First published: 20/06/16.

Clyde 4.0

Route Of Santiago De Compostela

Route of Santiago de Compostela (Inscribed)

Route of Santiago de Compostela by Clyde

I visited this WHS in April-May 2016. I walked the Camino Frances from St Jean in France to Santiago de Compostela in 32 full walking days (775km). Walking from France, I missed the Somport pass which would take slightly more time. A lot of planning and mental training/endurance was required to complete this pilgrimage/WHS but I managed to fulfill my vow. First of all, I had to sacrifice a year's worth of leave to have enough time for the longest Camino. Secondly, I opted to walk in Spring which is by far less crowded/cooler but at the same time I had to bring a windbreaker jacket with me. In hindsight, this was a crucial decision as most probably I would not have completed the Camino Frances had I opted for summer (not only because of the heat especially across the meseta, but mostly because of the huge surge of pilgrims). Already towards the beginning of May, I walked by a couple of villages with no room/bed available in any albergue by 14:30 (the film The Way has drastically increased the number of North Americans!). To me the whole outstanding universal value of this WHS and/or pilgrimage is that there is no destination/landmark/monument which is worthy alone of such an effort. It is the whole route in itself that is truly outstanding as every pilgrim's experience and interaction with nature or with other pilgrims is unique and enriching. For example, in the last 150km, there are no major cathedrals/churches/chapels for a specific reason ... so as not to outshadow the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (which is really not worth the 775km if prime importance were to be given solely to the destination). Moreover, the last 100km and the last 250km for bikers/pilgrims on horses have become quite touristy, being marked every 100 metres and sometimes with dustbins and signage which is non-existent in the first 300-400km. Numbers increase exponentially after Sarria as the Camino del Norte meets the Camino Frances but mostly because the majority go for the last 100km to qualify for the compostela. In my opinion, this section is nothing more than a long hike and you won't need any big backpack or sturdy hiking shoes if your fitness is average. For the whole Camino Frances, these are essential and a bit of running-in will significantly reduce the amount of blisters in the first kilometres. Good socks and regular breaks will help prevent blisters too but honestly they are truly inevitable if your fitness is average. I suffered my first blisters after 300km but after a day or two you'll get used to them (and you'll definitely find all the Compeed you need at the well-stocked pharmacies along the way). My favourite part of the Camino Frances in terms of nature was definitely the final part of the Route in France and the beginning of the Route in Spain. The natural landscape changes quite frequently before reaching Logrono and the colours are breathtaking in any season. My favourite stretch along the Route in Spain in terms of historical/archaeological/cultural remains was the Arte Romanico from Navarra to Leon. The Cathedral of Burgos is a WHS on its own so I'll review this later. The Cathedral of Leon is mostly famous for its splendid stained glass (quite similar to Chartres in France). However, the minor churches of Martín de Tours in Fromista and that of the Holy Sepulcre in Torres del Rio, together with the short detour to Santa María de Eunate from Muruzabal could easily qualify as a WHS series in their own right. Moreover there are endless amounts of bridges which vary in size, shape and form. Two worth mentioning are the one in Puente la Reina and the longest one in Hospital de Orbigo. Apart from the monasteries of Suso and Yuso which are a seaparate WHS, great monasteries which were either on the route or worth a short detour were the Monastery of San Zolio in Carrion de los Condes and the Monastery of Samos. Walking for days on end under the incessant rain or under the scorching sun to these places is truly a once in a lifetime experience as you can easily understand how pilgrims must have felt when walking the Route a couple of hundred years ago. The only annoying factor during my Camino experience was the avoidable 'race' bug which affects a number of pilgrims. Since the cheapest (or those with a donativo!) accomodation gets filled up first, some went against the only basic 'rule' of the Camino - DO NOT RUSH. After a while I could easily identify who had planned with advance bookings (cancellable till 17:00 on the day of arrival) or those who did not book stating that they preferred to walk freely but who unknowingly adopted a routine of waking up very early at 5-6am (waking up other fellow pilgrims) and rushing to arrive at a given albergue by 1pm to queue and secure a bed. Some skipped stopping at some of the above mentioned places simply because they were in a hurry; which to me goes against the whole idea of the Camino. Apart from that, I wouldn't mind embarking on another shorter Camino in the future. For those who can't take a month's worth of leave, you can always divide the Camino Frances in different stages and do the whole Camino Frances over a number of months/years. Apart from the compostela in Latin, in Santiago you can pay 3 euros to get the distance compostela which states the starting point and the amount of kilometres, while in Sahagun you can get the half way compostela. The best souvenir in my opinion are the stamped credencials (picture). The Route of Santiago de Compostela in Spain UNESCO plaque (in Galician) can be found in Santiago just before entering the old town. For anyone who wants to truly experience some of the highlights of Spain or Europe altogether, the Camino Frances and the Camino del Norte offer a great opportunity of visiting a whopping 13 WHS while enjoying a truly unique experience. Along the Camino Frances I had the time to visit 5 WHS (as I had already visited 3 nearby sites) and then after my 1070km pilgrimage (including sightseeing) I rented a car to visit another 3 WHS in Galicia and Asturias. All in all, I feel that this WHS is the best out of the 3 linked to Santiago and the whole camino is still very much alive among the locals even as far as 600km away from Santiago.

Comments

No comments yet.

Log in to post a comment