Freewrtiting " How I learned to hike"

How I learned to Hike.  In a word, PAINFULLY!!

While hiking the Camino de Santiago this past July I thought I was well prepared for the journey.  I walked for miles at home to prepare my boots for the 350+mile trek I was going to take them on.  I thought I was physically fit and trained enough to take on the that extraordinary journey.   I made sure that I had the right equipment - clothes, backpack, sleeping bag, boots, toiletries, etc.  I thought that having hiked on several different types of terrain I would not have a problem.  As it turns out that although I was ready, able and willing,  my feet and right knee had a different idea.  The first day out I hiked for about 17 miles thru the Pyrenees mountains.  I started in a small village called St. Jean Pied de Port in France.  The beginning of the Camino was a paved road which soon gave way to a rocky path that I imagine that as well as being used by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims is also well travelled by the local livestock population.  By the end of that day as I descended into Roncesvalles my feet were a bit unhappy.  Luckily I did not develop any visible blisters (so I thought). 
The second day out the trail was on a paved roadway and a well maintained dirt path later in the day.  Again there were no visible blisters but I was starting to feel some discomfort under my big toenails and nail on one of my little toes.  Upon further inspection I found that I had indeed developed blisters.  They were under my toenails.  Yikes.  More later.