Hi , I am Spanish, and I have traveled a couple of Santiago's ways (the French and the northern + primitive ways). If you have any questions ask me without problems. I think you have done well to start on the French way, not because it is the most beautiful, but because it is the most varied (you will see more variety of landscapes and lands than the north), a couple of tips: 1- Do not follow the official stages, in the French way there are many "albergues" and you will have a better experience stopping in small (and beautiful) towns than in the large ones (which are designed to loot the tourist), the only exception to this are the big cities if you want to see the cathedrals. 2- Go to see the cathedral of Burgos, you'll have to pay but it is worth it, I think that is the cathedral most beautiful of the way.
Dixie, don't forget your stone. The stone usually comes from the pilgrim’s home (that would be cool to drop an Alabama river rock in another country) and is carried nearly all the way. Placing it at the cross before entering Santiago symbolizes a release of burdens. Drop the stone while saying this prayer "O Lord, may the stone which I bring to this holy place be a sign of pilgrimage to Santiago. When I reach my final judgment, tip the balance of my life in favor of my good deeds. I lay down this token which I carry from (Alabama). Please forgive my sins and help me carry my burdens in life. Amen". My girl's Mom was supposed to do the Camino this year, and I pulled a stone from the base of the "Bridge of the Gods" on the PCT (because she loved the"Wild" book I gave her 3 years ago) to present as her stone,....but turns out she won't be going, so I now have the stone, and hopefully she will go soon. Best on your hike, enjoy the time with sis.
I wish I'd brought a stone from home! Such a good idea. I picked up a stone at the beginning of my Camino (outside the Pamplona airport before bussing to SJpdP) and dropped it at Cruz de Ferro, which I think was a little over halfway through the Camino. It felt like such a release and I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. I had a friend who carried his all the way to Monumento de Monte do Gozo and that was a special moment too.
@@antoniabaker7770 Tradition is nice, it feels good to take part in something. The history of that pilgrimage is part of the journey, and after all it's the journey that counts the most. I have great fear of flying and water crossings on a boat.....sooo, I'll just sit back and read about others doing these kinds of treks, and stick to my own backyard.
@@foreveryeung52 I knew my girls Mom would enjoy the story of getting the stone that I found for her. What she didn't know was that I polished that piece of basalt and had a shorter version of the prayer engraved into the stone along with it's original location and her name. I hope she follows through with her decision to go,.....or now I just have a weird rock with an engraving that makes no sense...
I’m so excited to watch! My mom and I completed the Camino last year. My best recommendation is to stay in the albergues a few miles before you get to town. If you wake up early to start hiking, the cafes in town may not be open yet leaving you desperate for coffee and a tortilla! I thought the countryside albergues were much nicer and always had their own kitchens since they were out of the way. Also, avoid getting hungry during siesta hours!
Nice! I've been watching some of your stuff lately and was happily surprised when I saw this one coming up! I will begin hiking the camino in march next year, from my home in Antwerp, Belgium (just above France if maybe you don't know our small country;)) the meaning of taking the shell goes back hundreds of years. I think in most country's in Europe, when you did something wrong, you might have been send away to walk to Santiago de Compostela. You could only come back with the shell, or you wouldn't be welcome in your own town ever again. The shell from the scallops were only available in Compostela, so bringing it home with you was considerd proof that you had been there. Then your crimes were forgiven when you came back and you got a new chance to stay at your homevillage again. So originally, it was carried back home in stead of on the trail. These days the way to Compostela is still used in our youth care system. When you've done something wrong, you sometimes get the option of hiking the way with a youth organization in stead of going to a youth institution or even juvie. So it is used to raise awareness. For accomodations there are some other options btw. There are a lot of churches, chapels, monasteries and abbeys where sometimes you can spent a night even cheaper than 6 euros and many even are free. At monasteries or abbeys, sometimes that even includes meals. Ofcourse, probably this most of the times is'nt on the french way because it is as you said, the most popular trail. So there's to much people to do it for. Alltough for me it wasn't that I was hiking for the religous experience, these evenings and mornings of talking to some of the people I met that way were really memorable and inspiring because of their many stories about them most of the time walking to Compostela aswell for example. I was on the trail in 2015 and then I hiked about 900 kilometers and hitchhiked back home to attent my brothers wedding. Sadly I did not leave again. So now I am planning my way for next year again. I'm actually planning to set up a RUclipschannel aswell soon. Not just about the way but also including motivation for youngsters. I am also looking to map out some workplaces as I am walking to create more opportunity for young adults to do it on an alternitive way. By making money on their way. That way making it easier at least, to just leave and go find yourself. I am looking forward to watch more about this and especially finding out when you're coming to Europe! Keep up the good work!
Hey Dixie, I hiked the Camino From St. Jean de Port through to Santiago and on to Finisterre (End of the Earth) on my own in 2016 and it was one of the great adventures of my life. Seeing the length of Spain at a walking pace was so rewarding, just your body and the Earth in partnership day after day. People are incredibly friendly, whether you speak the same language or not, and I think every single person I passed by had a smile and a " buen Camino" for me from small children to the most elderly. I stayed almost exclusively in municipal or small Albergues, some were really basic and spartan and some were lovely. Never knowing just what to expect was part of the adventure. I quickly learned to carry some food ( a crust of bread from breakfast, cheese, bar, nuts or fruit) because although I might arrive at the albergue by 3:30 or 4:00 (starving after 18 miles) no place serves dinner until 7:30 at the earliest!!! It's easy to keep stocked up since there are always towns that you go through. Usually in the mornings all peregrinos (pilgrims) must vacate by 8 and you usually end up walking for an hour to hour and a half to the next town before breakfast since cafes don't open until 9:30 which worried me beforehand (NO COFFEE FIRST THING) but it was fine! Tortilla ( kind of like a crustless quiche of potatoes and egg) and un cafe made everything all right! You and everyone around you will develop "Camino brain" - easy, going with the flow, whatever happens and keep on the lookout for "Camino magic" when amazing coincidences or serendipitous things will happen to you. Best of luck to you and your sister.
