El Camino

I can’t remember when the idea to walk the Camino popped into my head, but one day, boom, there it was, another crazy idea. I watched the movie “The Way” and read several books and that was it, I was going to walk the Camino for my 60th - years away! 

After the annus horribilis that was 2021 and the decision to pack up my life and move overseas, walking the Camino in 2022 all of a sudden became something that I had to do – a calling of sorts. When I say The Camino, I am referring to the most famous route, the Camino Frances – walking from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, a journey of 800km. 

My initial planning went something like this: 1. Buy boots 2. Walk lots 3. Buy backpack 4. Buy a guide book 5. Get to St Jean 6. Start walking. Seemed like a reasonable plan, except for I’d only walked over 20km once and that wasn’t carrying an 8kg pack. But hey, how hard could it be?  

Once I got to Europe, I decided that the end of April 2022 was as good a time as any to start and I had an end date, 31 May. This gave me a few days “spare” so I could work in rest days and shorter days. Shopping list sorted:

1. Walking shoes (not boots) - I went with Merrills and was happy with my choice.
2. Backpack, in hindsight, I should have gone with a 30l pack instead of 40l as I was tempted to carry more than I really needed. But it did make re-packing easier. They say to carry a maximum of 10% of your body weight.
3. Walking poles, a must, and bonus, they matched my pack 😊
4. Ugly sandals, which quickly became my magic sandals and savior's.
5. Sleeping inner sheet – I hoped a sleeping bag wouldn’t be required and apart from a couple of nights where I slept in my fleece and jacket it was enough.
6. Clothes, less is more. Same goes for toiletries. Include a good rain poncho. Mine was crap, but I was gifted a new one – the Camino provides. It’s amazing how little we need. 
7. Books – don’t bother unless it’s a guide. I didn’t get much time to write, let alone read! Too much chatting, sightseeing, eating and drinking to be done.
8. Phone, charger, hat, medicines, first aid stuff, torch. I’m sure there were a few extras in there. 

I arrived in Spain 12 April and worked out my Camino start date. 1st hiccup, the pass was closed and there was lots of snow. Hmm, delay my start date and spend a few extra days in Alicante enjoying bubbles and catch ups or buy warmer clothes? No brainer really, this was never going to be a case of doing it “right” and I really didn’t want to be walking in snow. In the end, I simply skipped the first 3 days over the Pyrenees and started in Pamplona – 720km to Santiago.

Very glad I spent 2 nights in Pamplona – awesome city and the pintxos are to die for! Collected my Pilgrim Passport and was as ready as I’d ever be, excited and a teeny-weeny bit terrified.

Day one was a drizzly 28.5km. Seeing my first Camino signs and markers was exciting. As was meeting my first lot of fellow pilgrims. It was a long, slow and muddy climb up to Alto de Perdon and an even slower walk back down. Arrived at my first destination, Puente de la Reina with soaked shoes, sore feet, sore ankles, sore knees, but proud of myself – I had completed day one. I also discovered why sandals are a must. The magic sandals were christened.

Day 2 and everything hurt. Going downhill was agony and I wondered what the hell I was thinking. The last few km’s nearly broke me, but fellow pilgrims, beautiful towns and the thought of an ice cold beer kept me going. Another 27km done and dusted and dinner with new found friends and lots of wine went a long way to dulling the pain.

Before I knew it, I had completed my first week. Everyday I’d limp into town exhausted and with sore feet, but it was different, my ankles and knees no longer hurt. My thighs, whilst not at the cracking walnut stage, were definitely growing stronger and taking the weight off my knees. That week was a blur of gorgeous towns, pilgrims, café con leche, pinchos de tortilla, cerveza, wine, laughter, shared stories and albergue life. My earlier idea of writing and reading went out the window (along with the book). The routine was much the same every day. Up at 6ish, pack, breakfast, walk, arrive, shower, rest, go out to explore the town, dinner and bed. Repeat. Even managed to join in a fiesta in the town of Najero for San Prudencio. Lots of wine, lots of dancing and racing back by 10pm before we got locked out. Number of slight hangovers on week 1 = 2. Not bad. 

Learnings from week one: 1. Never thought I'd say I prefer going up than going down (minds out of the gutter amigos) 2. Always fill your water bottle at every opportunity (even if it is from a creepy looking clown fountain) 3. Stop to pee whenever you can - even if you need to buy a coffee/beer. 4. Join in the local fiestas. 5. Socks and sandals do go together. 6. Stop at the wine fountain but take just a few sips. 

