“My wife and I would like to be in Spain for the August, 2026 total solar eclipse,” his message said. “Even this far out, however, I’m having trouble finding hotels that will book. Any suggestions?”
“Nobody over here does anything that early,” I wrote, laughing to myself.
My suggestion? Patience.
I see it all the time with clients who are planning to walk the Camino de Santiago in a year or two. “There are no trains available!” they tell me. “All of the hotels are booked!”
I smile, reassure them, and share the secret: Life is slower over here.
If you’re able to find anything you can book that far in advance in Spain, my bet is:
The place is owned by an international company.
The place is owned by an American. Or another non-Spaniard from one of the more fast-paced countries.
A local Spanish friend lived in the US for 10 years. “But I mostly hung out with my Spanish friends. . . because with the Americans, you had to plan too far in advance.” Having lived in Spain for over three years now, I totally understand.
Before moving to Spain, I hadn’t made plans so spontaneously since college. Back in the US, if I had one friend I could call on a whim to do something, I counted myself as lucky.
But here? My calendar shows my work appointments and flights booked to see family in March (which I didn’t book until the end of December!). But have I booked anything for my Camino this July? Nope. I’m not even sure which Camino I’m walking.
That’s one of the luxuries of the Camino.
I’ve met countless people—from all over the world—who decide to walk a Camino and are on a flight within a week.
Here’s one thing I know about seeing the total solar eclipse in 2026: in this country there are still accommodations that don’t have a website. On the Camino, there are lots of accommodations that simply don’t take reservations at all. So I invite you to break out of your fast-paced world and slow down on the Camino—and slow-down your planning.
Yes, you can look into accommodations and public transit options to get to your starting point. But my advice?
To see train or bus availability, pretend you're leaving in a couple of weeks or months.
To have an idea of accommodation rates and availability, look as if you were going this year.
But, in doing so, don't be surprised if you find yourself on the Camino sooner than you imagined.
With love,
Rebecca
Are you 45 or over and looking for help planning your walk on the Camino de Santiago? Click here to learn more about my Camino Planning calls.
What I’m (re-)Reading:
I don’t know if Erling Kagge has ever walked the Camino de Santiago. But he’s definitely done a lot of walking. To the South Pole. Alone. And the North Pole. And across Los Angeles.
So, yes. He has a few thoughts on the act of placing one foot in front of the other for long periods of time. Or short periods, actually. E.g. walking to work—a concept that was completely foreign to me as a child growing up in suburbia, USA.
But his book (Walking: One Step at a Time) wasn’t written to brag about his walks, though you will learn about some of them. It’s a book about the act of walking—investigating it in a way that delights me, intrigues me, and gives me reasons to keep coming back to his words again and again.
Do you have a book recommendation? I’d love to hear it! Leave a comment below.
Who I’m Celebrating:
At 73, she walked her first Camino. Ten years later, she’s still walking 5 miles a day on “all the days in which safety is assured” (e.g. not in a winter snowstorm). She genuinely cherishes that time. The things she sees, the people she meets, the thoughts she has. I am so honored to call her a friend. Thank you,
, for continuing to be an inspiration in my life and an inspiration to those with whom I share your story.
Wise Words:
“Lovely days don’t come to you; you should walk to them.” – Rumi
Question of the Week:
General: Is there a place in your life where slowing down would help? Let us know in the comments below.
Camino: What things are giving you the most stress when planning your Camino? Let me know in the comments and you may see the answer in a future post!
Hi Rebecca, thanks for the invite and say hi to your dad. My biggest stressor was the contents of my backpack and making decisions way before I even put a foot on the path. I ended up carrying 16-18 lbs on my 130 lb body without issue. But man, reading what everyone said about 10% of your body weight but pack all this stuff was quite overwhelming. Buen Camino!