For me leaving Roncesvalles is a dream as the route is mostly downhill a welcome change after yesterday. 300 meters after Roncesvalles you will come …
Day 2 Roncesvalles to Larrasoana 27.4km, about 7 hours Read More »
The “Napoleon Way” from St. Jean was closed due to deep snow accumulation and continued snowing, so initially, we had to take the path that followed along the road all the way to Roncesvalles.
I first heard about the Camino de Santiago from a friend whom I went on a yearly trek with. We had climbed the peaks Mt. Chirropo in Costa Rica, went to the depths of the earth together to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and hiked the ancient Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
This is a transcript of a talk I was asked to give at an information session on walking the Camino, presented in September 2016 and sponsored by the Albuquerque, New Mexico Chapter of The American Friends of the Camino.
I first walked the Camino de Santiago in 2004 on the Camino Frances route.
I asked for book suggestions a few weeks back on the Camino Facebook page and on the weekly newsletter and The Way, My Way by Bill Bennett was suggested in both, so I bought it and read.
Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Spain’s northwesternmost region called Galicia (as well as of the province of La Coruña), is among the most important …
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.
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.
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.
It is my belief that the Camino always has something to teach us, whether subtle or profound. Those effects may be conscious throughout your journey, …
How the Magic of the Camino de Santiago Changed Me Read More »
When planning the Camino, we are often faced with a choice of going for it alone or as a part of a group.
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.
Yes, what about food? A question that had not occurred to me before going to Spain and France to start my first 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
How fit do I have to be to walk the Camino de Santiago or what kind of training do I have to do? This is one …
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.
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.
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.
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.
I was given my Scallop Shell as a present before walking my first Camino. It is one of the mementoes I have kept.
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.
Here are the best start points for two weeks on the Camino. Most of these starts allow you to finish in Santiago.
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.
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.
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.
