Customer Reviews

Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Camino Chronicle is the day-to-day narrative of Susan and Ralph Alcorn's hike across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago in 2001. I found the book to be well written, interesting, and enjoyable.
The book breaks the Camino de Santiago into five Regions, each of which starts with a map and mileage chart. It is an excellent book for anyone who is thinking of walking the Camino. It gives the reader a feel for what it is like to be on the trail and what to expect on a day-to-day basis.
In addition to the day-to-day narrative of the hike, Susan includes the history/legends of the Camino de Santiago, along with other interesting information and essays about this area of Spain.
Susan and Ralph Alcorn are experienced hikers/backpackers and the book provides a lot of good information on how to prepare for an extended trip of this type, and equipment needed. Susan also has a FAQ section in the book that will be helpful to anyone thinking of hiking the Camino de Santiago.
My wife and I hiked the Camino de Santiago from St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Santiago, Spain in 2003. We returned for a second trip in 2005. Camino Chronicle brought back the great memories we have of the pilgrimage.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of doing the Camino de Santiago, or the armchair pilgrim interested in a good adventure.
Jim Clem Buen Camino-Hiking the Camino de Santiago

The 'Camino Chronicle' is a courageously honest account of one pilgrim's walk to Santiago. Written in diary format it touches on her daily challenges along the path. From overcoming the physical pain of blisters and aching muscles to facing loneliness and self doubts. Will I find a bed at the end of the day? What is my intention for walking the Camino and will it be sufficient to obtain a Compostela? Coming to terms with the difficult decision to take a bus from Leon to Ponferrada and having to say good-bye to friends made along the way. The frustration of not being able to communicate in Spanish.

This highly personal account is interwoven with a sketch of the bloodstained history of the Camino from the beheading of St. James and his miraculous appearance to lead the Christian Reconquest of Spain from the Muslim's, earning him the ignominious title - 'Slayer of the Moors'. In between we have glimpses of yet more massacres of Charlemagne and Roland, the Inquisition, the Spanish civil war, Guernica, the ETA, the Madrid train bombing. Midway through the pilgrimage comes 9/11 and the agony of this American struggling to come to terms with this latest atrocity and the seemingly endless cycle of violence.

And then come the insights provided by fellow pilgrims, ' I don't go very fast; hurrying seems to be opposite of the lesson of the trail.' and her own pleasure in finding the opportunity, 'To go within and meditate on life.' These references remind me of 'Peace Is Every Step' by Thich Nhat Hanh which emphasises the need for all pilgrims to walk in a way that only prints peace and serenity on the Earth for then we work for all humankind and its healing. This makes a wonderful compendium and the 2 together warrant a 5 star read. John Brierley - www.caminoguides.com

I had heard a podcast interview with Susan about the Camino and read her website, so my expectations for the book were very high. I think it does a good job of laying out the experiences of being a pilgrim and the unique one of being on the Way during 9/11. She is complete in her descriptions and the book is well laid out.
Having just read a few Camino books so far I think they fall into three categories: Logistical descriptions that help you with day to day planning, Historical anthologies that explain the importance of the Camino and its various sites, and personal accounts of individuals experiences.
Camino Chronicle is the later and a balanced book to read.

Camino Chronicle: Walking To Santiago is the travel journal of a wife who walked across Northern Spain in 2001, following a venerable pilgrimage trail called the Camino de Santiago, retracing the footsteps of such famous historical figures as Charlemagne, St. Francis of Assisi, King Fernando and Queen Isabel. Historical notes and personal experiences and inspiration blend into a highly readable day-by-day account, and numerous legends or cultural notes on Spain about everything from bullfighting to Spanish Olives are included, with their own quick-reference index. A most enjoyable tour especially recommended for armchair travelers, and the next best experience to flying to Spain and hiking the pilgrimage trail personally.

A good book with a lot of history and also where you are, how to get there. A must to walkers of the camino.

I have been to Spain and driven through the area that Susan Alcorn had written about. I am planning to walk the Camino de Santiago in late April of 2009. I found her book to be very helpful and answered many questions that I had. You should reed her book and then buy A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago by John Brierley to carry with you. After you absorb her info, give her book to a friend so they will have a good idea of what you will go through. Ms Alcorn is a very practical and straight forward author who knows what problems we may encounter.

