Walking through the innards of Northern Spain you see mostly everything. This year 2025, we completed our pilgrimage from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostela. We began the journey last year and walked the mostly coastal trails to Gijon.
This year, our experience was very different. In Asturias we mostly walked in refreshing eucalyptus forests. It was early May, rainy and with water gushing out everywhere we walked. Cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and chickens, walked about and grazed peacefully in lush green pastures.
Women, old and young, hand tilled soil near their homes to plant. Home gardens are everywhere. Numerous small plot with rows of cabbages, spinach, lettuce, beans, potatoes, etc. The rural folks seem to grow whatever they eat and farming is a highly respected profession in these places. There are huge fields of freshly cut hay and rows of newly planted corn stretching into the horizon.
We walked through small villages with the pungent smell of manure and animal dung everywhere. At times the animals welcomed us with their smell on the trails and followed us out unto the streets. Some homes have sheep, goats and chicken grazing all the way to their front doors. Nonetheless, the people are happy, kind and welcoming everywhere.
As we walked, we could sense the deep history of the villages, the churches and the homes. You realize that these places have been inhabited for centuries. There are towns such as Mondoñedo in Galicia that has been occupied since 858 and received city status in 1156. Some villages had only one or two houses and no place to stay. You feel fortunate to share a room in someone’s house or walk another 20 km to the next village. Lots of pilgrims get injured and need to rest or discontinue the journey. The people from varying ages and fitness. Young, old, happy, miserable, sad, lonely, brokenhearted, determined.. everyone with the same goal: Get to Santiago de Compostela.
The pilgrim walk is not easy, but it is possible for many to do. As my husband says and I agree, you see the world much differently when you walk. We arrived in Santiago early morning, went to Mid-day Mass, recuperate some for 2 days. We will continue for another 4 days and 90km to Finisterra.
Tips for The Camino del Norte
1. Pace yourself and enjoy the walk along the Cantabrian sea in Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias.
2. Bring your rain coat and Poncho, you will need them.
3. If you have heavy luggage ship it ahead, the trail is challenging in several places
4. Book sleeping accommodations ahead and call to see if there are places to eat nearby.
5. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, Amex less so. Bring cash with you, small transactions and buses in Galicia require cash.
Til next time,
Love is my Religion
Nuevo Nomads 