This was the book that inspired me to walk the Camino. I enjoyed Coelho’s esoteric/mystic style of writing and look forward to the film version, although I am curious to see how it will translate to film.
I am planning to take the hospitalero training this spring, and I’m really looking forward to it! I hope that it will bring an opportunity for me to volunteer in 2025. Not sure where I would be inclined to volunteer, but I welcome suggestions!
These are exactly the shoes I wore on my Camino Portugués this spring (I also added an insert for extra support) and they worked wonderfully. They will definitely be my choice moving forward. As a hybrid, I liked that they were built to deal with a variety of surfaces, which I definitely...
My best advice would be to begin slowly. Many injuries occur because people overestimate their fitness level/underestimate the full physical demand of walking those distances day in and day out. Speaking from experience. But having the cardio fitness background will be helpful.
I had to cancel my Camino in 2020 due to Covid. For personal reasons, walking that year was extremely significant to me, but the universe had other plans. I feel very strongly that not only the Camino you’re supposed to have, but the pilgrims you are supposed to meet along the way, are awaiting...
The truth of the matter is that I don’t honestly know where I picked them up because it can take a few days for the bites to show. What I will say is that they can pop up anywhere, and all of the places I stayed were very clean and well-kept.
I just completed the Portuguese Central and I did encounter bedbugs. I’m not sure exactly where I picked them up, as it took a few days for them to flare, but I had a pretty bad reaction.
I agree with what you’re saying. If the Camino is a metaphor/mirror for our lives, we don’t get to skip over the ugly or boring bits. They too have their lessons and purpose. I too feel the concern that the pilgrimage bit is getting a little lost in the vacation planning. I also get the notion...
I found Viana to be really beautiful and special, and I found myself wishing I had more time there. That said, it is rather small, especially compared to Logroño, so it all depends on your preferences and your time constraints.
I loved this albergue. I ended up here unintentionally, after getting a little dehydrated on my descent from AdP and it ended up being one of the most memorable nights of my Camino.
I walked solo in 2015 as a 35 year old petite female. I felt safer than I frankly do at home most of the time. There were a few moments I guess you would describe as the realization of vulnerability, like when walking alone through a forest, but I think that’s just instinctual and everything was...
I had one of the best experiences of my Camino in SJdO. The accommodations themselves may be nothing to write home about, but the mass was quite moving and the energy in the albergue was just incredible the night I was there.
This happened to me a bit on my walk as well as a result of injuries. I had to take unplanned rest days to recover and as a result some of the people I had been walking with got ahead and I ended up meeting different people. For me this was really enriching. I loved meeting and connecting with a...
I think this is a great question, so don’t worry about overthinking anything. You’re being curious and thoughtful, a great state of mind for a pilgrim to be. I think it’s ok to go in with a few ponderings, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have “the great epiphany”. Everyone’s...
While the Camino, as well as all outdoor spaces, are technically available to everyone, historically and even today everyone has not been equally represented in most of these spaces. I agree with the OP that it is not a fact that we should ignore, but rather one that we should acknowledge and...
Oh David. I don’t know whether you remember me-you have served so many pilgrims over the years in your mission that you may well not. But I met you in Pamplona in fall of 2015, and you kindly offered me a ride to Roncesvalles (along with Jenny Heesh, who joined you in your pilgrim care for a...
This site is run by Ivar at in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon