Today, I’ve got a real treat for you.

I recently reviewed VM Karren’s wonderful book of short travel stories – click HERE to read my review of The Tales of a Fly By Night – a book to which I said I’d award six stars if I could!

While the whole book is a delight, one chapter in particular stood out for me – the one on the Camino de Santiago. It captured the spirit, the challenges, and the quiet magic of the pilgrimage in a way that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading.

Today, I’m excited to share that chapter with you! It feels particularly relevant right now, as Mark and I are taking a break from our usual travels and are nestled in a French farmhouse that sits right on the Camino. Every day, we walk along part of the trail ourselves, so reading VM Karren’s words about the pilgrimage he made with his son, Matthew, feels like stepping onto the path alongside them.

If you’ve ever been curious about the Camino, or simply love a beautifully told travel story, this is not to be missed.

A Walk Across Spain

by VM Karren

Halfway down the mountain, some of us rested. Some called it a day and took off their packs and boots for the evening. Others simply waved as they continued to the valley floor to find their beds—too weary to stop, too weary to sit. The descent of the west side of the mountain was, to everybody’s surprise, harder on the joints and thighs than the climb up the east side. Knees and hips cried for a soft place to sit, muscles begged for glucose.