In May & June of 2022, I hiked roughly 560 miles across northern Spain on a pilgrimage known at the El Camino del Norte. It’s an alternative route to the original El Camino de Santiago. I wrote about the hike, people I met, funny situations and other random “stuff” everyday for 41 days to share with my friends and family. Below is the beginning of this long trek. Daily journal entries will follow. Thank you reading along and I hope you enjoy.
Welp, I survived my first modern day hitchhiking experience. Spain has an app called BlaBla (made by the French) that offers ride shares. So I hitched a ride with two French people (who also didn’t know each other) Claire and Julen, from Madrid to Irun. The town where I will begin my third Camino. The El Camino del Norte. They were lovely folks and what would have been a 7-8 hour trip via bus or train and would have cost well over 50€, only took 4.5 hours and cost 29€. Straight shot except they dropped me off at the wrong hostel so I had to walk 3.2k (2 miles) before this journey even begins – I hope this isn’t foreshadowing. But, given that I’m about to walk 840k (522 miles), what’s a few more. Plus I’m sure the other Pilgrims would have laughed to see me roll up in a car and pull out my backpack and trekking poles. Alas, I am here at the Pilgrim donotivo in Irun where it will all begin tomorrow at 6am.
Tonight I’m going to share about “where do you stay?” since I just arrived and that’s all I’ve got to discuss so far. Tonight I’m sleeping in a donotivo, a facility run by volunteers and everything is operated with donations. Their sign says, “yesterday’s pilgrims paid for you, your donations will pay for tomorrow’s pilgrims.” So you pay whatever you want. You get a bed, in a bunk, in a room with other pilgrims (co-ed). The size of rooms can range from 10-50 beds. Tonight I’m in a room with 20 beds (only 13 people) and the place holds 60 all together. This particular place has a kitchen if you’d like to cook (we did as a group after going to the market), laundry facilities (no washing machine this time but they had a nice spin dryer to use before you put the clothes out on the line – see photos) and obviously toilets and showers (hey, some people want specifics). This is also, first come, first serve, no reservations. This little detail causes panic in some pilgrims.
There are other accommodations to stay in ranging from monasteries to fancy hotels. You pick what you like depending on the town you choose to stay in. I mainly stay in Albergues (hostels) that are privately owned. They are usually a step up from a donotivo but not as nice as a hotel. The places are usually very nice and clean. Honestly, in the two previous Caminos, I can only think of one time I stayed in a place that I didn’t like and would never stay there again.
While Claire, Julen and I were driving here today, a song by Maroon 5 came on the radio and one of the lyrics stood out to me. “Are we all just lost stars trying to light up the dark?” I feel like that represents the Camino for me. A bunch of people from all over the world trying to connect and light up this little pocket of the world…one step at a time.
Goodnight and much love from Spain.
P.S. I’m a little nervous about this trek. I keep hearing it’s pretty difficult and I realized after walking all over Madrid that my knee is not quite as strong as I’d thought since rehabbing it from the minor bike accident in Italy last Sept and the NYC marathon in Nov. Fingers crossed.
Enjoy the photos and feel free to ask questions. I know the Camino is not for everyone but if you feel inspired to learn more, I’d love to share my love of the Camino with you.
