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Walking The Camino De Santiago -> What Was It Really Like?

August 4, 2019 by libertatemamo 32 Comments

As those of you who follow the blog know, back in April/May of this year Paul and his dad went on an EPIC pilgrimage.

It was a huge adventure, almost a year and a half in the planning that started with a breath of an idea that we had sitting around a campfire in Maine in the summer of 2017. Lots of random stuff had to come together to make it happen (Paul’s dad had to go through a knee replacement and rehab, they both had to train individually in different countries, tickets had to be booked, stars had to align etc.), but in the end the crazy idea that the boys dreamed up in the northeast of the USA came to be.

So what was it like? Did they enjoy it? Or did they hate it? Would they ever do it again?

It Was A Spiritual Journey Of Sorts

For Paul the Camino was a kind of spiritual journey so he actually chose not to document anything along the way, except in pictures to close family members. That was the way he wanted it, and it made the journey very special for him. We honestly never thought we’d write anything about it.

Only 787 km to go….

However ever since I mentioned his trip on the blog we’ve had a ton of requests from readers for more info. I guess the Camino really struck a cord! So we decided we’d do something simple. We won’t document a day-by-day or do a detailed write-up (plenty of those on the webisphere if you’re interested), but we’ll do a little mini 2-part thing.

First I’ll cover some general info about what it was like for Paul and his dad (including an informal Q&A), then I’ll write-up Paul’s top 10 tips (things he learned). It won’t be all-encompassing, but hopefully it will give those of you who are interested a feel for what the hike was like, and perhaps even a smidgen of inspiration to complete it one day yourselves.

So get yourself a beverage, settle in and enjoy!

Camino16 (JPG)
Camino15 (JPG)
Camino14 (JPG)

Paul And His Dad Walked The “French Way”

For those of you not familiar with the Camino De Santiago, it’s a religious pilgrimage that dates back to the 9th century.

There are endless ways to get to Santiago De Compostela, but certain routes are more well-established than others. Paul and his dad took the dark purple one (Camino Francés)

The end-point is always Santiago De Compostela in northwestern Spain (where the sacred remains of St. James, first of Jesus’ Apostles to be martyred are said to be buried), but the beginning can actually be anywhere you like.

Centuries ago pilgrims would walk directly from their homes from as far away as Ireland and Poland, but these days most folks start their walk in either Spain, France or Portugal and follow well-trodden trails with specific names (Camino Del Norte, Camino Francés, Camino Portugés etc.). The most popular of these is the ~800 km “French Way” that starts in St Jean-Pied-De-Port, France and crosses over the Pyrenees into Spain. That’s the trail Paul and his dad took.

The Camino Francés travels through Basque Country

It Took Them 5 1/2 Weeks 

The boys first stepped foot on the Camino De Santiago on April 14th, 2019 at the foot of the Pyrenees in France, and finished their journey on May 21st, 2019 in Santiago De Compostela Spain around 5 1/2 weeks later. That’s a little slower than most (around 4 weeks is average), but gave them some extra, much needed rest days along the way.

The boys with their Compostelas at the end of the trail

It was a hard trek, much harder than both of them had ever imagined, and they encountered unexpected setbacks (both injury and illness), several of which we honestly thought would end their trip altogether, but in the end they persevered and managed to complete a truly amazing adventure.

And of course as all Camino pilgrims do, they carried a “passport” which they got at their start-point in St-Jean-Pied-De-Port and which was stamped at every stop and submitted in Santiago for their completion certificate (their “Compostela“) after the trip was done. A nice little memorial from their journey.

Early morning magic on the Camino Francés

They Had Lots Of Company

The Camino is a popular thing to do these days, perhaps even more so since Hollywood films like “The Way” came out.

Just a typical evening on the Camino 🙂
The ended up walking with Margaret most of the way

Hundreds of thousands complete the pilgrimage every year (327,378 in 2018 to be exact, according to the Pilgrims Office in Santiago) and they come from all over the world and do it by all different means (foot, bike, horseback, wheelchair and even by sea). And although some folks still walk it for religious reasons, many just come for the personal journey or the adventure. There’s no “one way” and no “right way” to do the Camino.

