Retired baker walks over 800 miles to thank life
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Lieven Debusschere, a 63-year-old retired baker from Quevaucamps, Belgium, completed a 2386-kilometer walk to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, starting from his home.
Debusschere undertook the journey as a way to express gratitude for his life and as a personal challenge after retiring two years ago. He prepared for over a year, training with a weighted backpack and completing a 270-kilometer test walk beforehand, though he initially suffered a calf injury.
Debusschere walked an average of around 30 kilometers each day, choosing the Route of Tours which took him through France and parts of Spain. He encountered challenges like intense summer heat and wildfires, but continued his journey, lodging with locals, in monasteries, and at pilgrim hostels along the way. After three and a half months, Debusschere reached the Obradoiro square in Santiago de Compostela, a moment he described as emotional.
He then continued on to Fisterra, on the Atlantic coast, considered the traditional end of the pilgrimage, where his wife, Nathalie, met him to celebrate his completion of the entire route. He met people from around the world, including travelers from New Zealand, Ecuador, Canada and Alaska, while on the path.
