How to make the best of your dreams!
There are many ways to prepare to walk the Camino and many different routes and lengths – keep in mind that in order to receive the Compostela (special Plenary Indulgence) at the end of your trek, you need to prove that you’ve walked at least 100 km.
The way to do that is to accumulate stamps in a Passbook (Credenciales) along the way at hotels, albergues, cafes, local churches and trailside merchants. It’s also important to evaluate your current physical fitness condition, (with your doctor if you have ongoing medical issues), to see if you are capable of walking appropriately 14 – 20 miles daily.
Some people can just get out of the house and begin walking but others (like me), should practice by walking 2-3 times a week and build up for a month or two before you attempt to walk The Way. Age is not a factor, as I met many fellow pilgrims in my advanced age group, youngsters at heart trying to connect like me. The driving force for me was paying tribute to my late wife, but everyone has their own motivation.
A good place to start is to Google ‘Camino Santiago’ and see what comes up. Here are some URL’s that I looked into:
smithsonianjourneys.org – I used them to prepare my ‘self-guided’ Camino
intrepidtravel.com – guided and self-guided
stingynomads.com – easy to navigate website
outsideonline.com – Outside magazine for those with more challenging wishes
ricksteves.com – the famous international travel expert
rei.com – the famous outdoor gear supplier
utracks.com – lots of walking and cycling tours
57hours.com – hiking, biking, backcountry skiing options
I am also leaving you with a list of 1 & 2 star hotels that I chose to stay in as in my particular case, I wasn’t ready to revert back to my 20’s and stay in an ‘albergue’ hostel, with common room lined with bunk beds, and community shared bathroom. From what I have read, those types of places are clean, fun for those who are gregarious and cheap to stay. I preferred to sleep in a family owned hotel with my own private room, a large bed, and in-room bathroom and shower. That being said, many people of all ages choose the albergue life and come out of it very happy.
Here are some details to consider on the Camino Santiago; keep in mind that you should have your main luggage transferred from hotel to hotel and walk the Camino with a small back pack that has a water bladder – carry your documents with you on the walk along with some Euro cash, your credit cards (many places along the way take some form of CC along with Apple Pay if you prefer, and some snacks like power bars and/or nuts and dried fruit.
The following is a list of the small hotels that I stayed at:
Sarriá (the town I began my 100 K Camino) • Casa Solance Hotel • 61 Rúa Maior, 27600 Sarriá (Lugo) • Ph: +34 633 59 53 00
Portomarín (second night) • Portomarín Star Hotel • 2 Camiño da Capela, 27170 Portomarín (Lugo) • Ph: +34 689 05 44 10
Pallas de Rei (third night) • Casa Roán Sestelo 4 • 27215 Lodoso • Ph: +34 982 19 49 89
Arzúa (fourth night) • Pazo de Seder • Lunar Seder s/n Castañeda, 15819 Arzúa • Ph: +34 981 50 16 00
Pedrouzo (fifth night) • A Pena de Augasantas • Oca de Abaixo 16, 15824 Oca de Abaixo • Ph: +34 981 51 87 47
Santiago de Compostela (sixth and seventh night) • Hotel NH Collection Santiago • Av. Do Burgo das Nacións 4, 15704 Santiago de Compostela • Ph: +34 981 558 070
BUEN CAMINO!!
John Lomitola • 631 807-6607 • Abouvna47@gmail.com