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With 875 km logged, Philippe Theys ended the first part of his journey—then returned the following year to complete the final 800 km along The Way of Saint James.

How can you prepare yourself for such an adventure? A moderate physical shape is required. This is not a race. So time is not really an issue. Rest stops are plenty, especially when there are so many sites (churches, old houses) to be visited at a leisurely pace.

Still, good walking shoes are essential, and they should be worn for a couple of hundred miles before starting the trip. After a few days, one discovers the importance of the feet and the stuff around them. Socks are equally critical. After ten days, I was finally struck by blisters. They were the result of improperly dried socks. Though they suddenly emerged in one hour, they took a full week to heal. After twenty days, each morning, I slowly went through the rituals of putting my socks and shoes on. First, some ointment to reduce the chaffing, then the right pull on the laces of the shoes. In the evening, at the rest stop, a similar ritual included ten good minutes with the feet immersed in cold water, then a generous massage with a relaxing cream.

What about meals and sleep? My breakfast routine was not altered by the trip, but my lunches were dramatically changed. I had difficulty having lunch if I had more miles to walk (keep in mind that at 4 kilometers per hour (2.5 miles per hour), it may take almost eight hours to complete 30 kilometers). But dinners were a feast. I visited small French inns in Perigord that would easily replenish my thousands of lost calories. I ate without guilt and lost ten pounds during the trip. My nights were spent in small hotels or shelters provided by the villages that fall along the Way of Saint James.

One year after completing this first 875 kilometers I returned to complete the final 800 kilometers along this extraordinary walk.