30 Tage als Pilger 910 km unterwegs auf dem Camino Frances [Teaser]

30 Tage als Pilger 910 km unterwegs auf dem Camino Frances [Teaser]

As a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago. 3000 km on 5 routes. In the north of Spain the three Ways of St. James are “Camino Frances”, “Finisterre”, “del-Norte”, “Camino Primitivo” and “Portugues”. And I walked the five trails in two trips. And here are a few shots, a few pictures, impressions

Of the “Frances” and “Finisterre” that I visited in November and December. and then you fly to France. I flew to Biarritz. You then have a short journey to the start. It’s in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. And then right at the beginning you walk over the Pyrenees.

The first stop for most people is a beautiful monastery up in the Pyrenees. And so you walk further and further along the path. It has a great infrastructure there, i.e. these Allbergen. Then there are different types. So private, municipal (i.e. public) or church…

Then you have these ID cards – here the passport and with that you can get into the Allbergen everywhere. “Camino Frances” – 30 days – I walked 910 kilometers almost

To the end of the world – that’s what they used to call it. This was just this monastery where you can spend the night in a very rustic way. This is the first night for most people. And just a short time later

I had my first blister on my shoes, or even more so on my feet because of the shoes. This is also a very familiar image that comes at the beginning of the journey. On a hill like that. You have a great view of the path you will take afterwards.

Yes – that’s what it usually looks like. It’s not always just tar. It’s often a really interesting underground, I would like to say.

That you get from the many kilometers there. You then have your difficulties, even if you are a marathon runner and say “it took you a few hours to cover 40 km.” Yes – that’s how you are taught with 10 kg on your back and this surface

And then over a lot of it walking slowly for many hours – it’s more strenuous than you’d imagine. The landscape was fantastic at that time. It was also empty on the way. Because the “Franzes” is really very crowded, especially in spring and summer.

So I wouldn’t go there for long at that time. Would always take late fall or at least fall. Then it’s much more relaxed – then finding accommodation in the evening without having to

Go through all the hassle, that’s what they call it. That you get up extra early to be at the next Allberge early. To get a place there. Yes – and so you go down this wonderful, I don’t know,

I think – quite powerful path. There’s something about it somehow. So that’s on the way – when you’re there… Maybe you also have an affinity or an idea that there… that it really

Is a special path. Yes – that’s how you walk… that’s how you walk – with yourself – in harmony – you do n’t have that much else – even if it looks like this – you’re always in a group – so you’re actually

Alone most of the time . There are a lot of others on the way and but you really have to get along with yourself for a month. I think it’s an interesting experience. The path is really fantastic. So from the surroundings – what you see.

And then you’re always outside – exposed to the weather. So you have to have good rain gear. Wrap everything up nicely. You can’t run away from it, you can’t drive away and just stop in for a long time. That doesn’t work either. There was also snow on top of me afterwards.

When I went to higher altitudes, I walked on snow and only had half-shoes that went up to the ankle, so that the snow often fell into my shoes afterwards. Yes – scallops like that – they’re hanging everywhere. You get them at some point and hang them on your backpack.

This is the part here. And here I am already a bit advanced on the path. There comes the “Cruz de Ferro”, the small iron cross. So this idea is that you put a small stone or a larger one there as a symbol of some burdens that you have…

Then you put this little cross there, which is on the long pole and this pole is ultimately It’s already a mountain now, because people from all over the world bring their little stones with them and then put them on this mountain that gets higher and higher – I don’t know if they’ll

Take it down a bit at some point. So you really have to climb up onto a gravel mountain like that and then you can push or place your little stone into the post there. And here was already the kilometer column number 100, i.e. the 100th stone.

That means – you only had 100 km left. So these signposts still show the number of kilometers to Santiago. And that is the last hill before Santiago. With these two pilgrims bronze figures. Yes, and here I sit with this kind of certificate.

And yes, that’s part of it, especially if you’re a beginner. You do need a bit of experience, like dealing with the blisters on your feet, which most people probably get somehow if you’re not careful – how to deal with them was

A bit more painful for me afterwards. You walk on the meat afterwards. I also had tendonitis. Exactly – then you have to deal with it. Was a great way. And what it looks like in detail – that’ll come later! See you!

Ein kurzer Teaser als Filmvorschau von meiner Pilgerreise und Fernwanderung auf dem Camino Frances und dem Camino Finisterre von Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port bis ‘Santiago de
Compostela’ und abschließend bis ans “Ende der Welt” am Atlantik.