I hit the wall a week ago. The ready-to-go-home wall, that is. I was walking on the Camino Francés, on the stage from Villafranca del Bierzo to Trabadelo, and my feet had started hurting in new and unexpected ways. I really shouldn’t have been surprised, as I had knowingly broken one of my top training …
It’s no secret: I am a big fan of the Spanish-Basque city of Pamplona. I think I can even call it a long-term relationship. Pamplona and I go waaaay back. I started my first pilgrimage on the Camino Francés in Pamplona, on September 13, 2005. Then over the past nearly 20 years I have visited …
I am missing the Camino this week and longing for some delicious, affordable pizza, so I thought I would share my four favorite places for pizza on the Camino Francés. Eating on the Camino can become a bit routine, with toast for breakfast, mid-morning slices of tortilla española, the midday menú del día, and the …
Early in my Camino podcasting career I did an episode on Sleeping on the Camino. I talked about all the different types of accommodation options on the Camino, what they are like, and about how much they cost. In other episodes I have shared my belief that where you sleep doesn’t determine if you are …
I am almost done with Block One of my countdown training plan, and I have learned a few things that I wanted to share. (Check out last week’s blog post for the start of this story.) I will start with the win. 3) Tidy up my diet (this was the third item on the plan, …
“Each step, each day brings you closer to yourself.” ~ Shirley MacLaine It is so easy to get caught up in the logistics and all the details of planning and preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago. When to go, where to start, how long to take, how to pack, how to get to the …
When you think of walking the Camino de Santiago, what fears or concerns come up? What is slowing you down from going after your dream of walking the Camino? In this first episode of season four, I am going to be talking about the fear that often surrounds walking the Camino for the first time, …
SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU In this episode I share with you one of the audio sessions for my signature program, the Camino Francés Getting Started Audio Guide, which will be available for 25% off the regular price starting on December 1, 2023 (Saturday the 2nd in Australia and New Zealand). The sample audio session in …
by Johnniewalker Santiago, shared with permission Part 3 On the way up the hill to the end of the world at Finisterre he realised with utter conviction that the spiritual journey he was on would not end but would continue for the rest of his life. John decided that he needed to explore this “inner …
A loving tribute to John Brierley, author of the most popular English-language Camino guidebook From Johnniewalker Santiago, shared with permission Introduction I first met John Brierley when I interviewed him for my blog in Clapham, London in May 2010. We became firm friends and the friendship lasted until his death. A husband, father, and former …
