TRAVEL | CULTURE
A Different Kind of Spring Break
Three cross-generational college students walked the Camino de Santiago
When the three of us sat next to each other at the back of the classroom for a literature course in the Spanish department at Portland State University (PSU) we had no idea just how intertwined our lives would become in the future.
We met as college students at very different stages of life, members of three different generations. Yet, we ended up taking a break together to walk a section of the Camino de Santiago this spring. As we walked side-by-side between the stages, we marveled at the serendipity that brought us together initially and ultimately led to our meeting up in Spain. We also joked about the fact that we were on a totally different kind of Spring Break.
I love taking photos as part of any trip. On the Camino de Santiago there is a wonderful mix of larger cities, smaller towns, and villages that are all truly photogenic. The photo of Sansol in the near distance expresses the feeling of approaching one of the several destinations along the way. Like many small villages it has a prominent church that serves as a kind of beacon to guide you towards the town center.
One of my favorite sights this time was the marvelous Gothic cathedral in Burgos.
Far from the typical sun-drenched debauchery of a Spring Break tour taken by many college students, our trip was one of shared love for the Spanish language and culture, and the enjoyment of each other’s company.
We did not drink heavily. I am a wine lover for whom one glass well enjoyed is plenty and took the opportunity to sample some excellent local wines from Northern Spain. Nancy drinks very occasionally, and Rhiannon doesn’t drink at all.
We didn’t wander into any after-hours clubs or dive bars. We did go into local bars to drink coffee in the morning, and for snacks in the afternoons after our long walks that would tide us over until Spanish dinner hours
We did not stay out past Midnight nor did we nurse any hangovers, which is for the best as we did get up early to walk most days.
We did not swim in a pool. The weather was cloudy and chilly and there was a (outdoor) swimming pool at one of the places we stayed. Needless to say, we did not avail ourselves of that opportunity to swim. None of us had even brought a bathing suit; we reasoned that it was not worth wasting the limited space in our backpacks.
Instead, we walked together for several kilometers a day on the Camino Francés, one of the main routes that is part of the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James).
By happenstance Rhiannon, Nancy, and I sat at the very back of the room when we took that Spanish class together back in 2018. I was taking a course as preparation for a Masters degree in Spanish Literature.
I was working full-time in IT and had to literally run from work to the class that started at 4:30 pm. I would have liked to sit closer to the front, but since I usually arrived after the class had begun, I filed into the very last row of seats close to the door so as not to disturb the class. Apparently, several other students took advantage of the 10-minute grace period for arrival as the back row was disproportionately full of students.
As it turns out, the last available seat happened to be between Rhiannon, who was in her early twenties and finishing her undergraduate degree, and Nancy, who was a senior student taking advantage of the wonderful opportunity to audit classes at PSU.
This serendipitous seating arrangement led to conversations with these two very interesting women, who are now some of my closest friends in life.
The initial shared experience that forged a deeper relationship among us was a field trip that we took one evening after class. Our mutual love of Spanish-language literature drew us to Powell’s bookstore, about a 15-minute walk from PSU, to listen to a talk by a Mexican-American author. We subsequently sat down to coffee, and the conversation was effortless, interesting, and convivial from the outset. We never looked back.
Despite many changes in our lives, not the least of which was the disruption caused by the global pandemic, the three of us managed to stay in touch. As the pandemic restrictions began to ease, we were finally able to start meeting up for a shared meal again.
On one such occasion, we were having dinner in downtown Portland, and Nancy brought up her interest in walking on the Camino de Santiago again (she had walked twice already). Without giving it another thought, Rhiannon and I both signaled our strong interest in accompanying Nancy. Neither one of us at that time had any idea whatsoever of what might be involved with such a trip. We always said we’d like to travel together sometime, and as Spanish speakers, what better option than to go to Spain?
This spring, roughly two years after that memorable conversation at dinner, we ended up meeting up in Northern Spain. I was able to join Nancy on the stretch from Pamplona to Burgos and Rhiannon (who had moved to Denmark), joined us for a short stint from Logroño to Burgos. Nancy continued on and is still walking, scheduled to arrive in Santiago de Compostela in a few weeks.
Even though we were taking an earlier-than-traditional start in mid-April, the popularity of the Camino meant that the best way forward was to plan ahead. Nancy and I had initially favored spontaneity, staying in a variety of accommodations and choosing our end destination as we walked, but we very quickly witnessed other travelers having to backtrack due to lack of accommodations, especially in the smaller towns.
When the three of us met up in Logroño in late April, we had to adapt once again to the lodging options that were available along the Camino. We researched several options using our pocket guide as well as a handy app on our phones to help us navigate, yet we ended up in a triple occupancy room at a pensión (pension) most nights. That particular fairly economical class of accommodation was easiest to find for three people traveling together. It was practical and quite congenial.
Unlike some legendary Spring Break stories that portray unruly hotel guests, we were courteous and relatively quiet. We often had engaging discussions about literature, politics, or some other topic of mutual interest.
We didn’t have pillow fights, do live video chats with our friends, or party in our room.
We did read books at night with whatever light we could muster in the generally dimly lit rooms.
We may have had a very atypical experience in many respects, but we did form bonds that will endure, very much akin to those formed during a college Spring Break. We are already planning our next adventure.
