Buen camino

On March, during the Easter week, I didn't see any procession but I lived one of my most intense EVS experience. Indeed, with three other friends, we decided during this week to do a part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. We had five days to go from Santiago to arrive Fisterra, also known as « the end of the world ». When we left Santiago on Wednesday, 23^th March, it was really sunny. All seemed perfect.

Before starting to walk, I thought that this way was more or less easy to do, that we didn't need to have a specific training or equipment. These thoughts quickly changed after one day, when I went through the galician hills and started to feel pain in my shoulders, legs and feets. By the way because of foot pain one of my friends had to leave us and go back to Santiago by bus.

I wasn't neither well prepared to face the rain on the following days, fortunately a friend of mine gave me her raincoat. Luckily on a raining day we found a nice donation-based hostel in Corcubión, managed by volunteers of the Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago. It was the best hostel I have ever been : we met warm people, who cared about us, who tried to dry our clothes. There were boardgames, music and the volunteers offered us diner and breakfast...

Now I will tell you why I will never forget this experience. First, I discovered parts of galician culture, such as the hórreos, and some villages like Negreira, Olveiroa, and cities like Fisterra. Then, it enabled me to learn how to achieve my goals, whatever the difficulties, the weather, the pain... that if you really want to do something you can definitely do it ! Finally, I also met interesting people from all over the world and it reinforced some friendships.