Camino de Santiago

Day 1

On Wednesday after class I left for the Sevilla airport to start my Camino de Santiago. The Camino is a pilgrimage in the north of Spain that began in the 9th century, where Christians from all over Europe would make the journey to visit the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. There are different routes to do the Camino, but I only had a long weekend to complete it so I opted for the English route which is shorter. I have wanted to visit Galicia for several years, since I learned about the natural beauty, culture, and agriculture there in my Spanish classes in Platteville. On Wednesday night I flew from Sevilla to Barcelona, where I slept in the airport. I only got about three hours of sleep, then flew to A Coruña where I would start the Camino. It was a beautiful and warm day, which was unusual for November in Galicia. I ended up walking about 11 miles in the first day, before arriving at the bed and breakfast that I booked for the night. It was the off season for the Camino, so the normal hostels and housing options were closed and I had to find places to stay ahead of time. The bed and breakfast was gorgeous and I ordered dinner there since I was exhausted from the walking and lack of sleep. I got a burrata salad, croquetas, and cheesecake for dessert, which was all delicious.

Day 2

I slept almost 11 hours and then felt much more prepared for my second day of walking. The first 6 miles were at a pretty steep incline, but the views were amazing. I loved the mix of landscapes on this day. I walked through cute little villages, farmland with the famous blonde cows and sheep, and woodlands. The whole Camino has beautiful churches and little monuments throughout, to give pilgrims a place to rest, relax, and enjoy the views. I realized about 13 miles into the hike that my data stopped working, so I had no way to contact anyone. I picked up the pace and ended up walking 20.5 miles before arriving at my hotel for the night. I finally connected to the Wi-Fi and could let everyone know that I made it! I had dinner at the restaurant that was attached to the hotel. I had a calamari sandwich and a local pork dish called zorza, which the owner recommended. The food was wonderful and just what I needed after a long day of walking.

Day 3

The next morning I returned to the restaurant for breakfast, where I had cafe con leche and toast with tomato. I began my last day of walking in the rain, and it drizzled for most of the weekend. I stopped in one town along the hike where I picked up a croissant and a sandwich for lunch. The last day had a lot more rural areas, especially in trails through the woods. After walking about 18 miles, I finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela! I made my way down some steps, took a left, and there was the cathedral. The architecture was beautiful and there were lots of other pilgrims in the square celebrating the end of the Camino. I felt so proud to have finished and fulfilled a goal of mine, and I ended up walking over 45 miles. I want to return to Spain to do one of the longer routes of the Camino de Santiago a different time for even more of a challenge, and more time to enjoy the beauty of Galicia!