Pilgrimage Publications

Brandon Wilson "Lowell Thomas Award-winning author/photographer/peace walker"

What does it take to be a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago? Then again, what do you take with you? What can you expect? And most importantly, what (oh, what?) can you leave behind?

Like any journey, it pays to be prepared--and this is the one book that will set you off on the right track. Sylvia is one strong lady who has "been there, done that" numerous times, helped others make the same odyssey over the years, and has pulled her wealth of wisdom together in one place. This information is easily digestible for both the first-timer and the repeat trekker who's always trying to hone their technique and travel lighter.

The authors, Sylvia Nilsen and Greg Dedman, include gear/packing suggestions, then discuss the different routes, some history, planning your daily stages, physical and mental conditioning, sleeping options, transportation there and back, food and drink, foreign phrases... and much more. Ultimately, they delve into the weighty subject of what this intense experience means in today's world. I particularly enjoyed reading vignettes from other former peregrinos who share their experiences.

I've hiked to Santiago several times myself and I can honestly say, "If you're only going to read one book before you go, pick up this one." Buon Camino!

Deborah Carvalho
I have walked the Camino Santiago de Compostela many times,
and I wish YOUR CAMINO had been available the first time I walked!

Rather than step-by-step guide that plans out your stages for you,
this book gives you all the down-to-earth information you need
to make the Camino experience your own!

Beginning with a short but interesting history of The Way, Sylvia Nilsen continues on to answer all the questions I've ever heard people ask; especially the ones other guidebooks don't cover.

She answers questions like "How in the world do I GET to the Camino? Where should I start? Where will Isleep? Are there buses and taxis in case I get tired? What if I get sick? If I'm vegetarian, will I find food? What will it cost for lodging? How long will this walk take? Is it safe to walk alone? Are children welcome? Is it possible to go in my wheelchair? Could I do the Camino on a horse or a donkey if I wanted? Are there bicycle repair shops along the route? What will the weather be like in November? What in the world is a Holy Year?"

The information just goes on and on and on...

From the moment you decide to begin planning until the moment you return home, if you can think of a question about your particular situation, the answer is most likely within the pages of this fantastic book!

Your Camino is easy-to-read, easy to navigate, and the most complete guidebook to the Camino Santiago that I've found.

If you're looking for help planning your trip,
whether you plan to go by foot, bicycle, or horseback,
and ifyou can only buy one book... buy this one!

 

Prof. Rosina Wachtel
This new book 'Your Camino' is pretty terrific! The wealth of detailed attention to every possible eventuality in, and questions about, the Camino pilgrimage is astonishing, as is the infinitely practical advice and information given. The book also contains vignettes of individual pilgrims who at some time wrote about a significant experience in the Camino, a personal revelation or epiphany, or a very dear memory. One of these is a message I posted more than ten years ago about what transformed me from an unwilling, irritated and resentful quasi-chaperone, emotionally blackmailed into going to northern Spain to keep an eye on a foolish and stubborn family member who somewhere somehow had decided to go and bicycle the Santiago Camino (which I have never even heard of).