This summer we decided to do the Camino de Santiago as a holiday. Hahaha! Before assuming that we walked hundreds of kilometers, take a breath. We did the most famous part of the Camino Francés, the one starting in Sarria and ending, of course, in Santiago de Compostela.
I will tell you all about it, but first… press the play button and listen to this song while you continue reading this:
Ok, so back to my experience on Camino de Santiago. 😀 We started our first stage in Sarria at the beginning of August, during the heatwave that hit Spain. We planned to do the 115km in 6 days (most of the people do the distance in 5 days), but because we were not in our best shape, we thought it would be better like this. And we were not wrong!
Our first 22 km were really interesting, we were pretty energized and happy to start this challenge. Later, as the days passed, we did not feel as good, but the excitement of this camino coming to an end kept us walking. My body got used to the rhythm of the Camino pretty fast – wake up, walk, rest, repeat. I even started to enjoy the heavy breathing and all the uphill climbs… though I won’t lie, there were moments when I thought: What is the purpose of all this?
We started the first day at 6:30 in the morning, but as the days went by, with the heat and the challenges of the camino hitting harder, we decided to start earlier and earlier. By the last day, we were already walking by 5:00 in the morning. I definitely recommend starting earlier (although there were some parts, in the forest, where I was happy I wasn’t alone) and use the second part of the day to recover, sleep and enjoy the Galician food.
By starting early, the weather was nicer. The trails were emptier (especially in August, when thousands of pilgrims are on the Camino). And we walked at our rhythm without feeling part of a constant competition.
In another article I will be sharing my thoughts on the “learnings” of the Camino, but until that article is ready, I just want to share how I felt about the experience overall. I started this challenge as a way to prove to myself that I can do most things I set my mind to. And honestly, I’m (still) so proud of myself and of my partner for finishing these 115km. Even though we didn’t walk the full Camino Francés (the one that starts in France and has almost 800 km), for us, two pretty sedentary people, this was a huge achievement.
For me, the Camino wasn’t some life-changing experience that completely shifted my worldview or gave me all the answers. But it was something that grounded me. We were so focused on walking, on finishing each stage, on reaching that final point, that the day after we completed it, we both felt a bit empty, like we had suddenly lost our objective.
But at the same time, I felt accomplished. Like a small part of me had proven to the rest that I’m stronger than I thought. And that’s something I’ll carry with me much longer than the hardest part.
And the best part? I did this with my partner. Even though I had (secretly) imagined we’d end up arguing or walking separately (because, in all honesty, it’s a lot of hours together, tired and sweaty), I’m genuinely proud of us. We supported each other, stayed kind even when it got hard, and we used the time to both talk and to walk in silence.