My life-changing experience walking the Camino De Santiago

Amanda Cassidy looks back on her taste of the famous Camino, mummy-style…

I squeezed my daughter tightly and walked away with tears rolling down my face. Get a grip, I told myself sternly. It’s five days, not four months.

I’d been talking up a good game about finally ticking things off my bucket list. Now it was time to start actually doing it. Mummy guilt thrummed. But sometimes we have to simply take the plunge.

The Way

I was off to walk the less-touristy side of the famous Camino de Santiago from the Portuguese side of Spain. The plan was to walk all day every day for the five days until we reached Santiago De Compostela – the stunning medieval city in the heart of Galacia. And although it was only a small snippet of the entire Camino, it was something for me, something I could work towards.

I’d heard of the Camino but didn’t know much else about it. My walking experience consisted of the 100 meters walk up and down to do the school run so this was definitely going to be… interesting.

It wasn’t just that I wanted to tick off some life experiences on my ‘to-do’ list. After three children in four years, I was simply hanging together physically and emotionally, and the idea of a few days free from bedtimes, cooking, wiping, moaning, and crying was almost too much to imagine.

The truth is that I needed this more than I thought, and felt lucky enough to have the support at home to be able to finally put my money where my mouth was.

My close friend (also a mum of three young children) and who has been unwell over the past few years jumped at the chance to do something a little extraordinary alongside of me. Suddenly the prospect of walking 7 hours a day in the middle of Spain began to feel a little too real.

There was also the small matter of our lack of training. Despite our good intentions, our walking preparations suffered at the hands of the dire weather, little ones off sick and a bad chest infection – but we had heart, determination, and beginners’ luck on our side.

We stocked up on plasters and merino wool socks, stocked freezers with dinners for our kin, left lists on every available surface. Before I knew it, I was hugging my babies goodbye and questioning my sanity. This was finally happening.

 Pilgrims

Our first morning we laced up our too-clean hiking boots and set off to hunt for the scallop tiles and yellow arrows that indicate this ancient route. The scallop is the symbol of the Camino. Pilgrims in Medieval times would wear them attached to their cloaks during their long journey into Santiago.

The scallop shells also had a more practical purpose. They were used as a dish to drink from and a plate for their food along the way. We tasted the local scallops at nearly every stop and their sweet juiciness was sublime. Camino means ‘way’ and there are various different ‘ways’ you can approach Santiago.

We were doing the Portuguese Way which is considered much less touristy and a lot more pretty. The religious aspect is the main motivation for many to come and do this trip. Originally it was a pilgrimage to cleanse your sins and to see some of the best relics in Santiago, including St James where he is said to have been buried.

Not only was it a way of creating strong cultural links with the rest of Europe, it also seems that the ‘way’ attracted pilgrims as early as the 8^th century as a route that followed the Milky Way all the way to the Finis Terrae – believed to be the end of the world – a magical place where the living could get closest to the land of the dead and their ancestors.

For us, it was a way to get as close to our pre-children selves as possible. Before long on our journey, we passed some of the ladies we had seen at our hotel during breakfast. ‘Nice sticks,’ they laughed as they clip-clopped past with their very professional Nordic poles.

They were referring to the tree branches we had found during a very daring toilet expedition in a forest. The sticks may have been a little basic (read pathetic) but they served us well during our 80km walk. Later, we saw the same women taking a break from the walk at a little café and we stopped to join them for a drink.

It was really interesting to hear some of the reasons why they had decided to do the trip. Although older than us, the women all agreed that escaping their day to day hectic lives (even with grown children) was key. Of course, we all enjoy that element of escapism on any holiday but having no other goal other than arriving at the next town before nightfall using only your legs is something quite special.

We spent the evenings examining the maps and routes we’d been supplied with by the hugely organised Camino Ways over local ‘polpo’ (octopus) and formulated a plan for the next day’s journey.

The scenic route

People had told me that I’d be so exhausted doing such a physical few days I’d probably need a holiday afterwards. They questioned why I wanted to do such an active holiday instead of lying on a beach sipping cocktails. I’d been wondering that a little myself, but the truth is that sometimes we end up being more relaxed and refreshed once we change our state of mind.

