The French Camino de Santiago – Pilgrims In Covid Times
A pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain has been on our travel wish list for many years, although we had not expected to be walking it during Covid times. According to our research, the Camino is not as busy as before Covid but people have returned, particularly Spaniards who are currently making up the recent increase in “peregrinos” walking the Camino. Also, 2021 is a Jacobean Year/Ano Xacobeo, or in other words a Holy Year, making it even more special for the people who want to walk the Camino for religious or spiritual reasons.
Often called the French Way, Camino Francés, or even The Way of St. James, this pilgrimage route will be taking us on a journey of about 800km/500 miles across Northern Spain and finishing at the stunning Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. (And perhaps even onwards to the sea at Finistere – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.) We have booked flights from London to Biarritz in France and we will start walking our Camino early in September 2021
The Camino de Santiago is not a single route, but rather a vast network of ancient routes that usually start in different cities and countries in Europe. The Camino Francés is the most popular route and most people start their pilgrimage in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a small French town just before the border with Spain, and that’s where we are intending to start walking our Camino.
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the start of our Camino journey. We visited this town back in early 2019 during our motorhome travels in France, Spain, and Portugal.
Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims have walked hundreds of miles across the various pilgrim routes to pay their respects to the remains of St. James, believed by many to be in the main Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. There are many reasons why people would tramp hundreds of miles across ancient routes to reach Santiago de Compostela, including spiritual enlightenment, outstanding scenery, history, cultural sights, gastronomy, a sense of community, and so on. Whatever the reason, there is one common goal… to reach Santiago de Compostela and for many people, it is genuinely a life-changing experience.
We are not expecting any life-changing experiences and we do realize that it will at times be quite challenging, but we hope that it will also be rewarding. For us it will be about experiencing the simplicity of everyday life on the Camino, having time to enjoy the landscape, taking time away from the distractions of everyday life, and meeting interesting, like-minded people on the way. Since we are both approaching another Milestone Birthday we are both feeling that the time has come to make it happen.
The recent world events have shown us all how unpredictable life is, things can change so fast and suddenly you are not so in control of your life anymore. We all change and adapt, but it does make you more aware of how fragile and fleeting life is.
Hiking is something that we both enjoy and we are no strangers to tough hikes…we’re looking at you Peru and the altitude issues we had to endure when we hiked in Huaraz! But this will be a very different type of hike, one that will really test our stamina and resolve. To walk the full Camino Francés (starting at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) typically takes an average of 30-35 days, but we are not in any kind of hurry and will take as long as needed. Every day, people of all ages and physical abilities walk the Camino, with the majority making it all the way to Santiago de Compostela so we believe that we have a good chance of being successful.
We both know that there will be tough days, but we are prepared physically and mentally, and also we have each other for support. So many pilgrims walk the Camino alone and we can totally understand why it could be a great opportunity for self-growth and reliance, but our plan has always been to do it together, and I am sure that having each other will make it a lot easier. Our big worry is not so much that we might give in to the everyday aches and pains, blisters, or tiredness from sharing dorms with raucous snorers that we expect, but rather that we suffer some kind of more serious Camino-ending injury. Brian has a foot problem that he is hoping will be kept at bay by the steroid injections he’s had, and worn-out knees that take it in turn to ache, swell, or lock up completely, especially on the downhills. But until you try, who knows what will or will not fail. So it’s best foot forward, and pack plenty of Ibuprofen!
Camino Accommodation, Credentials/ Pilgrim Passport, and Compostela.
Pilgrim accommodation can vary from municipal/public Albergues (hostels) with large dormitories, bunk beds, and shared facilities to private Albergues and hotels with en-suite rooms. We will be keeping an open mind and we would like to try the different types of accommodation on offer depending on availability and on how we feel on a particular day.
To stay in the public/municipal Albergues pilgrims need to have their “Credential”, which is a small booklet/printed sheet containing information about the pilgrim such as name, country, and date of birth. The “Pilgrim Credential” will have spaces for stamps to be collected along the way and it can be the proof necessary to collect the “Compostela” at the end of the pilgrimage.