I wish you a great trip! And I have no doubt as the video shows you have done your homework and you know what to expect. I did the Camino (from my front porch in Austria) back in 1998. It was more quiet (about 8% of the people walking nowadays) and for me it was a religious journey (no money, no backpack, just a habit, a rosary, a bible and an bag for bread) but the Camino is many things to many people. Take a good ebook guide on your phone to get the most out of the cultural sites you visit - but you have taken care of that already, I'm sure. One note: you mention the "pilgrims passport" for stamps and its significance to get the Compostela at the end. Yes, but it is also your ticked to the hostels along the way. Since the pilgrim albergos are cheap and maintained often by volunteers, the "passport" with their stamps makes sure that these places are at disposition for pilgrims first (walking, then biking, then horse riders) and not just for someone looking for a cheap overnight stay. Utreia! (as the old Camino Greeting goes).
As a Spaniard I can tell you that you are pretty well informed, so it will be a wonderful experience. As they say (and you will hear quite often) "Buen Camino!"
I'm glad you're about to do this hike. I myself, am not at all a religious guy and more enclined to hike in the wilderness, I started to think about hiking it one day when I heard the Camino is more of a cultural, social & intellectual experience even for those who don't believe. People who hiked it do say there is special spirit on this hike and you get to meet people you wouldn't meet otherwise and in a way that can create long lasting bonds. I don't know much about it and I'm looking forward to following you on this hike.
My great Aunt did the Camino de Santiago when she was 63 in memory or her Husband who had passed 4 years before the hike. At the end of the hike she saw a guy who looked just like her husband, it was like he was there with her. I hope to hike it with mom one day.
I am 62 and a bucket list item is to do the Camino, the French Way. I am waiting until my 15-year-Old dog passes away because I couldn’t bear to be gone that long and away from her if something should happen. I cannot wait to follow you as you hike. I know a little French after having visited there about 10 times. I’m trying to learn some Spanish now in preparation (with a Mississippi accent y’all)!
There is also the eastern Camino that connects the Mediterranean Sea from Valencia to Santiago and the Fisterra lighthouse in the Atlantic. Bienvenida a España Dixie !!!! Your channel is not only very interesting but it also helps me to improve my English little by little, thank you very much!
If you have the time start somewhere in France on the Via Podiensis, which is one of the caminos (chemins) in France. It starts in Le Puy en Velay and connects to the Camino Frances. It is more remote than the Camino Frances, but to me it is way more beautiful and you will be able to taste some of the best cheese and meat in the world. Lots of breathtakingingly beautiful medieval villages like Conques, Auvillar or Saint Cirq Lapopie. That way you would already have some trail legs when hiking over the Pyrenees instead of doing the hardest stage on the first day. Definitely take a zero in Pamplona. The city is rad. Fall is great for walking a camino. You will find ripe figs, apples and walnuts everywhere along the way.
The Aubrac is absolutely stunning (with lovely cows). But honestly, I didn't enjoy Gers that much. Roads, endless sunflower fields and trucks that pass you way too close. Might have also had something to do with the fact that it was 40°C every day almost all the way to the Basque country when I walked it.
@@kierano5496 My wife and I at 70 walked the last section Sarria to Santiago October 18. Wonderful experience. We had a suitcase forwarded to our next stop so we carried light packs. We have lots of wear and tare from active lives. Ibuprofen was a staple.You should walk it. Ted
For some reason, the scallop seems to be generally associated with St James. For example, the German for scallop is "Jakobsmuschel" and "Jakobsweg" is the Way of St James - a network of paths spreading out right across Europe with the Camino being the final section through Spain. Of course, in the Middle Ages, getting to Santiago di Compostela was only half the trip. The only way to get home was to walk.
I'm now 69 with bad knees, so these hikes are out for me. I only wish I had the guts to take these on when I was younger. But I am enamored with following you on these hikes. And you do a fantastic job of presenting them in such an interesting way.
I've watched all of your Hiking videos from your very beginning, because of the Camino. But I've never hike the big Three or walked on the Camino, due to my health, hope to someday. But I've watched ever Camino video there is since the movie, The Way came out. What that means is, I have actually viewed thousands of RUclips Camino videos of pilgrims walking the way, and loved them all. Dixie, Don't change a thing, do it your way, and your sister's way. I'm looking forward to this adventure walk of yours More Than Any Other.
My wife and I walked the Frances in April and May and then went to Muxia - it’s a fantastic experience! Take time to explore the villages, towns and Cities you will be staying in. Recommend you zero in Burgos and Leon and Santiago at the end, they’re fantastic city’s and the cathedrals are stunningly beautiful! There are plenty of cafes ( all independent don’t expect Starbucks) along the route and enjoy the Menu de Pelligrino in the evenings! The Brierly guide is invaluable as Is the Guthook GPS map. We’re walking the Portugués Camino from Porto and may well be in Santiago at the same time as you! Hope you and your sister have a great time! Buen Camino!
Just back from Camino del Norte finishing over Camino Primitivo. Both, landscapes and the social part make the Camino a special experience. I wish you a Buen Camino and I wait for your videos.
_4:45__ .. I am glad you said that, "El camino de santiago de Compostela" is more of a Religious Patronage than just a hike, you will find that out really fast when you get there. Gracias por el video. Espero que disfrutes lo que el camino ofrese espiritualmente ademas de una caminata por tan bello pais._
Great to hear you're doing the Camino! I walked the Portuguese Coastal Way last year in May and it was my first long distance trail ever. Since then I've hiked several ld trails in Scotland in the wild and I think I can definitely call myself a real hiker. Seems like my way of getting to the hiking experience has been reverse to yours :) I'm sure you'll both love the Camino and enjoy every bit of it. Good luck and have fun! Looking forward to watching more vids about it and your future adventures.
