Walking the Camino: Week One
Walking the Camino: A Personal Journey Across Coastal Galicia in Spain
“I went to bed watching the sun sink into the Atlantic and woke beneath a waning gibbous moon, just days past a full moon—and somehow the day only improved from there.”
Camino de Santiago — the Way of St. James: Between Destiny and Desperation
Some men buy sports cars. The Wannabe Naturalist signed up for walking the Camino in twelve days through Galicia. Therefore, while I still had a skip in my step and knees that negotiated rather than protested, I took on this adventure.
Before anyone asked, I made a few things clear. I did not stay in albergues, monasteries, or youth hostels. I had done that in my twenties. In addition, I did not carry my own luggage. Wisdom arrived with age, and I gladly accepted it.
I also chose to walk a respectable distance each day. In other words, I fully intended to reward those miles with grilled octopus, sardines, crusty bread, and good Galician wine.
Continue to Week 2: Walking the Camino de Santiago Week Two
Eugene L. Brill fine art photography covering Walking the Camino framed prints, canvas prints, and metal prints are available from Darkroom
Walking the Camino as a Personal Journey
Walking the Camino is often described as a pilgrimage. However, I quickly found that it became something more personal. From my first step along the Atlantic coast to my final arrival in Santiago, the journey unfolded in unexpected ways.
This account captured those moments as they happened. For instance, I walked through wind and rain, shared conversations with strangers, and spent time in quiet reflection. As a result, each day offered something meaningful, even when I did not expect it.
View Arrival Day Slideshow Below
Walking the Camino: The First Steps Along the Atlantic
Day 1 – Walking 17.52 km / 10.89 miles
Oia to Baiona
Day 1 was in the books. I experienced stunning Atlantic views, relentless coastal wind, and excellent Iberian ham. I also tried an egg dish whose exact identity remained a mystery. In addition, I climbed enough hills to question the phrase ‘easy coastal route.’
I also discovered something unexpected along the way. Modesty on the Camino appeared to be optional, especially for two female German pilgrims answering nature’s call around a blind corner. However, diplomacy, a high-five, and a well-timed ‘Buen Camino’ seemed to resolve most international incidents. As a result, I was reminded that travel truly broadened the mind. Furthermore, some things can’t be unseen . . .
The first day delivered exactly what a pilgrimage promised. I faced wind, distance, and strangers. At the same time, I began to understand that the road ahead would be harder—and more interesting—than I had expected.
The Coastal Path from Oia
The walk began just outside the town of Oia along a narrow coastal path. It drifted away from the road and followed the sound of the Atlantic. At times, the trail ran close below the rocks. At other times, it stretched along a wind-scoured coastline.
After about ten kilometers, the trail joined a yellow-painted walkway beside the road. From there, I saw wide views of deep blue water and the distant Cíes Islands. In addition, long white beaches extended toward Baiona, creating a striking contrast against the sea.
Arrival in Baiona
Baiona felt almost theatrical when I arrived. Restaurants and cafés lined the harbor, and fishing boats rocked gently in the water. The town had welcomed travelers arriving on foot and by sea for centuries. Therefore, it felt fitting to arrive hiking into town and join that long tradition, even if only for a day.
View Day 1 Slideshow of walking the Camino Below
Rain, Roads, and Finding a Rhythm
Day 2 – Walking 8.62 km / 5.37 miles
Baiona to Nigrán
The second day brought steady rain during my short walk to Nigrán. While five miles sounded easy, walking through mist and drizzle created its own kind of challenge. The road stayed covered in mist, and salt air drifted in from the estuaries. At the same time, a snow-white egret stood patiently in the mud, fishing without concern.
There was something oddly comforting about walking in a steady drizzle. For instance, the rhythm of the rain and the quiet surroundings made the experience feel calm rather than difficult. In addition, a café con leche from breakfast still warmed my system, which made each step more enjoyable.
Small Comforts Along the Way
The day also offered a bit of humor and relief. My hotel thoughtfully installed a small basin in the bathroom where I soaked my tired Camino feet. The locals insisted it was called a bidet. However, I was fairly certain that many pilgrims before me had reached the same conclusion I did.
As a result, even a rainy day felt manageable. The walk remained simple, steady, and quietly rewarding.