Camino Chronicle details Susan and Ralph Alcorn's 500-mile, 36-day trip on the Spanish leg of the Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela.

What makes Camino Chronicle unique and a very enjoyable read is its rich, multi-faceted approach.

Author Susan Alcorn weaves journal entries from the trip with historical and cultural information, letters from home as they walk the Camino on September 11th 2001, reflective comments on the impact of the journey
as well as practical tips on how to prepare for such a pilgrimage.

The daily journal entries pull you into the experience. They're honest. Susan talks about her initial apprehension, the discomforts of the long-distance hike, the challenges of securing refugio accommodations.
As the trip progresses, we see our hikers ground themselves in the moment, in the company of fellow pilgrims and in their surroundings which Susan describes with a clear and vivid voice.
The side notes on local legends, such as the legend of the river of death or the chickens of Santo Domingo, add a touch of magic to the trip. Insights on local olive production or bullfighting customs add depth to the experience.

Clearly, the journey is more than just a 36-day hike, and the book does a great job at describing the experience in all of its aspects.

If you're considering a similar trip or looking for a thoughtful, informative and entertaining read, I highly recommend it.

Susan's book is a realistic, down to earth, honest story of hiking across Spain on the Camino de Santiago. Interspersed with history and cultural twists it paints a picture of a region that I had little previous knowledge of.

The book is written in a journal format, using notes from the hike and then updated with post-hike information and comments. It is not a style that I usual enjoy, but it worked well here.

Her descriptions of hostel life (arising extremely early, loud snoring, noisy residents) are offset by descriptions of food, wine and chocolate to die for. Not that the hostels were negative experiences, but it appears one must conform to a schedule that may not suit everyone.

Even though her husband Ralph hiked with her, she kept the story as more of a personal journey and Ralph was more often than not, on the periphery. The story flows well and is both well told and informative enough to guide one on a tour of the Camino.

It worked so well in fact, that my spouse and I are now planning a similar journey. There is an excellent seventeen page "How to" chapter at the end and an appendix that covers just about every facet of preparing for such a trip.

If I were to choose just one book to read prior to this journey, this would be the one.

Thanks for the guidance Susan.

Dennis "K1" Blanchard

I've not much to add to what other reviewers have to offer. The book is a well-written day by day journal of Susan's walk of the Camino Frances route to Santiago in 2001. It was interesting to see both her contemporary journal, and then her later reflective commentary, set off day-by-day. I expect the experience is exactly that - a day-by-day pragmatic, focused grind, and a later realization of the effect of that live-for-the-moment experience.

I'm considering hiking or biking the Camino, and I was looking for some information on exactly what the experience would be - not the "in 1214 the Knights Templar held a marshmallow roast and singalong here" history, nor the "in 50 paces turn right where the German tourist is puking his guts out" step-by-step guide. I'll need and want both eventually, I'm sure, but at this early stage I wanted to know what it might feel like just to walk the Camino day after day. This book provided that, in both words for each day of the journey and a few photographs.

Her later interjections of history, tales, and personal observations were an always-interesting aside to the mechanics of the journey. I expect that's partly the experience one would have, too - seeing an abandoned castle or village on route, and only later finding the story behind the site. Even studying in advance won't be sufficient to capture all the tales of this long-storied region.

I was seeking a realistic appraisal of the experience walking the Camino, and that's exactly what was delivered, in a clear and well-organized fashion. This and Jim Clem's "Buen Camino" have answered many of my questions about the mechanics of the journey (Jim's relating more the upscale, restaurant-and-hotel experience). I'm also going to read Martha Kendall's "Full Cycle" about a family's cycling the route. Then I can begin my planning, training, and learning to prepare for the journey.

So in summary I can recommend this book for someone who wants the vicarious experience of one way to walk the Camino. Other books will tell other experiences, and other books will provide backgrounds and insights and step-by-step guides. But ultimately (I hope) you and I will find our own journey and our own pilgrimage there.

I purchased Susan's book after hearing her speak at the REI in Eugene, Oregon.
She did inspire me to go ahead and do the walk.
This book is Susan's experience with some history of the walk.
Mine were a bit different, as everyone's will be.
On the walk itself, I took a guidebook with maps, which included similar history.