I’m so excited to see your experience walking the Camino! I walked the English Way after being inspired by your AT videos. (I intend to do the AT and the French Way, too.) Spain is a beautiful country and you’ll find plenty of trail magic and kindness there. I’m in love with it and can’t wait to go back :)
you should be proud of being an older sister and a role model for them. You are changing there lives for the better, giving them the courage to do new things in life (hiking or not), and others out there who are watching you. Its the few people that do what the majority say isn't possible, is what pushes us all forward to great things. LOVE LOVE your blogs (my wife hasn't seen one of them, but hears about you every morning on our way to work, lol)
This will be a fantastic adventure for Montana. A long hike is a great introduction to the world for someone just getting out of high school. It will give her a strong foundation and preparation for whatever comes next. Ya'll have fun. We'll be here hanging on waiting for your updates.
I walked the Camino last year and it was the most beautiful experience I have ever had! I went with my mom so I totally understand the special bond that happens along the way! Have the best time! Buen Camino!!
The shell was also used historically as a drinking vessel like a kuksa, to scoop a drink from a stream etc. Also the ridges represent the fact that the paths to the Camino starts from all over the world and ending at where they join : Santiago
I can’t wait to follow your new adventure. El Camino has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I’ll get to see it thru your videos!! So excited for you and your sister.
Thanks for the Camino preview. Looking forward to watching your new adventure. Safe travels, and may good weather follow you both along your way. Enjoy the experience!
I've heard about this trail for a very long time but wasn't interested in it until now. I look forward to your upcoming videos. And how nice that your little sister will be joining you. I think I'm going to like this.
Have a great trip but don’t worry about flying home if injured or ill. I’ve experienced health care in both the US and Europe and I can assure you that the Spanish system is superb.
Hiked the camino three times some years ago. One thing I learned is that it is not about arriving as soon as possible. It is about the journey and the people you meet. I guess it is the same in the PCT, AT, etc. Best wishes and have a safe journey. Ultreia pilgrin.
Awesome! Hope you both have an incredible adventure. Can't wait to ride the Video Experience Train with you. I have been wanting to hike this since 2010. You are easily becoming my favorite channel 😎
I’m so excited to watch your Camino experience. I’ve been wanting to hike it for about 10 years, planning on 4 years from now. I think it will be a wonderful experience to share with your sister. 😊
Thank you for including us in adventures we might like to have someday, or adventures we know are out of reach for us but we get to enjoy through your eyes, your camera.
Buon Camino! to both of you! I have walked the Camino del Norte starting from Irun last year together with a Czech guy. We shared the extra weight of a tarp and a ground sheet that gave us more flexibility to pass by overcrowded Albuerges and enjoyed some nice evenings and nights at the official camping places. Beware, the camino virus may catch you. In my case currently I have become responsible for a small piece of the Camino in Germany between Hochheim near Wiesbaden and Mainz.
congrats!!! that is a very cool road-walk. A student of mine just did it and she return very happy! for you it will be so easy because of all the suppourt there is along the way. Enjoy it and of course I will be glue to the chanel ! Cheers and enjoy it
I am excited to see you & sis on the el Camino trail. Thank you for this vid. You answered a lot of questions I had, that I never asked anyone. You were my first hiker I watched. So, I been with you since the AT, and the triple crown. Your trip with mom and pup on the make up miles. All gear reviews. And other vids. Jesus blessed you. Think you're wonderful & so is your family.
I am stoked that you're going to EU and NZ! Just came home from NZ back to Denmark and though I don't think I will do thru-hiking, your channel have been a great inspiration for my backpacking and hiking adventures =D
Being abroad is always so exciting - and being abroad in a country with a different language for the first time must be especially so! I'm very happy for you and your sister :). And about the clamshells: I'm from the Netherlands and attended a Catholic primary school attached to a St. James church, and the school was called 'the Shell'! Still, I've only recently started discovering clamshell blazes while hiking. Walking all the way to Santiago from here must be a thing again!
I hiked it from Saria to Santiago. The Shell was used to eat and drink out of. Make sure you go to the Pilgrims Mass it is amazing. I’m Presbyterian but I appreciated the beauty and devotion of the congregation. Food is really reasonable but the have a lot of French fries with everything. Ugh I tried the empanadas but they only sold tuna ones which were salty but all the other food was awesome. Also you will want to try a cup of cacao (hot chocolate) it is amazing. Buen Camino
I followed you thru the CD trail and PC trail. I walked El Camino frances last spring and it was a wonderful experience. I wish “Buen Camino” to you and your sisters!
I also sprayed everything with permethrin both times I walked the camino frances. Drybags are cool too as most of the beds have frames you can clip the bags to so you can get to your stuff without rummaging around in you sac in the dark ! Have fun !
I am so excited to see your videos on this, I've been home from the Camino for 2 months now and I'm having major withdrawal 😂 the two of you will have the best time, it's a very special experience
It's an amazing hike. I've done both the Frances and Portugues, both great hikes but the French way is the best. You will meet people from all over the world, drink cheap amazing wine with them and eat amazing spanish food. Take many siestas and enjoy your time there. The first day is the longest but the prettiest. buen camino!
We just finished the Camino Frances (from SJPP) last week! Don’t forget the pagan history of the Camino! Santiago de Compostela (the city) was the site of an ancient necropolis, and the cathedral was a Roman temple to Jupiter before it was Christian (and then Muslim, and then Christian again). Just as Cruz de Ferro used to be a monument to Mercury. And there are LOTS of Celtic and Roman ruins all along the Camino. I highly recommend looking up the history BEFORE YOU GO (or as you go) as it will greatly add to the richness of the experience! Like when you see a stone wall in a field or forest, it may not just be a stone wall, but the ruins of an ancient Roman house! The original route (pre-Christian) went all the way to Fisterra, the most western point of the peninsula and literally the “end of the earth.” I’ve been there, and there are many beautiful scallop shells on the beach (probably why it used to be a symbol of pilgrimage completion). I think people have given the shell symbolic meanings over time (it was already a common motif in Christian and Muslim art), but it’s also just a really convenient souvenir from the beach. I’m SO excited for you to walk the Camino. I kept hoping we would run into you while we were there, but looks like we were a bit early. Very excited to hear your take on it. Best wishes!
