Erin Wells reunited with her dad while he hiked the Camino de Santiago – a network of ancient routes that span Europe and meet at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in Spain
A woman has shared a heartwarming video of the moment she surprised her father in the street as he neared the finish of a demanding trek across Spain. Erin Wells’ dad had spent the previous month walking the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) – a series of historic pathways that cross Europe and converge at St. James’s tomb in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain.
Filming herself approaching her dad, Erin nonchalantly walked alongside him before enquiring: “Excuse me, is this the way to Santiago?” After a brief moment to recognise his daughter, he responded with astonishment: “Oh my God! I can’t believe it! Oh darling!” The duo then enjoyed a heartfelt hug with Erin reduced to laughter as her dad became emotional.
“THIS GUY!” she proclaimed in the caption of her touching video. “He’s been walking through Spain for a whole month… and now I get to see him through to the end. What a reunion!”
According to its official website, the most favoured Camino de Santiago path is the Camino Francés which extends 780 km (almost 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago.
Additionally, Spain-only paths include the Camino Inglés from Ferrol and A Coruña and the Via de la Plata from Seville and Salamanca.
The site adds: “Walking the Camino is not difficult – most of the stages are relatively flat on good paths.
“The main difficulty is that few have walked continuously for 10, 20, or 30 days. You learn more about your feet than you would ever have thought possible!”
Responding to Erin’s video, one Instagram user exclaimed: “This is so flipping adorable.”
Another person commended her gesture: “I did this pilgrimage, and I cannot tell you how much you long for a loved one along the way, no words.”
A third commented: “The Camino was so impactful for me, I can ONLY imagine what level of JOY this surprise took your father to!”
Meanwhile, a fourth individual observed: “The pause was definitely him wondering if he was seeing things! So so sweet!”
And a fifth Instagram user remarked: “The Camino is such a moving experience for so many people, especially when you have been walking for so long. I bet it made seeing you that much sweeter.”
The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back to the beginning of the 9th century (year 814) moment of the discovery of the tomb of the evangelical apostle of the Iberian Peninsula,” Camino de Santiago also advised.
“Since this discovery, Santiago de Compostela has become a peregrination point of the entire European continent.”