When Paul and his dad walked the trail they met a ton of folks from older people to young kids, solo hikers to organized groups. Some were especially memorable, like the 80-year old lady who was walking the Camino for the 5th time, or the Asian girl who’d walked it 5 years ago and loved it so much she’d quit her job to become a full-time Camino tour guide, or the blind gal who was doing it with her guide. The Camino had called to each one of them and they all had their own story to tell.

Paul and his dad actually ended up walking most of the way with a lovely lady who’d come over on her own (hi, Magaret!) and who they connected with in a special way. That’s just how it goes on the Camino.

The first part of the trail through the mountains was gorgeous

So What Was It Really Like???

“The Camino provides” is a common saying that you’ll hear on the trail.

Some moments were just incredibly special (end of day beer)

The idea is that the Camino will help you on your pilgrimage whether your needs be physical (things you need along the way) or spiritual (answers that you seek). But it also means that you might end up on a completely different journey than you originally imagined. The Camino provides not what you think you want, but what you really need, and therein lies its magic.

For Paul, he originally thought the Camino would be more of a zen-like, meditative thing. He certainly encountered moments of that, but it ended up being a very different experience all-in-all. A good one, but just not exactly what he had in mind before he started.

However this was his journey (and not mine), so in order to get it right I sat down with Paul for a quick Q&A so he could answer in his own words. This is what he said….

Lots of love out here

Tell Me About Your Experience…

It was a really good experience all in all. It was way more challenging than I originally thought, just in terms of the the day-to-day universe of “being there”. Everyday you walk, you eat, you sleep, you walk, you eat, you sleep so it’s quite monotonous, especially over such a long period of time. It was also way more social than I thought it would be. This is not a solitary hike like the type you’d take over a remote Himalayan mountain or something like that. This is a well-known trail with folks that come from all over to walk it. So you meet people and walk with people every single day.

End of the trail!!!

Was It Harder Than You Expected?

Yes it was harder than I expected just in terms of getting used to walking and actually being on your feet for so many hours per day. It’s not just the distance you have to walk (the number of miles) that’s challenging, but rather it’s number of hours on your feet that is hard to train for. We were walking quite slow so most of the time we were up and on our feet from early in the morning to the afternoon. That can be really trying on the body.

Were Parts Of It Easier Than Expected?

Yeah, there are definitely parts that were easier than expected, particularly the logistics of walking, finding the trail, planning, eating, booking rooms, and dealing with your backpack and luggage. The Camino is a very well-know trail and in many ways a very “easy” one in terms of the fact that you don’t have to carry food or sleeping tents. Plus there are SO many services along the way from restaurants & places to stay to doctors/pharmacies and even backpack transportation services (that pick-up and drop your bags at your next stop for a small fee). From the logistics point of view it’s really a very easy trail.

A typical breakfast, coffee and an egg tortilla…yum!
Stopping for a spot of wine at the free fountain in Irache

What Was Your Typical Day Like?

We’d usually be up at 6 AM and walking by 7-7:30AM (albergues usually require you to be out by 8 AM). Sometimes we’d have breakfast at the albergue, but in general that wasn’t worth the price (typically just bread and coffee there), so we’d just wait and find somewhere after walking for a few hours to sit down and eat (usually a coffee and yummy tortilla).

After the mid-morning break we’d walk another couple of hours to lunch, then another break followed by a final couple hours walking to our destination for the day. We’d usually arrive between 1-3PM, depending on how far we were walking that day (Check-ins at albuergues are usually only after 1PM. Hostels & hotels have even later check-ins after 3PM). So a total of around 6-7 hours walking per day.

Most evenings we stayed at albergues, but some days we’d rest or stay at hostels or hotels.

What Are Your Best Memories Of The Camino?

The scenery, especially the first third of the trail from St-Jean-Pied-De-Port to Burgos. Simply amazing! Plus the section through the Navarra region in Spain. Some of the vistas are just spectacular. Also being with my dad, and specific moments like having a cold beer at the end of the day on the trail with him. Those memories are priceless. Lastly the mornings. Walking in the early morning with the sunrise when it’s quiet and cool. Those are very special moments that I’ll never forget.

