From Conchas del Camino: Susy from Pontevedra, Ana from Toledo, Oihana from Ireland and Guillerme from Lisbon, encouraged by the initiative that emerged on the French Way, with the project “La Luz del Camino”, have organized an initiative in which all pilgrims who wish to may participate.

This is about doing the Portuguese Way while sharing the burden of carrying one backpack between all the participants. We will leave Porto on July 11 and continue walking to Santiago de Compostela. We will be carrying a backpack, inside which will be a light throughout the Camino. Each pilgrim who wants to, can carry the backpack for a section of each stage as far as the entrance to Santiago de Compostela.

We want the backpack with the Light of the Portuguese Way not to stop until arriving in Santiago. We hope to arrive in Santiago on July 24, along with the backpack that left June 19 from Roncesvalles, on the French Way, to spend the day of the commemoration of the Apostle there. The idea is that both arrive at the Plaza del Obradoiro with their light on.

We will start on July 10 in Porto with the blessing of the backpack in the cathedral. We will all unite so that the Light of the Portuguese Way does not stop.

The Scallop that we will carry in the backpack of “The Light of the Portuguese Way” has been painted by Julia, our great little 7-year-old Galician artist.

This shell was created as a tribute to the victims of Covid 19, to all the people who died during confinement for other reasons, who have not yet been formally and properly honoured  by their families. It is also to honour all professionals from all areas who have taken care of us and helped us with their work and their altruism.

All the older people, the great victims of this pandemic, were once children, and that is why we want, through Julia, to stretch out a hand to them, which will serve as a memorial to them and a hope for what the future holds for us.

We would love to encourage you to participate in this project and you can contact us on Instagram: @conchasdelcamino and Facebook: Conchas del Camino. In the Facebook group “La Luz del Camino”, you can follow the progress of the two backpacks.