Alnwick couple's pilgrimage in Portugal and Spain raises £633 for Alnwick District Food Bank

Zoe and Steve O’Neill set out from Alnwick, via Edinburgh Airport, to Porto in northern Portugal. Their aim was to walk 290km from Vila do Conde, just north of Porto, to end up 10 days later at the iconic Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, north east Spain.

The Cathedral is said to be home to the bones of the Apostle St James. Many thousands of pilgrims, or peregrinos as they are called in Spain, travel from all over the world.

Known as the ‘Camino’ or ‘Way of St James’, the walk can be undertaken by anyone and for any reason – be it religious, spiritual or secular.

After registering online and paying a small fee, you receive your walk passport or ‘credencial’. This passport can be stamped at cafes, restaurants, bars, churches and hotels along the route, and acts as your proof of the journey when you reach Santiago de Compostela.

To receive your certificate in Santiago, you must have at least two stamps per day in your last 100km. This distance is the minimum required to be travelled on foot to be certificated. The Camino can also be done on a bicycle, or even a donkey, you must do a minimum of 200km on a bike.

There are endless routes to Santiago, some start in the French Pyrenees, others are found all over mainland Europe.

Speaking about their route, Steve said: “Although diligently carrying our ponchos in our backpacks over the 10 days, they were only worn for 10 minutes during our Camino.

“For eight to ten hours a day, we walked along golden beaches, rugged coastline, deserted idyllic coves, beautiful forest and vineyards.

“Zoe is a volunteer at the Alnwick District Food Bank and before embarking, decided to try and raise some money for this worthy cause.

“The generosity of friends, family and the people of Alnwick eventually raised a total of £633 and Zoe, and of course the food bank, wish to publicly thank all the people who donated.

“People can still add to the total at www.gofundme.com/f/alnwick-district-food-bank”