SPAIN — Before April, Wendy Baird Kidwell, 65, of Niles, had never done much traveling. When she retired last year from Midland Engineering, Baird Kidwell knew this was something she wanted to change.

Because of this motivation, she found herself standing with her friend Anne Born, 66, formerly of Niles, outside a farmhouse near Betanzos, Spain, chatting with a farmer’s wife, who kindly offered them ice cold water as they stood catching their breath along the laborious hillside terrain.

The scenery was just one of many that completed Born and Baird Kidwell’s journey this past April, as they trekked more than 70 miles southbound across Spain along the Camino Ingles trail, ending their pilgrimage of six days at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

Prior to their journey backpacking across Spain, Baird Kidwell and Born had not seen each other for more than 50 years. The women both grew up in Niles and their friendship formed in the fifth grade, when they happened to be in the same art class together at the YMCA.

“For whatever reason, we just connected,” Baird Kidwell said. “We played Barbies and went to the movies.”

But in junior high, the girls began to lose touch. They ended up at separate high schools and the divide continued to grow. Eventually, Born moved to the South Bronx, New York, while Baird Kidwell remained in Niles. But their friendship was rekindled when they found each other on Facebook about three years ago. Not long after they re-connected, Born posted on Facebook that she would be tackling the Camino Ingles — a passage that served as pilgrimage route during medieval times. She asked her Facebook friends if anyone wanted to join her.

“Out of the blue, I see this note from Wendy,” Born said. “She says, ‘Yes.’ I was like ‘you’re really going to pick up and come on a pilgrimage with me?’”

While Born had hiked the Camino Ingles six times prior and published a book about her travels last year called “Buen Camino! Tips from an American Pilgrim,” Baird Kidwell had never been on a thru-hike. But Baird Kidwell’s doubts about her experience were erased when she thought back to her goal after retirement to see more of the world. Now, she had the chance with a good friend by her side who could advise her on everything from the right gear to bring to what to what to eat and drink along the way.

“This was the opportunity to have some place to go, so I go’ed,” Baird Kidwell said. “My first thought was I want to fill my eyes.”

Baird Kidwell followed her friend’s advice on gear so closely that the two ended up accidently purchasing identical jackets in the same shade of olive green, which was a surprise when the they met in April to fly to Spain together. The two joked that now they would look like twins on the trail.

By April 15, they put on their matching jackets and backpacks and set out on the trail.

For Born and Baird Kidwell, backpacking across a foreign country brought a certain simplicity to their normally busy lives.

Stripped of everything but the barest of necessities, Born and Baird Kidwell shouldered their 12 to 15 pound backpacks across Spain. Each day, they got up, strapped on their bags and hiked between 10 to 15 miles a day. The Camino Ingles took them across a variety of terrain. They traversed bridges, followed wooded paths and appreciated breath taking seaside views. Sometimes they sat in the back of quiet medieval churches or hiked along the cobblestone roads of historic Spanish villages. Occasionally, the trail followed the path of a highway, where semi-trucks sped by them, jarringly close. In the cities, they sipped wine and ate their fill of Spanish food. At night, they claimed their beds in dormitory and slept among dozens of other “pilgrims,” as they are referred to on this trail. 

“A lot of people say ‘I don’t know that I could sleep in a bunk bed in a huge dormitory with strangers,’” Born said. “Well, I promise you, after walking 12 miles, you could sleep curled up behind a toilet. It is a kind of gleeful exhaustion.”

While the views and the food are memorable, Born described the most memorable part of this journey as the people they met along the way.  One of those people was a 24-year-old Canadian hiker Laurence Brouillard-Turviee, who was walking alone and on the verge of giving up the pilgrimage until she ran into Born and Baird Kidwell. The trio became hiking buddies for the rest of the journey. Born and Baird Kidwell captured the trip on social media under the moniker #littleoldladieswalking. Subsequently, Born said Brouillard-Turviee messaged her mom to tell her about the two “little old ladies” she was hiking with.

Born also described the compassion and kindness of Spanish residents who helped hikers. One, being the farmer’s wife who gave them and a whole group of thirsty hikers water.

“You ask about the places, but it is actually the people you remember,” Born said.

When the friends reached the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, they were awarded certificates that commended every one of the 119 kilometers they had crossed. For Born, this was the first time she had hiked the whole trail in one trip and for Baird Kidwell, the trip marked her first pilgrimage.

For those itching to start their own hiking adventures, Born encouraged them to take the chance.

“[There is] an immediate spiritual benefit of stripping away your routine and getting outside of anything remotely like a comfort zone, leaving everything behind and just walking,” Born said. “It refreshes your spirit, fills your soul and as Wendy said, ‘It will fill your eyes.’”