I walked the Camino Frances in 2017, a fantastic cultural, educational and social trip. The people, scenery and food all made the miles zip past. Buen Camino!
I am a 100% disabled veteran, I am dependent on oxygen so I am almost totally housebound. I want to thank you for your vlogs. I feel like I have, in one sense, walked with you over the triple crown and am now looking forward to your trip to Spain. I passed through Spain twice when I was on active duty but did not have the opportunity to look around. You do a lot for people that you will never meet. Thank You.
I did it via bicycle a few years back. I've vacationed all over the world and that trip ranks as my all time favorite! Incredible food, great scenery, and the people are warm and friendly. Just be aware that their "tortillas" aren't what you're used to!
Hello Dixie, thank you for sharing this informative video. This sounds like a wonderful experience for both of you. The very best of good things for you and your Sister. Take care and have a great time. 🤗
Looking forward to the hike to take off,,Awesome to be hiking with younger sister,,memories together forever....Always Dixie ,, ............Stay Safe and God Bless...........
This is exciting. When you pronounced St. John Pied da Port the "Alabama" way I laughed so hard. 😂 That has tickled me. Hope you both have an amazing trip! Stay safe!
We are on the Camino Francés right in Burgos. We actually began the Camino del Norte a more difficult route with incredible scenery. Unfortunately too much road walking so a switch to French Way
I walked the Camino Portuguese which starts in Lisbon and goes to Santiago. There are many Camino routes all of which end in Santiago. The French route is so populated that within a 100 km of Santiago you may have as many as 4000 people a day. The people you meet along the way is interesting as well as the small villages, and the old building, etc. you pass through. I was one of the 287,000 in 2016. You have to do 200 km by bike to get a Compestela. You will enjoy the El There is no "right" way to do the Camino. Follow the yellow arrows. Best of luck. Usually there is no washing machine in most of the albergues. Some of which can be quite crowded. Get a book by John Brierley he has the definitive book on Caminos.
Just heard the news! I did 3X Caminos.. Starting in my teens.. And that started me lifelong journey/treking. Ssooo different from the grueling planning and weeks in the mercy of the pct.. Kinda like glamping as it's so speckled with villages(cheese, wine, beds) ...BUEN CAMINO!!!
The camino does not have to get more popular. It is VERY popular. Too many people along the way. I like that people enjoy it. But with a lot of people you also get a lot of inconsiderate people and that sucks. I always say that the closer you get to Santiago, the harder it is to get lost. Because you'll notice when there isn't any toilet paper on the side of the road.
I’ve dreamed of doing the Camino for years, but it hasn’t worked out, yet. I hosted an exchange student from Spain years ago and always thought the hike would be a great reunion to see him again. Anxious to follow your pilgrimage! Best wishes!
I was wondering if you were ever going to hike the Camino de Santiago! My dad and I hiked it together in 2017, and it was an incredible bonding experience for us. I’m sure it will be for you and your sister, too. It will certainly be very different from your previous adventures. Looking forward to the videos from it. Buen Camino !
The scallop shell is the symbol of pilgrimage. If you look at the back of the shell all the ribs lead to one point symbolising the many’s routes meeting at one significant destination.
Wishing you the best! In my 20's I did a portion (took the train at some points), still, it's in my bucket list of things to do with my 6 year old daughter, when she becomes old enough for a daddy/daughter bonding activity before she finds her old man lame and old.
I think you will enjoy it. One think you didn't mention is the people you meet along the way. They are what make it special. Don't over pack, you really only need a days supply of anything because you will pass places to resupply all the time. There are some longer stretches to watch out for but on the whole it's not a problem. This year on the Portuguese Coastal my base weight was 6.3kg down from 7.5kg in 2018. Have fun.
Hi , I am Spanish, and I have traveled a couple of Santiago's ways (the French and the northern + primitive ways). If you have any questions ask me without problems.
I think you have done well to start on the French way, not because it is the most beautiful, but because it is the most varied (you will see more variety of landscapes and lands than the north), a couple of tips:
1- Do not follow the official stages, in the French way there are many "albergues" and you will have a better experience stopping in small (and beautiful) towns than in the large ones (which are designed to loot the tourist), the only exception to this are the big cities if you want to see the cathedrals.
2- Go to see the cathedral of Burgos, you'll have to pay but it is worth it, I think that is the cathedral most beautiful of the way.
Dixie, don't forget your stone. The stone usually comes from the pilgrim’s home (that would be cool to drop an Alabama river rock in another country) and is carried nearly all the way. Placing it at the cross before entering Santiago symbolizes a release of burdens. Drop the stone while saying this prayer "O Lord, may the stone which I bring to this holy place be a sign of pilgrimage to Santiago. When I reach my final judgment, tip the balance of my life in favor of my good deeds. I lay down this token which I carry from (Alabama). Please forgive my sins and help me carry my burdens in life. Amen".
My girl's Mom was supposed to do the Camino this year, and I pulled a stone from the base of the "Bridge of the Gods" on the PCT (because she loved the"Wild" book I gave her 3 years ago) to present as her stone,....but turns out she won't be going, so I now have the stone, and hopefully she will go soon.
Best on your hike, enjoy the time with sis.
Love this idea.
I wish I'd brought a stone from home! Such a good idea. I picked up a stone at the beginning of my Camino (outside the Pamplona airport before bussing to SJpdP) and dropped it at Cruz de Ferro, which I think was a little over halfway through the Camino. It felt like such a release and I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. I had a friend who carried his all the way to Monumento de Monte do Gozo
and that was a special moment too.
@@antoniabaker7770 Tradition is nice, it feels good to take part in something. The history of that pilgrimage is part of the journey, and after all it's the journey that counts the most. I have great fear of flying and water crossings on a boat.....sooo, I'll just sit back and read about others doing these kinds of treks, and stick to my own backyard.
