The community of pilgrims on the Camino and the beauty of this historic route make it a great source of inspiration for all kinds of books. Between walking guides on the Camino routes to great works of fiction, there are hundreds of options. One of the most recent novels comes from an Irish Times best-selling author, and Dublin resident, Ruth O’Leary. Her Camino de Santiago book, A Week to Remember, is loosely based on her experience walking the French Way, but is fictional.
We spoke to Ruth about her inspiration for travelling to the Camino, how the route affected her creative process when writing one of the newest books about the Camino de Santiago, and what the journey taught her.
Hi Ruth! First question: How does nature and the outdoors inspire you as a writer?
My typical day involves getting up at sunrise and heading out for a one hour walk. It’s a great way to clear my head before I sit down to write. I like the quiet at this time and the colours in the sky are beautiful just before dawn. I live beside the coast on Dublin’s Northside and these peaceful scences regularly inspire descriptions in many of my books and short stories.
Also as a writer you are sitting down a lot at a computer, so I try and get outdoors a few times a day if possible to stretch those limbs and beat writer’s block!
What made you choose to walk the French Way from Sarria to Santiago?
Initially I was looking for the flattest route along the Camino possible as my knees are not in the best condition, and in the course of my research I saw that the Camino Portugues Coastal would be flatter. But as I live by the coast anyway, walking by the seaside in Portugal didn’t appeal to me. I wanted something different to what I am used to.
So, although the Sarria to Santiago de Compostela route is described as a Camino route of moderate difficulty, I watched YouTube videos of people on the route, joined Camino Facebook groups for advice, and asked questions of specialist Camino tour providers (including Follow the Camino!) before deciding that the Camino Frances was indeed the right route for me.
What did you know about the Camino before you went on it? And what surprised you / challenged your expectations?
Initially I knew very little about the Camino and, unlike many other people, never had any desire to walk it! I thought it was like a traditional pilgrimage and that people did it for penance or strictly religious reasons. It was when I was searching online for walking socks that I kept getting ads for the Camino and the videos certainly did not look like penance at all!
I quickly found out that while some people do walk the Camino for religious reasons, many do not. I started watching vlogs and YouTube videos showing the experiences of people waking the Camino, and a whole new perspective opened up to me. I also kept hearing about people I knew having walked the Camino and describing what a unique and memorable experience it was. I also leaned about the phrase ‘the call of the Camino’ and, after hearing, it started popping up everywhere for me.
What surprised me about my Camino journey was how resilient I was. I decided to go about one month in advance and despite having no preparation walking on any elevated trails, I managed it step-by-step, day-by-day. What also surprised me was that it is true what people say—you just follow the arrows and put one foot in front of the other, and you will get there.
What challenged my expectations: I didn’t think I would ever walk alone, but for the Camino I did. I didn’t think I would ever walk in the dark, but I did. I didn’t expect to make friends along the way, but on the Camino I did (I still see them now)! I didn’t plan on walking every day, but then I did. And, funniest of all, I had no interest in getting the Compostela Certificate at the end of the walk. But, when I arrived in the city of Santiago and saw the Cathedral, I burst into tears and knew I had to mark the occasion properly.
What were some of the elements from the Camino that made it into your novel. The pilgrims, the locals, the food and wine, for example?
Everywhere I stayed and everywhere I ate, my characters do too. Two pilgrims I met in real life also became the basis for people that my main characters meet too (with the permission of both people, of course). I hope I have adequately captured the sights and smells of the forest and the descriptions of the towns so that people who have walked the French Way will recognise exactly where my characters are immediately and be taken back to their own experiences of the Camino. It would be very hard to write a Camino de Santiago book withour drawing on your real experiences of walking the historic way.
What made the Camino such a unique travel experience?
I took advice from Follow The Camino, YouTube videos, and pilgrims vlogs. Because there is such a wealth of sources to draw infromation from, even though I didn’t plan too much in advance or train enough, I was still able to complete the journey. I traveled light, brought walking poles and worn in trainers, and took each day one step at a time. The simplicity of walking at your own pace solo, while following the yellow arrows, makes it a peaceful, mindful break from a busy life.
Do you think the Camino as an experience has changed your writing style or how you approached writing this book?
I have more descriptions of nature in this book than in any other books or short stories I’ve written, so the Camino journey made me very aware of the changing colours, types of trees, and the smell of the forest I experienced along the way. It was only when I was writing the novel that I realised this mindful reflection of the natural world around me had bled into the richenss of my descriptions of scenery in the novel.
But what I really wanted to get across in the novel was how walking with a stranger for a day or even a few hours can change you or how you see yourself, and that you might change someone’s life with your words. That is the magic of the Camino.
How do you think the rhythms of walking every day were similar to the experience of writing your book?
When I am writing or editing a book I try to get up early and, following my own morning walk, start writing straight away. Consistency is key. On the Camino the rhythm of waking early, packing up, and heading out day after day was similar to my writing routine at home, so it was a great experience for helping me to come up with ideas. I was practically writing passages of A Week to Remember in my head as I was looking around at the scenery, stopping for coffee, or chatting to other pilgrims.
The simplicity of the walking experience is so uplifitng because while you may choose to walk alone, you are never lonely on the Camino. There are always like-minded people around should you want to get out of your own head for a little while and share a laugh, as well as some great food and wine.
What advice would you share with people looking to walk the Camino themselves?
My advice would be to research the routes thoroughly and chose one that appeals to you and your fitness level. There are a lot of options, so there should be something for everyone. Also, bring walking poles! They will support your knees, ankles, and hips as you walk. They are also vital for any steep descents. Better to have them and not need them than the other way!
My last piece of advice: walk alone. Even if you go with friends or a partner, head off by yourself for parts of the day. Walking alone gives you the headspace to think about important things you have been putting off or switch off and think about nothing at all, giving your brain a chance to take in nature and just be present. Also, you have more chance of meeting total strangers and having deep conversations that help you gain perspective on things if you are on your own. These chats and the time you walk alone are where the magic happens! Buen Camino.
Ruth’s Camino de Santiago book, A Week to Remember, is now available in Easons.
If you want to experience the magic of the Camino for yourself, our expert planners can help you build a walking itinerary tailored to your pace and needs! Find out more by talking to our team for five minutes.
