It’s not every day that you find yourself inadvertently ticking something off that’s been on your bucket list for decades, but that’s what happened when I decided to go for a long walk along the beautiful Spanish Northern coast. “Camino de Santiago” has always conjured up images of weary pilgrims in sturdy hiking boots with heavy backpacks, relying on dormitories in passing monasteries to rest their aching feet – somehow I could never bring myself to spend a holiday in this way. However, the intrigue of walking amid glorious scenery and joining others with a common goal of reaching Santiago de Compostela had always piqued my interest. Fortunately for me, when I decided to go for a proper hike along the North coast, I simply couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across a sign showing that I was actually walking it; my belief that the best way to roadtrip is to plan the big stuff, while allowing the rest of it to unfold and enjoy the experiences that come about as a result had just been well and truly reinforced.

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This leg of the journey started with Gloria being picked up from her parking spot – it was so close to the Vigo runway that I could have practically walked off the plane and opened her door!

Despite having been all the way to Los Angeles, the new post-pandemic rosters mean that the trip is completed in only 3 days; totally exhausting, but I’m so grateful to still be employed and, since the US is still not open, I am able to make full use of the extra days off between trips to undertake this adventure. Feeling tired, I headed straight for the beach for an invigorating swim and then a wander around Illa da Toxa. The clam pickers were quite a sight, but the real sight was when they came in – I was stunned to see that every single one of them was a woman. Not sure how that became woman’s work?!

Santiago de Compostela, in the top north-west corner of the country, is the capital of Galicia and the climax of several pilgrimage routes or “caminos” from all over Europe. Entering the granite flagstoned old town full of quaint winding streets, little did I know that I was about to experience this extraordinary city during its annual festival or ‘Festas do Apóstolo‘. Luck was definitely on my side as, unbelievably, it was a Festival that takes place every 6 years because, if St James’ Day falls on a Sunday, it is known as a holy or xacabeo year.

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In fact, my first view of the huge cathedral was whilst following the sound of live music (yes, I prefer ambling around new places exploring and sometimes getting delightfully lost rather than be a slave to a map!) and, on rounding a corner, coming across a square all set up for a concert later that evening. Being a huge fan of live music, I simply couldn’t believe my luck and got chatting to a French girl sitting on the steps who confirmed that the concert was open to all. After hearing her story, it became obvious why she was sitting down; it turned out that she had walked all the way from France. Yes, walked!! I had time to go and explore the unique aura of this city some more before the concert started and was really taken by the enormous Plaza, having the cathedral as a stunning backdrop. It was also a fascinating people-watching spot as there was such an array of different pilgrims, most sporting special neckscarfs, wooden walking sticks and identifiable by the large shell strung on their enormous backpacks.

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After some tapas and a glass of red wine (an essential part of the experience, seeing as the city is also known for its culinary excellence), I headed back to the concert. The whole day had been full of beautiful surprises but nothing surprised me more than the music on offer……trendy Spanish rap artists, athletically prancing around the stage pushing out some hardcore, slightly ear-splitting hiphop-type ‘music’ (am I sounding like a real mum here??!).

After waking up from an extremely long night’s sleep (see: LA in 3 days, by way of explanation😵), I walked back into the old town from Gloria’s resting space in the University quarter of the city. I couldn’t come all this way without seeing inside the famous cathedral, so lined up with a bunch of hobbling pilgrims and spent some quiet time inside this huge building, gazing at the ornate golden altar and lighting a candle for a precious loved one. Looking up, there was shiny orb called a botafumeiro (censer or thurible for those in the know) which weighs about 100kgs and takes eight men (tiraboleiros) to set in motion. Hanging from the central cupola of the Cathedral, it swings majestically through the nave, apparently reaching speeds of 42 mph through the transepts (felt like I was encountering a whole new language here). Dispensing incense, it’s purpose was not just a religious on , but also to drown out the smell of the pilgrims after their long journey on foot!

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Much as I would like to have seen this in action, I couldn’t quite bring myself to sit through an entire mass in another language so continued on, but not before noticing that there were several priests available for Confession. The signs before them showed their different languages, really demonstrating how this is such a multi-national meeting place. Fascinated by how this cathedral became such a shrine, I spent some time investigating and discovered that Santiago is actually a derivation of St James (James can be Diego in Spanish); it is thought that the remains of St James, one of the 12 disciples, lies in the crypt at the centre. The fact that he was killed in Jerusalem, apparently making the solo journey there in a boat mysteriously made of stone, along with the bones being carbon-dated to a few hundred years after his death makes for a real leap of faith. Without wishing to offend, I think I’ll leave it there, but if you are interested in discovering more, then this article sums it up well. However, what I will say is that whatever the background behind the origin of this extraordinary place of worship, it really fulfils a need in humanity to have a place of beauty and calm – perhaps we all need to have our own pilgrimage destination?!

The remaining few days of my journey along the Northern coast were spent in gorgeous little villages with stunning beaches, all with the backdrop of sheer granite cliffs. The day generally started with a swim in the bay followed by an al fresco shower, a big long hike and seeking out a nice bar for a drink – mainly in that order, otherwise I’d never drive anywhere! The time on the road itself was a real pleasure, as it was breathtakingly sandwiched between huge mountains on the right and waves crashing onto cliffs on the left. Spain is incredibly well set-up for motorhomes, with most villages having an area dedicated for them and most large towns having places to empty the “potty” (not the most glamorous side of life on the road!) and fill up with water. So, yet another week had been spent wild camping all the way, my most spectacular spot being just below a lighthouse on a point. The UK could really learn from this approach!

Not being a great ‘tourist’, I did make one detour into the town of Oviedo, a walled medieval city and am so glad that I did, as I had a lovely stroll through its narrow renovated streets. I must have arrived at a popular eating time (3pm? 🤔), as all the outdoor tables at the numerous restaurants seemed to be overflowing with hungry locals and tourists consuming delicious-looking food and wine. Now this is definitely a town I’d like to come back and explore (mainly with my sense of taste!). It makes me realise that, up until now, I have been one of those 99% of English people who have only ever been to the Southern part of Spain – such a waste, as the North of Spain is simply unbeatable with fewer crowds, more atmosphere and incredible food (although, you’d have to add more rain to that list!).

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As for walking the Camino de Santiago – is that still on my bucket list? (I can’t really claim to have completed the pilgrimage having just spent one day on it – but I must have walked a long way, considering that my taxi ride back to Gloria cost more than my ticket back to London!!). Well, in its favour, it’s stunningly beautiful and would make a fascinating quest……..

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…….but the thought of walking for days on end with a heavy backpack and sleeping in a monastery???! No, I think that I’ll let Gloria’s rubber boots, comfortable top bunk and 2300 litres of beating heart transport me whilst I gaze at the views and pick my moments for a short stroll on the Camino……for now, that is 🤔

Thoughts so far:

• Santiago de Compostela’s Cathedral is one of only three churches built over the burial chamber of an apostle of Jesus – the other two are in Chennai, India and the Vatican City

• The botafumeiro is 1.5 meters in height which makes it one of the largest thuribles in the world!

• There are 9 official Camino trails. The longest one starts in France, before traversing the Pyrenees and continuing through the La Rioja wine region. A mere 800kms!

• I need a new bucket as my one obviously has a hole in it……every time I experience one item on its list, a few more creep onto it!