It is difficult to capture the experience lived during The Way of Saint James in a short post, but at least I will try to exemplify. On the one hand, the reasons that led me to do it, on the other the sensations I experienced and finally comment on places I went through and the attention received.
And why not, as an annex I would like to end with some advice that I consider appropriate for those who want to try this experience.
Reasons
The Way (Camino) I chose was The Primitive Way, first because it begins in my native land, Asturias, and the second because it is the first road that was made, was on the part of King Alfonso II leaving from Oviedo to reach Santiago de Compostela.
This distance today is made in approximately 13 stages, I could only do 8 stages, leaving from the small town of La Mesa.
There began the reasons why this Camino: personal challenge because I also did it alone, practice sports, enjoy nature (an incalculable asset), enjoy the local gastronomy, breathe fresh air, forget about the daily chores and why not, enjoy the historical fact of a historical Spain.
Sensations
Opposing feelings in many cases are those that one experiences during the Way.
Far and near. Tiredness and strength. Rain and sun Heaviness and lightness. Pain and health And so many other comparisons.
Of all the sensations experienced in those 8 days of the Camino I remain as I said before with breathing fresh air, being amazed by the landscapes, the silence and the sound of nature, the delights of the historic gastronomy of Asturias and Galicia. The hospitality of the people you meet. But above all, the memory that you have left of that first Camino that makes you want to repeat that experience every year.
Places
The truth is that of the places visited these days as you can be cultural sites, local bars in small towns, hostels, B&B, even a restaurant already in Santiago de Compostela.
I want to share with you the places that have left my mark: the hospitality and conversation of Kike, owner of the Hotel Nueva Allandesa and a loyal supporter of Real Oviedo (my hometown soccer team), the incredible Ethnographic Museum of Grandas de Salime, Manolo’s conversations at Hostel Casa Manolo, dinner in the Neireo Restaurant as if my grandmother had done it, the explanation of a very devoted lady of the imposing Cathedral of Lugo, the surprise of discovering on the march the Mesón de Crecente that delight of food and tradition, the luck of having dinner, sleep and breakfast in A Cantina with the conversation, education and attention of Darío, its owner.
The culmination of a foodie like the one that speaks to you took place in O Tobo do Lobo and the story of its young owner Miguel, a Chef with capital letters, what a good meal! In addition to a hostel very careful and ideal to rest after a few kilometers of the Camino.
Some advices
With these tips I do not think I will discover anything new to anyone, but they worked for me, and what less to share them:
- Sleep well every day
- Do not skimp on footwear and appropriate clothes to walk and save body heat. Good socks are as important as good footwear. They are a team.
- Carry the backpack grips on shoulders, chest and waist correctly.
- Drink water every 30 or 45 minutes.
- Eat something every hour and a half or two hours. Energy bars or sports gels are a good choice if you have nuts.
- Use cold creams to relax your legs once you shower after each stage, they will help you recover.
- Eat and enjoy the local cuisine, but if you get caught eating in the middle of the stage do not overdo it, but again, enjoy it!
- And above all, to get the shape, start training two or three months before. Do not underestimate the Camino, no matter how much you play sports or if you think you are in shape, it is a different activity to which you have to accustom your body to avoid overloads, tendinitis or other ailments.
- And the last thing, watch everything you see along the Camino is the greatest learning and at the same time relaxation that you can have.
