Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Spain’s northwesternmost region called Galicia (as well as of …
Camino
Making Time for the Camino de Santiago
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.
Walking the Camino Frances in Our Retirement
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.
Planning Rest Days on the Camino de Santiago
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.
How the Magic of the Camino de Santiago Changed Me
It is my belief that the Camino always has something to teach us, whether subtle …
How the Magic of the Camino de Santiago Changed Me Read More »
Should You Walk the Camino Alone or in a Group?
When planning the Camino, we are often faced with a choice of going for it alone or as a part of a group.
How much does it Cost to Walk Camino de Santiago?
The main costs for any of the Camino de Santiago routes are your daily budget on the Camino and getting to and from your start and finish points.
What is Food Like on the Camino de Santiago
Yes, what about food? A question that had not occurred to me before going to Spain and France to start my first Camino.
A Typical Day on the Camino
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.
How Fit do You have to be to Walk the Camino?
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.
Blister Prevention for the Camino de Santiago
What’s the most common injury experienced on the Camino de Santiago? Without a doubt, foot blisters!
They’re painful.
They’re frustrating.
They take precious time, effort and skill to look after.
They make you walk differently and that can stir up other aches and pains.
They can get infected, and wind you up in the hospital!
Blisters have the potential to spoil your Camino experience!
What About Medical Help & Health Care?
For all those that reside within the twenty-eight countries of the EU taking the E111 card is a must, the card is also known as the European Health Card. The card is issued from your own country of residence and entitles the holder to free emergency treatment. If you are from outside of the EU I strongly suggest you have some travel insurance, often your healthcare provider can provide this at a lower cost than elsewhere.
Lessons Learned on the Camino de Santiago
Toward the end of my post a couple of weeks back on how the Camino changed my life, I got thinking about the lessons I learned while walking the Camino Frances. The following are some thoughts on lessons I think I started to learn there.
Training Plan for the Camino de Santiago
How fit do I have to be to walk the Camino de Santiago or what kind …
How Long is the Camino de Santiago?
There are many different Camino de Santiago routes. The routes in Spain are the most popular with varying different lengths. The four main routes in France are becoming more popular.
Where Can I Get a Pilgrims Passport?
A pilgrim’s passport is a must on any of the Camino de Santiago routes, (also known as a credential), you must have one to stay in the municipal and parish Albergues, some of the private albergues do not require one.
The passport will have spaces for sellos, (stamps), this proves that you have walked that day and are entitled to stay in an Albergue, (pilgrims only hostels), if there is space, they are valid for walkers and cyclist.
12 Hiking Alternatives to the Camino de Santiago
The pandemic canceled many hikers’ plans to walking Camino, but you can still enjoy a new adventure walking one of the alternatives to the Camino de Santiago.
Two Weeks on the Camino de Santiago
A quick trip is not something you can expect from Camino de Santiago. With routes going up to several hundred kilometers, a pilgrimage typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks on foot.
If you don’t have the luxury to travel for extended periods, or if you’re unable (or don’t want) to walk long distances, you can still do the Camino.
The Meaning of the Scallop Shell on the Camino de Santiago
The scallop shell is one of the most iconic symbols of the Camino de Santiago, and no matter where you are on the road, you will see countless scallop shell symbols.
They are used today, together with the yellow arrows, to guide the pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela. But you will see them on walls, churches, signposts, on pilgrims’ backpacks and on their bodies as tattoos or at their necks in the form of necklaces.
Buen Camino to the Camino Frances
The hotel attendant walked me down a very long, wide, immense stone hallway and showed me to my room. It was just what I needed! A small, cell-like room with a small bed, nightstand with no lamp, simple desk with a simple chair, high ceilings and a huge window on one of the stone walls. The bathroom had an old fashioned toilet with the water tank hanging from the ceiling with a chain to pull for flushing. The door was old and worn and shower curtain was flimsy, but I was grateful to have my own room and I was glad to have a refuge away from the teeming crowds on the streets outside.
Best Starting Points for One Week on the Camino de Santiago
Here are the best start points for two weeks on the Camino. Most of these starts allow you to finish in Santiago.
Did You Lose Weight on the Camino?
I lost about 8kgs, about 18 lbs, over a four week period. So yes I did lose a lot of weight on the Camino.
However, losing weight was never one of my reasons for walking. I did not set out on the Camino to lose weight and I must admit that it never entered into my mind at any time while I was there.
My 65 Favorite Inspirational Walking Quotes
If you lack the inspiration to start walking or hiking, these inspirational walking quotes will get you from the couch and motivate you to be active.
17 Best Camino de Santiago Blogs
There are many hundreds of Camino blogs started every year as pilgrims keep a diary of their planning, travel, and journey. This is the best of all these many blogs.
Camino Aragones
The Camino Aragon camino starts in Somport and joins the main French route at Puente la Reina. I walked it in 2004 after I had walked the main French route, it was quiet and deserted, there was not many hostels but it was great; also it had a completely different feels to it compared to the Camino Frances.
Last night I got a mail from Jim at Wandering the World. He has just arrived in Santiago and is heading back to Puenta la Raina to walk this route and asked for a list of Refugeos – Albergues. I put it together, it could be out of date as it is three years since I walked this part. I thought it might be an idea to share this.
Best Movies About the Camino de Santiago
There is nothing better on a rainy Sunday afternoon than to pull out one of my Camino movies and enjoy the flood of memories.
Buen Camino! by Natasha & Peter Murtagh – Book Review
If you are looking to get a very good impression of the French Camino or bring back some of the memories from your own journey you can’t go wrong with this book. I found myself unable to put the book down and wanted to read what happened next – something I am used to in a good novel, but this is real life.
13 Gifts Ideas for Camino de Santiago Pilgrims
Beautiful and unique gifts for pilgrims-to-be and memorabilia for pilgrims already finished with the Camino.
Buying presents can be hard especially for pilgrims. Many peregrinos while walking realise that they need very little in life. They live off a backpack for several weeks and stick to a routine of the Camino — wake up, eat, walk, sleep.
Thus material things are no longer as important as before.
What is a Camino Family?
I reflected in a previous story, that the Camino is a place where the magic happens, something I have not experienced anywhere else, there is a strange ‘need’ to return that I cannot explain, a longing for something…
Who was Santiago? Santiago Matamoros
Santiago is the patron saint of Spain and the reason for the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.