When you read this, I will be somewhere in Spain, toward the end of a long walk. If all goes according to plan, I will have crossed the Pyrenees from France into Spain. My first city stop will have been Pamplona. From there I’ll be walking on to Logrono, Burgos, Leon, Sarria and Santiago de Compostela.
Yes, it’s a very long walk.
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, France’s route, covers some 480 miles from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to its destination at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The walk will take about 35 days. And a million steps.
Seriously. A million steps.
In 2022, one source indicates that 246,000 people walked the Camino de Santiago. But that figure is a bit misleading. More than half start the walk in Sarria, about 60 miles from Santiago. Only 24,000—less than a tenth — start in St. Jean Pied de Port.
Even so, I’ll have lots of company during the walk. In addition to other pilgrims, my brother Doug will be with me. He’s the Zen Reacher you read about a few months ago. He’s always up for a challenge, but he loved the idea that a fit retiree could literally walk the Camino and spend not much more than the average monthly Social Security benefit.
Equally important, I’ll be following in the footsteps of others who have walked this path for centuries. Over the years hundreds who have walked the Camino felt compelled to write about it or film it. If you’re curious, you can learn about every detail of the walk, what to bring and how much it will cost by doing a search on YouTube.
Me, I’ll be walking the walk. I won’t be reporting it – at least not while I’m doing it.
Some readers, aware that I am 83 years old, will question my sanity.
So let me tell you about my reasons and my preparation.
Why this. Why now?
As a writer, I have lived most of my life in my head. That’s what happens when you write, interview and research for a living. This walk is an opportunity to join the world of nature and disconnect from the incessant bombardment of over-hyped human activity. As the poet William Wordsworth wrote long ago:
“The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; –“
It will also be my third attempt at retiring, or at least retiring from a writing schedule with regular deadlines. At 83, I am keenly aware that every moment spent writing is a moment that could be spent doing a multitude of other things I’ve never found the time to do.
Here’s a simple example. I have yet to do justice to “The Tassajara Bread Book.” My copy, the 16th printing of the 1970 book that I bought in 1976, cost $3.95. Sadly, it remains un-mangled by regular use. Today, the book costs $22.95 but is available on Amazon for $17.78.
A lot has happened with inflation, money, and technology since then, but good yeast and great bread recipes may be more important.
Basically, it’s now or never.
Preparation
My first step was to ask my cardiologist if I was crazy. He said I should go for it. Recall, I had a cryoablation for my atrial fibrillation in July 2022. The operation was remarkably successful. I have been AFIB free since. I’ve also worked with a wonderful trainer at the Dripping Springs YMCA twice weekly and taken regular walks. In the last few months, I’ve upped the ante by increasing the length of the walks, adding a backpack and using walking poles.
But don’t get me wrong. I won’t be lugging much. Total weight of backpack and contents will be about 12 pounds.
The Camino isn’t a fashion show.
And, unlike trips such as hiking the Appalachian Trail, there is no need to camp on the Camino because the trail has a multitude of places to stay and restaurants. It is what Ernest Hemingway would have called “A Moveable Feast.”
A Free E-Book
Since I’m likely to continue writing, I won’t say goodbye. But if you’d like some easy reading between now and whenever, I’ve gathered a bunch of my columns in an e-book, “Still At Large.” Yes, it’s the same e-book I offered when I retired in 2017. Another will be in the works.
The book covers comings and goings, motorcycle rides along the U.S./Mexico border and a bunch of sailing trips. It’s an easy read.
You won’t get rich by reading it. But I hope you’ll be reminded of all the joy that is just out there, waiting for us in the here and now.
You can download the book, free, at this link:
https://scottburns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MasterStillAtLarge4PDF.pdf
And one more thing…
It is so, so hard to not think about things to do and write about. A few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend who has a two-seater aerobatic sport plane. I asked if he’d like to fly to Lajitas (just West of Big Bend) and see how the statue of Robert E. Lee was doing after its move from Dallas…
He picked up his iPhone, opened an aeronautical app and said: “No problem. We could be there in 2 hours, with fuel to spare.”
Related columns:
Scott Burns, “The Zen Reacher,” 1/28/2024: https://scottburns.com/the-zen-reacher/
Scott Burns, “Return to Big Bend,” 2/1/2005: https://scottburns.com/return-to-big-bend/
Scott Burns, “Notes, Mile Marks and Pictures,” 3/21/2000: https://scottburns.com/notes-mile-marks-and-pictures/ A listing of my Borderland motorcycle trip columns.
Sources and References:
YouTube search results: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=camino+de+santiago+french+way
Ed Brown, The Tassajara Bread Book: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+tassajara+bread+book+by+edward+espe+brown&crid=A9JUF2X6OMLB&sprefix=Tassajara+Bread%2Caps%2C188&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_3_15
This information is distributed for education purposes, and it is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, product, or service.
Photo: Scott Burns, 2024
(c) Scott Burns, 2024
Have fun on your long walk .
Jim