The Camino Pilgrimage route has been used for centuries by people of all walks of life to reach the supposed final resting place of Saint James. From the middle ages into modern day, countless footsteps have wound through fields and villages, crossed roads and streams and climbed mountains. During spring break, it was our turn to walk the path.
After our flight to Madrid was delayed, when we landed in Spain we had missed our flight to Santiago (even though that is the ending point, we had to fly there then take a bus to our starting town). Our chaperones, Ms. Geiger and Dr. S, were able to get us tickets to the regional train though, and we were on our way again. After some much needed rest on the train and the bus, we finally reached Sarria, our starting town.
The next day was our first day of walking. We woke up very early and groggily got breakfast, still very jet lagged. It was rainy and cold, which was not very fun to walk in, but still we soldiered on. By the time we stopped at a cafe for warm drinks and a snack, we were all soaking wet. Despite the weather not being ideal, we started to learn how the Camino brings people together. We met a man from Colombia who was backpacking the route, and kept running into a group of boisterous British high school students, whom we dubbed “The Lads.” As we reached the end of the day, cold and tired, we were still in good spirits.
The second day of walking was much less rainy. We were set to walk sixteen miles that day, which went by in a flash. Along the way, we sang nearly every song we all knew, largely including the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, along with most of the Hadestown soundtrack (which was a running theme for the journey). Additionally, we ran into another horde of The Lads along the way, carrying a speaker and singing songs out loud. It was experiences like these of singing together through the uphills and rain which made the journey as special as it was. One of the coolest parts of the day was when our path took us by the ruins of a Roman fort. Perched on a hill overlooking fields covered in purple and yellow flowers, the crumbling stones were covered in moss and lichen. We stopped for about 15 minutes, taking photos and wandering around the ruins. As we reached our next town for the night, Palas de Rei, we all immediately crashed into bed before going out to dinner. After watching a gorgeous sunset, we went to sleep to prepare for yet another day.
The upcoming day would be our longest and most grueling, but in some ways, it was one of our favorites, if not our favorite day. This day was characterized by a feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie, as we all struggled and pushed through the day side by side, singing and joking along the way. The hardest part of this day was the one and a half mile uphill right at the end of the day, but with our determination, we managed to not only make it up the hill, but make it up the hill singing Hadestown songs as well. At dinner, Henry and Jackson played a chess game, which Jackson ultimately lost after banter on both sides. Finally, with feelings of exhaustion and pride, we went to bed for a well-deserved rest.
Tuesday was a shorter hike, but also a great experience. We had a great lunch in Spain’s gorgeous weather, came across a few dogs and farm animals, and enjoyed each other’s company. That night we went to bed, excited for our next and last hiking day until we reached the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.
Wednesday morning was characterized by a mixture of excitement and nervousness to complete our journey. During the twelve-mile hike to the cathedral, the naturally varying environment around us changed more than it usually did. Near the end of our hike, we arrived at the city of Santiago de Compostela, much more urban than anywhere we had previously been. There we had some delicious churros and later found some shops that we would visit later. As we approached the cathedral, excitement rose among us, until finally we turned a tall corner and came face-to-face with the cathedral itself. The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was gorgeous! Its intricate architecture, sheer size, and incredible age were marvelous to take in. We sat in the plaza in front of the cathedral and took in the view. Here, we also left the rocks that we were carrying to symbolize the end of our journey, and a few of us left our hiking sticks that we had picked up. After basking in the cathedral’s splendor, we went to our hotel, rested for a while, and after a quick dinner, went to bed.
The next day, we planned to explore the city for a bit. Santiago de Compostela itself is a splendid place, filled with many more historical sites than just the cathedral, and also many shops where we could pick up gifts. In the morning, we sat through the pilgrim’s mass, which was interesting despite the fact that none of us spoke Spanish well enough to comprehend it. However, all of our attention was grabbed when they began to lower a huge, silver censer, hanging on a massive rope from the roof. A band of clergymen amassed around a pulley and began pulling down on it to swing the massive censer down the long hallways of the cathedral. The sight was miraculous. We all felt very lucky to have gone and witnessed this event, which we learned did not happen every mass. Afterwards, a tour guide explained some of the history of the cathedral, which was interesting to hear about, and where we learned a few things about the cathedral’s history.
Finally, the last day came. We woke up in the morning, feeling bittersweet to be leaving each other so soon. However, feelings of gratitude and fulfillment for making it across this whole journey still prevailed. Inevitably, we went to the airport and traveled back home after a wonderful and hard to forget journey. A journey that would not have been half as rewarding without the people who went on it, and the great companionship and kindness that Dr. S and Ms. Geiger provided. And ultimately, a journey highlighted by strengthened friendships and, also a lot of Hadestown songs, but one that we will never forget.
