The Walk of a Lifetime: 500 Miles on the Camino de Santiago

St. Paul preached embracing all. Mr. Eanes relates his experience throughout the book summarized by his attending a Catholic pilgrims’ mass when he was offered without hesitation communion which as a non-Catholic was not supposed to take. The priest seemed to have insisted, the author took it and felt much more complete and much as one amongst all. The book is filled with anecdotes and contemplations to which I relate as I am a Camino pilgrim.

Great book if you want to walk the Camino

You cannot help but be excited for the author (Russ) as he fulfills a lifelong dream, to walk 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago. For 20 years he had dreamed of making this journey and his enthusiasm for the experience leaps out of every page. I particularly liked the quotes Russ used to introduce each new chapter, and these quotes helped to frame the author’s daily experience of walking into a spiritual and/or religious context.I was however, a bit disappointed that most of the book was yet another Camino travelogue, with the author telling us about the places he went and the people he met. Recounting the journey is certainly an important aspect of any Camino memoir, but the description of the bookpromised more substance, which for me did not materialize. The author has such an interesting personal background that my expectations may have been too lofty.That being said, It is hard to believe this is Russ’ first book. It is well written and it resonates with a professional polish most Camino memoirs do not possess. If you looking for an authentic Camino memoir, written by an honest to goodness pilgrim, this is your book!

My anticipation to walk the Camino de Santiago started by looking at You Tube videos - reading books and training for this 500 mile pilgrimage in early 2017. My actual walking journey started Sept 4, 2017 at St Jean Pied de Port and 4 weeks later arrived in Santiago and then to Finisterre. Since then I have been recalling many aspects of this wonderful Camino experience as I continue to walk many wooded trails and paths in Virginia as an escape from suburbia . Training for this long trek I felt was necessary because I was 70 at the time and feared that I might not be up to such a strenuous journey - little did I know at the time that walking 25 km a day became less and less of an issue after the first week). Soon walking was less burdensome and opening up to the Camino experience grew. Today I still walk 8 to 10 km every day yet I probably will not do this Camino again - but I do enjoy looking at my Compostela that hangs proudly in my dining room reminding me that I was part of something bigger than myself. As I read this book, memories of places/sites, albergues, meals, fellow pilgrims, and reflections came rushing back. The author writing skills allowed me to feel like we had experienced many of the same things. Note: For all future pilgrims be sure to take time to write in a journal every day.

This is an excellent book. I felt a real connection to the author as I read the book. Eanes accurately portrays the fullness of the Camino experience - the good, the bad, the sad, the funny, and everything in between.I walked the Camino Frances in 2017, the same route as the author walked in the book but about nine months before the author did his Camino. This book is the best description of the Camino experience I have read. It captures the fear of the unknown, the feelings of accomplishment, loneliness, joy, spiritual awakening, camaraderie and exhilaration that I felt on the Way. The author's descriptions of specific places and feelings took me back to when I was on the Camino and made me feel like I was actually there again.This is not a guidebook to the Camino or a detailed instruction manual on how to prepare for the Camino (although there are some very good tips included in this narrative). However, if you are looking for a book that accurately describes what it's like to walk the Camino Frances, this is one of the best I've come across.

I’ve probably read a dozen books about the Camino de Santiago and this is one of my new favorites. It’s a good mix of travelogue and self discovery. The writing is excellent - much better than most of the self-published works (not all of which are bad).

This account of Russ's personal Camino experience is enlightening and inspirational. I knew very little about this pilgrimage, but now I am inspired to accept, not only the physical challenge but "getting lost" to find yourself. It is well written, with an easy flowing style, maintaining your interest with practical advice but also conveying the real essence of why Russ made the walk. I highly recommend this book!

It was a pleasure to read this book by Russ Eanes and an inspiration for my plans to walk the Camino Frances, hopefully in fall 2021. His descriptions of the walk teased me into wanting to enjoy and endure my own walk.

The author was sincere about his pilgrimage and communicated that in clear, concise prose.

This is a beautifully written piece whose power lies in the honesty and authenticity of its author. Not only was I taken on the Way, one I hope to walk one day, but the moments of reflection of the author had me also pondering and learning about myself. Added to this, his ability to capture the realness of both places, people and moments has made this a memoir I will return to.