Training Walk One

After much reading, forums and website all about the Camino, one thing came up time & time again, some training would be necessary, you don't have to train to walk the Camino but it makes the whole experience more enjoyable, your boots will be comfortable and your body and feet won't go into shock ! 

We are lucky, we live on the South East coast of England so we can enjoy 'bracing' coastal walks in various directions, though small and large towns and we are also on the doorstep of the countryside so can vary the walks through Kent villages.

The first walk was before Christmas we walked from Palm Bay in Cliftonville along the prom most of the way to Minnis Bay, near Birchington. We =  Mark & Geoff, Linda & I..
we decided to join the prep walks to help us get our bikini bodies up to scratch for our cruise (ha ha).

We set off all wrapped up on this very cold Sunday morning, we walked about 10k (6 miles) to the Minnis, where we stopped and ate a big lunch and enjoyed a glass of wine, well we did derserve it afterall. I think we put back on the calories that we had walked off.

Now earlier Geoff & Mark had dropped a car over, so us girlies could drive home & the boys would walk...well the light weights, joined us in the car, don't they know there will be no car waiting for them along the camino!

I didn't think I ached at all, until I walked down the stairs at work then my knee screamed at me for over using it the day before.  We live in a bungalow so I din't know it was going to do that !

We'll leave you with a Camino thought ..

Many people approach the Camino as an adventure. They are not mistaken. Year after year pilgrims cover hundreds of miles on foot, by bicycle or on horseback, on trails running through stunning landscapes and hidden, isolated villages, where time seems to have come to a standstill. No day is the same on this long journey, which is sub-divided into manageable stages and is signposted all the way. Equipped with no more than a rucksackand a few basic supplies, pilgrims are challenged by the difficulties that arise along the route. Once they have completed the journey and reached Santiago, all pilgrims agree on one thing: that the effort has been well worthwhile.