camino information

[MEREDITH BOYLAN]

Dear Danielle,

I, like you, will be walking only a portion of the trail, since I do not have more than 10-12 days in Spain (and likely never will).  From what I have read and learned from books, the internet, and the generous members of this site, the last 150 kms of the trail can be very congested in the summer.

I am planning to begin my walk in Roncesvalles.  I'll see how far I can get, and, with any luck, I will be lucky enough to return one day to complete the rest of the pilgrimage.

On a slightly unrelated note, I am discouraged by the distinction there seems to be between "true" pilgrims and "tourists."  I have high hopes that walking the Camino will be a very spiritual experience for me, even though I may be a lapsed Catholic, and even though I am able to complete only a small portion of the pilgrimage.  While I may not have precisely the same intentions as the medieval pilgrims had, by walking the same path that they walked I hope to gain a great deal of personal insight and also forge connections with my companion, my fellow travelers, and others I meet along the way.  I want to believe that my intentions, and the intentions shared by people like me who might not embrace the Catholic faith, nonetheless comport with the original spirit of the Camino.


Danielle Turner <Danielle.TurneraCITYOFHENDERSON.COM> wrote:
I've just discovered the Camino and I'm planning my first visit in Sept.
I can only spend 8 or 9 days hiking. Any suggestions on the best place
to start that is easy access from Madrid? I'm pretty hardy so I could
cover 15 - 20 miles per day - or take it easy and experience what
Camino. Do you recommend trying to get a "Pilgrim's Passport" (I'm
planning on doing at least the minimal 100km) before departure or
getting one when I arrive?

Thanks
Danielle








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