Overview of the Experience

Hola!  Buenos Dias!  I have just returned from walking a short part of the Camino in Spain, and want to share my experiences.  I've organized this site by category, rather than chronologically, so that you can easily navigate to parts that interest you.  This post will serve as an introduction, and I invite you to browse the pages on the left (in any order) for more info.

Background
This trip was my mom's idea; she is 58 and not athletic.  My sister (Susan) also traveled with us; she is 23 and somewhat athletic.  I am 29 and not athletic.  We have all traveled extensively in Europe, though mom and Susan had never been to Spain before.  I had been to Spain once before, Madrid, Barcelona, and Sitges only, and that time traveled with someone who was fairly fluent in Spanish.  Mom, Susan, and I do not speak Spanish.

Preparation
Susan, being fairly athletic, did not do any training for the walk.  Mom and I trained some, walking long distances at home with packs.  Mom tried to learn some Spanish, but was largely unsuccessful.  See the Training and "Habla Espanol?" pages for more.

Packing
Perhaps the single thing we put the most energy into.  I was very happy with everything I packed, and did not regret taking anything (or miss anything I didn't take).  I've included a packing list and more info on the Packing page.

Itinerary
I include more details about our hostels and how we managed our itinerary on the Itinerary page.  Here is the basic trip breakdown by day:

1. Friday-Saturday: overnight flight New Jersey to Madrid
2. Saturday: arrival and Madrid; Saturday-Sunday overnight train
3. Sunday: arrival in Sarria --22 km-- Portomarin
4. Monday: Portomarin --24km-- Palas de Rei
5. Tuesday: Palas de Rei --20km-- Boente (past Melide)
6. Wednesday: Boente --9km-- --Taxi-- Salceda
7. Thursday: Salceda --22km-- Monte do Gozo
8. Friday: Monte do Gozo --4km-- Santiago de Compostela
9. Saturday: Santiago flight to Madrid; Airport hotel Madrid
10. Sunday: flight Madrid to New Jersey

As you can see, we took a taxi approximately 10km on day 6 (day 4 of walking) because of a severe injury.  However, we started at roughly km112 in Sarria, which means we did still complete the minimum distance on foot to receive our credentials.

These are the basic details of the trip.  If you're interested in knowing more, I highly recommend you start with "Should You Go?", where I outline many of the pros and cons of my own experience.  Buen Camino!