What started as a casual idea turned into a shared goal. Two long-time friends, Ann and Rosemary, hadn’t done much together for a while, so why not explore their local area on foot?
A chance conversation introduced them to St James’ Way, a 70-mile Camino route from Reading to Southampton. One suggestion led to another, “How about joining our group to walk the final stage of the Camino Portugués, from Tui to Santiago de Compostela?”
And so, the adventure began.
Preparation and Training
The scallop shell, a symbol of pilgrims, became their emblem.
They toasted their decision with scallops and champagne, tied shells to their rucksacks, and began training.
Three-mile walks became five, then ten, collecting stamps in their Camino passports along St James’ Way. Two consecutive 15-mile days tested their endurance and gave them confidence that they could handle six days of 12–16 miles on the Camino proper.
The Journey from Tui
Meeting their fellow pilgrims at Tui Cathedral was both exciting and daunting. Would they be able to keep up? Could they finish? Six days later, they reached Santiago de Compostela. The awe-inspiring cathedral was the perfect finish line.
The next day, they queued for nearly an hour for the Pilgrim Mass, the line snaking through the square. Inside, the clash of outside carnival drums and the swinging incense burner created a moment of sensory overload, a fitting finale to an extraordinary journey.
More Than Just a Walk
The Camino was about more than miles. Ann and Rosemary savoured crops, flowers, churches, and ruins along the way, took detours, and braved rain, hills, and rocky paths.
They found joy in chatting with strangers, Irish siblings, a Portuguese mother and daughter, students, an Aussie couple, all part of the Camino community.
Walking the Camino is demanding, requiring both physical fitness and mental resilience, but also a willingness to help and be helped.
As Ann and Rosemary discovered, it fosters humility, empathy, and solidarity. Walking with purpose to mark their 75th birthdays, the friends turned their walk into a fundraiser for Against Breast Cancer, a cause close to both their hearts.
With a JustGiving page and support from friends and family, they raised over £3,300.
Ann and Rosemary are now proud members of the “We’ve Walked the Camino” club, bonded by a journey that will remain with them for life.
If you would like to support Against Breast Cancer with fundraising and taking part in an event, you can check out what we have available on this website. You can also part in the Camino de Santiago Trek, which takes the French Way to Santiago de Compostela.