“No, not the Camino but the statue of the naked lady…”

                        Just before the end of the promenade you pass a small bronze

                        statue of a naked lady looking out to sea!  Here the promenade

                        starts to bear right following a line of 5 palm trees and you take

                        the stone steps up to your L to rejoin the coastal path as

                        indicated by the finger post SP Torre Valentina. (Inntravel walking

                        notes for the Catalan Coast)

                       

In just a few days we will be off on our next trip to Spain – specifically Barcelona and a 7-day independent walking trip along the Costa Brava. 

When we tell people we are going to walk in Spain, they immediately say “oh, you’re doing the Camino, right?”

We inevitably reply, “No, not the Camino, but an organized walking trip on our own along the Catalan Coast north of Barcelona."

This draws some blank looks as if to say is there any other kind of walk in Spain?   “The Camino” has become a hugely popular thing to do in the last decade. Many friends of ours who have done it recently wear their experience like a badge of honor for those who are physically fit,  particularly at our age.  It’s also what many people associate Spain with – the Camino de Santiago.

I looked up the Camino recently and learned that in 2015 there were 262,500 pilgrims who walked the Camino de Santiago, or the Ways of St. James, as it is called in English.  Of course the majority would have been people following the ancient walkways that lead to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain where the remains of St. James, are buried.  The Camino can start in France, Portugal or Spain.  Those whom we know who have “done the Camino”,  have been tourists and walked the 200 to 300 miles (depending on where you start) for sport - not for the spiritual journey.  After all, it takes a certain discipline and training to prepare for it.  There are even groups in Asheville who meet regularly to talk about their Camino experiences and/or to learn about it so they can go.  Our local REI store offers classes in how to prepare for this walk.

We never were lured by “The Camino” but have become hooked on taking independent walking trips now when we go abroad.  This will be our third one in a year. (We did the Vineyards of northern Portugal, and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco in 2015).  The reason might be the thought that “we’d better do it while we can”. We are adamant that we aren’t ready to sit on a bus or get too comfy on a cruise just yet. Even though we aren’t about to hike 200 to 300 miles, we do feel a certain commitment to prepare for a 7-day walking trip with a 10- 12 mile average walk a day. The preparation gets us up and exercising and is a big incentive to stay fit.  Beyond that it is a most unique opportunity to fully experience a very small and particular part of a country by walking through it.

Getting ready for the 7 - day walk

We are now regular travelers with Inntravel – The Slow Holiday people (Inntravel.com).  We love this UK based travel agency which most of our American friends don’t know about.  Inntravel seems to have perfected the “walk at your own pace without a guide” type of holidays.  Our seaside hotels are booked, our luggage will be transferred from place to place as we walk, our meals including three course dinners are all arranged. We have just received in the mail a small notebook with a black padded cover that says Inntravel along with detailed geographic maps of the area we will be walking.  Inside is a wealth of information, important telephone numbers, basic lists of words in Catalan, background information as to where we are going. But most important are the detailed walking notes for each day.  We joke that not only are we exercising our bodies but our brains will get a workout. There is concentration involved in following detailed directions.  The directions in the  little black notebook get us to where we are supposed to end up each day.  There is no guide and no group of fellow hikers – just the two of us relying on each other and our interpretation of the directions.  “Art, do you think this is 500 meters after the second left?”  Or, “Kristina, do you think these stone steps lead back up to the main promenade?”   I am hopeful that on this walking trip I can use my Spanish even though we will be in Cataluña where Catalan is spoken.

Sitting at home in Asheville pouring over our walking notes can be daunting because they don’t always  make a lot of sense.  From our past experiences we know that once we are there starting out on Day 1 it will fall into place.  Here is an overview of our first day coming up next week!

Day 1: S”Agaro to La Fosca – 15.2 Km/4 hrs. 30 mins; total ascent: 227 m., total descent: 213 m.

Overview:  From Platja d’Aro to Sant Antoni de Calonge you follow for the most part the coastal path “El Cami de Ronda”.  This path was used to combat the contrabad trade in cigarettes and alcohol, as the numerous little creeks were favored places for smugglers.  There are two long, more built up sections that follow seafront promenades.  It is also the longest day of the week but mostly flat with just a couple of rocky sections and a few steps to negotiate.  You often find yourself crossing small beaches, picking up the path again at the far end of each bay or cover, sometimes with steps leading upwards.  From time to time you pass through little tunnels cut into the rock.  Practically the whole route is following the GR92 on your map with just a couple of deviations….for the most part you are on a manmade path or paved promenade with a good surface…..”  

Our suitcases out and we are crossing things off the “to do list” each day.  I have a hiking wardrobe, which has taken some thought and a few trips to get together. It doesn’t seem like hiking should be an expensive sport but after many excursions to REI to purchase yet one more seemingly necessary item, we can say otherwise.  A new adventure awaits. And,  if you are wondering what if something happens along the way, it pours rain, or we are too tired to walk, there is no one to stop us from simply taking a taxi to where we need to be next!