Some of the vistas and early morning light were just spectacular

What Was Your Least Favorite Part Of The Camino?

Hmm, that’s a hard one. I guess just walking much slower than I would walk on my own (dad and I walked very slowly) and adjusting to that pace for so many weeks. Also getting sick with the Camino Flu (that we caught twice) and getting injured (dad got a really bad blister, and fell at one point). Not fun at all. Lastly having to plan everything ahead of time. Every night I would have to assess how we were doing and then plan the next day including how far we would walk, whether we needed to book a baggage-carrying service and where would stay (the trail was really busy, so we had to book ahead to make sure there was space for us to stay where we wanted). That part of it was tiring.

What Did You Encounter That You Didn’t Expect?

Number one, from the people perspective I encountered way more people that I connected with it than I originally thought I would. Everyone on the Camino is there for a reason and everyone is open to sharing that, so you’re constantly meeting people and finding things you have in common. The Camino connects people in so many ways.

Number two I would say I discovered the beauty of rural Spain. On the Camino there is a town is every 5 to 15 km and they all have a church, a bar, a cafe. They’re just so charming. I totally fell in love with small town Spain on this trip.

Paul fell in love with small-town Spain on this trip

Let’s Talk Costs. How Much Money Did You Spend Each Day?

OK, so approximate costs. I’ll start with lodging. Most of the time we stayed at albergues in dormitory style settings (bunk-bed type sleeping arrangement) and these run anywhere from €8-€15 euros per night on average. For food, we’d spend €10-€12 for a pilgrims dinner (main course plus desert) plus another €4-€5 for breakfast and lunch, so let’s say €20-€25 euros for meals per day. If we were ferrying backpacks ahead (with a transportation service) that would run an extra €3-5 per pack per day. So all-in-all anywhere from €30-45 per day.

Some days were chilly!
Some days were foggy

What Was The Weather Like?

We started the Camino in mid-April and finished at the end of May, so we had Spring weather which is generally pretty good but can also be a bit mixed. We had two mornings which started off below freezing (early on in the hike), and a few days that were hot (over 30°C towards the middle of the day), plus we encountered a little bit of rain, but overall the weather was excellent with mostly sunny days and very reasonable temps.

How Did You Stay Connected?

I didn’t really plan to stay connected on my walk, but it turns out the Camino has excellent cell service. There are very few spots without coverage, even in the mountains! My French cellphone plan covered me in Spain, but I could have easily bought a local SIM card if that wasn’t the case. Also there was WiFi everywhere. Every albergue, every café, every restaurant, almost every bar we went to had WiFi and although it wasn’t fast, it was usable. For communication with home and family I used WhatsApp which is free, automatically encrypts messages and is pretty much the standard for everyone who walks the Camino.

Would You Do It Again?

YES, absolutely! When I initially completed the walk my first thought was “I’m done, I’ll never do that again”. I’d been away from home for almost 6 weeks which is a long time, and it had been a hard walk in many ways. But now that I’ve had some time (and forgotten some of the physical pain), I’m actually really keen to go back. It was such a great experience and there are so many aspects of it that I missed (alternative trails, places I didn’t have time to see) that I would want to do. We didn’t have time to walk to Finisterre, for example and I’d love to do that. So yes, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe next year….hmmmmm……

Coming Up Next -> Paul’s Top 10 Tips For Walking The Camino (everything he learnt in 5 1/2 weeks…)

It was an epic, lifetime advenure….and Paul is ready to do it again 🙂

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We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. jmohr says

    August 4, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    thanks for sharing this information…it really sounds like an amazing time for you and/or father…

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 1:51 am

      It really was special for them both. A tough hike, but incredibly memorable.

      Nina

      Reply
  2. Ralph Wood says

    August 4, 2019 at 2:59 pm

    Congrats on the achievement and the incredible father / son time.
    Everyone from Aztec says hello!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 1:52 am

      Hellooooo Aztec! How cool that you are still reading the blog! We have good memories of our time with you in Florida.

