A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim

At first light, pilgrims can see the twists and turns of the Camino de Santiago. As the light improves, the signs that guide the pilgrims become visible. If there are none, they follow in the footsteps of those who walk ahead.

The pilgrims' day unfolds to the rhythm of the sun's movement across the sky. As they walk, pilgrims need to stop and quench their thirst. They will do this several times as the morning goes on.

There are communal stopping places for pilgrims. They are places to rest, meet other lost pilgrims, and chat to new people. To an entomologist, these places would resemble beehives, with bees constantly coming and going, wearing rucksacks instead of carrying pollen.

There are also the stops that nobody wants: when pain means there is no other option. The Camino de Santiago levies its toll in the form of blisters. Pilgrims need to find a quick way of easing the pain. On arrival at a pilgrim hostel in the evening, pilgrims do all they can to look after their feet, which will carry them to Santiago.

Water is the pilgrims' faithful companion on the Camino de Santiago. It provides relief to those fatigued by thirst, and is part of the wonderful welcome at the pilgrim hostel and the blissful shower at the end of the day. Sometimes water can be a cause of difficulty, slowing down the progress of the pilgrims as they walk in torrential rain.

There are also stops to nurture the pilgrims' spirit: the stops made in churches that refresh the body and soothe the spirit, preparing them for the onward journey.

When time permits and pilgrims make the most of the opportunities to meet new people along the way, there is no hurry to reach one's destination. Any place will do for sleeping, or for spreading out on the floor the supplies carried by every pilgrim in their backpack, to use as a shared table.

At last, it is time for the long-awaited daily rest. Firstly, while waiting to enter the pilgrim hostel (together with their trusty backpack).

In the hostel, there will be a bed or the blessed floor, to which pilgrims will surrender themselves for a few hours of sleep. They will put down their belongings and rest their weary bodies.

The evenings are long. This is when pilgrims attend to their other duties. Clean clothes for the following day are essential. They need to look after their shoes, and wash and dry the clothes that were worn on that day. Every evening, a new landscape appears: clothes hung out to dry in the sun.

Evenings in the pilgrim hostels are a good opportunity to pass the time. It's a time to relax and chat about the many pilgrimage-related topics, while looking after and preparing their feet for the day's walking that awaits the pilgrims at daybreak.

The hours pass by. Pilgrims know that they have an early start and, even before nightfall, they start to prepare their dinner before recharging their batteries with sleep.

The day comes to an end on the Camino de Santiago. The pilgrims are thinking about sleep. They get ready to rest, nurtured by prayer, music, and the last conversation of the day. Anywhere will do: a chapel, a street, a rock to perch on and let the day's fatigue fade away.

A new day begins. Getting up, gathering their belongings, setting off for a new day and a new landscape. And that is a day in the life of a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago.