38 Memories And 38 Photos From The Camino De Santiago
One journey seen through daily glances
I walked over a million steps between Saint-Jean-Pied-Du-Port and Cabo Fisterra. I could have written an account that chronicled them all, but there are already enough books, articles and websites out there about the Camino that writing about it in that sort of detail only serves to obscure the reality of it. Instead, I’ve chosen to take just a couple of things — one memory and one photograph — from each day I walked and maybe from those fragments you can piece together a better picture of the whole.
The route has finally left the road behind and headed into the woods I’ve been walking alongside since Valcarlos. I’m walking with a good rhythm, I’m warm in my multiple layers, there’s not too much snow on the ground, and the fingerpost sign says it’s only 4.8km to Roncesvalles. It’s ten to one and even though the path is continuing uphill, I’m sure that means I’ve done most of the climbing for the day and I’ll be there by 2pm.
It’s well after three when I get there, mud and snow still clinging to my boots, fog blocking off any dramatic views, but one important lesson learned: don’t trust the distances on signposts.