The “Compostela” is a certificate confirming that a pilgrim has completed the Camino de Santiago. Any person that has walked at least 100 km to Santiago, on any of the Camino routes and has a Credential with stamps to prove it, can get the Compostela, which can be obtained at the pilgrim’s office in Santiago de Compostela for free.
It is our plan to carry our own backpacks and to find accommodation once we feel like we have had enough walking for the day.
If you follow this blog you will know that we have visited Santiago de Compostela on our motorhome tour of Spain back in early 2019. We have stood on the main square across the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela watching with great amusement and more than a little bit of envy, the arrival of tired but ecstatic pilgrims. We felt a little bit like frauds, arriving there on a motorized vehicle and unable to share the joy and emotion experienced by the pilgrims. (You can read about our 2019 motorhome trip to Santiago the Compostela in this blog post.)
The Scallop Shell
During our travels in Northern Spain, we noticed The Scallop Shell strategically placed all over town walls, church walls, bridges, and along the roads leading to Santiago de Compostela. This type of shell is used as a symbol of direction along the Camino, pointing pilgrims towards Santiago. Pilgrims also wear this symbol themselves, attached to their backpacks, as a necklace, printed on clothing, etc.
We will be on the lookout for these signs pointing us to Santiago de Compostela.
The yellow arrow is another symbol used to point the pilgrims in the right direction, nowadays we have all the necessary maps and apps downloaded on our phones, but we suspect that we will be looking out for these signs just to make sure we are on the right path.
Camino Preparations
We consider ourselves reasonably fit and we walk regularly around our home town and on the hills nearby. But to better prepare for this challenge, we decided to up our game a little bit. For the last few weeks, we have started doing some longer walks of 10 to 15 Km on a more regular basis and also trying to walk on various different terrains as a preparation. Towards mid-August, we also started increasing the weight of our backpacks to give us a better idea of what would feel like to walk for hours carrying our gear on the Camino… even small hills can feel like mountains when you are carrying a fully loaded pack.
Having an appropriate backpack is certainly very important and so we have spent time doing our research before deciding on a particular brand and after purchasing it we have been practicing hiking with our backpacks.
Taking good care of our feet is our number one priority, after all our feet will have to carry us and our backpack for hundreds of km/miles across Northern Spain. So we have spent some time choosing good footwear and appropriate socks for hiking long distances. We have also been testing and breaking in our new shoes across different terrains near home.
With all the constraints of lockdown, we have spent almost too much time preparing; watching endless youtube videos of people walking the route, showing what they packed, where they stayed, what they ate, how they felt. Some were excellent, some were tedious, but all confirmed how exciting a prospect it is. We have spent hours reading equipment reviews and buying online. We have read the guide books, downloaded Camino Apps and maps, joined forums, and probably bored our friends and relatives half to death. Brian jokes that we have done the Camino a dozen times without ever leaving our sofa. We really are aching to just get started. Take those first steps. Turn dream into reality
Final Thoughts
Walking many hours a day, every day for weeks might be many people’s idea of hell, but for us, it feels very appealing…without really understanding why. I guess walking 800 Km is actually a big deal, not for the hardcore thru-hikers, but it certainly is for us. We are not looking for an epiphany, but just disconnecting from the routines of everyday life and the realities of our crazy world feel very alluring. We don’t have any great expectations, we will be walking across the vast Northern Spain landscape with an open heart and an open mind, adapting to any challenges as they arise and hopefully able to embrace the unexpected wholeheartedly.
I will be taking a break from the blog and I will not be writing blog posts or updating this blog during our pilgrimage since I want to fully immerse myself in this experience without any distractions. Although I will be keeping a diary, as I usually do when traveling, and will be writing all about this experience here on the blog on our return from Spain. I do hope to regularly/occasionally post short updates on my social media accounts, all dependent on wi-fi connections. I will also be filming as we go on my phone, mainly as a memento for ourselves but depending on how it goes, it may appear as a little vlog one day. We will also be doing a future post on what we have packed for our Camino and how we got on with the gear that we have chosen. Stay tuned for that.
