El Camino de Santiago

Now, finally, some details about my particular sabbatical plans.. During my three-month sabbatical leave, I will be home for part of the time, and away for part of the time.

For the away portion, Rob and I will be going on a walking pilgrimage called El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James), which is mostly in Northern Spain. We will be walking the route known as the Camino Frances (the French Way), beginning in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, and concluding in Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

 

 

In total, the walk will be somewhere around 800 km, and will take us 5-6 weeks to complete. We hope to walk 20-25 km per day on average, but have also allowed ourselves some 'flex days' in case the walk takes longer than planned, in case one of us gets injured or sick (hopefully not!),  or in case we choose to spend an extra day or two somewhere along the way. We will be backpacking and staying mostly in albergues (pilgrims' hostels), and perhaps occasionally in B&Bs or hotels.

 

This particular pilgrimage has been taking place since medieval times, and has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, so the route and communities along the route are well set up for the needs of pilgrims. There are some small towns and larger cities along the way, as well as a lot of tiny hamlets. Most of the communities of any size have at least one albergue, a bar or restaurant for meals, and a fountain for water.

 

The walk will take us through the edge of France, and several different regions of Spain, across different sorts of terrain, and on different kinds of surfaces. We're not quite sure what we'll get for weather. The temperatures at this time of year are typically warm without being too hot, but some regions we'll walk through are also known for rain. We'll soon find out!

 

In preparation for this pilgrimage, I have been walking just about every day, and trying to learn enough Spanish to be polite, make basic inquiries, and communicate my food restrictions.. I've also been trying to practice my rusty French..

 

Overall, I'm getting pretty excited! There are a few nerves here and there, but I am so looking forward to actually starting this journey which has been in the planning stages for so long.

 

More from me again soon..

Thanks for reading!

susan