I started the Camino de Santiago 7 years ago today

I can’t believe it! Today marks seven years since I started the Camino de Santiago from St Jean Pied du Port.

There has always been something special about this time of year. And not just because here in Australia, we are being welcomed back into the outdoors to sunshine and spring blooms. There’s something else…

Leading up to September, I always feel the camino’s warm embrace. I start obsessing, reliving, and planning. Not that the camino every really goes away… it’s just… the pull is stronger this time of year.

It’s funny, as yesterday when I was writing my lessons learned from my first camino, I didn’t realise tomorrow (aka today) was my seven year anniversary. How poetic it would have been if I had posted that blog today.

Your first day on pilgrimage is a strange one. You start exhilarated as if you could conquer the world.

But let me tell you now, your first day will almost be the end of your camino. They say 75% of pilgrims quit by the time they reach Pamplona. I am not sure where this statistic comes from or how accurate it is, but it definitely makes a whole lot of sense when you make your way over the Pyrenees.

But it is so worth it! Not only was the albergue in Roncevalles one of my favourites along the entire Frances route, experiencing my first pilgrims dinner worked wonders to lift my spirits – ready for the next day.

It was the day I met my soon to be new German friend Christian. All day we took turns overtaking each other, re-igniting my old competitive spirit, for us to meet at the summit and collapse on the ground exhausted. From that day onwards he was a friendly and familiar face on the way, crossing paths all the way to Santiago. If you’re reading this Christian please send me a message as it would be wonderful to connect my old friend.

And that is one regret I have from my camino. I was so in the moment. I didn’t share contact details. So all those special friendships were lost. But I wasn’t there to make friends. I was there to walk. And I don’t regret walking most of the way on my own, bumping into people at different points along the way. It was my pilgrimage. It was what I needed.

To commemorate this momentous day, I thought I would share some of the few photos I captured along the way.