Our Walk Along the Camino Primitivo

  “The Way is Made by Walking”   Pilgrimage from Oviedo to Lugo to Santiago The Camino Primitivo is often called the "Original Way" as it is the first recorded pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. But while it may be the oldest, for us, it felt like one of the most alive.   In many ways, it is certainly the most elemental, placing pilgrims in the northern mountains of Spain.  It climbs higher, seems quieter, and demands more of the body and the spirit than many of the better-known Caminos. But in return, it offers something few trails can: a deep and unfiltered immersion into the land, the weather, and perhaps (if one is lucky) ourselves.   In just under two weeks, we experienced fog-wrapped forests and sun-drenched ridgelines, blistering descents and soul-lifting vistas, crowded cafés and wide-open wilderness. We shared laughter and wine with strangers who became friends, and learned to navigate not just the trail, but the emotional challenges of walkin...

Completing the Camino Primitivo  Without paying too much attention to the weather forecast, we had planned to walk the final 38 km of the Camino Primitivo into Santiago de Compostela today.   In the tradition of our first walk along the Camino Francés , we rose early and set off in the darkness around 5:00 AM.  We knew it was Galician Literature Day, the 10th holiday that has occurred since we arrived in Spain at the beginning of April before venturing along the Camino de Madrid , Camino San Salvador and onto the Primitivo, but we had assumed that at least one of the bars or cafés along the Camino Francés would be open to feed the masses of hungry pilgrims on their way to Santiago.  With a sinking feeling, we walked down the dark and empty streets of Arzúa and quickly realized that everything was shuttered and silent.      The final day on the Camino begins At the edge of town, we passed a small Galician church with a stone cross.  The ol...