Iuliia Anufrieva, Russian Federation
I have done a Camino del Norte (Camiño do Norte) route from Vilalba to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The decision to do a Camino was at first motivated by my dream to visit Spain, but after arriving there and completing just one day on the trail, it proved to be the right choice instead of just staying in a city and doing typical sightseeing.
The way the nature is completely different in Galicia comparing to Malta had amazed me. Forests, rivers, fog, and animals along the way were my favourite part of the Camino, and that is why doing all those kilometers was not as hard as it seemed in the beginning. However, during the evenings I loved exploring the cities we stayed in, because each one of them had its own “vibe”. Reaching Santiago de Compostela was truly a highlight of the journey, because there were thousands of pilgrims, who did other Caminos, and most likely felt much more tired than I was, were still walking, joking, and singing with so much energy. Seeing groups of pilgrims celebrating together the completion of the journey at the Plaza del Obradoiro (Praza do Obradoiro) was another highlight of the Camino, with everyone lying on the ground, looking up at the Cathedral, and realizing that they had finally made it.
Apart from that, we were lucky enough to spend a couple of hours in Porto, Portugal, as we had our flight back to Malta from there. After walking there for some time, we still hadn’t explored even half of the city, not only because it is large, but because every 100 metres you want to stop, look around, and take photos, as the architecture there makes the streets feel like an open-air museum.
I am truly grateful that I did this Camino. I thank XirCammini for the impeccable organisation. In the near future, I want to explore other routes as well, including one day completing the full Camino del Norte from Irún to Santiago de Compostela.
Interested in walking a Camino? Self-guided, with family or a small group of friends locally or overseas? You walk… We’ll handle the rest. Local airport transfers, daily baggage transfers, accommodation, even a Camino guide if you wish. Interested in Malta heritage or faith tours?Contact us on information@XirCammini.org