Author - Don Pogreba

Don Pogreba is a current writer and retired teacher of English, Social Studies and Debate, and a loyal, if often sad, fan of the San Diego Padres and Portland Timbers. When he is not traveling, he is working on his classroom web site or dreaming about another adventure.

A Brief List of Things I Have Learned on My Trip Thus Far

With over two months passed and only about three weeks left, I was thinking about some of the lessons I’ve learned on this trip. I’m getting closer to returning to Helena, and it’s hard not to think about Eliot’s idea that travel will make home new once more. He wrote, “we shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our...

You Choose With Whom You Walk

One of the things you’ll hear people on the Camino talk about a great deal is the strange and wonderful way you meet and find yourself talking with people from all walks of life during the journey. Yesterday morning, after what was my hardest day on the Camino, spent almost entirely alone in the rain, I walked back 100 meters or so to...

Mostly Cantabria, All Northern Spain Photos

After just over three wonderful weeks in a cabin in Cantabria, filled with writing, hiking, and touring about, I’m headed off to what looks like it will be a rainy final six days of the Camino de Santiago tomorrow. Cantabria was entirely more beautiful and varied than I had expected, from soaring mountain passes, insanely winding roads...

A Much Better Sunday

After Saturday’s somewhat somber post, I thought I should offer a brief update after an excellent Sunday. The weather here has been remarkable the past few days, with clear, blue skies and no wind at all. Quite a change from the first few evenings, when wind was rattling the foundations of my cabin and the rain obscured the views of the...

A More Difficult, More Thoughtful Day

Today was my first difficult day of the trip, and one of those moments when I wish I were a better writer,  more able to convey what I experienced and why it affected my day so much. The day started with a drive into Liegarnes,  the largest town close to where I’m staying.  On the edge of town,  I was stopped by my first Spanish...

My Cabin in Cantabria

I’ve made an excellent choice. While I suspect being off in the mountains alone for a few weeks, with limited Internet and contact with others, might not appeal to some, and the idea that I can disconnect may seem quite surprising, I’m already in love with this place. It’s incredibly beautiful: if the photo of the bridge leading to the...