Levison Trekked 500 Miles on The Camino

The “souped up” Jenny Levison has many dimensions. In addition to being a restaurateur, chanteuse, and actress, she’s an avid adventurist and not shy about the art of self-challenge.

Walking The Camino has been on her bucket list for a long while based on its beauty and the rigor of trekking 500 miles. The pilgrimage of The Camino dates back to the ninth century as one of the oldest and most well-known routes in Europe, leading to the Crypt of Santiago de Comostela Cathedral — believed to house the tomb of the Apostle St. James.

Approximately 400,000 people from all over the world walk it each year. The entire route can be done on foot, bicycle, horseback and even wheelchair. The average age of walkers is 45.

Levison trained for the journey since the average day included a 10- to 20-mile walk. She explained, “If you’re doing multiple days in a row, it’s a lot. The terrain also varies and can be very hilly. I wanted to do the original trail which starts in St. Jean Pied du Port and finish in Santiago de Compostela. We took 35 days to complete the walk which included three rest days.”

She embarked with her friend, Nicole. They felt exhausted for the first week until they got into “the hang of the routine.” They slept soundly and went to bed early every night. She said, “I was basically out when my head hit the pillow.”

In terms of accommodations, there are three channels: youth hostels, private rooms, or hotels. Levison had experience in the youth hostels when she was younger and wanted more privacy and hot water, so they shared a room and had a private bathroom. The travel part began with a flight to Paris followed by a train to the hike’s starting point. She estimated spending about $10,000 each, including airfare, accommodations, and meals for the six-week period. She suggested that it could be done cheaper if on a budget.

She elaborated, “Food is abundant from tiny cafes to nicer dining experiences. I loved when our accommodation offered dinner to pilgrims doing The Camino. It was a great opportunity to meet others and discover why they were walking. The whole experience was very spiritual for me. My father, Jarvin Levison, had passed away the November before, and it was a good time for me to process and work through my grief. It was also the first time that I have stepped away from work (running Souper Jenny) for six weeks without a lot of communication. It was a great lesson to see what an incredible team I have and how well they do with or without me! We have built an incredible culture; and it was a good feeling to know that I can trust them to live it even when I’m not around.”

To sum up the spiritual part for a Jewish woman, she stated, “Walking the Camino de Santiago is a different experience for everyone. For some it’s a religious experience, for some a spiritual journey, and some just love the challenge of the physical aspects of such a trip. We live in a very busy world, and it’s a gift to have an extended amount of time to have no other objective than walking from place to place, enjoying hours of nature and introspection. It was an experience like no other and I’ll never forget it.”

Levison is always in search of physical challenges and internalizing and pushing herself physically takes her “out of her head” where she can truly think clearly and get creative. Her next challenge is 29029 Trail, which is a three-day event in Park City, Utah, where adventurers hike a mountain marathon each day for three days.

She concluded, “I’m sure it will give me plenty of time to come up with some new recipes! I always look forward to a delicious meal and a glass of red wine or a local beer at the end of each hiking day.”