Leslie Gilmour

I love hiking. From the Camino de Santiago to the West Highland Way in Scotland or simply a great day hike on the weekend. Hiking refreshes me, my mind, and keeps my body reasonably fit. So far I have walked three Camino routes and many other long distance hikes in the UK, Canada, and around the rest of Europe. One of the best was my hike up Ben Nevis.

Santiago de Compostela

15 Things to do in Santiago de Compostela

July 25, 2021 / Northern Spain

Known for being the burial site of the apostle St. James and the ending point of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, Santiago de Compostela is a dream destination for both cultural aficionados and travellers in search of spiritual adventures.

Atop Dun Iona Scotland

Making Time for the Camino de Santiago

July 25, 2021 / Camino Articles, Camino Thoughts

I have been thinking, dreaming, and planning for this for nearly 20 years. I first read about the pilgrimage to Santiago Compostela in a 14th century biography, The Book of Margery Kempe. Margery, a quirky English mystic, took several pilgrimages over the years, including Rome, and Jerusalem. The medieval and ancient concept of pilgrimage fascinated me.

Pyrenees near St Jean

Walking the Camino Frances in Our Retirement

July 18, 2021 / Camino Articles

If you can afford and plan to use hotel accommodation, restaurant meals, and luggage carried then this route report is not for you. In our five Caminos between 2006 and 2015, we stayed in albergues, cooked our own or shared meals and carried our own backpacks. Our last Camino we were 72 and 77 years old and it took us 44 days of walking compared with between 30 and 33 days earlier.

Countryside Cizur Minor

Planning Rest Days on the Camino de Santiago

July 18, 2021 / FAQs

For most people walking the Camino de Santiago means a month walking across northern Spain covering about 800 km, (500 miles). So it is not surprising that most of us plan on a few rest days along the Camino.

Below are some of the towns and villages that I suggest are good places to stop for a day and be a tourist instead of a pilgrim.

sunrise on the camino de santiago

A Typical Day on the Camino

June 19, 2021 / FAQs

My typical day on the Camino de Santiago started about 6am. I was a mature student before hiking the on the Camino de Santiago for the first time; at that time I would have been doing well if I was awake before 9am, (I had got into student life and loved it). So six in the morning was initially shocking, however, I easily got used to the early morning.

Pilgrims on the Way of St James

How Fit do You have to be to Walk the Camino?

June 19, 2021 / FAQs

I think I am a terrible example of getting fit before walking the Camino de Santiago.  I walked only once for about 3 hours, with a rucksack, to see how I would be walking before going to Spain.  I did have some hill walking experience, though not a lot.  I would have walked in the Wicklow hills about twice per month in the two years previous to my first Camino, that was it in total.

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