Next week my husband Peter and I are flying to Madrid to hike 500 miles across northern Spain, following an ancient pilgrim’s path known as the Camino de Santiago. Carrying a small backpack each, we’ll set out from the medieval town of Roncevalles, in the Pyrenees, and head for the fabled Galician city of Santiago de Compostela.
We’ll be away six weeks, and for most of that time we’ll pretty much be off the grid. Forget getting any writing done. Or reading! The only book we’re taking is John Brierley’s guide to the Camino, a “practical & mystical manual for the modern day pilgrim.” It weighs almost nothing. In fact, we’re packing only the bare essentials.
And that, of course, is the point: travel light, travel slow. Embrace the unexpected.