Pilgrims arriving at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
“A Journey becomes a pilgrimage as we discover, day by day, that the distance traveled is less important than the experience gained.” Quote by Ernest Kurtz
How exciting to realize this dream! Wishing you an incredible journey together.💕
Lynn, we are super excited!! We are still not quite believing that we are really doing this, a journey we have dreamt of and planed for such a long time. Thank you so much for your support.
What a fascinating introduction to the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage and what an amazing experience it sounds like it will be for you both.
Wishing you health, strength and wonderful experiences all along the way.
Will be avidly awaiting any interim social media updates and most certainly looking forward to the post-pilgrimage travel blog post.
Will be thinking of you along the way – take care, go steady, and enjoy to the utmost!
We’ll be here, rooting for you!! 🚶♀️ 🚶♂️ 💜
Thank you so much Marion 🙂 we have been dreaming and planning this pilgrimage for so many years and now we are finally doing it. I just hope that we can make it all the way to Santiago…I guess only time will tell. Funny that we will be leaving England on the same day as you and Mark, we will also be curious to hear from you and how you are getting on with your motorhome trip over into Portugal, maybe we will meet you somewhere in Northern Spain?
Wahoo! You’re making it happen, so excited for you! When we walked our Camino we were asked many, many times, “Why are you walking?” We never had any kind of profound answer, we just responded that we’re walking because we can. Is there a better reason? I think not.
The best piece of advice I can offer is to make it your Camino. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does. Make it your own.
Bom Caminho
Patti, thank you so much. I have been reading all your past posts and information about your Camino. I noticed all my comments on your posts and it reminded me of how much fun I had following you and Abi along. I suspect we will be asked and will ask others about their reasons for this pilgrimage, I like your answer to this question.
Thank you for the good advice, we are keen to keep an open mind and do whatever it feels right for us…like you said it is OUR Camino after all.
Gilda, I followed Patti & Abi’s Camino too (didn’t they do it twice?) and I really enjoyed reading about it. I’m looking forward to your travel posts when you return. Good luck!
Thank you Donna, yes Patti and Abi have done the French Camino (the one we are going to do) and they have also done the Portuguese Camino. I think they have enjoyed both, with the Portuguese one being a lot shorter. We are super excited and really looking forward to getting started 🙂
Errrr…..WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!! We know this is one of your dreams and you’re making it come true!! Fantastic news. Enjoy and savour every moment (and push yourselves through the bad ones!)..good luck to both of you with the whole thing, can’t wait to hear your stories. What a wonderful thing to do.WOW again!!
Thank you guys:) we are finally making this dream a reality…fingers crossed. We are both super excited and can’t wait to get started. Having each other for support and encouragement will no doubt make it a lot easier. Thank you so much for your support. Loving all your posts from Greece, such an amazing trip you are having.
I’m so excited for you two..!! 800km is hardcore.. even just attempting it is already hugely impressive, but with your preparation and level of fitness I’m sure you’ll make it all the way to Santiago do Compostella. I have fond memories of that little town and especially of the lovely food there. Ellie & I keep on talking about doing perhaps 150km of the Path, so we look forward to reading your posts in a couple months’ time or so. Best of luck!
Stefan and Ellie, thank you so much for your support. I guess 800 Km is no walk in the park, but fingers crossed our preparation and recent long hikes will serve us well. Fingers crossed we will make it all the way to Santiago de Compostela.
I think doing 150 Km or whatever you can make is definitely worth it. There are so many people that don’t have the time to spend over 30 days doing the longer route and therefore why not do a shorter section? Even 150 Km is no mean feat. Are you guys still keen to do EBC? That would definitely be another dream trip for our travel wish list.
What a lovely intro to your adventure! I will be cheering you both on all the way, and can’t wait to hear (read) all the stories on your return. So do keep that journal updated!
May your Camino be full of joy, sunshine and beauty and may you both overcome your limits and much more.
