Sylvia Trench steps out on a personal pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella – for Musequality

The words tumbled out of my mouth: “I’m going to walk the Camino de Santiago on my own in June”. For a seriously indecisive Libran this was totally out of character. A walk of 500 miles for someone who has never walked more than five? At least it would be different – and it could be fun.
 
Traditionally, the Camino is an ancient Christian pilgrim route across northern Spain from the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostella, and the shrine of St James (Sant Iago). Today it is a path walked by thousands of people with a variety of religious or spiritual beliefs.
 
My first evening was spent in St Jean Pied de Port at the foot of the Pyrenees in France, a beautiful town buzzing with excited pilgrims. I was ushered into a dormitory with five Irish men, Mick from Australia and Eva from Lapland. I slept like a log with my earplugs in and heard nothing of the Irish and Mick who slipped away at 5am.
 
The first day was one of the longest and perhaps the most memorable. The higher we climbed, the more dramatic the scenery. I struck up a lasting friendship with Christine from Belgium. Arriving after a steep descent, at the ancient monastery of Roncesvalles, we presented our pilgrim passports and paid a modest sum for a bed for the night. These passports were proof of an honest pilgrim and, with enough stamps, entitle pilgrims to receive a certificate in Latin (a compostella) at Santiago.
 
The weather was unseasonally cold and wet. My trainers became soaked and mud squelched between my toes. However, spirits were high and there were bars along the route for sustenance, shelter and warmth.
 
Evenings were fun. After claiming a bed, showering, washing clothes, and attending to feet, I’d go to the nearest bar for a three course Pilgrim menu – plenty of wine included – and swap stories with fellow pilgrims. Mornings began with a dawn chorus of rustling – as pilgrims packed bags and plastered blisters ready for another day.
 
The route took us through rolling wooded hills and ancient towns and villages, up steep climbs to the high plains of the meseta, past flourishing vineyards, into great cities, and finally into Santiago with its magnificent cathedral where a daily mass welcomed new pilgrims.
 
I walked about 15 miles a day for 33 days and, luckily, had no blisters. The abundant, colourful, wild flowers were my inspiration and birdsong my only music – apart from some plain chant in monasteries, a CD of Telemann in one bar and, oh yes, Irish music and a few bagpipes in Galicia.
 
The Camino holds a special energy and people return to it time and time again. I can see why, and maybe I will do the same. For now I’m enjoying being home with many wonderful memories, happy that Musequality has a little more money to help it take another step along the way. Step by step we can all conquer mountains.