On Friday 10 July 8 students and 2 teachers from Newman Catholic College left for Spain to walk the Camino, the Pilgrim Way to the city of Santiago de Compostela and the shrine of St James the Apostle. Our walk began in Sarria, where we collected our pilgrim passports and had the first of many fine meals before beginning the 112km walk to our final destination. We began gently with just 4km to cover before we stopped at our first hostel in Brabadelo.
The second day was the first full day of walking. Our 17km walk to Portomarin was the first real taste of the difficulties of the Camino, but we embraced the walk and arrived in the early afternoon. Our next hostel was different from the first, with nearly 100 beds in a single huge room, a far cry from the luxury of Brabadelo.
Day three was tough, with 27km covered towards Palas de Rei. All the boys managed to walk the full distance though. We arrived at the Albergue, ate enjoyably and slept very well.
Day four took us on to Melide with a 15km walk, and day five with even less, just 13km. These last two days were a real challenge, with tiredness and aching legs contributing to low morale. I knew that if we could just get to Pedrouzo, 18km from Santiago, we would be ok. So we pressed on and, despite serious problems with one teacher’s knee, we arrived and had a good evening.
The last day of walking raised our spirits high, as we passed through an amazingly beautiful and calm eucalyptus forest. We arrived in Santiago, admired the scaffolding covering the cathedral and greeted the Apostle.
Overall the trip was a very memorable experience for students and staff and one that I expect the boys will remember and, perhaps, repeat in the years to come.
