I view the Camino as a separate trip entirely from the rest of my travels in Europe, and I hope there is some wisdom in doing so. As with any significant life experience, I would prefer to lessen the inevitable letdown which can sometimes follow, though the sheer exhaustion I have felt emotionally and physically in the days since tells me there is little use in doing so. What the Camino does to the body is pretty crazy, and even the best preparation does not guarantee a pain-free experience. Two people I am traveling with in Portugal, a week removed from the walk, are still dealing with some chronic pain, tendinitis and such, but are still very happy.
Currently, I am in a city called Porto, a fairly common destination for perigrinos after finishing in Santiago, only three hours north. It is an easygoing city with a pretty incredible river walk filled with inexpensive (but very good) eats all over town. As a benefit of being one of the chief producers of port wine, it is extremely easy to fit in a few wine tours while walking around. The city itself is set upon a hill on both sides–not necessarily a break for the legs after walking 400 kilometers or so–but offers amazing views as a reward. My Portuguese is even worse than my Spanish, but there seems to be a higher tolerance for my bumbling here than in Spain.
Back to the Camino: I would hesitate to recommend the Way to every person I know, but this is only because not everyone I know is able to simply up and leave for Spain. I met a lot of people who quit their jobs just to do this, and I suppose I did the same in a roundabout way. Judging by the look of sheer joy on many faces at the end, it is hard to say this sacrifice was not rewarded with an unforgettable experience. For myself, I wouldn’t necessarily call the Camino life-changing (though my feet might disagree), but it certainly surpassed my fairly high expectations and gave me some much-needed clarity. This alone was probably worth the trip.
Somewhere down the line, I would welcome the chance to do this again, though as the Camino Frances continues to grow in popularity I would like to check out some of the alternate routes to Santiago. Overall, I believe it to be the best kind of holistic challenge one can attempt, perhaps too good to experience only once. True, there were more than a few moments where I couldn’t imagine wanting to do it again, but these instances were rare.
I was incredibly fortunate to meet some remarkable people on this route, and it easily was the highlight of the entire journey. The diversity and quality of those I connected with so quickly on the Camino is probably only equalled by those I met through the co-op I lived in during college, and the conversation in turn was never boring and always insightful. Thinking back on the relationships forged over 400 kilometers, I am reminded how truly complex and broken we are as a race, all seeking some sort of purpose and comfort where we can find it. Perhaps this sounds a bit melancholic, but I find it quite beautiful. For how different we can seem from one person to another, our desire for meaning and worth are incredibly similar. Hopefully, the friends I made and wandered I met can find this peace–God knows I am still working on it myself.
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