Camino de Santiago 101

All over my facebook page I have been talking about walking long distances and preparing for the Camino de Santiago (or The Camino as it is simply referred to here in Spain).  Many of you have no idea what I am talking about.  Since we start our journey in just a little more than a week, I figured I would start with a Camino Primer.

The Camino de Santiago is one of the most famous Christian pilgrimages in Europe, if not in the world. Some believe that Saint James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela, the ending point of the Camino.  People now walk the camino for a variety of reasons - spiritual, sport, the challenge, ...  We are walking it for primarily two reasons - the connection with Spain (the camino is a major point of discussion, history, and influence in Spain and we felt to better understand what is around us, we should experience it) and the challenge (yes - those of you who know me are thinking I have lost my mind, and perhaps I have - since I was the one to really push us to do this).

Although there are a variety of routes, there are two that are considered more "official," Camino Frances and Camino Aragonés.  We will be doing the Camino Aragonés (Camino Frances begins with two very difficult days - hiking across the Pyrenees Mountains - Scott and Alex want to go back and do those few days, but I will be content to just see the end).

The Camino Aragonés is 850 km (528 miles).  It begins in Puerto de Somport (on the eastern border of France and Spain) and ends in Santiago de Compostela. 

No, we will not be walking the entire distance over spring break.  There are people who do the entire camino in one stretch, taking a little more than 30 days, however, we will only be doing the first four days.  Our goal is to walk the entire thing (4 to 5 days at a time) before Alex graduates from high school in 2017. 

We will be walking an average of 25 km per day (15.5 miles), carrying our gear on our backs.  We

The day we picked up our "passports"

will stay in hostels and alburgues (hostel type lodging for those walking the camino) and an occasional hotel. At the end of each phase of the walk we will receive a stamp in our "passports," a book proving our progress along the camino and when we reach Santiago de Compostela we will receive a special certificate.

I hope to blog along the way, so keep checking back.  If not, I will definitely blog when I get home.  I am both nervous and excited - I have never been all that athletic and definitely prefer a hotel to camping, but I have always loved a challenge.  We will take the train north next Sunday (April 13) and walk for four days and return home on the 18th.  Am I crazy or what?

Want to know a little more?  Wikipedia has a great explanation here.  Or if you prefer something more entertaining, watch he movie The Way with Martin Sheen.