@@foreveryeung52 I knew my girls Mom would enjoy the story of getting the stone that I found for her. What she didn't know was that I polished that piece of basalt and had a shorter version of the prayer engraved into the stone along with it's original location and her name. I hope she follows through with her decision to go,.....or now I just have a weird rock with an engraving that makes no sense...
I’m so excited to watch! My mom and I completed the Camino last year.
My best recommendation is to stay in the albergues a few miles before you get to town. If you wake up early to start hiking, the cafes in town may not be open yet leaving you desperate for coffee and a tortilla! I thought the countryside albergues were much nicer and always had their own kitchens since they were out of the way. Also, avoid getting hungry during siesta hours!
Nice! I've been watching some of your stuff lately and was happily surprised when I saw this one coming up! I will begin hiking the camino in march next year, from my home in Antwerp, Belgium (just above France if maybe you don't know our small country;)) the meaning of taking the shell goes back hundreds of years. I think in most country's in Europe, when you did something wrong, you might have been send away to walk to Santiago de Compostela. You could only come back with the shell, or you wouldn't be welcome in your own town ever again. The shell from the scallops were only available in Compostela, so bringing it home with you was considerd proof that you had been there. Then your crimes were forgiven when you came back and you got a new chance to stay at your homevillage again. So originally, it was carried back home in stead of on the trail. These days the way to Compostela is still used in our youth care system. When you've done something wrong, you sometimes get the option of hiking the way with a youth organization in stead of going to a youth institution or even juvie. So it is used to raise awareness. For accomodations there are some other options btw. There are a lot of churches, chapels, monasteries and abbeys where sometimes you can spent a night even cheaper than 6 euros and many even are free. At monasteries or abbeys, sometimes that even includes meals. Ofcourse, probably this most of the times is'nt on the french way because it is as you said, the most popular trail. So there's to much people to do it for. Alltough for me it wasn't that I was hiking for the religous experience, these evenings and mornings of talking to some of the people I met that way were really memorable and inspiring because of their many stories about them most of the time walking to Compostela aswell for example. I was on the trail in 2015 and then I hiked about 900 kilometers and hitchhiked back home to attent my brothers wedding. Sadly I did not leave again. So now I am planning my way for next year again. I'm actually planning to set up a RUclipschannel aswell soon. Not just about the way but also including motivation for youngsters. I am also looking to map out some workplaces as I am walking to create more opportunity for young adults to do it on an alternitive way. By making money on their way. That way making it easier at least, to just leave and go find yourself. I am looking forward to watch more about this and especially finding out when you're coming to Europe! Keep up the good work!
Hey Dixie, I hiked the Camino From St. Jean de Port through to Santiago and on to Finisterre (End of the Earth) on my own in 2016 and it was one of the great adventures of my life. Seeing the length of Spain at a walking pace was so rewarding, just your body and the Earth in partnership day after day. People are incredibly friendly, whether you speak the same language or not, and I think every single person I passed by had a smile and a " buen Camino" for me from small children to the most elderly. I stayed almost exclusively in municipal or small Albergues, some were really basic and spartan and some were lovely. Never knowing just what to expect was part of the adventure. I quickly learned to carry some food ( a crust of bread from breakfast, cheese, bar, nuts or fruit) because although I might arrive at the albergue by 3:30 or 4:00 (starving after 18 miles) no place serves dinner until 7:30 at the earliest!!! It's easy to keep stocked up since there are always towns that you go through. Usually in the mornings all peregrinos (pilgrims) must vacate by 8 and you usually end up walking for an hour to hour and a half to the next town before breakfast since cafes don't open until 9:30 which worried me beforehand (NO COFFEE FIRST THING) but it was fine! Tortilla ( kind of like a crustless quiche of potatoes and egg) and un cafe made everything all right! You and everyone around you will develop "Camino brain" - easy, going with the flow, whatever happens and keep on the lookout for "Camino magic" when amazing coincidences or serendipitous things will happen to you. Best of luck to you and your sister.
I wish you a great trip! And I have no doubt as the video shows you have done your homework and you know what to expect. I did the Camino (from my front porch in Austria) back in 1998. It was more quiet (about 8% of the people walking nowadays) and for me it was a religious journey (no money, no backpack, just a habit, a rosary, a bible and an bag for bread) but the Camino is many things to many people. Take a good ebook guide on your phone to get the most out of the cultural sites you visit - but you have taken care of that already, I'm sure. One note: you mention the "pilgrims passport" for stamps and its significance to get the Compostela at the end. Yes, but it is also your ticked to the hostels along the way. Since the pilgrim albergos are cheap and maintained often by volunteers, the "passport" with their stamps makes sure that these places are at disposition for pilgrims first (walking, then biking, then horse riders) and not just for someone looking for a cheap overnight stay. Utreia! (as the old Camino Greeting goes).
As a Spaniard I can tell you that you are pretty well informed, so it will be a wonderful experience. As they say (and you will hear quite often) "Buen Camino!"
I'm glad you're about to do this hike. I myself, am not at all a religious guy and more enclined to hike in the wilderness, I started to think about hiking it one day when I heard the Camino is more of a cultural, social & intellectual experience even for those who don't believe. People who hiked it do say there is special spirit on this hike and you get to meet people you wouldn't meet otherwise and in a way that can create long lasting bonds.
I don't know much about it and I'm looking forward to following you on this hike.
My great Aunt did the Camino de Santiago when she was 63 in memory or her Husband who had passed 4 years before the hike. At the end of the hike she saw a guy who looked just like her husband, it was like he was there with her. I hope to hike it with mom one day.
I am 62 and a bucket list item is to do the Camino, the French Way. I am waiting until my 15-year-Old dog passes away because I couldn’t bear to be gone that long and away from her if something should happen. I cannot wait to follow you as you hike. I know a little French after having visited there about 10 times. I’m trying to learn some Spanish now in preparation (with a Mississippi accent y’all)!
I'm waiting on doing the AT or PCT for the same reason. My dog is 13. She's a chihuahua and could live another 5 years. I'll be 64 by that time.
Eva F it is never too late! I could be 64 or more by the time I get to go.
