Pilgrimage: Eating on pilgrimage
I love food, and like many people, I have a complicated relationship with it. But pilgrimage is not a time to be precious about food, mainly because you don’t get a lot of choice most of the time.
Most pilgrimage routes are well supported with places to buy basic food
If you’re worried about finding food each day, don’t worry. A pilgrimage is not a wilderness walk and there are plenty of places to buy food, if not during the day, then at the stopping places each night — hotels, bars, hostels, supermarkets, local shops, even vending machines.
Pilgrimage is not about gastronomy
Most of the food options are pretty basic and repetitive, especially if you’re on a budget, but if you get a chance to sample local specialities, then embrace it as part of your experience.
Before walking the St Cuthbert’s Way, I spent the night in Berwick-upon-Tweed on the border between England and Scotland. I had the best fish stew of my life that night at the Queen’s Head pub, made from freshly caught fish and seafood.
At A Guarda in Spain, after crossing the river from Portugal, I had a memorable plate of fresh scallops cooked in butter and a half bottle of local Albariño.
As a solo traveler, restaurants can often find you a seat as a walk-in, so take advantage if you have the budget and the opportunity.
Give up, or at least relax, your usual eating routine
In my normal daily life, I follow intermittent fasting, and usually only eat after midday. On the Camino, the accommodation usually provides breakfast and, since it’s already paid for, most pilgrims eat it. Some places even let you take an extra roll or piece of fruit with you.
I changed my eating pattern to include breakfast and generally skipped an evening meal, especially in Portugal and Spain, where restaurants open much later and I was ready for bed most nights at the time I would have been sitting down to eat.
I found supermarkets to buy lunch and ate a smaller snack in the early evening rather than a full dinner. I took a plastic spork (spoon-fork combo) which was handy for eating in my room.
If you have particular dietary requirements, you may struggle in some of the smaller places, so bring back-up protein bars or, if possible, bend your normal rules while you’re away.
Pilgrimage is not about weight loss
That may sound ridiculous to those who don’t consider such things, but I met several people who were trying to get fit and lose weight on the Camino. Personally, I came back from Spain several kilos heavier even after walking 300 kilometres, mainly because the staple food is delicious local bread, served with everything at every meal and the cheapest option available if you are on a budget.
Food is fuel
Make sure you carry enough food for the day and check the route for somewhere to buy a meal or stock up. The St Cuthbert’s Way has some remote walking, where there was nowhere to buy coffee or food once I was on my way.
I was grateful for my flask of coffee on cold days and stopped in pubs or bars for coffee and pastries, soup, or whatever was on offer when I could on each route.
At the end of a long, hot day on the Camino on the outskirts of Padrón, I stopped in a bar for a cold beer. There were a few locals sitting watching sport and since I was off the main pilgrim track, they considered me a curiosity with my pack and red face from walking in the sun. I ordered an Estrella Galicia beer, and the barman brought me a little bowl of hot chickpeas with a chunk of chorizo sausage to go with it. I would not have ordered such a dish, but at that moment, it was everything I needed. Salty and delicious. It fuelled me for the last push out to the rural hotel.
Food is emotional support
When I am exhausted and broken and hurting, food helps. Specifically Snickers bars, which I rarely eat outside of walking expeditions. There’s just something satisfying about them when I need a pick-me-up.
I also love my coffee. On the St Cuthbert’s Way and the Pilgrims’ Way, I carried a flask and made it with instant coffee every morning. UK accommodation will usually provide a kettle, whereas in Europe (and the USA) it is not so common.
On the Camino, I fuelled up with coffee at breakfast and then stopped for espresso along the way whenever I could. At least in Portugal, I could usually find a cup for under a euro.
Alcohol (in moderation) can be a wonderful thing
Some choose a sober pilgrimage for short-term abstinence or part of a bigger life decision.
Personally, I enjoy a drink as part of relaxation in the evening and also to sample local beverages. The Camino route out of Porto gives you access to some of the best local wine in the world from both Portugal and Spain, and a cold Estrella Galicia beer after walking twenty kilometres on a hot day with another ten to go can help speed you along the path.
Lindisfarne, Holy Island, at the end of the St Cuthbert’s Way has its own mead made from local honey as well as gin from botanicals. Well worth a try!
Questions:
• What are your expectations of food on pilgrimage? How might it affect your trip positively or negatively?
• How can you leave behind some of your usual food-related behaviours and embrace the difference on your pilgrimage?
• Is there any essential food or drink you want to bring with you or determine the availability of along your route? Or are you happy to leave it to serendipity?
