Wow! What an achievement. I look forward to learning your insights.

Oh my goodness! This is a bit of a dream of mine, but I don't know that I could ever do it! 500 miles! How were your feet? I see you did this on your own? Is that easy to do? Or did you do it with a friend? Did you take a phone? Earphones? Podcasts? Or nothing? Wow. I'm just in awe. I'm a religious person (Catholic) and just came back from Rome. I would love to do this. Thanks for the inspiration! Congratulations!

Congrats, Janet-YLF- and that's quite an achievement!!! You did Camino alone/no hubby???/with random peers? Cannot wait to hear more about your way!!! It is on my bucket list as well..

What an incredible achievement. I sure hope you are giving yourself a HUGE pat on the back. Such and inspiration.

Congratulations on such an achievement, Janet! I followed your incredible journey on insta, all the while sitting on my butt . Your photos, as always, are so gorgeous. Glad it was such a success.

What an amazing adventure! You look fantastic.

Wow! Congratulations! What an achievement. It sounds and looks like an amazing experience. And you look particularly fabulous in 1 and 2.

What a fantastic experience, congrats on your success. If you get a chance, please let us know how you managed your shoes in order to keep your feet safe and happy during this trip. Did you take an extra pair of shoes in your backpack when you were out walking, just in case you needed to change? I think you had extras in your luggage but I would love to hear about the daily shoe management. My question comes from having fussy feet, TIA.

Congrats! I see Cee beat me to the song reference
Between you, Sal, and Toban I feel like such a slouch- haha!

Thank you, everyone! I’m on my phone so it’s always hard to respond individually, but I appreciate all the kudos and kind words!

I did this alone — my husband had a separate adventure, and then met me in Santiago. We are now in Porto together (which incidentally seems to be a fabulous shopping city!).

I walked without earbuds or anything like that. I like to hear my environment when I hike. I used hiking poles for the first time and they were hugely helpful!

I walked in trail runners — a new pair of Brooks shoes that I’ve worn successfully for many years. I developed blisters after the first day, but I don’t typically walk 33km in a day, so this was not unexpected. Blister treatment and prevention were critical for me — other people didn’t seem to have a problem with that, but we are all different.

My shins started feeling tight on a few days, and when I got about 500km in and had a day in León, I bought a new pair of shoes — my old ones were breaking down inside. 300 miles is a typical lifespan for running shoes.

I’m so glad I already had endurance training from my distance running and cycling days — it truly helped that I already had the mental tools to help get through days of hours of walking through all kinds of conditions. It’s a challenge, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I met amazing people along the way. I mostly walked solo but met lots of other peregrinos when we stopped in the villages for breaks and meals, and in the evenings when we stopped walking for the night. I made some friends that I plan on keeping touch with. I am an introvert who enjoys my solo time, but every time I started to feel a little too alone, a social opportunity arose — the Camino provides!

I am not religious so this was not that kind of pilgrimage for me, but I did find it deeply moving and a spiritual experience.

More later…

Religious or no, the experience of following a path that many thousands have walked has to be a moving experience. You must have felt the past and the present at the same time. What an accomplishment!

I've so enjoyed following your journey on IG. What an incredible experience! Truly, truly once-in-a-lifetime. Thank you for sharing your impressions and photos from along the way.

You are just glowing <3 What an incredible journey and walk. I'm a walker, and I am in awe of anyone walking this much in a month. HUGS!

Thank you so much for sharing!

All I can say is wow! Please tell us more! I am just blown away! I don't think I would ever be brave enough to do something like that by myself. You are an inspiration! And you managed to look fab in every single photo! Enjoy your time in Porto. I was there in 2017 and loved it, Especially the blue and white tiles that were everywhere. And the pastels de nada. Be sure to eat some every day!

Thanks again, everyone!

Porto is lovely and fascinating! We are not doing much that could be called touristy — we are really having a very laid-back time wandering around in between soaking rainstorms. We’ve apparently chosen the worst weather week to visit, LOL!

