<p>I walked 180 miles of the Camino in 2005 with my oldest D who had just graduated from college. We weren’t able to do the entire Camino Frances (which is the most popular route) because of time constraints. We started in Leon (took a bus there from Madrid). It was an amazing adventure for us. Very few Americans walking when we were there. (We went in May–it was very warm). Lots of Canadians and Australians. Many Spaniards and other Europeans. Few of the Europeans spoke Spanish–most spoke to one another in English. We met some really interesting folks along the way.</p>
<p>When you’re in the rural areas (which is more often than not) most of the people who run the small inns or taverns that provide food or lodging to the Pilgrims don’t speak much English. My D was fluent in Spanish and that helped tremendously. We chose not to stay in the refugios. These are basically hostels for the Pilgrims that are located all along the Camino. Some are free; others charge a nominal fee. We didn’t care for communal sleeping arrangements, so we would pay to stay in rooms in inns or private homes. It wasn’t difficult to find lodging as long as you arrived before evening. This was when having a Spanish speaker helped. The only time we planned ahead was for the bigger cities/towns. </p>
<p>We aren’t Catholic, but we went ahead and registered at the Pilgrim office and had our credentials stamped along the way and got the certificate of completion (Compostella) at the end. Catholics who complete 100 kilometers (approx. 62 miles) earn forgiveness of venial sins. If it’s a holy year, mortal sins are forgiven. Some people are walking because of religious reasons. The remains of St. James (an apostle), who left the Holy Land and came to Santiago, were discovered in Santiago in 800 and since that time people have gone on religious pilgrimages to Santiago. St. James’ remains are in the crypt of the cathedral in Santiago.</p>
<p>We spent the night in Santiago de Compostela (city at the end of Camino)–went to the mass for the Pilgrims in the cathedral and saw the sights. We splurged and stayed in the Santiago Paradore. Paradores are state-run hotels–generally very nicely appointed and often in historic buildings. The one in Santiago is lovely. We flew back to Madrid the next day. </p>
<p>One nice perk, which was unexpected, was that we decided not to take a bus back from Santiago de Compostella to Madrid, but to fly instead. We made the flight reservation in the US. When we got to the airport, the ticket person found out that we’d walked the Camino and we had free flights back to Madrid. This was on a Spanish airline carrier (name escapes me now). </p>
<p>Most of the people we met were not there for religious reasons. If you like to hike, enjoy visiting very old cities/towns and cathedrals, and enjoy learning about Spanish history, this is a great trip to take. People are friendly, there were quite a few young women traveling together–it seemed safe. One thing to remember: this is just a step up from backpacking except you don’t have to carry your food and you don’t have to sleep in a tent. Very simple and basic food and lodging is what’s available. If this isn’t your of tea, you won’t enjoy the trip. </p>
<p>There are tons of websites and guide books for the Camino. Just google Camino. There are several Facebook pages–I read this one: Here’s a Camino Facebook page: <a href=“https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camino-de-Santiago/228373153185[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camino-de-Santiago/228373153185</a></p>
<p>After the The Way came out–I read that there were more Pilgrims the next year. Actress Shirley Maclaine walked the Camino back in the day and wrote a book about it. There were more Pilgrims after that as well. There are number of Pilgrim memoir books–I enjoyed reading those.</p>
<p>If I can help answer questions, I’d be happy to do so–just sent me a PM.</p>