I'm 59 and hoping to make the pilgrimage one day. I speak a good amount of Spanish.
There is also the eastern Camino that connects the Mediterranean Sea from Valencia to Santiago and the Fisterra lighthouse in the Atlantic. Bienvenida a España Dixie !!!!
Your channel is not only very interesting but it also helps me to improve my English little by little, thank you very much!
If you have the time start somewhere in France on the Via Podiensis, which is one of the caminos (chemins) in France. It starts in Le Puy en Velay and connects to the Camino Frances. It is more remote than the Camino Frances, but to me it is way more beautiful and you will be able to taste some of the best cheese and meat in the world. Lots of breathtakingingly beautiful medieval villages like Conques, Auvillar or Saint Cirq Lapopie. That way you would already have some trail legs when hiking over the Pyrenees instead of doing the hardest stage on the first day.
Definitely take a zero in Pamplona. The city is rad.
Fall is great for walking a camino. You will find ripe figs, apples and walnuts everywhere along the way.
Hypnose Berlin i have cycled part of this one and it is beautiful!
The Aubrac is absolutely stunning (with lovely cows). But honestly, I didn't enjoy Gers that much. Roads, endless sunflower fields and trucks that pass you way too close.
Might have also had something to do with the fact that it was 40°C every day almost all the way to the Basque country when I walked it.
I’m so excited for you to begin. I’m 72 but still feel like I could talk my daughter into it!!
Charla Garth I met a few people in their 70's who were tearing it up when I was there!
@@kierano5496 My wife and I at 70 walked the last section Sarria to Santiago October 18. Wonderful experience. We had a suitcase forwarded to our next stop so we carried light packs. We have lots of wear and tare from active lives. Ibuprofen was a staple.You should walk it.
Ted
I hiked the Camino de Santiago years ago and it was SUCH an incredible experience! 💕
For some reason, the scallop seems to be generally associated with St James. For example, the German for scallop is "Jakobsmuschel" and "Jakobsweg" is the Way of St James - a network of paths spreading out right across Europe with the Camino being the final section through Spain. Of course, in the Middle Ages, getting to Santiago di Compostela was only half the trip. The only way to get home was to walk.
I'm very excited for this trip for you. It's big on my list too.
I'm now 69 with bad knees, so these hikes are out for me. I only wish I had the guts to take these on when I was younger. But I am enamored with following you on these hikes. And you do a fantastic job of presenting them in such an interesting way.
You can bike them!
I wish. Not with bad knees I can’t.
@@GaryNichols50 electric bicycle?
I saw a guy doing the Camino Frances with crutches.
I've watched all of your Hiking videos from your very beginning, because of the Camino. But I've never hike the big Three or walked on the Camino, due to my health, hope to someday. But I've watched ever Camino video there is since the movie, The Way came out. What that means is, I have actually viewed thousands of RUclips Camino videos of pilgrims walking the way, and loved them all. Dixie, Don't change a thing, do it your way, and your sister's way. I'm looking forward to this adventure walk of yours More Than Any Other.
My wife and I walked the Frances in April and May and then went to Muxia - it’s a fantastic experience! Take time to explore the villages, towns and Cities you will be staying in. Recommend you zero in Burgos and Leon and Santiago at the end, they’re fantastic city’s and the cathedrals are stunningly beautiful! There are plenty of cafes ( all independent don’t expect Starbucks) along the route and enjoy the Menu de Pelligrino in the evenings! The Brierly guide is invaluable as Is the Guthook GPS map. We’re walking the Portugués Camino from Porto and may well be in Santiago at the same time as you! Hope you and your sister have a great time! Buen Camino!
Just back from Camino del Norte finishing over Camino Primitivo. Both, landscapes and the social part make the Camino a special experience. I wish you a Buen Camino and I wait for your videos.
_4:45__ .. I am glad you said that, "El camino de santiago de Compostela" is more of a Religious Patronage than just a hike, you will find that out really fast when you get there. Gracias por el video. Espero que disfrutes lo que el camino ofrese espiritualmente ademas de una caminata por tan bello pais._
Great to hear you're doing the Camino! I walked the Portuguese Coastal Way last year in May and it was my first long distance trail ever. Since then I've hiked several ld trails in Scotland in the wild and I think I can definitely call myself a real hiker. Seems like my way of getting to the hiking experience has been reverse to yours :) I'm sure you'll both love the Camino and enjoy every bit of it. Good luck and have fun! Looking forward to watching more vids about it and your future adventures.
I’m so excited to see your experience walking the Camino! I walked the English Way after being inspired by your AT videos. (I intend to do the AT and the French Way, too.) Spain is a beautiful country and you’ll find plenty of trail magic and kindness there. I’m in love with it and can’t wait to go back :)
I've had a few friends walk the Camino (The French Way) & they had a great experience! Excited to see you journey 😊
you should be proud of being an older sister and a role model for them. You are changing there lives for the better, giving them the courage to do new things in life (hiking or not), and others out there who are watching you. Its the few people that do what the majority say isn't possible, is what pushes us all forward to great things. LOVE LOVE your blogs (my wife hasn't seen one of them, but hears about you every morning on our way to work, lol)
I know many that have travelled the Camino, it's on my list. Enjoy the experience, I'm looking forward to your journey
This will be a fantastic adventure for Montana. A long hike is a great introduction to the world for someone just getting out of high school. It will give her a strong foundation and preparation for whatever comes next. Ya'll have fun. We'll be here hanging on waiting for your updates.
I walked the Camino last year and it was the most beautiful experience I have ever had! I went with my mom so I totally understand the special bond that happens along the way! Have the best time! Buen Camino!!
I live in the UK and I plan to do the Camino next year; I'm so happy to see you doing it. Been a fan of your channel for a very long time. 😊
The shell was also used historically as a drinking vessel like a kuksa, to scoop a drink from a stream etc. Also the ridges represent the fact that the paths to the Camino starts from all over the world and ending at where they join : Santiago
Good luck to you and your little sister, Dixie thanks for this informative video, atb and can't wait to see the videos!
