Faced with torrential rain our plans to tour the north coast of Spain were rapidly revised to setting off in a southernly direction away from dark forbidding clouds. Our first stop was at a campsite 6km outside Pamplona, the Ezcaba, which left much to be desired as mentioned earlier. Camping in the rain is no fun, particularly when the campsite you’re staying in is dreary, waterlogged and overpriced.

 

After a restless night kept awake by rain and thunderstorms we set off next morning to visit a hotel on the route of the Camino de Compostella de Santiago recommended by a dear friend of ours who stayed there when walking the Camino. The Hotel Akerreta, an 18^th century converted farmhouse in the Basque region (12km from Pamplona) was delightful and we were so enchanted it was quickly decided to forsake Brenda and spend the night in a warm, comfortable and dry room (thank you Matt).

www.hotelakerreta.com

Inspired by seeing the pilgrims we decided to cycle to Pamplona on the route for pilgrims on bikes, unfortunately barely 2 kms into the cycle I developed a puncture and pushing our bikes we joined the narrow, steep pilgrims’ path and made our way to the nearest rest stop where hopefully we could repair the puncture. Having no luck at the rest house, we left our bikes there and joined the other pilgrims on foot to follow the Camino!

According to the 12^th century manuscript Codex Calixtinus, ’The pilgrim route is a very good thing, but it is narrow. For the road which leads us to life is narrow; on the other hand, the road which leads to death is broad and spacious. The pilgrim route is for those who are good: it is the lack of vices, the thwarting of the body, the increase of virtues, pardon for sins, sorrow for the penitent, the road of the righteous, love of the saints, faith in the resurrection and the reward of the blessed, a separation from hell, the protection of the heavens. It takes us away from luscious foods, it makes gluttonous fatness vanish, it restrains voluptuousness, constrains the appetites of the flesh which attack the fortress of the soul, cleanses the spirit, leads us to contemplation, humbles the haughty, raises up the lowly, loves poverty..’……so off we set!

Why do people walk the Camino? Many take up this route as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth. Some walk for spiritual reasons, some for the challenge, some for the opportunity to walk in beautiful countryside, some to get away from the more materialistic elements of life were varied others walking the same path, and and the reasons why, inspiring and humbling. People come from all over the world to walk the Camino.

It’s difficult to describe the qualities of all the pilgrims we met en route. The sense of camaraderie and the connection between walkers was immediate despite the many varied reasons why people were walking the Camino.   This connection with others on the same path is surely what makes the Camino so special.

We met Christians, a Muslim from Niger, an artist on his third Camino who paints beautiful watercolours of places along the way, an Australian violinist currently playing with the Norwegian State Orchestra. A couple from America whose husbands’ health is deteriorating with Usher’s Syndrome and who are raising money to support medical research into the disease. Whatever the reason the friendliness and compassion we experienced was inspirational and next year we too will be walking the Camino.

What is the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James)? Briefly it is the name of any of the pilgrimage routes to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages.   The symbol of the Camino de Santiago is the scallop shell and is seen frequently along the way to guide pilgrims. Many pilgrims wear the shell identifying themselves as walking the Camino

Apart from spiritual enlightenment the Catholic Church, who employ a system of rituals to atone for sin, known as penance, used pilgrimages as a suitable form of expiation for those guilty of certain sins. Apparently, there is still a tradition in Flanders of pardoning and releasing one prisoner every year] under the condition that this prisoner walks to Santiago wearing a heavy backpack, accompanied by a guard.

We arrived in Pamplona, tired, with aching feet but having an incredible sense of achievement. We walked over the medieval bridge of Mary Magdalene, walked between the old fortifications and entered the medieval city over an ancient drawbridge. We reached the Plaza del Castillo, the main square in the city, which once housed a bull ring; we sat in Café Iruna, once frequented by Earnest Hemmingway and drank their famous hot chocolate, a thick syrupy extremely cholocatey sweet drink which needed a spoon to get it down.

A bus journey back to Larrasoana and a wonderful supper sitting with pilgrims from France, Switerland and Australia in a small bar which catered for pilgrims and then Joseph, the landlord of the Akerreta very kindly took us back to the hotel, to a hot bath and a comfortable, warm and dry bed (thank you again Matt).

My Fitbit gave me a ‘slam dunk’ (whatever that is?) for walking in exccess of 26K steps and walking over 19km. Did we also get a plenary indulgence?