🇬🇧 The Way of St James: A Short Tale

“Leave to get lost,

Leave to find oneself.

The kindest thing you could,

Is leave.

Leave to come back.”

-AJF

I found myself writing this poem on a train, at the start of what turned out to be one of the most significant journeys of my life. Have you ever heard of the Way of St James? Most commonly known as El Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James is a pilgrimage as old as time. It started more than a thousand years ago, setting its deepest roots in medieval times. People from all over the known world (at the time) would embark on this journey that led to the tomb believed to belong to the Apostle Saint James the Greater, lying inside a crypt in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The Camino was, and still is, Europe’s oldest, busiest, and well-known route.

The Modern Pilgrimage

Despite being originally pursued for religious reasons, the Camino has now become a go-to destination for young and retired alike – and for all manner of reasons! Whether you’re looking for some long-sought life balance, to rediscover your inner spirituality, find yourself in the lostness of your own life, need peace and quiet from the distractions of the western world, or simply want to challenge yourself, the Camino is the haven we are all in deep need of.

Choosing Your Path

There are many routes one could take, and they all have historical origins, different levels of difficulty, and are walked by different ‘types’ of people according to their motivations. For instance, the Camino Frances, starting from France, is the most well-known and most walked; therefore, it is now extremely mainstream and mostly done by tourists due to its wealth of facilities and easy-to-walk tracks. Similarly, the Camino Portugues, which obviously starts from Portugal, has seen a high increase in pilgrims walking its paths to the Saint’s tomb in recent years. There are many more lesser-walked routes, such as the Camino del Norte, Camino Ingles, Camino Frances (Norte), and the Camino Primitivo, to name a few. These aren’t as mainstream for quite simple reasons: they’re mostly tougher, with fewer facilities, require more endurance, and demand a true willingness to embrace the Camino in all its forms.

The True Meaning of ‘Peregrino’

One of these lesser-known routes is the Camino I decided to journey on: The Camino Primitivo. A 320km long route to Santiago, quite hilly and mountainous, with challenging ascents, difficult paths, and uneven trails. The reasons for my choice were simple: I was short on time, I love nature and peace, and I wanted to be as far away as possible from “Peregringos” and tourists.What are Peregringos, you ask? It’s a compound word made of Peregrino (Pilgrim in Spanish) and Gringos (the Mexican equivalent of guys/peeps). This term refers to those “pilgrims” who never actually live the Camino the true way or embrace its essence, treating it more like a tourist attraction than a pilgrimage.

The Journey Changes You

The Camino is a surprising thing. It changes not only your very self but your plans too. My journey was meant to end in Santiago, right in front of the Cathedral, but the Road was still calling my name. When I reached the city, I knew that couldn’t be the end. So, I bought new flights and continued to Finisterre, the ‘End of the World’, where the KM 0 plate marks the very end of this ancient pilgrimage.

Life Lessons from the Road

The Camino is the greatest metaphor for life. We all walk our own paths, sometimes crossing with others, sometimes merging, sometimes deviating again. We need others to understand our journey, but ultimately, we must shoulder our own backpack and keep walking. Walking the Camino means being On The Road. It means stepping beyond our comfort zone, where true growth happens. Like a muscle that grows stronger after breaking, we develop by challenging ourselves with new experiences.

Buen Camino to you all!