A Day In The Life On The Camino de Santiago
Written on April 2, 2008 by Tezza
On occasions I´ve come across posts by bloggers writing about their typical day. While it´s interesting to see a glimpse as to what they get up to on any given day I´ve never considered my typical day worth designating a blog post to.
Since my days are currently spent on the Camino I thought I might give those interested or possibly considering undertaking a pilgrimage of their own a small glimpse to a day in the life of a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago.
To undertake a pilgrimage it needn´t have to necessarily be the Camino de Santiago. There are many others to choose from both throughout Europe and elsewhere and it needn´t have to be religious in nature.
A trip to the woods or to somewhere away from your daily routine are just as valid an option and often times more rewarding. As for me I decided to walk to Santiago from Pamplona. While no day could really be described as a typical day here is a small glimpse of life on the Camino.
7am-7.30am - Since I´m more or less undertaking a winter Camino there is not as many pilgrims as you would find during the warmer months of the year. So thankfully most pilgrims get up around 7am or there abouts and you´re usually either woken up by the sounds of packing. No alarm clocks are needed since your body tends to adjust quite quickly to the daily rhythm.
8am - Around 8 am I will tend to have completed my morning routine and have my bags packed. On the Camino you are permitted to only stay one night in Albergues which are purpose built accommodations for pilgrims who have a ¨Pilgrim credential¨. Packing your bags every morning just becomes part of life as you´re never in the same place for more than a night. Most Albergues also require you to vacate the premises by around 8-9 am so there is really no chance of sleeping in.
8am Onwards - You spend the day walking to your next Albergue that you intend to sleep at for the night. The stage distances vary and the terrain changes as you navigate your way through northern Spain. What is undeniable is how lucky you feel being able to spend your days just walking through beautiful Spanish countryside and often climbing mountains where you are afforded postcard perfect views once you reach the top on a good day. It´s not to say everyday is amazing as you will inevitably experience all the weather conditions from perfect blue sky days to blizzards and torrential rain.
You can spend hours wondering through largely untouched hills and countryside before passing through sleepy little villages. You take time to stop at the cafe or bar and have lunch as your body dictates.
2pm -5pm - Around this time you generally arrive at the Albergue tired and hungry. It also tends to be the time when everything is shut tight as Spaniards still adhere to the age old tradition of taking a Siesta in the late afternoon and dinner doesn´t usually begin till 8pm which took some adjusting on my part since I usually have dinner much earlier than this back home. You take this time instead to rest, have a shower and spend time with other pilgrims.
8pm - Sometime around 8pm you make your way to a restaurant or cafe. In the smaller villages there usually isn´t much choice. There might just be one bar/restaurant open. You´ll sit down for a nice dinner with fellow pilgrims. The wonderful thing about the Camino is that it brings people from all backgrounds and nationality together and it affords you a wonderful opportunity to get to know people from different walks of life.
At the restaurant you generally have a fixed menu called ¨Menu de Peregrinos¨which gives you a few options for a starter, main and desert for a reasonable fixed price. A la carte in Spain gets astronomically expensive and fixed price menus are a great low budget option to try the wonderful foods of the different regions you walk through in Spain.
10pm - Generally the Albergues have a lights out policy around 10pm and the doors are closed. Here is where you try and rest up in the backdrop of snoring before beginning the whole routine again tomorrow.
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