Walk, Eat, Repeat: Culinary Adventures on the Camino de Santiago

Shortlisted, Taste Canada Awards (Culinary Narratives) A fresh take on the Camino packed with the flavours of northern Spain. In this deeply personal culinary travelogue, food culture writer Lindy Mechefske invites readers to join her in savouring the richness of the Camino. Returning to the most basic human needs — walking, eating, and sleeping — she rediscovers purpose at a time of change and transition. Walk, Eat, Repeat recounts Mechefske’s arduous, yet fulfilling, pilgrimage on the Camino from the Pyrenees mountains to the ancient pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostela. Inspired by her late father’s words, “soldier on,” she chronicles the highs and lows of the trail, the kindness of her fellow pilgrims, and the tortas, tartas, and tortillas, and other culinary highlights that she savoured along the way. With each chapter accompanied by a recipe from the region, Mechefske has not simply written a story of walking the Camino, but a tale of relishing the emotional intimacies and the epicurean delights of this ancient pilgrim path.

About the Author :
Lindy Mechefske is the author of four previous books on food and culture, two of which have won Taste Canada Gold Awards. A lifelong walker, Mechefske has hiked and climbed in the Alps, Appalachians, and England’s Lake District and Peak District. She lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Review :
“This entertaining travelogue kept me in step for the entire journey and I now feel as if I too have walked the Camino. But even more compelling than Mechefske’s portrayals of Spanish landscape and food is her candour — describing her successful interior journey as she walks in the present tense, contemplating her past and future.” “The book is much, much more than a how-to, as necessary as those details are. It is a slice of life on the Camino: the exhilaration and drudgery of walking 25 or 30 kilometres a day on sometimes-difficult paths; the joy (and occasional dread) of meeting other walkers from around the world; the sights, sounds and smells of the rudimentary dormitory hostels; the absolute joy of a glass of wine and delicious meal in a local café or bar; the absolute distress of being offered a cup of instant coffee and slice of toast for breakfast at some albergues; the time, over 26 days of walking, to assess her current life and decide how to improve it.” “Mechefske shares the ups and downs, the blisters, the pain, the hunger, and the need for a bus from time to time, but ultimately, this is a joyful novel that will make you want to book your trip tomorrow!” “Both a glorious guide to the joys and hardships of the legendary trail, and a moving personal memoir, Walk, Eat, Repeat reminds us of the importance of putting one foot in front of the other, whether on the trail or in life.” “Slow, fast, up, down: in Walk Eat Repeat, Lindy Mechefske makes the footbrain connection along with the food-brain connection, linking the process of thinking while walking to the camaraderie and brio of hearty Spanish meals. This book is real talk about walking off a lifetime of anxieties and overthinking, accidents and apprehensions, and then eating like you mean it at the end of the day. As Lindy writes, it’s not magic: it’s the Camino.” “We walk therefore we are is a belief I’ve long held, and one beautifully demonstrated in the captivating prose that teems through Walk, Eat, Repeat. Lindy Mechefske interweaves personal history, reflection, and the deeper context behind the Camino with extraordinary dexterity. Walk, Eat, Repeat is as meaningful for the armchair traveller as it is for the prospective pilgrim” “Walk, Eat, Repeat is a delightful read for anyone with a passion for food, travel, and adventure. Lindy Mechefske’s evocative writing and delectable recipes make this book a must-have for armchair travelers and culinary enthusiasts alike.”