Camino de Santiago – so many memories

The Camino de Santiago will always be one of my favorite travel memories. When I started planning my travels in June 2022, I joined several FB groups about slow and solo travel. I stumbled across something called the Camino de Santiago in my research. However, it seemed like something too far removed from both my comfort zone and my fitness level. I already had my travel planned for the first few months. I decided to let the Camino and some other more realistic options simmer a while.

My first part of my travel year was actually a trip with my daughters. A combination of belatedly celebrating Jordan’s graduation, Parker’s return to Canada and the end of the pandemic. It seemed like a great way to start off my year of travel. We spent a week in Portugal, a week in Spain and a week in Morocco. It was an incredible trip and we kept saying “this is my favorite place” and “this is my favorite day.” Truthfully, it was all wonderful. We learned a lot, we laughed a lot and we got lost a few times. Mostly we had a lot of fun and collected some amazing memories. I also had a very cool moment in Spain that turned into many, many more cool moments 7 months later.

We were in Madrid. By the way, I do not actually recommend visiting Madrid in August unless you enjoy your face melting – but I digress. In Madrid, we walked by a beautiful old bookstore. Of course, I wanted to stop and see if I could find a book to buy. Some people buy magnets or tiny spoons to remember a place – I like to buy a book. However, Parker pointed out that the books would be in Spanish and I wouldn’t be able to read any book I bought. (I think she was more worried about the weight of my suitcase truthfully. That was and is valid. It turns out that it is not the best idea to buy a book every new place when you are travelling non-stop. Your suitcase will become very heavy and cause you all kinds of problems, including back ones.)

However, I could not be deterred from the beautiful old bookstore and I meandered in. The first book that I saw was in English. It was also titled “The Modern Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago.” I considered it a sign. Not only did I buy it but I decided that the Camino would be part of my travel journey.

What and where

The Camino de Santiago is, to put it simply, a very long walk. It means the way of St. James. It refers to all of the different routes leading to Santiago de Compostela in Galacia, Spain. There are 7 main Camino routes starting in France, Portugal and Spain but all lead to Santiago de Compostela. The Camino Primitivo from Oviedo is the oldest Camino route although the most well-known is the Camino Frances, also known as the French Way.

The Camino Frances is the route with the richest tradition. It is 800 km long, starting in St. Jean Pied de Port, in the French Pyrenees. It ends in Santiago de Compostela and takes approximately 5 weeks to complete. St. James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus, is believed to be buried at the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela. It is also among the remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle. Pilgrims started making this journey as early as the 9th century when the remains of St. James were first discovered in Northern Spain.

How and why

Today people from all the world walk the Camino for many different reasons. In fact, over 300,000 pilgrims arrive in Santiago each year. Santiago de Compostela’s old town is a UNESCO site. The Camino routes themselves were also declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. People walk the Camino for a variety of reasons. Additionally, there are many ways to approach the Camino.

Many walk for the traditional religious pilgrimage, while others are on a spiritual, contemplative or even self-healing journey. Some do it for the physical challenge and others do it with friends or family as part of a special bonding experience. Many do it the ‘traditional way’ – walking until they are tired and then finding a place to rest their body at the next available alburgue, carrying everything on their back. Others book a tour group with a guide that plans everything, including transporting their belongings. Everyone that has done the Camino will agree that every pilgrim’s journey is different and unique, and there is no ‘right’ way to do the Camino. And yes, after you have done the Camino, however long and whichever route, you have earned the privilege of being a ‘pilgrim.’

Passports and sign posts

If you are walking for religious or spiritual reasons, you may receive a Compostela certificate when you reach Santiago. And at several churches in Santiago, there are special pilgrim masses that are really lovely and full of joy, regardless of your faith or reasons for your journey. A pilgrim must obtain a pilgrim passport (Credencial) and have it stamped at least twice a day from Sarria to Santiago to receive the Compostela. The passport also allows you to stay at ‘albergues’ along the route. These are very affordable, very communal, ‘first-come first-serve’ public hostels and are a really beautiful part of the Camino tradition. Another favorite among pilgrims is to search out different cafes for their unique passport stamps. (I treasure my pilgrim passport almost as much as my real one.)

Another wonderful part of the Camino is discovering all of the Camino sign posts, with their yellow scallop shells and arrows directing the way. Most sign posts also include how many kilometers until Santiago. The scallop shell is one of the most iconic symbols of the Camino de Santiago. It is found not only on signposts, but on churches, fences, necklaces and backpacks.

There are many myths regarding the ‘Vieira’ (Galician for scallop shell). Most of them involve St. James or others rising from the sea after a storm covered in scallop shells. The scallop shell has one more common meaning, a metaphorical one. The lines of the scallop represent the different routes pilgrims take to arrive at the tomb of Saint James. Regardless, the ‘Vieira’ reassures pilgrims that they are on the right path and is always placed next to a yellow arrow. For pilgrims, the combination of shell and arrow is one of the most reassuring and exciting symbols (and for some, a very special tattoo).

My Camino

I look back with so much fondness on my reluctance to even attempt the Camino and especially my ‘pause’ in Ponferrada before I started. (You can read about all of my struggles on the Camino in another post.) I didn’t know then that regardless of my physical preparation, my personal growth or my travel experiences I would not be ‘ready’ for the Camino until I was on the Camino. The Camino is a little like becoming an adult and you don’t know what you don’t know until you don’t know and then you know 😉

The Camino de Santiago is such a unique experience and beautiful on a couple of levels. The Spanish countryside is incredibly beautiful and so many parts of ‘the way’ look like from another time AND it is a beautiful journey emotionally and spiritually as well. Too much beauty and too many photos for one blog post so I hope you enjoy the first one. There will be a couple more 🙂

There are a few wonderful apps and FB groups that you can join for more information. Below are 3 that I joined and my favorite app.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/544764125895308

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CaminoBuddySystemForWomen

https://www.facebook.com/groups/woacathecamino

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wise-pilgrim-all-caminos/id6444294028