Ma Feature
WALKING
WITH
St James
A lso known as the Way of St . James , the Camino de Santiago is the name of a number of pilgrimage routes to the shrine of the Apostle St . James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain , where the remains of the saint are said to be buried . With all three of us having run many marathons , we thought that walking an average of 30km per day following the scallop shell signs would be “ a walk in the park .” Well , there were many uphills and downhills , stairs , cobblestone and pebble footpaths , and forest walkways , and they were far from “ an easy walk .” Although we had trained for two months with our backpacks filled with six to seven kilograms of books , the continuous walking each day proved to be rather challenging , and yet the most rewarding and fulfilling outdoor experience of our lifetime .
Setting Forth
We started our journey on Sunday 4 June and at the first church we stopped at , we prayed for all our Comrades back in SA running the big race that same day . Our first day , 18km from Porto to Vila do Conde , having chosen the coastal route , made the first leg picturesque and calming . We felt fresh and alive , and the scenery was food for our souls as we ensured that we had our Pilgrims Passport stamped at the churches and inns to validate that we had walked that distance .
On the second day we had 32km to cover to Esposende , but what we didn ’ t know was that once we got into the town , we still had to walk to our Albergue ( inn ) where Pilgrims ( or Peregrinos , backpackers like
Sometimes runners take on other challenges , be it multisport , obstacle racing or adventure racing , or even hiking , so when we heard about the story of ‘ Two Porras and a Greek ’ – Dina Do Couto , Grace Pereira and Maria Paschalides of Bedfordview Country Club Running Club in Johannesburg – heading to Portugal in June to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrim ’ s route , we asked them to send us the story . us ) get a bed and a shower , which was another 6km . Thereafter , it was another couple of kilometres to a supermarket or a restaurant to get food . So day two was close to 40km . It had also been very windy , so we felt exhausted , plus the infamous blisters made their appearance on Grace ’ s right foot . To top it all , it began to rain so we wore every item of clothing in our backpacks to try stay warm !
The third day from the city of Esposende to Viana do Castelo ( Castle at the top of the Hill ) was about 27km . This route was mainly in the forests and it was here that we came upon two priests chanting in Polish at the Pilgrims Stone Pillar . We recorded them and often listened to this chant , especially when we felt we needed some higher power to get us through a stage . The greatest satisfaction was realising that we were getting stronger each day , and not feeling the weight on our backs as much , plus our core and leg strength had visibly improved .
Making New Friends
Sleeping at the inns was challenging . We had to learn to sleep in a room filled with snoring strangers , but it was a humbling reminder that we do not need much in a materialistic sense , and heart-warming to find that a great conversation can unfold even if speaking in a common language is difficult . This is also where we met several new friends from different countries and backgrounds , and our nights were time to relax with the other Pilgrims over a glass or two of Portuguese wine .
Day four was 25km from Viana do Castelo to Caminha , through the farmlands , up and down cobbled stone terrains through the villages and eventually into the town of Caminha . By now we had four Pilgrims ( two Germans , one Austrian and a young girl from Canada ) walking with us . The company was great and together we sang songs and shared stories of how to treat blisters and muscle fatigue . Thankfully , Herbert the Austrian had a fully kitted medical kit that had blister plasters , needles , thread and lots of magnesium tablets . We realised that we were not as prepared as we should have been …
The fifth day was nearly 37km from Caminha to Valenca , the last stop in Portugal . The seven of us started briskly , Manfred from Germany was celebrating his birthday and we had decided we would all picnic together , having packed fresh rolls , fruit and of course wine . Meanwhile , another of our new friends , Erdal , stopped at every church and landscape to draw sketches in his journal , and we began looking forward to seeing his next drawing .
We passed through the town of Vila Nova de Cerveira , known for its huge statue of a stag , and in the afternoon we walked the tarred section along the
Images : Courtesy Maria Paschalides
32 ISSUE 97 AUGUST 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za