That’s why I think doing a trip like the Camino was so cathartic. Not only were we walking through stunning landscapes that I have never experienced before but as we were trudging through farmlands, small villages and forests, we were thinking and talking and admiring the neatly-kept gardens, waving at the locals, and stopping to smell every rose that lined our route (there were a lot of them!).

There is something really special about being surrounded by the pared-back beauty of nature. Others we met agreed. I spoke to an American couple in their 70s who had been walking for 12 days straight. ‘We haven’t had any contact with the outside world,’ they exclaimed happily as they cruised into Santiago with us.

It is rare to find a route that is so beautifully isolating. As we walked, we talked — a form of nature therapy. On day one we chit-chatted and laughed, generally giddy that we didn’t have to change a single nappy. On day two we got a little deeper into it. We spoke about my friend’s illness and I opened up about my father’s sudden passing.

Talking at the trees and among the roses is surprisingly therapeutic. I don’t think I have had the headspace to think of nothing else in many, many years. I left tears along that route that I didn’t think I had left to shed.

We also laughed a lot, had a few interesting adventures and generally had a total head clearout that will stand to us both in the coming years.

Headspace

The grueling walk into Santiago was a killer. We walked 26km that last day and towards the end, we were flailing.

Just as we began to doubt our own ambition, we spotted the ladies from Bedford that we’d seen all along our route. They greeted us warmly and said that they’d waited for us so we could all finish the final 5km together. That generosity of spirit is something else I’ve taken from this experience.

I’d been so wrapped up in my own little world that I forgot just how lovely it is to bond with strangers over a shared adventure. In fact, all along the Camino – the level of goodwill and friendliness is extraordinary. Everyone wishes each other a ‘Buen Camino’ and even those who choose to cycle whizz past and, without fail, shout a ‘Buennn Caminooooo’ over their shoulder in greeting.

Along the way, it was back to basics at every level. Not only is the food simple and delicious in Galacia, the mere fact that your days are spent walking, eating and sleeping is quite lovely. There is just no room for anything else more complicated, and we vowed to bring that element home

We arrived in Santiago as a little unit of bedraggled women. Some older, some more experienced — but all mothers and all looking for a little inspiration from this journey to enhance their life at home.

The locals clapped as we hobbled into the city, hungry for ice-cream and searching for the telltale cathedral at the end of the narrow medieval streets. Once in the square, it was surprisingly emotional. More tears as we clapped each other on the back, ‘We did it’.

I can’t remember the last time someone said to me, ‘Well done – you’ve done an amazing job, you are amazing’. To have that sense of achievement is not only addictive but seriously needed. We spend our days doing everything possible to raise our little ones in the best way possible. We give and we give and we don’t expect any gratitude. Their smiles are our reward.

But to embark on a few days like this where you can get a little perspective on your daily life and feel really proud of all you have done is well worth it and highly recommended.

Practicalities

We flew with Aer Lingus who fly direct from Dublin to Santiago de Compostela at fares one way from €44.99. We booked with Camino Ways which organised getting our bags ahead to our accommodation each day meaning we just had a small rucksack to walk with during the day and they also provided all information on the routes. I’d advise bringing Compede for blisters, a large sunhat, and light walking boots.

We wore Merino wool socks which cost about €12.99 but were worth every penny. You can get your pilgrim passport stamped at every stop you make along the way at shops, cafés, and hotels.

The more stamps the better. Once you get your 100km on your book, you can get your certificate of Camino from the main square at Santiago when you arrive. It is a wonderful moment and a sign of a fantastic achievement.

Escapism

Doing something like this is a reminder that you have your own goals and sense of self. It is a physical challenge and it was some of the best therapy I’ve ever had.

It is something I’ve been delighted to have ticked off my bucket list but I’ve no doubt I’ll be back for more. It has made me a more patient person and a more focused mother.

I’ve made a pact with myself that I’ll learn to say no, I’ll now keep things in my life a little more simple and best of all, that I’ll always make time to stop and smell those roses.

Image via Unsplash.com 

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