I left home on April 28 and arrived in Madrid on the 29th. I returned on May 22, earlier than my scheduled date of June 1, because I caught a bad cold. But you know what? That cold didn’t stop me from walking to Santiago de Compostela… I was going strong!
I made it there and only then I decided to get back home. I was more tired than I needed to be because of the cold, but this was my fourth Camino, and somehow I knew I still had to do it.
I’ve said it before: I love traveling.
I prepared for this trip as if I was only going to do the Camino. You know… backpack with two t-shirts, one pair of pants, two sets of underwear, one long-sleeve shirt, toiletries, sleeping sheet, poncho, mini first-aid kit, and the clothes I wore on the plane. Ah! And this time I brought a rain jacket. Yes, that’s it. And yes, this is why you see me with the same clothes throughout this trip.
That’s how you are able to carry your backpack through four to six hours of walking each day, through hills and mountain tops. And when you get to your albergue, you wash the clothes you wore that day and if the weather allows, they are dry by morning, just in time to quickly repack your bag and leave again before dawn.
But I’m jumping ahead.
I landed in Madrid and immediately took a train to Sevilla. As expected, the city offered even more beauty than I imagined. Honestly, this has become a common surprise at almost every European town, city, or village I visit.
Three days later I continued to Málaga, and from there traveled to Valencia for another few days.
My son had visited these places before and told me it was about time I made it there too, and he was right.
The three cities offered everything I love about Spain: historical buildings, culture, wonderful people, incredible Spanish food (especially seafood), magnificent churches, art, and that unmistakable European charm that fills my heart every time I visit.
A few moments from Sevilla, Málaga, and Valencia…
After these beautifully visited cities, it was time to go to Mallorca.
I was very lucky that one of my nephews and his wife invited me to stay at their property in Alcudia. The Balearic Islands have always attracted travelers from all over the world, and now I fully understand why.
I stayed there for almost a week, visiting Palma — whose cathedral was truly impressive — as well as smaller towns filled with charm: Alcudia, Pollenca, Sóller, and several beautiful villages along the way.
Mallorca has a softness to it that makes you smile throughout the day.
Mallorca truly deserves its own gallery…
Then it was finally time to get to Sarria and begin my 14-day walk to Santiago, continuing afterward toward Finisterra (Fisterra).
I flew back to Madrid and took a BlaBlaCar ride-share service to Sarria, an easy, safe, and convenient way to get from point A to B. I stayed there one night and started my walk the next morning.
The day began early, cloudy and drizzling, but I enjoyed every single step of the way.
The same weather continued through the second and third days: clouds, cool temperatures, and two or three hours of afternoon sun that thankfully helped dry our clothes.
Then came the rain. On the fourth day it poured heavily. Two hours into the walk I was shivering. At my next stop I ordered “caldo gallego” and tea, changed into dry clothes, and kept going.
The following morning I woke up with a terrible sore throat.
But out I went anyway.
The cold developed quickly, and by nighttime I really felt it. Still, I was only a couple of overnight stays away from Santiago, and I convinced myself the cold would eventually pass.
So I kept walking.
And every morning I felt the power of the Camino. The call.
Knowing that once I stepped outside, I would somehow be filled with energy transmitted by the cold air, the clouds, the sun, the puddles, the trees, the birdsong, and my fellow pilgrims.
Oh, the joy of walking the Camino. From sharing meals with people that you don’t know but have shared the Camino with, through sleeping with new faces and others that you have seen or talked with before. Enjoying conversations along the way and solitude as well. All about the Camino is perfect for me.
It is something one must experience to truly understand why we get “the Camino blues,” and why we answer when the Camino calls us back.
A few memories from the walk…
Before this trip, I tried planning a completely different route in another country. I considered Japan. I considered Italy.
But nope. I had to go back to Spain, where the Camino de Santiago waited for me once again.
Why? I honestly don’t know.
But I do know that when I walked my first Camino (just a part of the French Way) I went without expectations, simply with the desire to do it.
And I received an incredible amount of blessings during that first walk.
My second, third, and now fourth Camino were all filled with happy moments, incredible people I met along the way, and the healing beauty of nature that fills my heart every single time.
After each Camino, I thought it would probably be my last. But I’ve learned that maybe it’s not really up to me.
Maybe it’s about following my heart and listening to it.
I don’t know whether I will need another Camino someday to revitalize myself again. But just in case this truly was my last one, I decided to commemorate it with a tattoo. And honestly… it’s a very cute one. 😉
How is it that the moment I land in Europe, my life changes so profoundly?
I immediately feel happier there. And the peace I feel on the Camino is simply impossible to explain.
I will continue repeating this: travel is one of the best things we can do for our well-being.
Even if it’s not out of the country, visit other places. Get to know people who live differently than you. Learn from them. And most importantly, appreciate the endless gifts Mother Earth offers us every single day.
Happy travels, friends! 🌷