What a perfect way to put Covid behind you. Quite a few friends have done the Camino and have cherished every moment. Bon voyage.
Peggy, I do hope we can put Covid behind us sometime in the future. Although we suspect it might not be that easy. I think things are open on the trail, we are both double vaccinated and we will be as careful as one can possibly be on the Camino. We will also be following all the Covid rules in the different regions of Spain and fingers crossed we will make it to Santiago 🙂 Are you guys doing any travelling this year?
I am so envious! I have walked three different caminos and was planning another from Madrid last year before Covid changed all that. You will have an amazing time. Just take your time and ‘walk your own camino’. Sometimes it can feel a little competitive, but we all bring and take away different things and so you can make it our own. Enjoy every step and buen camino. Mel
Wow…you have walked 3 different Camino? Fantastic! I have heard that the Camino can get quite addictive and people often like to return and do it again or try different routes. I will check out your Camino posts later. Thank you for your advice, we are both keen to take our time and enjoy the journey…it is not a race after all. We have not bought a return home ticket, so there is no rush for us 🙂
Oh, that sounds wonderful. I have always had a deadline when I walked, but one day I aim to be like you and just take each day as it comes. Buen camino. And yes, it is addictive! I did the Frances in 2013, Via de la Plata from Seville in 2014 and Portuguese from Lisbon in 2016. Each has their own personality and beauty.
Fantastic!! Hiking the Camino has long been a dream of ours too. We will be following in your every footstep. All the best!
– Susan
Thank you guys, we are super excited. Doing the Camino has been on our wish list for such a long time, fingers crossed it will go well. I am sure you will also do your Camino in the future, but for now do come along vicariously. I do hope to post regularly on social media: FB, Instagram and Twitter.
What an amazing adventure you are about to undertake! 800km sounds like a huge challenge but you have clearly done a lot of preparation. We hope you have a truly wonderful time!
Mitch, thank you. We are quite well prepared and we have done some long hikes near home, but only time will tell if we will can make it all the way to Santiago de Compostela…fingers crossed.
Wow Gilda! The time has finally come for you to experience the Camino. You seem to be doing all the right things with a lot of research and training. I know this will be an experience you will never forget. Indeed as you say, go with an open mind and heart, immerse yourself in the day to day. I am sure you will have a magical time and meet some interesting people along the way. Spending all that time with your husband walking the Camino will also be a chance to reconnect, reminisce about your lives together whilst sharing a unique, challenging yet very beautiful experience, creating new and unforgettable memories. They say that angels float above the Peregrinos along the way. Make sure to look out for them. 🙂
Thank you Val, we are super excited!!! I guess just as excited as when you and Paul when you guys set off on your Camino a few years ago.
It is going to be quite a journey and we are now ready to get started. I am really glad to be doing the Camino with Brian and I can’t really imagine a better walking companion for this journey. I am sure there will be many challenges, but having each other will certainly make things a lot easier.
During these recent difficult times of Covid we have both missed travelling and making treasured memories…as I am sure you have also. Thank you for all your good advice and I shall be looking out for angels both from above and along the path 🙂
I can’t wait for the videos… May be you can become a vlogger as well as the great blogger you already are. Enjoy!
Val, not sure I can ever be a vlogger…lol. I don’t like my voice and strong accent on the videos, but maybe we will give it a go 🙂
Oh, Gilda! This is so very exciting!! You sure did all the prep and got the gear. 🙂
I had to snicker at how you walked the Camino so many times already, virtually – and in your minds. This will be an amazing adventure! And challenge. Good idea to forego the blog and immerse yourselves in the experience. I’m looking forward to reading (and seeing photos) all about it when you return.
Even seeing the church in your last photo gave me a feeling of immense awesomeness, and I haven’t even been there… This will be something else. I wish you both good foot health, endurance, interesting social interactions, gorgeous views, tasty food and drinks, enough sleep at night, and a good portion of fun!