I’ve done a little shopping. A couple of tops in Santiago (I definitely brought too few things for this leg of the trip!), and a couple more here in Porto. A fantastic pair of rain boots by a brand called Lemon Jelly that I’ve been wearing nonstop. My pants situation is just short of dire. I have only my new Rag & Bone jeans and my Athleta wide-legged pants, both of which are significantly looser on me now than when I left home (my tops and my bras are loose too!). I’ve looked for another pair of pants or jeans, but haven’t found anything that works for me, so I’ll muddle through for a few more days.

But back to the Camino… Joyce, in answer to your question about shoes, I only brought the one pair of shoes - my Brooks trail runners — for walking. I hoped that they would make it the whole way but that was not meant to be. I also took a pair of Merrell sport sandals that were great for wearing in the evenings as a break for my feet. I also carried those in my day pack in case my feet got really irritated. There was one 34km day in which I changed into those sandals (with socks) to complete the day.

I was not one of those people who carry all their stuff on their back every day! I knew going into it that I would not do that. For one thing, I had packed extra “city” clothes for the post-Camino part of the trip because I knew I would want to ditch the hiking gear after a month of wearing it nonstop. And I have some mild shoulder/neck pain issues that meant I had no interest in carrying a heavy pack every day. A daypack that allowed me to carry water, snacks, rain gear, first aid kit, etc, was the right answer for me. So I hired a company to transport my bag every day and they also booked me in lodging every night. I knew that at this stage in my life, I had no interest in staying in dorm-style lodging and having a shared bathroom. I wanted a private room to sleep, and my own bathroom. It costs more that way, and it also locks you into an itinerary, but it was worth it to me.

Have wonderful, restful days, Janet!
I wear Lemon Jelly rain boots, too. They do smell like lemon candy

Of course your clothes are too loose, Janet! It can't be otherwise!!! Have fun shopping, and excited to see your Lemon Jellies

Angie, these are the boots — super comfortable and have kept my feet warm and dry!

LOVE! Wonder if they come in cream.....

Thanks for sharing the shoe details of your journey. It was a good thing that you carried your sandals as a backup. Happy feet are a must for such an intensive and extensive walking experience. It was smart to have a company shlep your bag and also to have nice hotel rooms in the evenings, totally worth it.
I thought Brooks trail runners would last longer than road running shoes but that distance and frequency wears out even the best shoes.
Enjoy your post Camino recovery and happy shopping

Congratulations! What an accomplishment. Thanks for sharing some of the nuts and bolts of your footwear and baggage. I hope you have a great and well-deserved vacation in Porto after your intense experience!!

Congratulations! I’ve been following your journey on Instagram. I was in Spain and Portugal part of the same time you were, I think, but while it seemed to be raining everywhere else, we had sunny days. I would love to go back some day and walk the Camino. You are an inspiration!

Thanks again, everyone!

Angie, I saw these on the Lemon Jelly website and they made me think of you:https://lemonjellyusa.com/coll.....erre-white

I’m back home now and recovering from jet lag, but still enjoying a post-Camino boost that I hope to continue mindfully. My weight is down almost 10 lbs and I want to continue that trend. And I want to continue to practice the patience and kindness with myself and others I worked on during the Camino.

Those look dead right, Janet!

Enjoy being back home!

Congratulations. I love how all of the great faiths and indigenous people have a tradition of the pilgrimage to bring harmony to the body and soul. The indigenous Australians call it 'going walkabout', going into nature to revive their spirits.

I am in awe of your achievement.

Bijou, yes! My favorite part of the experience was the extended time in nature. Even (most of) the rainy days were experiences I treasure. I could definitely have done without the one pouring rain day I arrived at my lodging with my feet so soaked that my toes looked pruney as though I’d been in the bathtub too long!

Congratulations on a wonderful accomplishment! Looks like it was a beautiful journey (even if it was raining).