Walking with Me, Myself and I
He hates walking. He has a heart stent. He set off to walk 800 kilometers across Spain — alone.
The Camino Reset is Phil Kleingeld’s personal account of walking the Camino Francés — the classic 500-mile pilgrimage route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. Phil is not a seasoned hiker. He is a Dutch writing coach, a former radio presenter, and a heart patient who left home with an 11-kilogram backpack and a great deal of uncertainty. What he found along the way surprised even him.
A Journey That Goes Deeper Than the Route
This is not a travel guide — though it contains a wealth of practical information for anyone planning to walk the Camino. It is, above all, an honest story about what happens when you remove yourself from daily life, put one foot in front of the other, and allow the road to do its work.
Phil writes the way he talks: directly, with humor, and without pretension. He shares the small triumphs and the moments of real doubt. He describes the people he met — pilgrims from across the globe, each carrying their own reasons for being there. And he reflects on the insights the Camino offers, whether you are religious, curious, or simply in need of a reset.
What Makes This E-Book Different
Phil walked the Camino as a 65-year-old heart patient. He trained on a treadmill at maximum incline while wearing a full backpack — because the Netherlands does not offer much in the way of mountains. He discovered the hard way that bad advice, the wrong orthotics, and a boot laced too tightly can derail even the most determined pilgrim.
His journey was also more than personal. Through his Lions Club, he raised funds for 61 cataract surgeries in developing countries — giving the gift of sight to others while walking a route that challenged everything he thought he knew about his own.
What You Will Find Inside
Honest storytelling, full of humor and the occasional moment of unexpected depth. Practical preparation advice — from choosing boots to understanding your body’s limits. Encounters with pilgrims from across the world, each with a story of their own. Reflections on curiosity, courage, and what it means to keep going. And a few Camino miracles that Phil did not see coming.
“I had no religious calling, no desire to prove my athletic prowess. Curiosity brought me to the Camino. What I found there was something else entirely.”
This Book Is for You If…
You are curious about the Camino and want to know what it is really like — beyond the brochures. You are planning to walk it yourself and want practical, experience-based guidance. You enjoy honest travel writing that does not pretend everything went smoothly. Or you simply need to be reminded that it is never too late to set off on an adventure that surprises you.
About the E-Book
Title: The Camino Reset — Walking with Me, Myself and I
Author: Phil H. Kleingeld
Original Dutch title: Een blind paard kan niet fout lopen (3rd edition, 2020)
First English edition: May 2026
Publisher: Rent a Pen
ISBN: 9789083546964
Next week available as e-book via Kobo and Amazon KDP
rentapen.nl
