It took me two years to walk the Camino de Santiago, one of the world's most famous pilgrimages.
Not literally, of course. The actual route I followed was a meandering 11-day trek along the Portuguese coast up into Spain's Galicia region. But as those in the community know (yes, there is a community), the journey begins long before you step foot on the pilgrim trail, when you first get the “calling” – the calling to say goodbye to your daily luxuries and hit the well-trodden path.
No stranger to weekend walking holidays, I entertained the idea of a more long-haul trip when I stumbled across Alastair Humphreys' book My Midsummer Morning, a tale of walking, camping and (badly) busking through Spain. Fed by more books, podcasts, articles and chitchat with anyone who would indulge me on the topic, that idea blossomed into a well-formed plan by the start of this year.
Outwardly, I was embarking on a fun adventure to be at one with nature. Quietly, I was searching for space; space to breathe, to think and maybe even heal. There was also the lingering pain of grief I never dedicated time to process and I was still reeling from some big life decisions that ultimately went awry.
Remembering my mum's own walk across Spain about 18 years earlier along the Camino, I decide to follow in her footsteps. The pilgrimage is also known as the Way of St James, named after the disciple of Jesus who played a role in spreading Christianity in Europe, ending at his tomb in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Galicia, Spain.
Despite its religious significance, I'm not the first by a long shot to embark on the journey for reasons otherwise. Now, people from all walks of life put on their hiking boots seeking a fitness-focused holiday, a soul-searching break or simply to soak in the scenery.
Setting off from Porto, a municipality in Portugal, day one had me hugging the coastline, which moved from rugged to sandy, as the weather switched from sunny to rain and hail – something of a teaser clip of what was to come.
The following morning, I slung on my backpack after my first night sleeping in an albergue – a dedicated hostel for people walking the route – and was out the door not long after 5am. Spooked by just how pitch black it was walking alongside the beach, I went off course to walk inland until the sun rose, winding along farm roads.
Day three brought torrential rain from morning to night, yet wound up being the best yet. I had settled into my walking rhythm and had my timings right. I knew where everything was in my pack, having perfected my on-the-move access to essentials.
Earphones stayed idle at the bottom of my backpack every step of the way as waves crashing, cockerels crowing and birdsong became my soundtrack.
My daily missions included finding the first coffee of the morning, collecting passport stamps (marking my route to acquire a certificate of pilgrimage once complete) and stopping for fresh fruits, nuts, olives and of course pan con tomate (tomato on toast) until my next bed stop – all the usual mind-consuming concerns of normal life put on hold.
Such triumphs made way for the space I was seeking. Usually one to slam the door when grief comes knocking, I did the mental equivalent of putting the kettle on this time.
Martin Sheen's 2010 film, The Way, popularised the idea of finding a “Camino family” – an opportunity to meet new people from around the globe, exchange origin stories and walk side by side until your paths converge to form a pack. While I didn't make a family on the path, I was lucky enough to have friends from the UK fly in here and there to join me on my travels – one for a long weekend in Porto before I set off, another to tick off four days trekking as we crossed over into Spain. Two friends joined me in Padron for the final hurrah, and a final two flew in to celebrate with me in Santiago De Compostela as I hung up my boots and let down my hair.
But, as I discovered, the Camino was also a nice place to be alone in my head, away from the daily grind, to-do lists and expectations. I wanted to savour it. It gave me time to process, experience realisations and find moments of inspiration – something of a reset button. It was also a reassuring reality check; in a society where many are struggling internally, it's good to remember that there's not necessarily “something wrong with us” – a belief many people experience at some point. The world can be a troublesome place at times. Maybe we can go a little easier on ourselves?
I felt a bittersweet feeling a few days later, sitting in a church in Padron after my penultimate day. Ready to be met by friends joining to walk to the finish line with me, which I was so excited and grateful for, I realised that my time of isolated introspection was coming to an end. And for the first time, my eyes welled up.
Sitting with my group of loved ones a few days later (where I recognise a new seed planted in a few), I'm asked if I'll go again anytime soon. “Maybe in like 10 years?” I say. “I mean, it's been amazing, but there's so much more I want to do, see and experience.”
While said in earnest at the time, sitting in Abu Dhabi a few months later, I can't guarantee it will be so long until the calling finds me once again.
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
MATCH INFO
Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)
Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18
Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)
Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no
Australia win series 2-0
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
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THE SIXTH SENSE
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Samau Xmnsor, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Ottoman, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Sharkh, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Yaraa, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Maaly Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Jinjal, Fabrice Veron, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
