The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) for dummies: Tips and tricks on how to prepare, where to look for information, how to organize the trip and what to put in the backpack

By Nicola Soloni

This book was born from the idea of ​​providing useful advice and suggestions to those who are about to embark on the Camino de Santiago for the first time.
I walked them all: in 2006 the Camino Francés, from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Fisterra, in 2008 the Via de la Plata from Seville, in 2010, the Jacobean holy year, the Camino Primitivo from Oviedo and the stage from Fisterra to Muxía, in 2012 the Camino del Norte. I put the figures in a column, I try to add them. Three thousand kilometers, exactly, on foot.
I got some information from the Internet, I checked it by comparing it with my personal experience, I tried to provide a complete and updated report. In this book you will find:
- a historical-religious introduction on the figure of St. James and the origin of the pilgrimage;
- an overview of the routes to Santiago today;
- detailed advice on which Way to choose and how far to go per day;
- a small glossary of the most frequent terms: albergue, botafumeiro, Compostela, credential, donativo, sello, ...;
- how to prepare for the Way: how much to train and how, where to find information, the most up-to-date websites and the best apps, how to book the flight, what are the average daily costs;
- which shoes to use;
- how to prepare the backpack: what things are necessary and what are superfluous;
- the symbols and rituals along the Way, in Santiago and in Fisterra;
- the new ways of accessing the Portico of Glory, after a decade of delicate restorations.
From time to time, I inserted short passages taken from the diaries I wrote, to give the sense of the pilgrimage, the scent of encounters, the flavor of the extraordinary emotions experienced.
Enjoy the reading and buen camino!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicola Soloni
• Release date: Jan 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9791220250085

Book preview

The Camino de Santiago

(the Way of St. James)

for dummies

tips and tricks on how to prepare,

where to look for information,

how to organize the trip and

what to put in the backpack

Copyright © 2019 Nicola Soloni

ISBN ___________

All rights reserved

Some of the information, news and photos

reported in this guide are taken from the Internet.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Il piacere del bivacco. Trenta giorni d’incanto

in mezzo ai boschi e alle montagne del Trentino

Millecolori. La Grande Traversata Elbana

tra antiche vie e lampi d’azzurro

La cicatrice del cielo. Immagini e storie di un pellegrino

a Gerusalemme e in Terra Santa al tempo della guerra

Il guardiano della via Francigena. Da Aosta a Roma,

in bicicletta, lungo il sentiero dei pellegrini

Il guardiano della via Francigena del Sud.

Da Roma ai porti d’imbarco per la Terra Santa,

in bicicletta, lungo il sentiero dei pellegrini

La via Francigena con lo smartphone. Come non

perdersi lungo il cammino con l’aiuto del cellulare

Il ladro di passi. Libro secondo. La via de la Plata.

Da Sevilla a Santiago lungo mille e più chilometri di solitudine

Il ladro di passi. Libro terzo. Il cammino Primitivo.

Da Oviedo a Santiago

Il ladro di passi. Opera completa. Duemila

chilometri a piedi nei cammini di Santiago

I cammini di Santiago con lo smartphone. Come non

perdersi lungo il cammino con l’aiuto del cellulare

Il cammino di Le Puy e altri cammini di Francia con lo smartphone.

Come non perdersi lungo il percorso con l’aiuto del cellulare

Il cammino di Santiago per chi lo fa per la prima volta. Consigli e suggerimenti su come prepararsi, dove cercare le informazioni,

come organizzare il viaggio e cosa mettere nello zaino

Il cammino di Le Puy, le magnifique chemin. Quattrocentoventi chilometri a piedi nel cuore della Francia, attraverso

valli rigogliose e paesaggi mozzafiato

Summary

Why do we go to Santiago? A bit of history

The Camino de Santiago nowadays

Which way to choose and how far to walk per day

Small glossary

Preparation and search for information

Training

Information: is it better to rely on a printed guide or the Internet?

Flight

Should the albergue be reserved?

Daily costs

Shoes

Backpack

What is necessary to put into it

What you can choose to bring

Symbols, rites and places of the way

Along the Camino Francés

In Santiago

In Fisterra

Author's note

Why do we go to Santiago? A bit of history

The fascinating story of the Camino de Santiago originates from the discovery of the remains of St. James the Greater, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus.

For those who intend to undertake the way, before departure, a minimum knowledge of how this pilgrimage was born and the reasons why tens of thousands of people set out on the route every year to reach, with effort and sacrifice, the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela cannot be missing.

With St. James the Greater we mean the Apostle brother of St. John the Evangelist, son of Zebedee and Maria Salomè. He was among the first to follow Jesus, abandoning the activity of fisherman. The two brothers had a proud and easy to resent character, which is why Jesus called them boanerghés, or sons of thunder. They declared themselves willing to follow and imitate Christ in all. Together with Peter they were present at the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the prayer in the Garden of Olives.

After Pentecost the Apostles began preaching the Gospel. James was sent