Pilgrimage is an age-old custom and a vital aspect of life in virtually every modern culture. It is also a lost art in the English-speaking world. What are we missing?
In this first-of-its-kind guidebook, The Camino for the Rest of Us reintroduces this core human experience by way of the Camino Francs - the most traditional pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. With a conversational style and offbeat humor, Tim Mathis demystifies pilgrimage for the modern traveler and illuminates the unique characteristics that make the Camino de Santiago the ideal place to rediscover the transformative power of a very long walk.
Inside you'll find:
- Levelheaded guidance about how 21st-century people can experience truth, beauty, and transcendence on a 1200-year-old pilgrimage (without suspending disbelief).
- A curated stage guide with the daily experiences that make this 500-mile walk across northern Spain magic, from the Pyrenees to Santiago.
- A structured training plan to help new pilgrims fall in love with hiking and minimize the chances that injuries will derail your trip.
- Answers to questions like "Which apps should I download to avoid getting lost in Burgos?" and "Which items will I regret packing by my second day on trail?"
- A journey through the myths, legends, and history that have drawn people to Santiago for centuries and continue to make the Camino the most popular long trail in the world.
- A bonus guide to the Camino Finisterre, suggestions for further reading, and more.
The Camino for the Rest of Us is your comprehensive guide to a life-changing journey on the world's most approachable pilgrimage.
Tim Mathis has hiked thousands of miles on trails around the world, but the Camino de Santiago is his favorite. He is a psychiatric nurse, a former Camino-skeptic, and the author of two other books: The Dirtbag's Guide to Life: Eternal Truth for Hiker Trash, Ski Bums, and Vagabonds, and I Hope I Was Wrong About Eternal Damnation: An Absolutely True Memoir.