Thank you Liesbet 🙂 we are super excited and just can’t wait to get on with it. We have watched so many videos, films, vlogs. We have read books, blogs etc and now we just want to start walking. Doing the research was fun, all part of the experience, but it is time to immerse ourselves into the life of “peregrinos”.
We are both so looking forward to the scenery, food and wine as well as the interactions with other pilgrims.
Thank you for all your support and good wishes.
Loving your new truck and can’t wait to follow your journey all the way to South America.
This sounds like a once in a life time opportunity. I love how much you have prepared and researched and taken the time to get ready for this event. And how great your attitudes are of being open to the experience and what comes your way. I am very excited for you and look forward to reading about it and seeing your photos. It all sounds very appealing but I am sure comes with the realities of pain and tiredness incurred from so much daily physical activity that one is probably not used to in regular daily life! Bravo to both of you and safe journey from start to finish.
Big hugs
Peta & Ben
Peta and Ben, doing the research has been a lot of fun. We do feel well prepared, although you never know what is ahead, particularly now in Covid times.
Brian has been having foot and knee problems recently and that does worry us a little, but we have loaded up on pain killers, some knee support and we will be taking hiking poles for extra support…fingers crossed.
Talking about one in a life time opportunity, you guys have landed on your feet with the Airbnb competition. Amazing!! So excited for you.
Gilda, I am so happy for you guys. I know you are well prepared and will have a wonderful experience. I’ll be following your Instagram feed. Post often please!!
Thank you so much Suzanne 🙂 we can’t wait to get started. It has been a lot of preparation, but it is great that there are so many great sources of information nowadays. I hope to post on FB, Instagram and Tweeter as often as I can, although I do also want to have technology free days and just immerse myself in the Camino experience.
Wishing you the very best on your adventure. A friend of mine did the route solo two years ago. She found the experience so enriching she plans to do it again. May your packs be light, the knees and feet cooperative and the hike to bring you much fulfillment. I’ll keep a watch on your social media for updates. Xo
Thank you Sue, we will start walking next week…fingers crossed. Sounds like your friend loved her Camino experience, doing it solo must have been hard, but also very rewarding. Brian and I have planed it for a long time, but there was always one thing or another stopping us from doing it.
Finally we are getting on with it and we are super excited, although with a little bit of trepidation. Thank you so much for all your good wishes.
Hi Gilda,
Thank you for sharing this, it is a beautiful post and I am so glad to have come across your blog and can’t wait to read more of your travel posts.
If you are interested in reading about travel across numerous African countries, please take a look at my blog where I recount my tales of my safari guiding days and my subsequent photographic travels.
Thank you again for sharing.
Thank you Sam, I am glad you have enjoyed this post. Covid allowing and everything else going according to plan we are setting off next week.
I will check out your Africa posts soon, it is a country that I have never visited, but wish to visit in the future.
Oi vay! You guys are totally hardcore! I know you are super fit though, so l am positive you will love it. I couldn’t think of a worse punishment. A friend of mine is trying to talk me into doing it next year and l told her she was cuckoo! I would rather chew nails :-). I am however looking forward to your report on this mega trip. Yeah… do everything to take care of your feet. Happy trails!
Kemkem, I am not sure we can consider ourselves hardcore hahaha…but we do enjoy hiking. This will be very different from our usual one day hikes, but fingers crossed we will make it to Santiago de Compostela. Maybe one day your friend will persuade you? A lot of people do shorter versions, or even just walk a very small section. You don’t even need to carry your own pack, there are companies that transport it for you.
But in any case I will be very happy to take you with me vicariously 🙂
I am so thrilled that you are about to undertake the pilgrimage to Santiago. I know you will enjoy every step and savor every encounter. Buen camino!
Joe, thank you so much. I remember that you have done some sections of the Camino 🙂 Brian and I have been talking about doing the Camino for years, so we are super excited to finally being able to make it happen…fingers crossed. We will be starting next week and hope to finish it mid-October, but we are in no hurry, so it will take as long as needed. We do want to savour every step of the way. Your travel plans are also very exciting, enjoy!
Looking forward to the Instagram post!!
