Camino stories: The joy of letting go

Tom Crutchley on switching off and the simple joy of a long walk

Louise Stevenson

and

Tom

Mar 02, 2025

Camino de Santiago, June 2022, Louise Stevenson

“Pack less than you think. Get your passport stamped. Take lots of photographs.”

Welcome to the third of our Camino Stories, our new series exploring the Camino de Santiago from different perspectives (read the first post here). Every fortnight we’re meeting up with a different guest to explore their personal journey along the Camino de Santiago and find out what they learnt from their experience.

Since walking our first Camino de Santiago back in May/June 2022 we have met many people from all over the world who have taken all or a part of this journey. Each one has a different tale to tell, and today we’re walking with

Tom

Tom, a South African-born writer and obsessive foodie, swapped the corporate world for the chaos of restaurant life in London - fuelled by a love of cooking, storytelling, and the pursuit of grand adventures.

Over to Tom. 👣

Thank you for being here Tom! First of all, what inspired you to walk the Camino de Santiago, which route did you take and how did you decide on your route?

2023 was a strange year for me. A lot went wrong and I made a lot of 'rookie' decisions. Walking the Camino de Santiago was one of them. It was however a great personal success and despite that it took me away from 'career' progress briefly it was incredibly enriching and remains that most important of things - a fond memory. I joined a group of friends who were the architects of the plan and route. I had done some reading on the walk and knew others that had gone before me. I was however not turning the cogs. I finished a job and on a whim joined in with a group of three others.

What was the most unexpected challenge you faced along the way, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge on the Camino was settling into it psychologically. It requires a certain amount of disconnection from your day to day life. I left a lot of unsettlement in my wake as I boarded the plane to Porto that May. It took several days for me to embed myself in each days task and prevent my mind from wandering back to worries at home. Eventually as the towns pass by and the days blend into one you become very content with the simplicity of your own journey and the joys of going for a long walk.

Was there a specific moment on the Camino that changed your perspective or left a lasting impression on you?

Near the end of my pilgrimage we finished a long day walking into the industrial town of Vigo which took the sheen off a previous evening in the glamorous Baiona. For some strange reason I’d heard of it. It turned out to be from football video games when I was a kid. Tumbled down streets and an imposing port dominated the muggy vista. It was a reminder that we were only visitors in the real lives of people and places.

To have the time, energy and money to spend two weeks eating, drinking and walking around Europe falls to a narrow bracket of people. This fact can sometimes leave one feeling quite strange. Particularly in retrospect. That said the Camino is special in that it affords the opportunity to a great many more than is ordinarily the case. Not that it offered much consolation as that night we ate a levantine supper under a terrace watching rain soak the town, while the proprietor, an old man with a young son, and a tough story quizzed us on our origins and comings and goings.

What was the most surprising or memorable encounter you had with another pilgrim or local during your journey?

Walking along the ancient paths and ridge lines above a northern town in Portugal I met a young man selling fruit juices and soft drinks to passing pilgrims. It was the start of the summer but the days were getting hot and I got a bit of a shock as I was walking quickly and nearly bowled him over as I turned a sharp corner around the old walls. We chatted for a couple of minutes and I bought a coke off him. As is often the case we spoke about football and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

It made me think about how difficult it often is to find commonality or a shared experience without it turning corny but that sport or small shared experiences provide a very good leveller. I thought of him for the next few days as we walked on, he had told me that he was saving for university. His days that summer must have been strange, meeting thousands of people every day from all over the world, chatting and then letting them wander on. In some sense it is not too dissimilar to what I do now working in hospitality in London. Perhaps that is why it is so memorable.

What advice would you give to someone considering walking the Camino for the first time?

Prepare your mind to switch off and take in your surroundings and day to day. Pack less than you think. Get your passport stamped. Take lots of photographs. Take a pair of headphones. Stop at cafe's and crappy looking restaurants. Have an idea of where you might be sleeping at least one day ahead. Be somewhat sure of the practical stuff. It is a very ephemeral period so you don't want to spend all your time worrying about logistics.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Buen camino! 👣