An Eden woman has returned from the trip of a lifetime, walking the entire Portuguese Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, whilst raising thousands of pounds for humanitarian aid.
Paula Roberts, of Armathwaite, walked 500 miles from Lisbon in Portugal to Santiago in Spain whilst raising funds for the British Red Cross Society.
The month-long trek along the historic Camino de Santiago, stretched across beautiful landscapes to its final destination at The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, renowned for being the final resting place of Saint James and the last stop for an entire series of ancient pilgrim routes from France, Spain and Portugal.
Paula said: “I was away from April 27 to May 29. It was a long, long journey. It was amazing. It was hard and it was a challenge. Most of it was solitary walking. There were other pilgrims around but I just did it on my own with my rucksack and booked my accommodation as I went along. I also stayed in a monastery for a couple of days which was a fantastic experience.”
With donations to her Just Giving page and funds from sponsorship and also events at her Drybeck Farm in Armathwaite, Paula expects to raise approximately £2,500 to support the work of the Red Cross in places like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine.
Highlights of her trip included Santiago: “The cathedral is a work of art. Every time I could I visited a cathedral in a city or a church in a town or a village. It was a very personal, spiritual journey.”
She also enjoyed meeting a mix of people on the way and in Santiago she received her certificate to confirm she had completed the historic trek. She described a special atmosphere as she walked.
“It has its own energy. So when you meet someone on the walk and you sit and have a natter with them, the conversation is very quickly really deep. Which is not something that I would do in everyday life, but on that journey it is just what you do. It was wonderful to share that with other pilgrims.”
The walk took in coastal paths and forests and she got to see some very special countryside, walking about 16 or 17 miles a day. She trained before she went and made sure she had a very light rucksack. Paula says she loved being outdoors all the time in what was mostly perfect weather, generally a glorious 20-23C.
Paula has completed previous fundraising treks in the past including along Hadrian’s Wall for the Alzheimer’s Society, but this was her biggest challenge to date, and it was partly motivated by her desire to help to alleviate suffering in conflicts around the world.
“I chose the Red Cross because I am very aware particularly of the situation in the Middle East and Gaza and how horrific that is,” she said, “and I know how much danger the Red Cross workers are in in places like that so I wanted to do something to contribute.
“I feel an affinity with the people who are prepared to go and work in those conditions. In the early 90s I went to work in Romania a number of times, and I know how difficult it is to be in situations where people are in crisis, so I take my hat off to the Red Cross.”
Paula says her local community have provided tremendous support for her fundraising efforts and she also thanked all those who have donated. She was even delighted to receive this week a donation of £100 from a couple she met on the plane on her flight home.
Visit her fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/page/paula-roberts-6
