Have you ever purchased tickets for a trip nearly a year in advance? That’s exactly what I did last Christmas when United Airlines was having a flash sale on flights to Europe.
But those deeply discounted plane tickets are only part of the story of how I ended up in Spain on a month long hiking trip…
The rest of the story (aka I really don’t want to go fishing)
Last December, Keith and I were just starting to prepare for our grand travel adventure. We were selling all our stuff and getting ready to buy an RV to move into full-time.
However, as we talked about the many places we wanted to visit, I had this sneaking suspicion we would have a problem when we got to upstate New York. After all, that’s where Keith grew up.
Even though his family no longer lives there, Keith has these great memories of fishing in New York when he was a kid. And I not-so-secretly feared we’d be stuck there for months while he tried to recapture those days. Fewer things could be more excruciatingly boring in my mind than fishing. (It ranks right up there dental surgery or watching the Kardashians do anything).
So I had two options:
- I could resist it; or
- I could use it to my benefit.
That’s when I decided to tell Keith that a month of fishing in New York was exactly what he should do after we hit the road! He could fish to his heart’s content and build memories with our son, Finn.
And since I don’t enjoy fishing, I could use that same time to fulfill one of my own dreams. I would go to Spain and walk the Camino de Santiago.
Camino de Santiago
What is the Camino de Santiago??
For those who’ve never heard of the Camino de Santiago (or seen the Martin Sheen movie, The Way), it’s a long distance route in Spain.
The Camino began as a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northeast Spain. This cathedral holds special significance because it is believed to the final resting place for the remains of the apostle St. James.
Those who walk to Santiago are referred to as peregrinos (Spanish for pilgrims). Many people backpack it, carrying all their gear the entire journey. Others ride bikes or horses to Santiago. The vast majority of pilgrims are walkers who an average of about 20 kilometers per day. And at the end of each day’s walk they stay in albergues – or hostels designated for pilgrims who are on their way to Santiago.
Today’s albergues are much more posh than the accommodations pilgrims encountered centuries or even decades ago. Pilgrims still share communal living spaces and often take their meals together each evening. However, they now usually have hot showers, washing machines or basins to hand wash clothing, and even WiFi.
How far is the Camino?
Early pilgrims traveled to Santiago de Compostela from wherever they lived. Thus, there is no official starting point. Pilgrims can come from any direction, whether it is the Camino Frances, Camino Portugues, Camino Primitivo, etc. And they are only required to walk the last 100 kilometers to the cathedral to complete their Camino if they are walking it as a religious pilgrimage.
Although there are numerous routes across Spain to Santiago de Compestela, the most popular one now seems to be the Camino Frances or the “French Way.” This route coincides with Europe’s Grand Rondonee 65 trail (GR 65).
A large number of people still walk the Camino for spiritual reasons. Others do it for the very same reasons we choose to hike long trails within the US. You can find pilgrims on the Camino walking to seek clarity or direction in their life, as an athletic adventure, for the social or cultural aspects, and many more reasons.
While pilgrims can begin in any town, one of the most common starting points is St. Jean Pied de Port, France, a small town just across the border from Spain. From here, the Camino crosses over the Pyrenees, and then traverses six of Spain’s northern provinces before ending in Santiago de Compostela approximately 800 kilometers later.
The Camino Frances as it crosses Spain’s Rioja wine region
Collecting stamps along the way
Like some other long trails in Europe (e.g., Hungary’s Blue Trail), there is an opportunity to collect ink stamps from different places along your journey.
Before beginning their Camino, all pilgrims obtain a piece of paper called a credencial de peregrino from a pilgrim’s office, cofraternity, or local church in Spain. This credencial is stamped at locations along the way to prove they walked a particular route to Santiago.
Pilgrims can get their credencial stamped in the alburges where they stay each night, at local businesses or restaurants that serve them, or at certain churches or chapels.
When they reach Santiago, they present their credencial to the Pilgrim’s Office. Those who walked for religious or spiritual reasons receive a pilgrim’s certificate or compestela in Latin. Whereas, those who walked for other reasons (e.g., cultural, historical, physical) can get a distance certificate in Spanish from the pilgrim’s office in Santiago.
A portion of my credencial
Why I chose to hike the Camino
So why am I hiking the Camino de Santiago? I simply like hiking long distances. And I love the idea of visiting Spain at 3 mph. I’m enjoying my stops at many of the cathedrals, wineries, and historical sites along the way. Moreover, I can really appreciate the Spanish architecture and history that pre-dates many of the buildings we have in the U.S.
But unlike many pilgrims on this route, my plan is to hike beyond Santiago de Compostela. I hope to end my hike at the Cape Finesterre lighthouse on the Atlantic coast – thereby walking across the entire country of Spain from border to border!
Who knows if my feet will be able to endure for this grand adventure. But I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to try.
And it’s certainly better fishing for a month…
Buen Camino!
UPDATE: Want to learn more about my how my Camino turned out? Check out:
