“Bless me father for I have sinned, it’s been 35 years since my last confession.” The kindly priest took a double take at me, questioning his ears. “How long?” he replied. As a Christmas Catholic I didn’t expect to wind up at confession at the end of walking the Camino Frances but nobody knows the effect the journey will have on them until the end. The only other certainty is no matter where you commence from, the Camino always finishes at the Cathedral of St James in Santiago de Compostela.
To start at the beginning I hold my hand up and confess I took the four star option. I booked a package with JWT Tours and had my hand held from the moment I met the lovely Ann at check-in at Dublin Airport. Daniel, our guide and an enthusiastic Swede who fell in love with Northern Spain decades ago, took over on arrival at Santiago. We then drove with our group of 14 pilgrims to the medieval town of Lugo to our smart three-star Hotel.
The first day of the Camino started bright and sunny as we set off early from Lugo. Our bus driver, Fran, dropped us to Sarria the starting point for pilgrims who want to take the last 116 km of the Camino Frances. Although this is the most popular route and heavily signposted with yellow arrows and scallop shell images, there’s still room to go astray. Daniel has our group’s numbers on WhatsApp so no one can go missing and this provides comfort.
It’s autumn and the oak trees are shedding golden foliage on the well worn paths. In the fields the harvest is in and the healthy aroma of livestock feels the air. It’s worth remembering that Galicia, in the north-western corner of Spain, is agricultural country and home to some very fine wines. You can pick up a delicious Albarino for less than the price of a coffee. Cheese and cured meats are other produce of the region that make perfect size tapas or pinchos.
Daniel issues us all with a passport that we can stamp along our route in cafes and churches – some of the stamps are collectables and mostly free. Two stamps per day is the minimum required to earn an official certificate at the end of the walk. Each participant gets a scallop shell of Saint James with the cross of the pilgrim painted on it. I have a bottle of water and a small backpack because my luggage is in the hotel. A four-star Camino means I don’t have to carry my belongings or fight to secure a bed in an Albergue for the night and share it with dozens of others. At the end of my 20 km walk, I’ll be bused back to our comfortable hotel for a shower.
Walking offers an opportunity to get to know the rest of the group who are all doing the Camino for different reasons. Daniel explained to be prepared for the unexpected. We pass tractors and rustic homesteads and hardly notice the time fly before we catch the breathtaking views of Portomarim. This stop includes a charming square where we lose the end of the day sipping coffee and beer.
Next morning we realise why this corner of the Iberian peninsula is covered with lush green foliage, the kind you can expect to find in Leitrim or Roscommon. The hardy set off to walk from Portomarim to Palais de Rei while others stay to explore the medieval walled town of Lugo. In Os Lameiros we get to see the 1670 cross depicting Christ and the Virgin. Along the route locals in vans sell water and fruit – cheering pilgrims on their way.
I’m struck by the diversity of those walking. School groups of Spanish youngsters, bus loads from South America carrying banners and random pairs from Asia and the United States. All walks of life have tread this path for an infinite number of reasons. I get to know Mary, a warm and welcome friend who keeps me company while we chat about our families and I’m amazed how effortlessly we clock up the kilometers. We find a craft shop where I buy a delicate scallop shaped ring for my daughter made by enterprising locals.
When we stop at the tiny chapels we sometimes get our card stamped or light a candle. I’ve decided to offer prayers and candles for my friend’s mother-in-law who has cancer. I light more for my children and deceased parents. The Camino is time to remember others and reconcile with ourselves while clearing unwanted cobwebs from the mind.
We meet more of our crew a few steps later and decide to stop for lunch in the market town of Melida, famous for serving octopus. The chats are open and frank and I learn quickly that everyone who makes the effort to walk the Camino is genuine. There’s a shedding of the superficial and purging of nonsense as everyone is soaked by the showers. The wine was good and the craic was better and we ended up singing our way home on the bus that day.
At the end of day three the sole fell off my shoe as I made my way back up the steps of the hotel. I took it as a sign to take the next day off. I missed out on the road from Arzua to O Pedrouzo and the dairy capital of Galicia but took the time to practice my Spanish with Fran the bus driver.
Our second base was a hotel in Santiago but we didn’t go to the cathedral because we wanted to save that for the last day and walk into the square together as a group. This we did under a canopy of clouds but as if by magic the sky cleared on crossing the bridge into the city. Since my mother passed I’ve always regarded seeing a rainbow as a sign that she is nearby and I’ve been showered with rainbows daily since starting this Camino.
By now the group had formed into a single unit, we have eaten together as a group and shared personal stories that wouldn’t normally be spoken about on a tour. We arrived together at the cathedral and passed dozens of others drenched and exhilarated like ourselves. That evening we found a delicious Italian restaurant, Bresca. The old town has something for everyone too and one must visit spot is the Café Casino. We all had a date next morning at The Pilgrim Mass. I didn’t expect the catholic pomp and ceremony to provide the perfect closure to the Camino experience but that’s exactly what it did. The world’s largest censar, (incense burner) at 54kg, hangs above the altar. In the past it was used to clear the intoxicating fumes of pilgrims after they had walked for hundreds of kilometers.
It was after a tour of the tomb of St James put on by JWT on the last day, I spied confessionals in the transepts dotted around the cathedral. I mentioned to Mary that I hadn’t been in a very long time. In her gentle way she said she found solace in it and maybe I should try it again. As we walked the second round of the gold clad Baroque altars, I said to myself if the next priest was hearing English confessions I’d go. There he was, a quiet little man who looked welcoming at me as I approached. I won’t go into the details but in our meeting I found a way to reframe the loss and pain I felt after losing my both my parents in 2020, 18 months apart. It was just what I needed, even though I never realised it. My father’s name was James and perhaps it was his namesake helping me to clear the slate and feel renewed by this Camino experience.
I had lost my sole during this week but only after reaching the cathedral did I realise that I’d found my soul again and the part of me that felt empty since my parents passing. The Camino is as much about learning self-care and remembering that it’s the journey and not the destination that matters in life. You can get to Santiago in a number of ways, by bike, bus or taxi but it’s the people you meet that make this such a rich experience.
I’m not the same person I was before I left. The beauty of travel is seeing the world and yourself with new eyes. The Camino is a bucket list trip but be prepared for the unexpected as nobody knows what they will take home from the experience.
Factbox
Michelle was a guest of JWT Travel www.jwttravel.ie A 7-night guided tour on the Camino Frances from Sarria to Santiago with JWT departing 3rd April 2026 is €1195 per person sharing including flights, hotel and guide.