Thank you, I will hope to post regularly 🙂
I have heard of this pilgrimage before and it’s been one of the most challenging trails that requires dedication and courage. I really admire how you have been preparing for this adventure for a long time and finally decided to explore each corner by yourself.
Gilda, wishing you all the best and success in this pilgrimage! I look forward to reading more about the places, hikes and your thoughts of this adventure! 🙂
Bauhinia, thank you so much 🙂 we are really looking forward to getting started. It will be quite challenging and something that we have never done before, but hopefully it will also be very rewarding. Thank you for your support.
What an inspirational intro to your Camino journey, Gilda, I was riveted reading about your psychological and physical preparations for your trek and look forward to your posts after your Camino. I hope Brian’s feet and knees master the Camino. Wishing you both the trip of a lifetime.
Annie, Thank you! We do feel quite well prepared, although there are always the possibility of unforeseen issues that you just can’t prepare for. Brian does have a foot issue that could became a problem, also his knees are sore after longer hikes, but we can only hope that painkillers will do the trick. Thank you for your support.
Another wonderful post Gilda! I know a couple of people who have done the Camino and say it is an amazing experience. I have also seen documentaries and tv programmes on it too. The scenery looks so beautiful. I can well understand that you want to immerse yourself in the experience so will wait for your blog posts when you get back home. In the meantime I have just located you on Instagram so have followed you there! Very best wishes and take care xx 🙂
Thank you Rosemay, we are very excited to get started. We are leaving on Tuesday…fingers crossed. There have been some good films and documentaries about the Camino that have captured our imagination. I also followed blogs of friends who have already done it, so I feel that time has come to do my own Camino 🙂 Thank you for the follow on Instagram, I have followed you back and it is lovely to get connected via social media.
Hope you have managed to get away on your trip Gilda! I will check your Istagram from time to time in case you put up any updates but of course the main thing is for you to enjoy this wonderful opportunity and the experience of a lifetime. Very best wishes for the Camino again xx
Really hope that you enjoy your peregrino experience and very sensible to leave the writing for when you get back! I had a few days doing some of the hikes this summer as I drove my motorhome back from Portugal and was bowled over by the beauty of the scenery. Santiago de Compostela is an extraordinary place and you will no doubt feel very emotional when you arrive. I was lucky enough to be there during the Apostle Festival – I wrote a bit about it on lucyslogbook.com if you want to read…..although I can’t profess to write nearly as well as you!! I’m looking forward to reading all about your experience when you’ve returned.
Lucy, sorry for the delay in replying. We have just returned home for walking the Camino, it was an incredible experience and I will be writing about it soon. I have enjoyed your blog post about Santiago de Compostela, thank you for sharing the link.
I underststand why walking the Camino de Santiago is on the travel wish list for so many people. Even if it is not always a religious pilgrimage. Such an amazing accomplishment to walk 800 km. Although I would love to do this, I am not sure I will ever be fit enough to do it. Great that you are tackling it this year. I am sure it will be a great experience to be away from everyday life. We saw the scallop shell when we travelled in the Galacia area of Spain and may backpackers in small towns. Good luck on your journey!
Linda, walking the Camino was on our wish list for such a long time. Interestingly you don’t actually need to be super fit to walk the Camino. We met so many people who were not regular hikers and also people from all age groups and abilities. I wonder if perhaps you would enjoy walking just a section of the Camino? we certainly did meet some people who were doing exactly that.
Thank you for your good wishes and comment 🙂
I knew you’d started, Gilda, because I’ve seen your posts on Instagram. It looks fantastic already! Take good care of yourselves. There’ll be a lot of writing to do when you get back. When you have a minute come and see me on the new blog? You can just follow the link from my last post. Good luck!
Jo, thank you so much.
We have just returned home from Spain this week, it has been strange to be back home and not walking everyday. I will be writting more about our Camino soon. I did not realise you have a new blog? How lovely, I will be over there visiting and subscribing to it very soon.
Thanks so much for following, hon. Looking forward to your stories.