The Camino de Santiago is a centuries-old pilgrimage whose various routes form a web of paths across Spain. Of these routes, there are particular roads favoured by pilgrims. The most popular route traverses Spain, from the French border to the Western coast, a distance of around 800 km. Despite a previous decline in numbers, the release of the film “ has been a key factor in the increase in the amount of pilgrims choosing to follow the old Roman trade routes. Some of these ancient routes are believed to have been trodden by St James himself, and many now follow them to his tomb in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.
The history behind the pilgrimage is patchy in places, but it has nevertheless ranked historically with Rome and Jerusalem among the three most popular pilgrim destinations. It has withstood the test of time, with over 200,000 pilgrims completing the route last year alone. The most common motive for undertaking the medieval pilgrimage was to seek salvation, and so the pilgrims came from a host of different backgrounds. The poor walked amongst the rich, who often rode on horseback. They travelled alongside many ordered by the Church to make the journey, and among “proxy pilgrims” who travelled in the name of towns, cities or powerful individuals. Today there is a host of reasons why people choose to walk the distance. The modern pilgrimage is not only understood to be a religious undertaking, but also a journey taken by those in search of spiritual and personal enlightenment.
It was at this point that the gravity of the situation hit me. What was I thinking? I hate walking, no matter what the objective
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This summer a friend and I made a somewhat spontaneous decision to make the journey from west to east, our objective being to find some peace from our everyday lives. Following a backbreaking fourteen-hour bus journey across the border from Madrid, we arrived exhausted and irritated in the small, tourist town of Saint Jean Pied de Port. Until this point we had naively deluded ourselves, believing that as long as we had our expensive shoes on our feet and a pair of walking sticks in our hands, we would be fine. We spent the day strolling the streets, discussing the distance that lay between ourselves and our destination. It was at this point that the gravity of the situation hit me. What was I thinking? I hate walking, no matter what the objective. Armed with misgivings and a relatively light rucksack, we set off at six the following morning, on the road to Santiago.
There have been hundreds of books, guides and novels written about the Camino, some of which were included in my limited pre-Camino research. Each of the texts speaks of the magic of the walk, of the enlightenment and of course, the frustration the pilgrims face on their journeys. A fact all of them fails to mention is the tedium. Of course, there were moments of semi-euphoria as we walked along forest trails that looked as if they had been taken straight from the pages of Harry Potter. However, these moments were borne alongside instants of such crippling exhaustion and frustration that I very nearly hopped on a bus to anywhere where roads would not be mapped out by yellow arrows. Indeed, these episodes were nothing in comparison to the days in which the meters dropped like kilometers and the seconds passed like hours.
The Camino de Santiago is famous for its landscapes, and the breathtaking views were an enormous help in breaking that tedium. From the Pyrenees to the Meseta, we were met with sunrises that made the early starts worth it. We looked out over valleys, vineyards and rivers, witnessed wildfires and experienced such weather extremes that we feared for our safety. When setting out on this trip, we had not expected to see so many breathtaking sights, but in retrospect it was all the more special with this element of surprise. Alongside the views, there were a few unexpected aspects that helped ease our hardship along the way.
As previously mentioned, I had hitherto little experience in walking such distances, and so I hadn’t thought to prepare much to distract myself on the days where the views would not suffice to ease my tired mind and exhausted body. Many pilgrims had downloaded podcasts and audiobooks in preparation for the times when they would be too tired to think anymore. I had only music, which often proved to be more of a hindrance than a help. It’s always a risk to put your iPod on shuffle, and when the slow songs hit, my pace matched them and the rhythm of my walk would slow even further. Beating these slumps, the soundtrack of which tended to be Adele albums, was one of the most difficult parts of the journey.
There was a restlessness that consumed us, even in our exhaustion. We were never content sitting down, though our feet throbbed as we walked
During our time on the road, we became accustomed to taking lengthy breaks along the path and watching the pilgrims pass. In these instances, although we longed to keep moving forward,, our willpower was often stifled by the protests of our aching feet. Having booked our return flights in advance, we were under pressure to make it to Santiago on time. We could not give into the slumps that hit. In hindsight I am grateful that we had this motivation. Without it I’m afraid that we could still be on the road, trying to find our way to Santiago.
Despite the ultimate goal of our journey being Santiago, as the cathedral drew nearer I found myself becoming sentimental not only for the times passed, but for each individual experience we embraced as we approached our destination. I realised that my goal had changed over the course of our time spent on the road. The significance of the destination had become shrouded in the shadow of the journey. It took just over 800 km for me to comprehend that the significance of the journey was in the actual getting there as opposed to the being there. I think pilgrim René Freund captured it perfectly when he said: “All you want is to arrive and be underway at the same time.” There was a restlessness that consumed us, even in our exhaustion. We were never content sitting down, though our feet throbbed as we walked.
If I were to give advice to anybody who might be considering making the journey, I would encourage him or her to be as lazy as I was in my preparation and to avoid doing any research that is not absolutely necessary. Of course visit the forums, spend time seeking out shoes that promise not to leave your feet ravaged by blisters, and research which guidebooks will lead you to the cheapest bars, but do not research the towns and their history too much. Allow yourself to be amazed by the people and the culture and the history. Do not jump into this journey with any preconceived notions, because the road to Santiago is such a long one and nobody can predict how it will be for you. Write your own story and make your own way.