      Nina

      Reply
  3. Cherie says

    August 4, 2019 at 3:06 pm

    An amazing adventure .. thanks for sharing a snapshot into the experience, Paul!

    Reply
  4. Sue says

    August 4, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    Wonderful post, and an amazing adventure with Armando. Thanks for sharing such a personal experience Paul.

    Reply
  5. Diane Borcyckowski says

    August 4, 2019 at 4:45 pm

    Wow! Thanks for sharing your amazing journey, Paul. I have been to a few stops on the Camino as I toured Spain and walked very small sections as a simple meditation. It was wonderful to observe some of the true pilgrims as they came to rest for the day. Did I miss how many miles per day you slowly walked (averaged) in 5-1/2 weeks? Congratulations to you and your dad for completing the journey.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 1:47 am

      So the miles/km per day varied a bit, depending on how the guys were doing. They averaged between 18-26 km (~11-16 miles) per day.

      Nina

      Reply
  6. Carolyn says

    August 4, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    Great review! I love to walk and have been thinking this might be a great walk to do. Can’t wait to read about all your tips. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 1:50 am

      Glad you liked it. The tips post is already in the works….it’ll be out soon 🙂

      Nina

      Reply
  7. Lauren R Brown says

    August 4, 2019 at 10:39 pm

    Hi Nina and Paul,

    Your post particularly caught my eye, especially because our mutual Nepal trekker friend, Neil T., did the Camino a couple years ago and had a very special experience.

    So glad Paul and his Dad were able to finish this successfully. Must have been a very important experience together.

    Cheers,

    Lauren

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 1:44 am

      Goodness! I had totally forgotten that Neil did it just a few years back. How very cool. And of course our friend Leo did it years ago too (being the trail-breaker that he is). I guess you and I are the only ones left? Perhaps an idea for the future….
      It really is a special experience, and so very different from any hiking Paul has done before this.

      Nina

      Reply
  8. Linda Davey says

    August 5, 2019 at 2:09 am

    The Camino, though a personal journey, has many commonalities and I found myself nodding positively while reading Paul’s answers. When we finished, I said “one and done!”, but now I’m not so sure. The Camino has a way of getting under your skin. Many congratulations to Paul and his Dad for taking on this tough challenge and completing it!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 2:12 am

      How interesting that you had that same final reaction! There’s clearly something special about the Camino. It really does call to you….and often more than once.

      Oh and CONGRATULATIONS to you both too! An incredible achievement.

      Nina

      Reply
  9. Annette says

    August 5, 2019 at 3:15 am

    Amazing adventure and such an achievement! Lovely to hear about Paul’s experience of this famous pilgrimage! Many congratulations to Paul & his father!

    Reply
  10. Margaret says

    August 5, 2019 at 10:38 am

    Nina, you are excellent at these blogs!
    Specially this one!
    I also felt accomplishment, that’s done!
    But on reflection can envision going again,
    in part.
    Spain is beautiful! Walking is definitely the way to go! Very unique experience!
    I felt like I would not have made it if it hadn’t been for people like Armondo & Paul!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 5, 2019 at 10:42 am

      I’m so glad the three of you got to experience so much of this together. The Camino provides…with hiking partners too! I know Paul and his dad really enjoyed your company.

      Congratulations on your achievement! I’m so impressed with all of you.

      Nina

      Reply
  11. Pamela Wright says

    August 5, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    What an amazing opportunity for Paul and his dad. Too bad the trail is so popular. I’m not sure I would enjoy the need to talk to people all the time. But hearing various stories would be interesting. Nice to hear that Paul’s father was able to make the journey on a knee replacement. My mother is set to have her’s replaced in a couple months. I’ll have to tell her about this journey. Please tell them both Congratulations on completing their journey and persevering even with illness and injury.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 6, 2019 at 12:01 am

      This was his dad’s second knee replacement to boot (he had #1 many years ago) so he did it full-metal so to speak. I was super impressed.

