For those of you who know me, I have always been averse to organising a Camino in any shape or form. I’ve written about it before. In most of my Caminos, I prefer to pre-book a hostel or a private albergue at my starting point and if I am finishing in Santiago, e-mail the good people at the San Martin Pinario a few months in advance for a bed in their pilgrim section. I’ve been quite happy with listening to my body and putting up with the bed-race, no matter how irritating it has been getting of late. Walking from Lisbon, myself and my Camino buddy, Carsten, had the freedom to walk for as long as we wished and we still “had a room at the inn”. There were some days we arrived at a hostel at 3pm with a selection of beds. But this is the Camino from Lisbon and most pilgrims walk from Tui or even Porto on this route.

The annual figures from the Pilgrims Office in Santiago were released earlier this month and while part of me is not surprised by the increase, I am surprised by how popular the Camino has become since I walked first back in 2011. It is inevitable that the numbers will increase in 2020 and in 2021, the Holy Year in Santiago. The question is how high will the number be. It is worth pointing out that the number below are pilgrims who have collected their compostela in Santiago. There are others who do not value the compostela and feel happy to reach Santiago. So we may be over 350,000?

So to avoid all stress, I’ve decided to use Booking.com to prebook certain accommodation for this Camino. A wise move? I will let you know when I reach Santiago. I have two albergues yet to book as they are closed at the moment. On reaching Santiago, I look forward to spending 2 nights in the San Martin Pinario and meeting friends based in the town.

Having somewhere booked means I don’t have to start as early, I can take my time and I can capture some content with my Osmo. I will still carry my backpack however, I won’t lose sight of my kit! 🙂

Here is a draft itinerary from Porto:

Some can walk in 10 days, I am hoping to complete it in 11 days. The only day that concerns me is the one from Viana do Castelo to A Guarda which is 30 kms long, 4 km of which is on a boat from Caminha in Portugal to A Guarda to Spain. I arrive in familiar territory at this point having walked the Coastal Camino with my brother 2 years ago. The distances get shorter once I arrive in Spain with some days less than 20km.

But we are in January. There is much to happen before I fly to Porto and take my first step. The Kerry Camino in May being one.

I’m lucky my family appreciates that I enjoy wandering through Spain, Portugal and indeed Ireland with a backpack on my back. Santa (or my family, you decide) has been to the Smith household and he certainly is a pilgrim at heart. I have a number of walks planned for 2020 and these few gifts really hit the spot.

For preparation walks leading up to my Kerry Camino and my Portuguese Camino, I was surprised with an Osprey Daylite Plus pack. Not the first Osprey pack I own, this is the first Osprey 20 litre pack I own. I will still use my Lowe Alpine 35 litre for my Caminos, however this day pack is perfect for daily walks.

I was also surprised with replacement dry bags. These are essential if you are walking on a Camino, in my opinion. I was looking to buy these before I leave for Porto in September.

All in all, it was a good day with the family but I look forward to my first walk of the year. I hope you all had a good Christmas and were pleasantly surprised.

40 days and counting…

Do you ever have a countdown to your next Camino ticking away? I bet you have. I use an application on my phone telling me the number of days I have left before I leave. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not but each morning I get a little bit giddy knowing that I’m a little closer to my return date. And when I return back to Dublin, the whole process starts again.

So what do you do to bide the time before your next Camino?

Get walking..

It is quite possible to walk the Camino with very little preparation. Provided you are in normal good health, are prepared to take your time and listen to your body, you are half way there. However, here in Ireland, we are lucky enough to have numerous walking trails and pilgrim paths on our doorstep. It is a shame not to use them. Throughout the year, there are various walking festivals in Ireland which provide perfect opportunity to get you ready for a trip to Spain. Or why not walk by yourself with your pack? You can find details of these trails on irishtrails.ie or pilgrimpath.ie. It might be the case in other countries.

Are you comfortable with your Pack?

If you are considering carrying your pack on your Camino, you will need to be comfortable with it and it’s contents. Check it’s weight and if there is anything you don’t need, leave it behind. Try to walk with your pack a few times before you leave so you are sure it is the right size and all the settings are correct.

Join a Camino / Pilgrim Society

Are you talking about your experience on the Camino with a family member and they just don’t get it? Does it feel like you are talking to a brick wall? Well, by joining a Camino Society in your country, you get the chance to meet like-minded people (just like you!), share your story and give back to the Camino. Being a volunteer with Camino Society Ireland is a huge plus for me as I am able to pass on my experience to people preparing for their own Caminos and I can learn about new and exciting developments. And I don’t drive my family crazy!

YouTube / Movie

YouTube contains countless videos of peoples experiences along the different Caminos. From the very professional to videos made by pilgrims just like you and me. Watching them brings me back to the Camino and some offer helpful tips. Or you could watch a Camino related movie. The Camino Voyage springs to mind and I may give that a watch shortly.

And when you come home…

..Organise another Camino! Ah yes, the old doozie! For those of us fortunate enough to get away for another Camino, the 2nd best thing to being on the Camino is putting one together. Booking your flights and/or your first night accommodation (if needed) is a joy-inducing formula. Then there is Gronze.com, Rome2rio.com and plenty of other Camino planning tools to ensure everything goes smoothly.

• New Podcast – Adam from England
• Weekend Watch #79 – Irish pilgrim on the Camino Francés
• This is worth waiting for…
• Video: Camino Francés 2017 Part 1
• Ideal viewing – Webinars for Planning your Camino!

Drew Robinson is back on the Camino. Six years after he brought us the very popular “Camino de Santiago Documentary – A Journey of the Mind“, he returns to Spain via the Camino Portuguese.

This time around he would be joined by his wife and his two-year-old son. The first part of the journey takes us to Barcelos. Enjoy!

And the Camino experience keeps rolling on..

I had toyed with walking the start of the Via de la Plata from Seville as a 2nd Camino this year. Maybe ten days or so. But I received a message out of the blue from a Camino buddy that I met last September. He is starting his own Camino from Lisbon in September and had his dates. So I decided to book my flights (Ryanair!) and walk the first week or so.

This is where it gets tricky. From Lisbon to Porto on the Camino Portuguese, the municipal albergues tend to be spread further apart due to the lower number of pilgrims but there are more hostels and hotels. However, I’m glad I am starting out in Lisbon as there is quite a bit to see but I won’t have the time to see it all. Brierley’s guide will come in handy too.

I’m hoping to reach Coimbra but if I don’t, there is a great bus service that will bring me to Porto. But first, I have a Camino Ingles / Celtic Camino to count down to starting in May!