[Gocamino] long walks

[Wes & Rita]

It was so intriguing to read the discussion about long walk addiction!  I must add my name to the list of folks who are beginning to recognize the symptoms in ourselves.  All my adult life I dreamed of hiking  the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine {and then the Pacific Coast Trail from Mexico to Canada}.  My knees went before I could fulfill those dreams (heavy multi-day backpacks are things of the past for me).  Nevertheless,  every year you hear about someone who reached Maine, completing the AT after over 2000 miles, and then turned around and headed south -- couldn't give up the walking.  

For me the long walk is a journey.  I agree with you Glenn.  Being out in the natural world, in stunning landscapes, with hours of solitude (even with my partner Wes it is a solitude) becomes a meditation for me.  The rhythm of the walk and the beauty of my surroundings are transporting.  My journeys, with Wes, have included the Coast to Coast (from the Irish Sea to the North Sea) across England, passing through three national parks (this one was our favorite).  We have also walked  the West Highland Way in Scotland, and Offa's Dyke on the border of Wales and England.  

The Camino however will be our longest journey and the first that has a spiritual nature built into the walk beyond what we bring to it.  We leave September 5.  I can barely wait.

I also read Ghosts of Spain... by Giles Tremlett and recommend it, particularly for the first section on Northern Spain.  

Rita