Image: Camino de Santiago, Louise’s iPhone, June 2022
When it comes to walking the Camino de Santiago, there are two burning questions that almost everyone asks us. First, they're curious about the size of our backpacks, and if you're intrigued by the nitty-gritty details of what we carried and how heavy our packs were, you can read this piece or watch this.
However, there's a second, more profound question that often arises—how did we approach and plan our remarkable journey?
Friends, as in many partnerships, one of us is a meticulous planner, while the other thrives on spontaneity. Care to take a guess as to who is which?
If you guessed that I (Louise) am the planner, you've got it right. Mark, on the other hand, thrives on spontaneity, constantly nudging me to embrace it in our everyday adventures.
Yet, there are moments when meticulous planning proves its worth. While it's possible that if it had just been the two of us embarking on the 500-mile journey across Northern Spain, I might have been a tad more relaxed (though, let's be honest, probably not). But since we were walking with two of our children, having a semblance of a plan became essential.
Our plan, simply crafted in that wonder of modern technology, the google sheet, evolved into our trusty compass for navigating the Camino de Santiago. Even now, it serves as a reference whenever I need to recall the places we called home during our journey.
And today, I'm excited to open up that plan to you. It's straightforward, yet highly efficient, and I'm thrilled to share it so you can utilise it in mapping out your own future Camino de Santiago adventure.
To access the Google Sheet and start planning your adventure, simply follow this link: Google Sheet Camino Planner.
You’ll also find on this planner the exclusive list, including links, to all of the places we stayed while we were on our Camino!
We hope it helps you plan your journey!
How to create your personal copy
To make this planner your own, click on ‘File’ in the top left corner, then select ‘Make a copy.’ This will create your own editable version that you can customise to fit your own unique Camino de Santiago journey.
We’re sharing this in the hope that you find this tool equally invaluable in planning your pilgrimage. We’ve already started using ours to plan our week on the Camino Norte next Spring, which we’ll be sharing day-by-day here on Substack. We can’t wait!
Are you planning a walk along the Camino de Santiago (or anywhere else!) soon? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Buen camino! 👣
We’ll see you on the road!
Louise and Mark.