Week 2 was much like week one. My first 2-night stop in Burgos, a beautiful city with lots to see and do. I think I just about walked the same amount on my day off. Leaving Burgos meant hitting the Meseta, the 180km of the flat plains of central Spain. Mornings were cold, but the days heated up. Some dislike the Meseta, I didn’t. I would listen to music or a podcast and simply get lost in the endless placing of one foot in front of the other under some of the bluest skies I have ever seen. 

They say that the first third of the Camino is about the physical, the second third is about the mental/emotional and the last third is the spiritual. As I moved into week three, it became more about catching a cold. Unsurprising when you’re sharing a room and close quarters with up to 20 other people. It was on day 17 walking into Sahagun that I also developed my first blister. A hot day and not feeling great, I committed the cardinal sin and did not stop at the first sign of something rubbing. Arrived into Leon, another beautiful large city and ended up staying 3 nights in the hope of recovering from the worst cold/flu I’d had in ages. Luckily, my angel Jenny stayed with me and we shared a room in a hostel. Our own bathroom, with a bath – luxury! 

Leaving the Meseta behind, the flat plains become mountains and I now walked through some gorgeous little towns built of stone. Some abandoned or with very few people, all with churches and lots of stork nests. Didn't see a single baby being delivered.

On day 24, after a long, but gradual climb, I arrived at the highest point on the Camino Frances - Cruz de Ferro. You hear so much about this mystical place, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I gazed up at the Iron Cross and looked across to where a man stood, tears rolling down his cheeks, I burst into tears. The next thing I knew we were hugging, without exchanging a word other than a simple Buen Camino as we each continued our journey. I took the stone I had with me from Australia and climbed to the top to place it at the foot of the cross. According to custom, leaving a small stone/rock symbolises “leaving your burdens behind.” There is definitely something special and a little magical about this place and I left feeling lighter and freer than when I arrived. I made sure to not look back – I am not going that way. 

Into week 5 and on Day 29 I walked into Sarria and quickly noticed the new energy. Or maybe it was the home made orujo that the hostel shared with us around an open fire that night. Sarria is just over 100km before Santiago and it’s the place many people join in order to complete the 100km minimum required to receive their Compostela. The next day there was definitely a buzz in the air as lots of happy, laughing and chatting Pilgrims joined the Camino. This stage was along some gorgeous woodland paths by rivers with the smell of eucalypts in the air reminding me of home.  The countryside was filled with farms , cows and horreos (well into Galicia now and lots of these cute wooden and stone grain storage structures). 

This last week walking into Santiago passed in a blur. A feeling of wanting to finish and yet not wanting to finish. The last few days walking and laughing with Sandra. 

And then it was 30 May 2022, day 36. We walked into Santiago and stood in Plaza de Obredoiro looking up in awe at the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. There were tears and hugs and greetings from other Pilgrims. All united in a feeling of achievement and surrounded by the spirit of the Camino. At that moment, I knew I would do it again. 

We made it to the Pilgrim Mass and happy to see the Botafumeiro swung. Was fitting to find that it was Saint Fernando’s Feast day, my dad’s name.

The next day, Sandra and I went and got matching tattoos - ever bonded by our experience. 

An incredible experience. It was hard. There were good days and there were bad days. But I don’t think I ever really thought about quitting. Did I find what I was looking for? I honestly don’t know. There is certainly something about just walking and living a simple day by day existence that is intoxicating.  And as everyone says, it's the people that you meet along the way that make it so special.

Feeling inspired? These are my fave books about the camino:
1. The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
2. Spanish Steps: Travels With My Donkey by Tim Moore This one is funny and tells the story of Tim’s journey with his donkey called Shinto.
3. The Longest Way Home by Andrew McCarthy (yep, the actor)

4. A Pilgrims Guide to the Camino de Santiago by John Brierley (a guide book)

And want to know a bit about the alburgues on the Camino? Overall they are great, clean and the hosts are fabulous. Some provide dinner and breakfast ($ extra), some don't. On average, 10 to 20 € gets you a bed. Some places provide disposable sheets, all provide pillows, most blankets. You do need a sleeping bag or liner. Showers are hot and most have a communal area, including a kitchen. Lights out/doors locked usually at 10pm. Most pilgrims are tucked up in bed by 9pm. By 6am the rustling of bags commences. Lessons learnt:

1. Ear plugs are a must. 

2. Get your stuff out/ready for the next day 

3. Most men have the extraordinary ability to cough up a lung, blow their nose and fart at the same time. I'm sure women also have this ability, but we manage to do it quietly. 

4. Always try to get a bottom bunk. Nothing attractive about climbing down from the top bunk and treating fellow pilgrims to a pasty white butt.

 5. I got better at getting up and out in under an hour. Some people seem to have the knack of achieving this in 10 minutes. I'm still looking for my specs during the first 10 minutes.