A proper Camino training plan is not about becoming an Olympic athlete, buying neon spandex, or turning your life into a motivational poster with sweaty fonts. It is about preparing your body for the beautiful, brutal, blister-making reality of walking day after day across Spain, Portugal, France, or wherever your Camino route decides to punch […]
Moving abroad sounds romantic until the paperwork goblin kicks down the door. Visas. Documents. Health insurance. Housing. Banking. Packing. Arrival tasks. Suddenly, your dream of expat life comes with a spreadsheet, three passwords you forgot, and a birth certificate that may or may not need an apostille. That is why I created this free Expat […]
Planning your first Camino can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to. This Camino de Santiago guide covers the best routes, when to go, what to pack, where pilgrims sleep, how much it costs, and what to expect on the trail.
Moving abroad is often sold as one big cinematic escape. Palm trees. Cheap wine. Cobblestone streets. A laptop on a balcony. Maybe a suspiciously perfect cappuccino sitting beside a passport with too many stamps. Expat life sounds glamorous until you are standing in a foreign grocery store trying to decode laundry detergent like it is […]
➜ Camino Francés · Day 08 Navarra · Spain Pamplona to Zariquiegui Camped at the Foot of Forgiveness After a rest day in Pamplona, Sage and I returned to the trail, crossed back into the Navarra countryside, and stopped beneath Alto del Perdón before tomorrow’s climb. Pamplona ➜ Cizur Menor ➜ Zariquiegui Walking from Pamplona […]
➜ Camino Francés · Day 07 Pamplona · Navarra Pamplona Rest Day Doing Nothing on Purpose After six days of walking, the hardest thing I did on Day 7 was stop. No stage. No yellow arrows. No loaded backpack. Just recovery, Pamplona, and the uncomfortable realization that rest is part of the Camino too. Pamplona […]
Day 6 on the Camino Francés took me from the quiet village rhythm of Larrasoaña into the medieval city of Pamplona. It was a shorter stage on paper, but after six days of walking, my feet were ready to unionize. Pamplona became more than a famous bull-running city. It became the place where I finally listened to my body and took a rest day.
Walking from Bizkarreta to Zubiri on Camino Francés Day 4 became a lesson about slowing down, noticing the journey, and making time for bridges, bunk beds, and tortilla.
➜ Camino Francés · Day 05 Navarra · Spain Zubiri to Larrasoaña The Town Everyone Walks Past At only about 5.5 kilometers, Day 5 was intentionally short—and became one of my best early reminders that progress on the Camino is not measured only by distance. Zubiri ➜ Río Arga ➜ Larrasoaña Some Camino stages test […]
After walking multiple Caminos, I learned what belongs in a Camino backpack—and what becomes dead weight. Use this practical packing list to prepare for any route or season.