Walking the Camino: Stories Beneath Your Feet
While walking the Camino, I began to notice something unexpected beneath my feet. Each town and village seemed to have its own uniquely designed manhole covers, quietly embedded in the streets I traveled. At first, I passed over them without much thought. However, after a few days, I started to see them as small expressions of local identity. Some were simple, while others carried intricate patterns or symbols tied to the region. I walked many miles along paved roads, through neighborhoods and village squares, and these details became part of the rhythm of the journey. In a subtle way, they reflected a sense of pride—each community leaving its mark, even in something as ordinary as a manhole cover.
Buen Camino.
View Day 2 walking the Camino Slideshow Below
Forests, Hills, and Unexpected Evenings walking the Camino
“I was promised a gentle coastal walk; apparently the ocean prefers cliffs.”
Day 3 – Walking 22.93 km / 14.25 miles
Nigrán to Vigo
Today, I felt very grateful for the tired, overworked TSA agent in Charlotte who was working without pay. The agent allowed me to bring my folding walking poles in my carry-on. Online opinions had been split on whether they were permitted. However, the day before proved they were worth bringing.
Walking beside the Atlantic felt exhilarating and, at times, treacherous. Logic told me that dark green, shiny moss on the path would be slippery. The challenge was that entire stretches of the trail looked exactly like that. As a result, every step required attention.
I was pleased to report that I slipped and landed on my arse only once. On the Camino, that counted as a mighty achievement.
A Return to the Water
Later, I walked along the beach barefoot. My feet had not touched the cold Atlantic since a visit to Scheveningen in Holland nearly thirty years earlier. Therefore, the moment felt both familiar and distant at the same time.
Simple Food, Perfect Moments
Then came the meal I had been looking forward to. The grilled octopus arrived first. The pulpo was charred at the edges and tender inside. The tentacles were sliced neatly into discs with scissors. They were drenched in olive oil and dusted with smoky red paprika. I used only toothpicks to eat them.
After that, Padrón peppers followed. They were blistered and glistening from the pan, then sprinkled with coarse salt. Bread and wine completed the table. In other words, the meal was simple and perfect.
Finally, I paused and took it all in.
Life was good.
View Day 3 Slideshow Below
The People You Meet While Walking the Camino
Day 4 – Walking 16.06 km / 9.98 miles
Vigo to Redondela
This morning, I walked through a eucalyptus forest in a soft Galician rain. The damp leaves and forest floor released that cool, slightly medicinal scent eucalyptus was known for. After the cold that had knocked me sideways a few days earlier, it felt as though nature had installed the world’s largest vaporizer just for me. As a result, my sinuses felt extremely grateful.
If I had been camping, I would have pitched a tent right there. I would have spent the night breathing it in like a spa treatment courtesy of nature. However, the Camino did not offer overnight permits in eucalyptus forests. Therefore, I carried on toward Redondela, peering through rain-spotted glasses at what looked like a moss-covered fairy tale landscape.
An Unexpected Stop
The day ended in the most unexpected place—an Irish pub. At first, it seemed like an unusual choice. However, it served some of the best Spanish food I had eaten since arriving in Galicia.
I started with a simple garden salad, generously dressed in olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. After that, I had a potato torta and a glass of Galician white wine. I skipped the Guinness that evening. Instead, I corrected that oversight with Irish whiskey and an espresso. In other words, balance felt important.
A Glimpse of Local Life While Walking the Camino
Spanish soccer played loudly on the television while local life unfolded around me. For instance, I noticed a grandmother, mother, and daughter enjoying a Coke, a Fanta, and a beer. Nearby, an older couple sipped coffee while a group of young men cheered for their team.
In addition, one local woman stepped in briefly to ask for coins for the cigarette machine before heading out to begin her evening shift. Therefore, the pub felt less like a novelty and more like a gathering place for everyday life.
In other words, it was a proper neighborhood pub.
Finally, I reflected on the day. It had been just another perfectly ordinary, slightly surreal Camino evening in Galicia.
View Day 4 Slideshow Below of walking the Camino
What Walking the Camino Teaches You
Day 5 – Walking 24.30 km / 15.10 miles
Redondela to Pontevedra
Today was a steady climb. It was nothing dramatic, yet it brought enough incline to keep my calf muscles filing formal complaints. As a result, I felt a constant, steady burn with each step.
Along the way, I noticed something wonderfully practical in Galicia—bread delivery. Fresh loaves were dropped right at the front gate alongside the mail. Therefore, there was no need for a supermarket run or plastic bags.
