In the nick of time

IT TAKES GRIT AND DETERMINATION TO TAKE ON A 130KM PILGRIMAGE, IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND THE COLD OF NIGHT WITH 84 OTHER WALKERS. LUCKILY, NICK ROBINSON HAS BOTH walking in from the east, a route that was started (or possibly restarted) about 15 years ago.

Our challenge was 130km; had I known that we’d be walking 50km through the first night I may have baulked at the idea. Ignorance is bliss. However, and after some preparation, I found myself being blessed by a Roman Catholic priest before setting off into a warm dark night. We walked through Castelo Branco and into the countryside, lit by a staff carrying a small statue of Nossa Senhora de Fátima. The rules were clear. Under NO circumstances were you allowed to pass the staff bearer and you were always to stick to the very left hand side of the road. Our guides herded us through the night, at times with whistles, other times with jokes and a loud shout. They were fun, and added to the solidarity of walking through the wilderness together.

Where on earth would you sleep and feed 84 people, you ask? These guys were ORGANISED! I found myself being welcomed into a large private garden within a remote village. It was one of the intermediate stops for nourishment and a local family was sitting there, entertaining us at 03:00 in the morning! We moved into the village café next door and wolfed down large bowls of hot, tasty soup.

The wind had come up outside. Our warm evening had morphed into a cool night, while dawn saw us struggling up a steep valley. We piled into an empty school house, with tables creaking under the weight of a delicious breakfast. Food and lodging were plentiful and we slept on cots in local gyms and halls.

All in all, it’s a well-executed experience and an ancient culture is becoming popular again. Many Portuguese are now doing yearly caminhos. Maybe you should, too? Let me warn you though, for the uninitiated it’s not easy.