      Nina

      Reply
  12. rita from phoenix says

    August 5, 2019 at 4:00 pm

    Love the write up especially the interview with Paul. I’d love to do the trail except I neither have the funds nor am I young anymore. Well, at 74 yrs I believe I can do the walk. I just finished climbing up and down the NYC, NY subways and pounding the cement sidewalks for 6 to 7 miles a day. My daughter took me to NYC for my birthday…loved every minute. My feet hurt after three days but I didn’t get sore from walking or climbing stairs. I had to buy a pair of walking shoes instead of the Fitflop I had brought.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 6, 2019 at 12:04 am

      You did 6-7 miles per day? Then you could totally do it!!! That’s awesome and more than ample for the Camino.

      That said there are many folks who choose do the Camino in smaller sections. For example they take 1 week each year and walk a portion of the trail. That’s another option for folks who don’t want to tackle the whole thing in one go.

      But yes it does take funds to get out here, and funds to walk the trail everyday, even when you stay in albergues. It’s an investment of cash for sure.

      Nina

      Reply
      • Tamara R says

        August 6, 2019 at 7:22 am

        I so enjoyed reading this, and am very much looking forward to Paul’s Top 10 Tips post. My husband turns 65 next June, and we will be walking the last 225 of the Camino Frances route i celebration, beginning in Leon. We did a similar trek in Switzerland, the Alpine Pass route, and it remains one of the highlights of our lives so far, so we are very much looking forward to our Camino adventure.

        We are using a company in the UK for the planning piece, and they will be providing us with our maps, booking our half-board lodging, and arranging for our luggage to be moved ahead each day. That leaves us primarily with focusing on our training here in the US before we depart.

        For my husband, it is a spiritual quest. For me it’s an athletic quest. As you wrote above, everyone seeks something different on the trail. It will be interesting to see what we each take away once all is said and done.

        Reply
        • libertatemamo says

          August 6, 2019 at 12:27 pm

          Oh how wonderful! Having a company that takes care of all the planning and baggage forwarding will certainly make it easy on the logistics side. Best of luck to you on the trip!

          Nina

          Reply
  13. Susan Jane Brown says

    August 6, 2019 at 8:06 am

    Loved this story. Paul what a fabulous experience to share with your dad. I loved the pictures and the writing. So glad it was a successful trip.
    Susan Brown

    Reply
  14. Sue Malone says

    August 6, 2019 at 11:12 am

    Thank you, Nina. It is good to get an inside story of the Camino, and a day by day isn’t needed at all. Thank you to Paul as well for letting you share.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 6, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      It took some persuasion….but I’m the persuasive type 😉

      Nina

      Reply
  15. Allison says

    August 6, 2019 at 5:55 pm

    Thank you Paul for letting Nina give us a glimpse of the Camino. We contemplated riding it with a bike touring group, but I don’t think that’s in the cards for us at this point. I enjoyed the recap very much.

    Reply
  16. Moho Princess says

    August 7, 2019 at 6:08 pm

    Amazing accomplishment,congrats to Paul and his dad!!
    Thought about you today (8/7) as it’s National Lighthouse Day. So many wonderful structures and history.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      August 7, 2019 at 11:28 pm

      Ahhhh, lighthouses. I so miss our summer gigs on the Oregon/Washington coast as lighthouse hosts. One thing about living in rural France…you get seriously lighthouse deprived. Going to have to correct that with a trip to the coast SOON!

      Nina

      Reply
  17. Li says

    August 15, 2019 at 7:17 am

    Well done lads! And thanks to the home crew for writing about it. Will be back to read the post fully…

    Reply
  18. LuAnn says

    August 19, 2019 at 6:56 am

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this memorable experience. The Camino has been on my bucket list for a long time. Hope to make it happen some day.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Walking The Camino De Santiago -> Paul’s Top 10 Tips – Wheeling It says:
    August 11, 2019 at 3:51 pm

    […] wrote about some of the basics of their experience in my last post (so cool to see so many of you are thinking about doing the Camino too!), but I also promised you […]

    Reply

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