While the global pandemic halted travel, I dreamt of spending weeks walking the Camino de Santiago through Spain. In early June , I finally made that dream a reality, following the Portuguese route from Porto to what is believed to be the resting place of St.
James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela during one of the busiest years on record. I had arrived hours before check-in but I prayed they could find me a room as soon as possible so I could get a much-needed shower, nap and food β in no particular order of priority. Though traveling by myself I was far from alone on this journey. The centuries-old religious pilgrimage route has always beckoned pilgrims but is doing so in record numbers this year, perhaps best illustrated by the fact that in my sorry state, as the desk clerk continued to work to find me a room, a guy in the lobby walked up to me to ask if I had just finished the Camino de Santiago.
How was it? Dating back to the 9th century, the Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to what is believed to be the final resting place of Saint James the Apostle. Though the length of each path is different, all are hundreds of miles long and eventually weave through Spain to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where you can visit the remains of the apostle.
On the day I arrived, the Oficina del Peregrino which issues the official Compostela certifying a pilgrim has completed the required kilometers for the pilgrimage, recorded pilgrims arriving. A spokesperson for the Cathedral told me that on some days this summer, the Oficina has issued more than 2, Compostelas, far outpacing any other years on record.
Which Camino de Santiago route is right for you in ? My personal intrigue about the Camino de Santiago first sparked in when I was living in Berlin. How wondrous would it be when the pandemic subsided to spend several weeks just walking across Europe, meeting strangers who would become new friends, staying in the Albergues and guest houses along the way.