I can’t wait to follow your new adventure. El Camino has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I’ll get to see it thru your videos!! So excited for you and your sister.
Thanks for the Camino preview. Looking forward to watching your new adventure. Safe travels, and may good weather follow you both along your way. Enjoy the experience!
Excited and grateful that you're going to be posting your trip.
My sons a week into it and is loving it !
I've heard about this trail for a very long time but wasn't interested in it until now. I look forward to your upcoming videos. And how nice that your little sister will be joining you. I think I'm going to like this.
Have a great trip but don’t worry about flying home if injured or ill. I’ve experienced health care in both the US and Europe and I can assure you that the Spanish system is superb.
Health care is better in Spain than in the US, which according to the WHO rankings are 7th and 37th, respectively.
Hiked the camino three times some years ago. One thing I learned is that it is not about arriving as soon as possible. It is about the journey and the people you meet. I guess it is the same in the PCT, AT, etc. Best wishes and have a safe journey. Ultreia pilgrin.
Can’t wait to follow you guys along this trail! We enjoy the heck out of your vids!
Absolutely awesome. It’s a brilliant trip. Enjoy!
Awesome! Hope you both have an incredible adventure. Can't wait to ride the Video Experience Train with you. I have been wanting to hike this since 2010. You are easily becoming my favorite channel 😎
I’m looking forward to seeing your adventures on the El Camino.
I’m so excited to watch your Camino experience. I’ve been wanting to hike it for about 10 years, planning on 4 years from now. I think it will be a wonderful experience to share with your sister. 😊
Thank you for including us in adventures we might like to have someday, or adventures we know are out of reach for us but we get to enjoy through your eyes, your camera.
Good luck on the Camino! You are such an inspiration 😍
This trail is the sister trail to Japan's Kumono Kodo. They're similarly laid out as well.
Love Spain, looking forward seeing it from a hiker perspective rather than from the poolside/city view! Safe hike. Enjoy Spanish people are so kind 👍
Buon Camino! to both of you! I have walked the Camino del Norte starting from Irun last year together with a Czech guy. We shared the extra weight of a tarp and a ground sheet that gave us more flexibility to pass by overcrowded Albuerges and enjoyed some nice evenings and nights at the official camping places. Beware, the camino virus may catch you. In my case currently I have become responsible for a small piece of the Camino in Germany between Hochheim near Wiesbaden and Mainz.
congrats!!! that is a very cool road-walk. A student of mine just did it and she return very happy! for you it will be so easy because of all the suppourt there is along the way. Enjoy it and of course I will be glue to the chanel ! Cheers and enjoy it
I am excited to see you & sis on the el Camino trail.
Thank you for this vid. You answered a lot of questions I had, that I never asked anyone.
You were my first hiker I watched. So, I been with you since the AT, and the triple crown. Your trip with mom and pup on the make up miles. All gear reviews. And other vids.
Jesus blessed you. Think you're wonderful & so is your family.
I'm so incredibly excited to watch your journey on this trip!! Safe journeys to you two.
I am stoked that you're going to EU and NZ! Just came home from NZ back to Denmark and though I don't think I will do thru-hiking, your channel have been a great inspiration for my backpacking and hiking adventures =D
Being abroad is always so exciting - and being abroad in a country with a different language for the first time must be especially so! I'm very happy for you and your sister :). And about the clamshells: I'm from the Netherlands and attended a Catholic primary school attached to a St. James church, and the school was called 'the Shell'! Still, I've only recently started discovering clamshell blazes while hiking. Walking all the way to Santiago from here must be a thing again!
I hiked it from Saria to Santiago. The Shell was used to eat and drink out of. Make sure you go to the Pilgrims Mass it is amazing. I’m Presbyterian but I appreciated the beauty and devotion of the congregation. Food is really reasonable but the have a lot of French fries with everything. Ugh I tried the empanadas but they only sold tuna ones which were salty but all the other food was awesome. Also you will want to try a cup of cacao (hot chocolate) it is amazing. Buen Camino
I followed you thru the CD trail and PC trail. I walked El Camino frances last spring and it was a wonderful experience. I wish “Buen Camino” to you and your sisters!
I also sprayed everything with permethrin both times I walked the camino frances. Drybags are cool too as most of the beds have frames you can clip the bags to so you can get to your stuff without rummaging around in you sac in the dark ! Have fun !
I am so excited to see your videos on this, I've been home from the Camino for 2 months now and I'm having major withdrawal 😂 the two of you will have the best time, it's a very special experience
I'm looking forward to sharing your adventure. Good luck!
It’s an amazing experience that I still think about often. Buen Camino! :)
It's an amazing hike. I've done both the Frances and Portugues, both great hikes but the French way is the best. You will meet people from all over the world, drink cheap amazing wine with them and eat amazing spanish food. Take many siestas and enjoy your time there. The first day is the longest but the prettiest. buen camino!
I look forward to hearing about your adventures! The Camino is something that is on my bucket list.
Can't wait for the adventure to begin!!! So happy for y'all! 😎
Thanks! Looking forward to sharing your journey. I plan to go next Spring. I hope you will also share your time in Paris and Italy.
Looking forward to seeing your next adventure.
Looking forward to the progress
So excited for you and your sister! I really enjoy time in Europe.
Yay so excited! My fiance and I did the Camino Frances in 2014. Can't wait to "re-walk" it by watching the upcoming videos! Thanks for sharing :)
We just finished the Camino Frances (from SJPP) last week!
Don’t forget the pagan history of the Camino! Santiago de Compostela (the city) was the site of an ancient necropolis, and the cathedral was a Roman temple to Jupiter before it was Christian (and then Muslim, and then Christian again). Just as Cruz de Ferro used to be a monument to Mercury. And there are LOTS of Celtic and Roman ruins all along the Camino. I highly recommend looking up the history BEFORE YOU GO (or as you go) as it will greatly add to the richness of the experience! Like when you see a stone wall in a field or forest, it may not just be a stone wall, but the ruins of an ancient Roman house!
