Greetings! I am just back from the Camino Primitivo. I have been sharing a few highlights on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I’ll sort through my photos and journal to provide a more thorough route report. I prefer to enjoy the Camino while I’m there, and re-live the experience by writing about it when I return.  Alas, I have kept in touch with Bay Area chapters and there are some fun events in the works for June.

Lake Merritt Walk + Optional Picnic Lunch
Saturday, June 2, 10:30 a.m.

Lake Merritt Walk 2018 May Join us on this walk that takes place on the first Saturday of the month, rain or shine. We meet at the Pergola (aka “The Columns”) on the east side of Oakland’s Lake Merritt at 10:30 AM and start walking by 10:45 AM. It’s a level, 3.3-mile walk around the lake that takes about an hour. Whether you’re a newbie or Camino veteran, everyone is welcome. Bring your questions, answers and pilgrim spirit!

Directions: Take BART to the Lake Merritt or 19th Street Oakland station and navigate your way to the Pergola (~1.5 mi walk). If you drive, make sure to give yourself enough time to find parking, as there are many activities on Saturday mornings in the Lake Merritt area. FYI: There is a small fee lot at the corner of Euclid and Grand Avenues that is close to the Pergola.

This time after the walk, let’s have a lakeside picnic lunch to kick off summer. Bring your own lunch (and blanket if you can carry one) or walk over to the Grand Lake Farmers Market nearby to pick one up. Come along even if you just want to hang out.

RSVP not required, but if you’re on the NorCal Facebook group, join event to see who’s coming.

Camino Happy Hour at Picaro
Thursday, June 14, 5-7pm

Let’s make it a TBT (Throwback Thursday) for this month’s Happy Hour with a return to chapter favorite, Picaro Tapas Restaurant in San Francisco, just one block from 16th Street Mission BART station.

Happy Hour is 5 – 7 PM and features their house-made sangria: $3.75 (Glass), $14 (Carafe). If that doesn’t bring you back to the Camino, Estrella Galicia is on tap and they also serve “clara!” Here’s the full menu for all the tapa choices: http://www.picarotapasrestaurant.com/menu.html.

If you can join us, please RSVP on the Facebook event so we can include you in the reservation count. If you’ll be bringing others, let us know in a comment. And please bring cash (small bills are best) for the bill.

Because the Bay Area has so many great restaurants, we like the idea of trying a different one each month. If you have a recommendation for the next Happy Hour, please share! “BARTable” is a plus!

Power & Performance with Trekking POLES! Whether you’re a beginner hiker, a back packer, a cross-training athlete or someone who faces mobility challenges, learn how and why optimal use of poles significantly improves your performance and confidence on the trail. Using poles while hiking or walking engages your whole body and is terrific exercise. Save your knees as well as improve endurance, balance, spine function, agility, core strength and weight management. Optimal use of poles means achieving the many benefits without creating stress or strain in the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, even the neck. This session will include a discussion of movements and techniques that provide a noticeable difference in your spine function and posture. Jayah Faye Paley, creator of 2 award-winning DVDs (1 for hikers and 1 for people with mobility challenges) (www.PolesForMobility.com), will discuss how anatomically-optimal use of poles can expand your horizons and make it easier to enjoy the trails. You spend less time looking at your feet and more time really being in nature.

FREE! Register at: https://www.rei.com/event/using-poles-for-hiking-outdoor-exercise/berkeley/202482

Tiburon Sunset Cruise & Night Hike
Saturday, June 30, 4:00 pm – 10:30 pm

View of San Francisco Bay from Belvedere

Join us for a late-afternoon walk along Richardson’s Bay to Tiburon, followed by a 90-minute picnic-cruise around the bay, and finally the best part, a walk through Belvedere Island in the dark with wonderful views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate. Bring your own main course to eat on the boat; either something to drink (wine, juice, soda) or a dessert/hors d’oeuvre to share. The leader will bring cups and plates. Also, we recommend leaving a bottle of water in your car for hydrating after the hike. The cruise is $30 and is from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. IMPORTANT: You must make your own reservation for the Sunset Cruise. Buy your ticket online at the Angel Island Ferry web site. These sunset cruises are popular and usually sell out, so buy your ticket a few weeks in advance before showing up. Alternatively, if you email the event leader, Dick Duker, at dduker2001@yahoo.com by June 10, he can order group tickets for $20 each. Total mileage is 9 miles, but the walk will be broken up into two segments with a 2-hour break between. Wear comfortable shoes (we’ll be walking on pavement) and bring a windbreaker for the cruise (it gets cool on the water). Bring a flashlight if you wish, but it’s not needed, and using one makes it harder to see the stars.

Bring: your meal, beverage/snack, water for post-hike and warm-layered clothes. Meet: Blackie’s Pasture parking lot in Tiburon at 4:00 PM; the hike begins at 4:15 PM. Cruise: Boat leaves at 6:30 PM sharp, returns at 8:00 PM. Return: to cars by 10:30 PM. Directions: Take Tiburon exit from Hwy 101 in Mill Valley. Drive east about 2 miles; turn right onto Blackie’s Pasture Rd; park in paved parking lot on right. Carpool: If you want a ride or can give one, post a message to this event listed on our Facebook Group page. Level of Difficulty: 2A (6 to less-than-10 miles, less than 1,000 ft elevation gain). If you are running late arriving at Blackie’s Pasture, call Dick’s cell at 510-705-2447.

Details on the APOC chapter page at http://www.americanpilgrims.org/northern-california-chapter

SAVE THE DATE:

4^th Annual Lake Tahoe Pilgrim’s Rendezvous
July 20 – 22, 2018  

I’m sharing an event hosted by Camino friends Dave Jennings and Monica Armanino.  An open invitation to Pilgrims, both those who have walked a Camino to Santiago de Compostela, and those planning to walk a Camino in the near future.

Join Dave and Monica for a weekend of hiking, and experience or rekindle the ‘SPIRIT’ of the Camino de Santiago. All amidst the natural beauty of the Sierra Nevadas.  Share Camino experiences, community meals, Pilgrim Mass, Camp-out in the pristine mountain setting at 8900 ft. on Mt. Rose (North Lake Tahoe), or enjoy the hospitality of a veteran Pilgrim’s home.  A heart and mind altering experience. Limited group, reserve early. There is no charge, like much of the Camino it is all Donativo.

For information, full schedule, and reservations contact:
David Jennings – Cbellasail@sbcglobal or (530) 412-0144  

There are always opportunities to train for or learn about the Camino. If you know of any Camino related events for the SF Bay Area that should be included in the monthly roundup, please use the comment form below, or email me.

For those who live elsewhere, there are Camino hotspots all over the USA and the American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC) website has a listing of local chapters where you can find Camino events. There are also many active Facebook groups to learn about events in your region. Check your local REI store for workshops and presentations about the Camino. Check http://www.rei.com/ for events in your area.

Visit the Northern California Chapter page on the APOC website.

Join the Peregrinos Northern California Facebook group (closed group for Northern California residents only)

Buen Camino!

The Camino Provides patch

The rainbow shell design was inspired by the concept of chakras. Learn more.
Purchase for $4 each at etsy.com/shop/caminoprovides.

My mission is to celebrate the Camino de Santiago and the pilgrim’s journey, from the calling to Compostela and beyond. I do this by sharing informative tips on training, gear, and routes; by promoting Camino related events in the Bay Area; by interviewing pilgrims and sharing inspiring stories; and by curating content relevant to the Camino.  Purchases help to defray the costs of hosting and managing this blog so that I can keep sharing the Camino love!