Buen Camino !
The phrase became an everyday fixture in our daily interaction . It proved to be the bridge in language which connected pilgrims of ranging nationalities . As I reflect on the journey , I can say with confidence that it has taught me a great deal about myself and my dealings with others . A deeper appreciation for the world at large is something which I believe I have obtained . Personally , I also find that it has instilled a certain confidence , whether it be subconscious or otherwise , which I hadn ’ t possessed before . It is funny to think that the cause of all these improvements and developments , came about at the expense of tired legs and a few blisters . Regardless , the power of the Camino could be felt from the very beginning . It was approximately six a . m . on a Saturday . The morning of departure and also the beginning of easter holidays . The meetings we had months prior with the two teachers , Mr Hussey and Mr Lynch , and Principal Dr Jordan , had all been in preparation for this moment . Before we boarded the bus Mr Hussey supplied us each with our own personal diary , with which we would recount our thoughts and daily experiences , something which I found of great use during periods of downtime . The eventual journey to Santiago proved to be a lot longer than I had bargained for . Consisting of a bus trip to Dublin , a plane to Santiago and a bus to Sarria ( a small rural village ). All through this period of travelling however , I couldn ’ t stop wondering what was in store for the the twelve students , who had decided to partake in this rather unconventional school outing . What was the motivation behind their decision ? Was I even aware of my own motivation ? Were these questions even important ? All would be answered in due course .
Retrieving my bag from the bus , which had taken us to our hotel for the the night , I was hit with a sudden realisation that we had finally come to the stage of commencing our journey . All the preparation , or lack of on my part , had led to this . I looked around at the group and finally understood that I would be spending more or less every minute of the next week with them . Some of the participants I am already very good friends with , but a few of them , I hadn ’ t had much interaction with . The very fact that the school principal , who was already an avid walker , was going to be spending everyday with us , was , initially quite strange . This period of apprehension would fade a couple of hours later . We all went to bed in anticipation .
Morning came . It was time . The camino , the walk of many pilgrims before us , about to begin . Expectation could be felt within the group . Energies were high and there was a positive mood evident throughout the soon to be pilgrims . It was early in the morning , approximately 7 a . m . and fog still consumed the skies of Sarria . Just before we began our walk , we were gathered as a group around a set of stairs which would lead us to begin our voyage . Here Mr Hussey held our first reflection , he spoke about the importance of the journey and the enjoyment which he hoped we would find in it . Relaying his sentiments through literary passages . The journey had begun ! We found ourselves being subjected to what could only be described as god like imagery in the form of the Spanish countryside . In these initial moments and for the rest of the days walking , this scenery proved to have a deep effect on me . It would have been something which I would have taken for granted before arriving in Spain but it was something which I had grown a deep respect for upon departing . This overbearing fog was common place in the mornings . It could be seen for just about all of the rest of the days walking . This was not a negative thing however as it supplied the group of pale skinned Irish with a break from the glorious heat of the Spanish sun , which would begin to rear its head around midday . Factor forty
BELLTIME
sun block was in regular rotation ! A great deal of walking ensued for the first two days ( it is the Camino after all !), the most of our ground would have been covered in this two day period . The third , fourth , fifth and sixth day walking weren ’ t as strenuous but still proved to be particularly tiring . We would stop for food at around eleven each day and then once again at lunch time . This was definitely necessary due to the hunger pangs which would arise as a result of a light breakfast . Physical fatigue and mental tiredness didn ’ t really play a large role in the group dynamic , there was no real complaints made about the physical difficulties of the walk . I believe this was as a result of how well
the group got on with each other . lt was one of the first times I have been involved in a group which had spent so much time together and no conflict arose . This is a testament to the characters of the participants . I am also of the opinion that the sheer reality of the situation sunk in after day two and at that stage everyone had accepted that it is important to respectful in their approach to the walk .
The days went by rather quickly and we began to get closer and closer to Santiago . Excitement in the group grew to an all time high . As we approached our final destination I will never forget sitting in one of the restaurants which we had stopped at along the way and pondering the extent of the achievement the entire group was about to realise . The day we arrived in Santiago was rather unusual . Walking in from the outskirts of the city , we were experiencing a drastic change in the weather conditions . All that week we enjoyed beautiful sun and cool shade , all in perfect proportion . This day it was very much overcast and beginning to
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