Snapshot from Santiago

“I am Italian, I am Alessandro, and I am 23 years old.”
His brilliant and brawny beard, not doubt grown on his travels, gave him a look many years ahead of 23.

Here I was reminded of something Hector told us about how shops and hostels on the trail have historically used incense to mask the smell emanating from the weary pilgrims – not that Alessandro had a smell of course.

“I started the Camino one month and three weeks ago from Italy. I started in Irun and did the Camino del Norte.”

There are multiple routes one can trek the Camino. The most common is the Camino Francés, 500 miles from the start point at St. Jean-Pied-du-Port.

“I arrived there by hitchhiking – from Italy to Irun in Spain – then hiking for twenty days. I decided to do the Camino because, well, I am not Catholic, but I am a spiritual person, I don’t know. So for me, the motivation is spiritual, and also because I love to walk.”

“I arrived here yesterday and was very excited because I have been sleeping in tents. If you do it in a tent, it’s more difficult, but it’s more,” he searched for words here and spoke some Italian…

“Authentic?” I tried helping, “more real?”

“Yes, yes,” he said, “more, emotional. I loved the adventure, and today or tomorrow, I’ll try and return to Italy also by hitch hiking. With a car, and with my…” he held out his thumb.

None of the other people I spoke to were religious, but they all felt an urge to accomplish something difficult, worthwhile, and as Alessandro put it, emotional.

At the end of the trail, you can attend the Pilgrim’s Mass where your name, nationality and starting point are read out at a ceremony.