in our half-way point in Puente la Reina, Spain, I wanted to share with you some similar walking achievements throughout time. Excerpts are taken from the "Stairway Walks of San Francisco Guide Book" by Adah Bakalinsky, which if you live in the Bay Area (or want to visit), is a must-have. Walking is free (unless you're like mom and I and have to stop for coffee and cupcakes along the way) and a fantastic way to explore the city. Who's afraid of the big bad hills?

- Phyllis Pearsall (1906-1996), the founder of Geographer's A-Z Map Company, walked for 18 hours (beginning at 5am) daily, to list a total of 23,000 roads in London. Asked if she got lost in London, she replied, "Always dear." During her lifetime, she walked 3,000 miles.

- Horatio Gates Livermore walked from St. Joseph, Missouri, to San Francisco in 1850.

- In 1821 at the age of 60, Adam Link walked from his home in Pennsylvania to Ohio (141 miles in 3 days.)

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge walked 10 miles daily and worked out the setting of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner on a walking tour with William Wordsworth.

- Edward Payson Weston began a 500-mile walk from San Francisco to Los Angeles on May 25, 1908. People were invited to join him at any point and walk as far as they wanted. He left the Olympic Club on Post St. at 12 PM sharp and reached Los Angeles in 10 days.

- In 1881 Dr. Ed Livingston Trudeau walked the length of Manhattan - from Central Park to the Battery - in 47 minutes on a bet.

- Mary Walker, 82, of Philadelphia became a walker during a transit strike. For years, she had held down a full-time job at one of the nation's largest banks. After work each day, she put on her sneakers and took the 7.5-mile walk home. She enjoyed every bit of the walk and saw people racing by, which was not her style. As she explained, "I get home when I get home."

- Will Kemp, the Shakespearean clown, jigged the 100 miles from London to Norwich on a bet, in February 1600.

- In 1885 Charles Lummis walked 3,500 miles, from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Los Angeles in 143 days. He paid for his trip by writing articles about his adventures for the Los Angeles Times. He fought off a wildcat, a mountain lion, escaped from convicts, and set his own broken arm. Subsequently, he became city editor of the Los Angeles Times.

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iPhone pics from Sanguesa to Monreal. We both agreed it was the most beautiful day of walking we'd had. An array of multi-colored butterflies and wildflowers interlaced with our footsteps. The iPhone lacked in its ability to snap flowers, so will share the Nikon footage soon. For now, some scenery...

Abandoned shepherd's hut and windmills.

The gravel road really is that white in color, blasting the heat back in your face like a mirror. However, all day we had a cool wind helping us along.