The Camino is a walk across the north of Spain to the grave of St James in Santiago. Walkers stay in refugios for 4 to 6 euro per night sleeping in a room with up to 100 other people. A 3 course meal, with wine, can be added for 9 euro. Germans and Australians are the most common nationalities. Maybe because a popular German comedian wrote a book about the Camino and Aussies making the most out of their long term service leave. The day starts early in the refugios, usually around 5am, with, usually Germans, rustling plastic bags. Most others get up at about 6 when the lights and or music, from hymns to Bob Marley, is turned on loud.

Breakfast is usually coffee and some bread. People hit the road before 7 with the sunrise at your back. Scallop shells or yellow arrows pointing the way and rarely leave you in little doubt of the route. Daily distances vary between 20km and 32km. On average there are refugios every 7km along the route so you can just keep on going until you decide you have had enough. Similarly there are lots of restaurants along the route. The quality of the food varies. I've had some of the best tapas but also felt my gut lurch at the thought of another fried meal. I walked with some vegetarians who had lentil soup coming out of their ears.

The scenery is the consistent highlight. Actually, the range of scenery is the highlight. Your day could take you through forests, over mountains, through desolate flat plains, wheat fields, vineyards and over half a dozen roman built bridges. Most of the route is through farm land so you can see for miles in each direction on a clear day.

There are hundreds of water fountains throughout the route where water bottles can be filled up. This is really helpful as it cuts down on the amount of water you need to carry. One fountain dispensed red wine. We spent a week there.

Upon arriving at a refugio, you get your pilgrim passport stamped and dated. Each refugio's stamp is different. Just joking about the week at the wine fountain.

After a shower and some stetches, it's time to hand wash your clothes. The last of the daily duties is to examine, complain and compare your war wounds with other wounded. Blisters are the most common with a black market opening up for plasters and cream. With all of this done it's time to mull over today's sights with a beer in the sun or plan tomorrows route with your companeiroes.

After 7 days walking you feel your body change as it adapts to the daily rigour. A bit of camino madness crept in with some. A lady had her first cigarette and a man fell off the wagon with his first drink in years.

My only complaint was my right groin. An adjustment to my left insole to tilt my heal fixed it. One day it bucketed rain but generally we had excellent weather. The weather changes so quickly you could get sunburn and soaked within the same hour.

After dinner, where the vino floweth, you head to bed about 9. It's easy to get to sleep but most people wake up several times during the night. There is usually a tracter snorer somewhere nearby, but tiredness wins out in the end.

A random Spanish farmer beckoned us into his farm one day and showed us his horse he has rode the camino with three times.

Spaniards are proud of their history and their religion. Statues and plaques at the entrance of each town, village, hamlet with church in the most prominent position. Their religion is displayed with a much more grandiose and flamboyant expression than it is in Ireland. Good Friday celebrations saw hundreds of people dressed completely in black, yellow or blue gowns with cone hats and only eye holes cut out in a procession. It was almost sinister looking.

The camino is not commercialised at all thankfully. Only at the top of one mountain was a man in a van selling coke-a-cola. Refugios are run mostly by volunteers on a non-profit basis. The only sign of competition between refugios was a poster by one selling their wears with not only accommodation but washed clothes and a foot massage for ten euro.