Planning Your Camino

According to the Google translator, the word camino in Spanish means trail, path, lane, road, way and journey. The Camino de Santiago, which is the name for all the Caminos that end in Santiago, is all of those things. There are Caminos throughout Europe starting in France, England, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal and as far away as Norway to name a few. All end in Santiago following routes taken by mediaeval pilgrims. Walking a Camino is like no other walk. As a walker on the trails in Spain and Portugal, you are referred to as a “Pilgrim”. Translated into Spanish or Portuguese you are referred to as peregrino (pella-a-green-o) if you are male and as peregrina (pella-a-green-a) if you are a female. The trails are referred to as “The Way”. Hostels are called albergues (al-burg-ees) or refugios (re-fu-ge-os). If you are planning this trip, you likely already know the history of these ancient pathways. The Caminos have been walked by Pilgrims for centuries. Pilgrims travelled these pathways to Santiago from all over Europe to attain forgiveness for their sins by visiting the place where St. James the Apostle is buried. For centuries, Pilgrims suffered the pain of harsh weather, hungry stomachs and sore feet. Folk lore has it that those ancient Pilgrims found the path to Santiago by following the Milky Way at night and by keeping the sun at their back during the day following their shadow west. The most travelled Camino is in Spain, The Way of St. James or more often referred to as The Camino Frances. The Camino Frances goes west from France over the Pyrenees to Santiago. The Camino Portuguese heads north through Portugal from as far south as Lagos Portugal and there are many branches. The coastal part of the Camino Portuguese from Porto crosses into Spain at Tui and on to Santiago. I am not providing these details in this guide. You likely already know where these routes are if you are planning to go. Also, you can click onto any Camino de Santiago site on the internet and find location and map details for any of the Caminos in Europe. Except for the sore feet the walk is pretty painless these days if you prepare for it. There are plenty of way-markers to guide you. There is lots of great food to eat, there are wonderful places to sleep and of course you need not worry about the weather because you will be prepared for anything. Today’s light weight clothing and equipment will keep you warm, dry, cool and comfortable if you choose your gear carefully. Walking the Camino de Santiago has been the greatest experience of my active life. The physical challenge was so satisfying that it is impossible to adequately explain. Certainly walking the Camino de Santiago was not like climbing Mount Everest or the Rocky Mountains but it was challenge enough for me. I assure you, it will be a very satisfying experience for you too. You will spend time in a beautiful countryside walking/cycling several hours a day. As you go, you will hear languages from all over the world being spoken by pilgrims from everywhere. You will experience great food, great wine, wonderful people from every walk of life and you will be challenging your body, mind and spirit. This book is not a detailed story of my experiences on my Caminos. Copious books have been written by others about their Caminos. I approached writing this book under the assumption that you have already decided to go on your Camino. My primary purpose for writing this book/guide is to convince you that planning thoroughly before you leave will make your journey so much better. I have supplied you with all the critical information you need to comprehensively plan your trip. In these pages, you have information that I wish I had had before my first Camino, practical information and tips on how to pack, on footwear, on getting there, what to expect when you are there. This guide will answer all the questions you have in preparing for your personal needs on your trip like what you will take, how you will carry it, what you will do for blisters on your feet and who, if anyone you should travel with. Congratulations, you are on your way to a magnificent life altering event.