Days 1 through 18, Saint Jean Pied de Port, France to Burgos, Spain, ~283km/176mi

Phase One of the Camino de Santiago is reputed to be all about “the body.” This is where one supposedly works out the sore muscles, toughens the blister-prone areas, and increases their endurance to walk ever increasing distances.

Initially, I thought the Camino sages got it wrong, though. It wasn’t the physical aspect at all that was plaguing me on those first couple of weeks. It was the mental aspect. I considered U-turning many times. Continue reading →