ABOUT THE BOOK
If you are wanting to learn more about El Camino de Santiago, my intent in sharing my experiences is to motivate you to take your first step onto “The Way of St. James.”
For those who know the sound of gravel crunching beneath your boots keeping time with the rhythm of the clicking walking sticks and church bells chiming in the distance, then my hope is to remind you of that special feeling that one can only get while on the pilgrimage to Santiago. With my experiences, stories and lessons learned on the Camino, I know your own memories and emotions will bring smiles, tears and a warmed heart.
Once The Camino de Santiago is in you, you are changed forever. The history, mystery, culture, food, local people and most importantly, the pilgrims, all come together to create something beyond place. El Camino is not just a trail and the pilgrimage is far more than a hike. Some walk for religious reasons or to seek spiritual answers. Others walk to mourn the loss of loved ones. I met many pilgrims who set off seeking an adventurous physical challenge and came home realizing that perhaps the mental challenge was both more a daunting and fulling task.
For whatever your inspiration for walking El Camino de Santiago may be, you will return a better person. Pilgrims bring a piece of the mystical feeling back with them. Once you have stepped foot on your first Camino, you will undoubtedly already be thinking about your next adventure! Please join me in “Sacred Blisters” as I dive into what makes El Camino such a magical and unforgettable journey and leaves pilgrims glowing inside and out!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Studying Geography and Art at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt), walking in perpetuity on El Camino de Santiago in Spain is obviously the only appropriate dream career for Steve Walther. Unfortunately, walking doesn’t pay the bills and keep a pilgrim in vino and chorizo. When not walking on, dreaming about, or talking about the Camino, he works as a speaker and trainer for financial advisors, insurance agents, CPAs and estate planning attorneys.
Steve first lived in Spain after college in 1992 and fell in love with the people, culture and history of the Iberian Peninsula. So much so, that he married a wonderful Spaniard, Maria Eugenia, in Jerez de la Frontera in 1996. On one of his adventures exploring the Spanish countryside, he discovered Santiago de Compostela and was captivated. The story of one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, St. James, coming to Spain and Portugal is a tale that like so many, fascinated him to the point that he had to walk the famed Camino de Santiago.
To date, Steve has walked four different Camino routes and is committed to walking as many as he can for as long as he is able. The life lessons learned on the Camino have changed Steve’s life and perspective of the world. With this book, he hopes to share what he has learned and perhaps encourage readers to walk on their first of many Caminos.
