Kindness on the Camino:
My three lessons from the world’s greatest walk
There are three dimensions to the Camino, says Bronagh
Carroll, and a little magic in each… How can walking up to
30km a day on a muddy trail with a heavy rucksack on your
back be magic? Let me tell you.
You’ve probably heard about Spain’s Camino de Santiago de
Compostela from friends and strangers alike. You may even
have been tempted to try it once or twice, but pushed the
notion to the back of your mind, thinking: ‘The Camino is not
for me’ or, ‘I’m not that kind of person’. Well, the Camino is
for you. The Camino is for everyone. That’s the beauty of this
walk. I know it can be scary to go out of your comfort zone.
But you are never one simple number on the Camino - except
for at the tourist office, of course. You form part of other
people’s Caminos as much as they form part of yours.
There are three dimensions to this journey. Here’s how.
1. The physical journey
The first Camino is the physical journey, a walk measured by
the kilometres on your legs, the impact on
your body and the landscapes and places you
pass. These range from tree-covered paths to
farmlands with crops, beaches with people,
towns with churches and villages with cattle,
all of which you leave behind every day.
I live in Santiago de Compostela now, where I
run Magic Hill Holidays, providing Irish
people with walking experiences on the
Camino. But my background is in nursing, in
Dublin and London. I remember the first time
I did this walk, in 2014. And I remember the
pain. I remember lying on my bed after
walking 32km in one day and thinking, how
will I be able to do another 25-30km
tomorrow? I was tired and my feet hurt. My
mind was doubting my ability to do it again.
But somehow, the next day I was once again
up early, ready to walk. As I walked kilometre after kilometre,
the doubts disappeared. I regained confidence with every
village I left behind, and was amazed by how resilient the body
is and how weak our mind can be at times... how it can prevent
us from doing so much. By 3pm, I had completed another long
journey and it dawned on me: Why do we put these doubts in
our heads? Since then, I have walked Caminos in Galicia,
Cantabria, Asturias, the Basque Country and Portugal. I walked
with friends, with my partner, with my Dad, with my 14-year-
old nephew and solo. On the Camino you somehow find the
energy every day and do it.
2. The cultural journey
On the Camino, you’ll meet other pilgrims from far away
places. Each of them are so different when it comes to culture,
language and day-to-day life back home, but so similar when it
comes to needs and wants in life. This second dimension is
measured by the people we meet, the stories we learn from
them and the laughs we share. People who don’t know each
other and who don’t share the same culture are ready to help
each other on the Camino. Their only bond is the journey
itself. As a consequence, kindness is more present on the
Camino than in our daily city lives, making us question how
we all live outside of this journey.
At the start of my last Camino, I remember meeting a Spanish
man called Ángel. He was very social - always bringing people
together in the evenings for dinner, drinks and interesting
conversations. Ángel made me feel part of something bigger
than myself - in contrast to the life I had previously lived in
Dublin and London.
Also, being able to speak Spanish allowed me to learn more
things from the locals. On my first four days I walked with
Clara, a German girl. I sometimes translated for her things that
the locals were telling me, or things that I heard in cafes. Clara
thanked me for translating and made a comment that helped
me appreciate languages even more. “When you speak one
more language, your world is just a little bit bigger”. I realised
then that my Camino would be filled with many more stories
than it would be if I only spoke English.
3. The inner journey
With countless hours on the Camino, there will be many
opportunities for you to walk alone for stretches. This is a
fascinating prospect. In our ‘real lives’, we are constantly
connected to others. On the Camino, if the
pilgrim wishes, they can completely plug out
and disconnect. You may not see a single
person for a few hours on the trail and you
will start connecting with yourself at a deeper
level. Unintentionally, your mind takes back
you to your childhood years, thinking of old
friendships, school lessons and former
teachers that shaped you in one way or
another on those early stages. You may
recount your life story to yourself. As you walk
deep into a pine forest, you may see an
analogy between the Camino and life. Life is a
journey too, after all.
This third dimension can’t be measured, but I
think it is defined by a sense of inner peace
and self-understanding. It takes a few days to
get to this place. At the beginning, your mind
is still filled with day-to-day worries. As you rack up the days
and kilometres, however, the spiritual journey really begins.
Close to Santiago, I met a man from Boston (David) who was
walking with his daughter. Three years previously, she had a
bone marrow transplant. David was not the fittest or the best
prepared. But he reinforced in me the feeling that it is OK to
be different, not to carry cutting-edge gear. What is truly
important is to follow your path in the direction you feel is
right.
It’s like that in life. It’s OK not to have the best car, or the big
house. What is is truly important is that you live on your own
terms, that you follow your own Camino. So yes, the Camino
really can be magic. If you finally decide to set off, remember
the repeated words of more experienced pilgrims: “It’s your
Camino”. You decide when you start your day, how long you
walk, how fast or how far you go each day and when to stop.
It’s your Camino. It’s your Life.
Bronagh Carroll (pictured) is Director of Magic Hill Holidays
an Irish company that organises Camino walking holidays in
Northern Spain and can help organise your trip. A
representative of Magic Hill Holidays is based in Nerja, Málaga.
For more information visit www.magichillholidays.com.