The Camino de Santiago is a challenge for anyone not used to walking. There are several routes on the pilgrim’s journey to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, and it’s a long trek whichever route you take. I’m not a walker. I mean, I walk to the shops or the station. I go for a walk on a nice day in the countryside that ends in tea and cake, but I’m not a backpack, proper boots, hiking person. I can’t remember why I decided that tackling a stretch of the Camino would be a good idea. But I do love making a plan and this presented a fine planning opportunity.
I decided to walk a stretch of the Camino del Norte, from Santander to Gijón, a distance of just over 200km. It’s more challenging than the French route, but more scenic, avoiding what looked like a very hilly stretch around Bilbao. Santander Cathedral was closed for repairs so I couldn’t get a stamp in my Camino passport, but I did spot the first of many Camino markers at my feet and set off – with more than a little trepidation.
Camino blues to start with
The outskirts of Santander are miserable on a Saturday morning in September – closed shops, a vast hospital, apartment blocks, roundabouts, an industrial estate and absolutely nowhere to buy snacks or get breakfast. So, at about 1.00 pm, I was relieved to spot a bar down a side road where I could get not only a late breakfast but a stamp in my Camino passport.
I set off refreshed, but my feet chose this point to let me know that I should have practised carrying a 6 kilo backpack as they were feeling the extra weight. This was an early lesson. First, keep your feet happy. Second, keep your stomach happy. Third, keep your body happy.
My first hostel was a delight. The cleanest place I have ever seen. Bunk beds, friendly company and a delicious supper with other pilgrims. When I woke up I learned another lesson. Most people set off just as it gets light. By 8.00 am, you will be alone. Upside of that, I felt free to pocket a couple of extra cakes from the buffet table, confident that everyone else had eaten their fill.
A drenching second day
My second night was in Santillana del Mar, a lovely old town where the caves decorated with prehistoric wall art are a major tourist attraction. It rained on the long walk up the hill into Santillana and my formerly reliable poncho chose that moment to start leaking at every seam. I arrived soaked to my underwear and the hostel – a former convent – was draped with the soaked clothing of other walkers. Most of the pilgrims here were young people, who all had stories to tell of the very difficult, hilly part of the Camino around Bilbao. I felt quietly smug that I had started in Santander!
I got up late because I was tired and soaked from the day before, but from that day, I fell into the routine. Get up early, carry a few snacks and water, buy a baguette for lunch when you see a bar, greet other pilgrims. Walk at your own speed. Sit and enjoy your surroundings when you feel like it.
A wonderful experience
The landscape changed frequently. Rural peace interspersed with hamlets or small towns. The sea came into view and disappeared but waves slamming into the cliffs or bays were a constant reminder of its closeness. Sometimes I could look down on it from a high cliff and see far ahead to my next destination. At other times I was down at sea level picking my way round a shadowy bay looking for the route out and up.
I walked by noisy roads, through crowded towns, by narrow streams, alongside a railway and under motorways on tall concrete towers.
My favourite stretches were when I could see the path winding ahead dotted with locals and pilgrims. Preferably with a little cloud cover, or even a light drizzle, to keep the fierce Spanish sun at bay.
The hostels were as varied as the scenery, from cheap and basic to elegant former mansions, in a city, in the countryside, in a town, or right on a beach.
I finished my walk in Gijón, as planned. I had enjoyed every minute – even the soaking, but perhaps not the chafed bottom (cured with nappy cream, since you ask). I talked to cows and lizards and came back proud of my achievement and already planning another walk.
All pictures by Nicola Watson
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