The original route (pre-Christian) went all the way to Fisterra, the most western point of the peninsula and literally the “end of the earth.” I’ve been there, and there are many beautiful scallop shells on the beach (probably why it used to be a symbol of pilgrimage completion). I think people have given the shell symbolic meanings over time (it was already a common motif in Christian and Muslim art), but it’s also just a really convenient souvenir from the beach.
I’m SO excited for you to walk the Camino. I kept hoping we would run into you while we were there, but looks like we were a bit early. Very excited to hear your take on it. Best wishes!
I walked the Camino Frances in 2017, a fantastic cultural, educational and social trip. The people, scenery and food all made the miles zip past. Buen Camino!
I am a 100% disabled veteran, I am dependent on oxygen so I am almost totally housebound. I want to thank you for your vlogs. I feel like I have, in one sense, walked with you over the triple crown and am now looking forward to your trip to Spain. I passed through Spain twice when I was on active duty but did not have the opportunity to look around. You do a lot for people that you will never meet. Thank You.
You are a wonderful roll model. I’m happy to see you do this trip.
On my bucket list. Enjoy you new adventure and I be watching.
Best of luck👍👍
I did it via bicycle a few years back. I've vacationed all over the world and that trip ranks as my all time favorite! Incredible food, great scenery, and the people are warm and friendly. Just be aware that their "tortillas" aren't what you're used to!
Hello Dixie, thank you for sharing this informative video. This sounds like a wonderful experience for both of you. The very best of good things for you and your Sister. Take care and have a great time. 🤗
Sounds Exciting wish you the best of luck Glad you are able to do these Travels it one way to see the real Beauty of the land 👍
You and your sister are going to love this adventure!!! We walked the Camino Portugués May 2018. It was awesome!!! I’d do it again in a heartbeat!!!
So excited to watch you and your sister walk the Camino!
Looking forward to the hike to take off,,Awesome to be hiking with younger sister,,memories together forever....Always Dixie ,, ............Stay Safe and God Bless...........
Good luck to you both and enjoy. Look forward to the videos
This is exciting. When you pronounced St. John Pied da Port the "Alabama" way I laughed so hard. 😂 That has tickled me. Hope you both have an amazing trip! Stay safe!
Have you ever considered hiking The King's Trail/ Kungsleden in Northern Sweden?
0:11 Even in Spain there are fans that have crafted the "Homemade Wanderlust" logo into their garden. That's called a nice welcome ;-)))
I’m planning on hiking the same route next Sept. Can’t wait to see your journey! Buen Camino!
We are on the Camino Francés right in Burgos. We actually began the Camino del Norte a more difficult route with incredible scenery. Unfortunately too much road walking so a switch to French Way
I walked the Camino Portuguese which starts in Lisbon and goes to Santiago. There are many Camino routes all of which end in Santiago. The French route is so populated that within a 100 km of Santiago you may have as many as 4000 people a day. The people you meet along the way is interesting as well as the small villages, and the old building, etc. you pass through. I was one of the 287,000 in 2016. You have to do 200 km by bike to get a Compestela. You will enjoy the El There is no "right" way to do the Camino. Follow the yellow arrows. Best of luck.
Usually there is no washing machine in most of the albergues. Some of which can be quite crowded. Get a book by John Brierley he has the definitive book on Caminos.
What’s the highest peak?! Glad to hear your trying out new gear that’s always exciting!!! Can’t wait for adventure to watch!!!
I am so excited for both you and your sister. This trip is sooo on my bucket list!
I'm excited to watch your adventures! Happy travels!
El Camino starts when you leave your house! Buen Camino!
Enjoy it out there!! I loved traveling Europe while I was stationed in Germany. Be safe and take TONS of pictures!
Just heard the news! I did 3X Caminos.. Starting in my teens.. And that started me lifelong journey/treking. Ssooo different from the grueling planning and weeks in the mercy of the pct.. Kinda like glamping as it's so speckled with villages(cheese, wine, beds) ...BUEN CAMINO!!!
Looking forward to your videos of Spain and the trail. Thank you. Blessings
Can hardly wait for your videos on the French way!! I’m hoping to go for my 60th in 2021. 🌸
I am glad that through all of us vloggers the Camino is gaining more popularity. We did the French way and will also film the Camino del Norte.
The camino does not have to get more popular. It is VERY popular. Too many people along the way.
I like that people enjoy it. But with a lot of people you also get a lot of inconsiderate people and that sucks.
I always say that the closer you get to Santiago, the harder it is to get lost. Because you'll notice when there isn't any toilet paper on the side of the road.
Nice, welcome to Europe then, hope you both will have a great time here! :)
I’ve dreamed of doing the Camino for years, but it hasn’t worked out, yet. I hosted an exchange student from Spain years ago and always thought the hike would be a great reunion to see him again. Anxious to follow your pilgrimage! Best wishes!
I was wondering if you were ever going to hike the Camino de Santiago! My dad and I hiked it together in 2017, and it was an incredible bonding experience for us. I’m sure it will be for you and your sister, too. It will certainly be very different from your previous adventures. Looking forward to the videos from it. Buen Camino !
The scallop shell is the symbol of pilgrimage. If you look at the back of the shell all the ribs lead to one point symbolising the many’s routes meeting at one significant destination.
Ever since I learned about this pilgrimage in my Art History classes, I wanted to do it. I can't wait to follow you and Montana as you do it first!
Wishing you the best! In my 20's I did a portion (took the train at some points), still, it's in my bucket list of things to do with my 6 year old daughter, when she becomes old enough for a daddy/daughter bonding activity before she finds her old man lame and old.
I think you will enjoy it. One think you didn't mention is the people you meet along the way. They are what make it special.
Don't over pack, you really only need a days supply of anything because you will pass places to resupply all the time. There are some longer stretches to watch out for but on the whole it's not a problem. This year on the Portuguese Coastal my base weight was 6.3kg down from 7.5kg in 2018. Have fun.