Finding ‘The Way’ on the Camino Trail

BY JACKY HAYLER

Ahiking holiday is not usually our go-to choice of how to spend our time away from work. The most walking we usually do on holiday is a sunset stroll on the beach or a quick nip to the local taverna.

However, when a friend said they were hiking the Camino Trail and asked us to join him on the last leg of his journey we were intrigued.

The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, is a renowned pilgrimage of medieval origin that sees pilgrims journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in the northwest of Spain.

Due to the enduring popularity of the Camino de Santiago and the many Camino routes they have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.

Today, more than a pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago is a unique experience and trip of a lifetime, with its routes attracting thousands of people from all over the world.

The wonderful Chemin du Puy, starting in breath-taking Le Puy-en-Velay in France, is the most popular of the Camino de Santiago routes from France. It joins up with the Camino Frances, the most popular route in Spain, at Saint-Jean-Pied de Port on the French side of the Pyrenees.

At 736km in length, this is one of the longest Camino routes but as with all of the ways, it can be broken into short, manageable sections. On average you would need at least four to five weeks to complete the full walk.

My friend took the experience very seriously, training before he went, complete with his backpack. Having recently retired from a stressful job and not sure where life was about to take him, he opted to walk alone, just him, the road ahead and his thoughts for the future.

A very friendly chap he quickly got talking to fellow walkers and exchanged stories and experiences. He also documented his walk on Facebook so friends and family back home could follow his progress.

Some days were a ‘quick’ 18km on flat terrain while others were a more challenging 30km. The route took him to

Pamplona, where he got talking to a nun who allowed him to climb to the top of a church and ring the bells. Santo Domingo was where he got talking to a father and son and shared the day with them. He said the connections he made on the way will stay with him forever.

Leon was a vibrant city where he had a couple of rest days and made the most of that time. But it was his arrival at the rock pile near El Cebo that was the most emotional. It is ‘a place where you can speak to your sins, remember lost loved ones and think of your hopes and dreams for the future’. It is immortalised in the film The Way where someone is quoted as saying “You don’t choose a life; you live a life.”

We met up with him in Arzúa and it was quite an emotional reunion as his wife joined him again after six weeks. Whereas he had opted for hostels on the way, sharing a room full of bunk beds with strangers, we opted for slightly more up market digs.

When we finally met up we almost didn’t recognise him with six weeks’ worth of beard growth. The next day we set off on our first leg and enjoyed the morning, stopping off at a charming roadside cafe for breakfast. I think what struck me most was the camaraderie of our fellow walkers who wished each other a ‘Buen Camino’ on the way.

The afternoon turned wetter, and we arrived at our accommodation bedraggled but pleased with our progress. The route is far easier to follow than I realised. Stone markers guide the way with how many Kilometres you have to go. In between there are scallop shells which are the symbol of the Camino. The shell is a metaphor as the lines symbolise all the different routes you can follow that all converge on Santiago di Compostela.

The next day was better weather and we set off excited for the last leg. Ev- ery day Blaine had to get a passport stamped to prove he had walked the whole way. As we approached Santiago it seemed to go on forever - but walking into the square with the cathedral at its centre was quite emotional. Pilgrims were cheering and celebrating, congratulating each other on their achievement and taking photographs as a lasting memory.

Blaine had to go to the office to receive his Compostela or certificate. Again this was very moving - having recently retired for him the walk had been a journey of discovery, thinking back on his career and looking to the future.

We had a day to discover Santiago before returning to the UK and it was amazing how many people we bumped into that Blaine had met on the way. There was a real feeling of celebration.

We were very proud of his achievement (800 km in six weeks) and after just a couple of days we know we could not have done it - but we are honoured that we were invited to share just the last few days with our best friends.