Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 97, August 2017 | Page 33

There is no feeling that can equate to that realisation when you finish
what you set out to achieve, and to do it with best friends in the most
spiritual surroundings is by far one of the best experiences of our lives!
Minho River, which separates Spain from Portugal, and
which was quite therapeutic, as it was the first time
that we could walk at a fast pace. As we neared the
day’s finish, a proud farmer took us on a tour of her
greenhouse and gave us a huge 30cm-long courgette
(baby marrow), which we shared in a salad that
evening. Other farmers had given us green peppers,
potatoes, fresh rolls, water and even bandages and
plasters along the way, and we were humbled by the
generosity of the locals.
Spanish Adventure
Day six was 42km, going from Valenca over the bridge
to Porrino and then to Redondela. We said farewell to
Portugal early in the morning and crossed into Spain,
so we now changed our morning greeting from “Bom
Dia” to “Buenos Dias.” In the first town, Tui, we came
across the Camino Pilgrims’ Shop and spent a lot of
time and Euros there, delaying our walk by more than
an hour. We then rushed the morning walk and had a
tough time dealing with blisters and pain, and had not
covered anywhere near the planned distance for the
day, so at 28km we made the decision to get a taxi to
Redondela. It was a paradox of emotions: Guilt that
we were not walking, and relief that we could let our
feet take a break – but we quickly got over it.
On day seven we were off to Pontevedra, covering
27km. This was a busy route through the mountains
and woodlands, with many backpackers en route
to Santiago, as well as school groups, cyclists and
a busload of Saturday hikers who complete each
stage only on weekends. Needless to say, we felt
a bit like we were on a highway during peak hour
traffic, but the huge difference here is that even in
this congestion, there was peace and serenity as each
person was in awe of the picturesque surroundings.
Pontevedra was abuzz with activity as a triathlon was
underway and at 7pm we were still watching the
action. That night we stayed at a monastery 7km out
of town, where we had our own room and bath, and
felt rather spoilt!
We then decided that we would take a chance the
next day and follow an alternative route – the blue
arrows of the Spiritual Route – which would still get
us to our planned day eight destination at Vila De
Arousa. The route was along the coast, and being a
Sunday we passed many beaches filled with locals. We
never saw any other Pilgrims, but being so enthralled
by the surroundings, we never thought anything of
it. Eventually by lunchtime, when we asked for some
help with directions, we realised that although the
Spiritual route is a genuine route to Santiago, it is
much longer, and we would need three days to get
to our destination. It was the first time that we felt
a bit of concern and anxiety, so we once again made
use of public transport to take us closer to where we
were meant to be. We finally arrived at our Albergue
at 8pm, 43km later, but the views that day were
unforgettable, so we decided to name that day our
best mistake!
Job Nearly Done
Monday was day nine, the final 53km stretch, and we
were off by 7am, as we had to catch a ferry to Padron.
We began our walk in silence, but with a sense of both
excitement and apprehension, knowing that we had
to finish that day, since we had booked our airplane
tickets back. Our emotions were paralleled by sadness,
as we also realised that our adventure would soon
be coming to an end. The route was long and most
pilgrims we met that day were going to stop halfway
to rest, but we had no choice but to keep moving, so
we tried to sing every song and play every memory
game to keep our spirits up.
Herbert had decided to finish with us, so the four
of us continued throughout the hottest day of our
trip. We passed many churches and villages, and by
about 5pm, still with 32-degree heat, we had reached
Santiago. We then realised that we still had 7,5km to
go before we reached the Church of St James, which
was in the middle of the town. We all agreed that this
was the hardest stretch, and each step seemed to take
forever. It was like running a marathon and spectators
start saying “you’re nearly there,” but you know that
you still have to work very hard to get there. But we
had no crowds cheering us on, the motivation had
to come from within, and the desire to get there had
gripped our emotions and squeezed out any negativity.
The excitement that overcame us as we entered into
the square and began to ascend the stairs to the
church was indescribable. Tourists and other Pilgrims
were chatting and taking photos, oblivious of us as
we held each other, tears pouring down our faces,
our hugs so tight to prevent us from falling over with
emotion, and complete exhaustion. There is no feeling
that can equate to that realisation when you finish
what you set out to achieve, and to do it with be st
friends in the most spiritual surroundings is by far one
of the best experiences of our lives!
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