To Be A Pilgrim

CAMINO FRANCÉS – Day 32: Saturday 10 May 2025 – PEDROUZO to SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELA (20 [+4] kilometres)

Of all the long treks that I have done in my time, perhaps this one was the most emotional to complete. The square outside the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela is renowned not just for the building and its Christian significance, but for the sheer elation and celebration of the many pilgrims that converge there in significant numbers from their various pilgrimage trails. There are walkers, cyclists and horse-riders; individuals, and all sorts of groups – from couples, to small bands of friends, right up to sponsored teams of a dozen or two – all revelling in the completion of their journeys. Men, women and children, of all ages, from so many countries; some crying, many cheering, and all posing for the necessary photographs, and messaging family and friends back in homes across the globe. We even had a wedding taking place in the square today, along with Galician musicians playing sporadic melodies, some impromptu singing and chanting, and the church bells a-ringing. Somewhere in all of the hubbub, and arriving on my own by design, I had my private moment of celebration and reflection, and that was important. And then, just minutes later, I spotted (or was spotted by) several others who had been on the trail with me at various times – Debbie, Katie, Sophie and Jackie from England (that I have bumped into a few times these last few days), a couple from South Korea (who I have been on nodding terms with spasmodically throughout the trek), and then my friend Niall, who appeared with his certificate, having reached the destination a half hour or so before me. Scenes all, that will stay with me forever.

This is not my motto for life, but just for once, today, I can say that the journey took second place to the destination. The five hours that the walk took me, to cover the 20 kilometres from Pedrouzo (with breakfast en route of course), were again on undulating tracks, but this morning mostly shrouded in fine rain, as if drifting through a soft cloud – waterproofs were deployed, but really us pilgrims today got damp rather than wet. We were spared the forecast of ‘heavy and thundery showers’, which might have subdued the spirits and the festivities at the finish, and for that we were all most grateful. A few photos of this final day of my Camino.

So this afternoon I have checked into a mid-range hotel for two nights, and I have put my feet up for a much-needed rest. I have survived the Camino Francés without any slips, trips or falls, with no blisters to report, and with stronger shoulders (that have eventually stopped complaining at the weight of the pack hanging from them). I have also kept myself well, and free from the coughs, colds and stomach upsets that have done the rounds of the albergues – and so, all in all, I have had a fortunate Camino. And I have even remembered not to forget my phone charger every morning (so far)! I am not signing off quite yet – I have two more days of sightseeing here to report on, and then I will put together some considered reflections on my Camino journey when I am back home, plus some spreadsheet-verified facts and figures – and my Camino playlist of course!

I have not ventured into the world of hymns for my Blog headings before, but ‘To Be A Pilgrim’ seems to be an apt title for today. The premise of the hymn is to treat life’s journey as a pilgrimage, in which the individual should patiently endure many setbacks, and keep the faith by striving for more godly ways. The words of the hymn (that is also known as ‘He Who Would Valiant Be’) were written by John Bunyan, first appearing in 1684 in Part 2 of the Pilgrim’s Progress. These words have been set to various melodies, although the most common nowadays is the tune called ‘Monk’s Gate’ that the words were set to in 1906 by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams – this melody in turn having been taken from an old traditional English song called ‘Our Captain Cried All Hands’.