Walking the Camino de Santiago (St. James Way)

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ksusan
ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
edited October 2019 in Working on Your Fitness

I'm just a few days shy of finishing the Camino Frances route of the Camino de Santiago. If you have questions about walking this pilgrimage trail after breast cancer, or in general, I'll do my best to answer them.


Comments

  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited August 2019

    Wow, congrats on getting this far! I have a hundred questions but mostly I'm concerned about accommodations. Did you have difficulty finding places to stay? Or did you arrange everything in advance?

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2019

    It is a busy time of year, and I knew I'd be walking through Pamplona during the running of the bulls, when the price of even bunk beds is exorbitant. I booked my first few nights to get me through. When I reached Sarria, which is the closest you can start walking and still receive the compostela certificate, it became harder to find a bed, whether at an albergue (pilgrim hostel), pension, or hotel. At that point, I booked my accommodations for the rest of the trip. I should say that by then I wanted my own room, so I did book pensions and hotels.

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited August 2019

    well done, ksusan!!


  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2019
  • Claire_in_Seattle
    Claire_in_Seattle Member Posts: 4,570
    edited August 2019

    Sounds like a great adventure. Brava!!!


  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited August 2019

    I know someone who has done it. Very impressive!

    Diane

  • SummerRain
    SummerRain Member Posts: 54
    edited August 2019

    I am jealous! I have a friend who did the Camino a few years back.

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2019

    It's doable, especially the section from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, which has to be walked if you want to earn the certificate, but can be walked slowly to accommodate, say, neuropathy in the feet.

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2019

    Can I tempt anyone to walk the Camino? I had my doubts, but it was doable after BC.

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  • DearLife
    DearLife Member Posts: 1,183
    edited August 2019

    KSusan your photos are breathtaking! Did you go on your own? I have always dreamed of doing The Way.

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited August 2019

    Yes, I was on my own. A friend (who also has had BC) joined me for several days in the middle.

  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited August 2019

    Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing

  • JKL2017
    JKL2017 Member Posts: 437
    edited October 2019

    Wow, Ksusan, those pics are beautiful! You offered to answer questions ... What made you decide to make this particular pilgrimage? How far did you walk each day? And how many days did the entire trip require? Did you keep a blog of your experiences along the way? When it was over, did you feel like it had changed you?


  • vampeyes
    vampeyes Member Posts: 1,227
    edited October 2019

    WOW! Amazing ksusan, those pictures are stunning! Like JKL asked, did you keep a log/diary of your days? How beautiful it must have been to do this walk, and satisfying! You are an inspiration for sure to all of us.

    HUGS

  • buttonsmachine
    buttonsmachine Member Posts: 930
    edited October 2019

    Incredibly beautiful and inspiring! I'd love to do something like that one day. Thanks for sharing. 😊

  • LimnoGal
    LimnoGal Member Posts: 157
    edited October 2019

    Wow - i am totally impressed, ksusan! My husband and I walked Hadrians Wall last month, but that is baby steps compared to what you did.

    If I may ask, what made you decide to walk the Camiño? And did you backpack it, or use a baggage transfer service?

    Congratulations on your accomplishment

  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited October 2019

    We hope to walk Hadrian's Wall some year.

    What made you decide to make this particular pilgrimage? I'd wanted to walk it since I heard about it. It had the option for a reasonably long walk (on the Camino Frances route), was well-marked, and had lots of service infrastructure. I also wanted to walk where there were lots of historical areas and churches, as well as looking for evidence of Jewish and Muslim presence prior to the expulsions.

    How far did you walk each day? 0-15 miles, depending on the terrain and whether I was taking a rest day. Including rest days (0-3 miles, typically), I averaged 12 miles a day.

    And how many days did the entire trip require? I gave myself 40 walking days, but to build in rest days and to accommodate needing to alter my progress a little in case friends joined me for segments. One did (also a BC survivor).

    Did you keep a blog of your experiences along the way? Sort of. I didn't want to feel obliged to write, so I brought a tiny notebook to record basics, and used an online travel tracker (Polarsteps) where I posted a couple of photos and commented very briefly so my family would know where I was and that I wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere in rural Spain.

    Did you backpack it, or use a baggage transfer service? I carried my pack (~20# with water and lunch) except for 3 days at the beginning, when it was very hot and I had blisters under a couple of toenails. I was scrupulous about adhering to my PT and MLD therapists' rules for backpacking, and did MLD frequently and stayed hydrated. I had compression garments with me, but didn't need to use them except on my flights.

    When it was over, did you feel like it had changed you? Yes, to some extent. I spent much of my walk meditating and being mindful and intentional. I already had these practices, but it was great to have long, uninterrupted stretches to really get into it. I also had a goal of decreasing the anger and sadness that Catholic Europe brings up in me as a European Jew, and I feel that I made some headway in that. Of course, there was also a post-BC treatment piece about being able to do something like this. I was successful, but also noticed that I'm slower, so there was also a component of noticing that I'm aging.


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