I paused to take it in. Your daily bread waited quietly at the gate. In other words, the system worked with simple efficiency. Sometimes, the simplest ideas proved to be the best ones.
Raised stone granaries called hórreos
Along the way, I noticed those curious raised stone structures I had seen from time to time. They are called hórreos—long, narrow grain stores perched on stilts, with flat stones beneath them to keep out rats and moisture. They stood beside homes like quiet monuments to practicality. Built to dry and protect maize, potatoes, beans, and chestnuts. In other words, they served a simple purpose, yet carried a quiet beauty. People did not build things like that unless they expected them to remain.
Lessons from Walking the Camino
Walking the Camino taught lessons that unfolded slowly. First, it reminded me to take care of the basics, especially my feet. In other words, small details mattered more than grand ideas.
Second, it showed me how people from different backgrounds connected through shared experience. Conversations on the trail often felt more open and honest than those in daily life. As a result, even brief encounters carried meaning.
Finally, it revealed that the journey was rarely about the destination alone. Instead, the value lay in the process—the steps, the challenges, and the moments in between.
View Day 5 Slideshow walking the Camino Below
“Walking the Camino on Friday the thirteenth went off without a hitch.”
Day 6 – Walking 20.71 km / 12.87 miles
Pontevedra to Armenteira
A white cat crossed my path that morning. I was not entirely sure what the superstition suggested about that. However, in my case, it seemed to mean one thing—rain once again.
Fortunately, the day improved as I fell into step with a Canadian couple. They were warm, engaging, and clearly experienced walkers. Since retiring, they had turned walking into a full-time pursuit. For instance, they had explored Camino-style trails across the UK, Wales, Italy, and even Japan.
They told me about their last visit to the United States. It had been a whirlwind tour. When we started discussing the hills entering Vigo a few days earlier, they offered a memorable comparison. They said it felt like walking up and down Lombard Street in San Francisco eight times.
That description felt exactly right.
Companions on the Camino
Another thing I noticed on this journey was how easily I made connections on the trail. This was especially true with animals. I met dogs, cats, and even the occasional curious horse. They seemed to sense that I was an animal person.
As a result, this day’s photo gallery included several of my newest Camino companions.
Finally, despite the rain and superstition, the day turned out well. In other words, it was a good day on the trail.
View Day 6 walking the Camino Slideshow Below
Vineyards, Spanish, and Lessons Along the Way
Day 7 – Walking 17.86 km / 11.10 miles
Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa
I stepped into a cold, damp mist that morning. The young woman at reception had promised that the sun would come out later in the day. With that kind of innocent smile, I believed she could not be wrong.
At first, she was.
However, by noon, she proved absolutely right.
The first twenty minutes of walking each morning brought a familiar routine. My bum knee filed a formal complaint. Yet once it seemed to realize there were still several hours ahead, it reluctantly cooperated. After that, a few other muscles—ones I did not even know I had—began to protest instead.
Vineyards and a Slower Rhythm
Fortunately, the trail that day wandered through acres of ancient vineyards. Walking through a landscape that had been cultivated for centuries created a calming effect. As a result, the steady complaints in my legs began to fade into the background.
The rhythm of the walk felt slower and more reflective. In other words, the surroundings helped shift my focus away from discomfort and toward the experience itself.
Español and Long Pillows
Along the way, I memorized a few key Spanish phrases. When reaching my hotel, my favorites quickly became: “Hola, tengo una reserva” and “Una cerveza mas, por favor.” However, then the conversation usually continued entirely in Spanish. Apparently, I have a convincing accent. I quietly blamed my Afrikaans for that. That was quickly follow with: “Inglés, por favor.”
In addition, the hotels were consistently comfortable. I was very glad that I had booked my accommodations ahead of time and arranged for my luggage to be transported each day. Therefore, my only responsibility was to follow the yellow Camino markers.
One detail stood out in particular. Spanish hotels often provided one long pillow stretched across the bed instead of two separate ones. June and I had shared a bed for more than twenty-eight years—very successfully, I might add. However, we had never shared a single pillow.
Honestly, I was not entirely sure how that would have worked.
View Day 7 Slideshow Below
Continue to Week 2: Walking the Camino de Santiago Week Two
Eugene L. Brill fine art photography covering Walking the Camino framed prints, canvas prints, and metal prints are available from Darkroom
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