Hiking on some local trails, maybe, but backpacking 500 miles across Spain?
Dr. Linda Tollefsrud, professor emerita of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire – Barron County, will discuss her long-distance journey during Thursdays at the U Nov. 20 at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County. She will speak from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall in Ritzinger Hall.
Dr. Linda Tollefsrud
The first recorded account of a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, was in the year 970. The popularity of this journey has waxed and waned over the centuries, with 499,242 earning certificates of completion in 2024. Attendees at the Nov. 20 talk will learn about the history and myths of the journey, as well as details of Tollefsrud’s 800-kilometer hike through the mountains of northern Spain in spring 2024.
Tollefsrud is not a seasoned tourist, but more of a stay-at-home type; traveling abroad was an anomaly for her. Tollefsrud taught psychology at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County from 1981-2018. In retirement, she enjoys coordinating the Thursdays at the U series, spending time with family and friends, exploring Wisconsin state parks and volunteering with the League of Women Voters.
The Thursdays at the U weekly series is free and open to the public thanks to support from the UW-Eau Claire – Barron County Foundation. Neither seating reservations nor parking permits are needed for in-person attendees.
Although in-person attendance is encouraged, most talks in the series are livestreamed. They also are archived and can be watched later on the Thursdays at the U webpage.
The next lecture in the series will be Dec. 4, with Dr. Emily Steele presenting “Bird Flu: Is it the Next Pandemic?”
For more information, contact Laura Holden at 715-788-6207 or holdenlk@uwec.edu.
