Last month, I completed The Camino del Norte (Northern Way), one of the several routes of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. It was in fact my second Camino after completing Camino Frances (French Way) a year ago. This time, I did it together with my wife and we covered a total of 345km across three regions in the Northern part of Spain, starting in Cantabria, followed by Asturias and finishing in Galicia. It is worth mentioning the official or main route of Camino del Norte starts in the Basque Country and covers over 820km. The reality is, similar to the pilgrims from centuries ago, no matter which route you take or how many kilometers you do, the pilgrimage starts the moment we leave our home.
Walking The Camino is a wonderful and memorable experience. Although it has been traditionally known as a Christian pilgrimage, The Camino offers numerous reasons for people to live it. It’s a physical challenge by itself. It’s an opportunity to unwind, reflect and decompress from the daily routine. It can be a spiritual retreat. It is a cultural trip. What better way to explore a country and immerse into its traditions than visiting on foot some of its remote corners, its fishing villages, medieval towns, farmer lands or its hidden sandy beaches; explore its gastronomy by eating different local food each day, meet people from different backgrounds while enjoying a near perfect weather under perpetual sunny days. Whatever the reasons might be, doing The Camino is a kind of painfully exhausting but pleasant and fulfilling holidays, that makes you feel good about yourself and hunger for a similar adventure.
Having done it twice, I thought in outlining this time what I consider the most important takeaways.
The Camino Is A Metaphor Of Life
Describing the Camino is quite personal. There can be numerous adjectives that are associated with our own individual’s reasons in why doing it in the first place. Yet, when I heard the priest at the Cathedral of Santiago saying the Camino is a metaphor of life, I thought that was the most convincing and appropriate representation. The Camino teaches us so many things that resembles our lives, aspects like we got to move forward, we face adversity, tolerance, kindness, we set goals that make us reach new destinations, or we are reminded the path is never a straight line. The similarities are astonishing.
Throughout the journey we constantly move forward following the yellow arrows that indicates the route to Santiago. There is no going back. There might be alternative routes, a steep climb, a long stretch by the asphalt road, or one may decide to have a day off to rest, or come back to resume it the following year. These are all examples the path just as life, is never in a straight line. We face adversity when walking such long distances for consecutive days while carrying a 7-10kg backpack. It strains the whole body. Tiredness accumulates, the feet hurt, blisters appear and the soreness level makes the body collapse the moment you find a bed. None of these hinder the goal of reaching Santiago. Adversity and desperation might arise when it’s nearly impossible finding a place where to sleep or when there is no more water and the next town is 8km away.
The Camino throws at you these experiences all at once. It’s an opportunity to reinvigorate our own way in life. The Camino is long, challenging and full of surprises and it perfectly symbolises the journey of life.
Embrace Simplicity
Perhaps it’s age that gives a different perspective. Perhaps it’s the desire to escape from an ultra-connected world driven by excessive consumption. Or perhaps there is a natural regression in our lives to enjoy less complexity, less noise, less distractions. Embracing and appreciating the simple things in life becomes essential for our wellbeing and happiness. The Camino demonstrates that through every single moment. Whether is a sunset by the beach, a scenic cliff landscape, the plain fields, or the solitude of a hiking trail; these are all simple things to appreciate that will satiate the spirit and fill up our enthusiasm.
Unwind and contemplate the things that lay in front of us. It’s ok to slow down and unplug from the daily routine. Carrying only a backpack, wearing the same clothes for nearly three weeks and worrying only about covering basic needs, makes me compelled to reflect on the notion of ‘the more we have the more worry and unhappy we become’. As Matej, our host in the ‘albergue’ of Colombres, Asturias would say in one of the photos hanging in the house; “The primary cause of unhappiness is never really the situation but your thoughts about it”.
Live In The Present
Nowadays there seems to be a constant pervasive pursuit for doing things fast. Moving fast, eating fast, delivering faster. This same fast pace environment tends to prevent us from living and enjoying the present. The Camino is a reminder of how important is to enjoy the moment. The walk’s final goal is reaching Santiago de Compostela, it might take 3 to 4 weeks to some while others might prefer to do pieces of it every year. Regardless of the completion time, the real pleasure and enjoyment comes from the journey without focusing too much in the final destination and what lies ahead. As many locals and fellow pilgrims would say; “poco a poco” or bit by bit, this expression means more than going slowly.
Mental Toughness
Without a doubt the physical challenge of walking The Camino cannot be overlooked. It might be only walking but it’s a strenuous activity to the body. There is a constant pounding into your feet with every stride which is only exasperated with the additional weight of the backpack. It is not suitable for everyone. Being physically active and in good shape should be considered the minimum requirement. Yet the most important aspect is to have the right mindset. Something that pushes the limits to keep going. Setting a goal helps to create a mental framework. The goal becomes the impulse that makes us keep going forward. Maintaining optimism, good mood and engaging with others are other ways to feed the mental framework and immunise the mind against the physical struggle. Throughout The Camino there are multiple obstacles and challenges that build resilience and feed our mental toughness.
Avoid Judging
It’s undoubtedly hard trying not to be led by first impressions, appearances. Prejudices and stereotypes are quite common that guide or misguide people’s thoughts and actions. Although there are efforts to suppress this gradually, it might still remain in some unconsciously. The Camino brings people together. Here we are all pilgrims. There are no categories, rankings or hierarchies. It doesn’t matter the background, education or country of origin. Whether you walk ‘only’ 20km, or 35km, walk bare foot, we are all pilgrims. We connect with others by walking towards a common goal. It quickly becomes into a community. The Camino helps to treat everyone equally and serves as a reminder to avoid judging others.
Empathy
Walking the Camino de Santiago brings people together. Pilgrims from all over the world find a sense of connection between each other thanks to a common goal. The reasons and motivations might be different but the bond increases as we accumulate more mileage. Through The Camino, we find common ground with others in multiple ways. For instance, by sharing the same physical struggles of walking 30km, by asking the weight of the backpack, asking for directions, or by staying in the same ‘albergue’. There are also those implicit Camino rules such as; saying “Buen Camino” to other fellow pilgrims, avoiding turning the lights on of the whole dormitory while others already sleeping, being sensible with the use of music and respecting others quiet, reflecting times, solitude. The understanding is high and what The Camino teaches is a reminder that empathy is a powerful feeling that helps relating to others.
Sitting at Praza de Obradoiro brings a sense of fulfilment and joy. The square in front of the Cathedral congregates dozens of pilgrims. All celebrate with cheers and hugs. It marks the culmination of the Camino de Santiago. Its learnings and lessons are quite valuable. Yet the experiences and moments lived through the journey are invaluable. The wish is that more people can experience this adventure. We cannot wait for the next one.