Last year, we made the , travelling companion to Anderson Wise’s managing partner Darren Robinson and best friend to Louis, the son of one of Robinson’s colleagues. Louis had been diagnosed with leukaemia, and he and his family were being supported by the Fondation Kriibskrank Kanner, a Luxembourg charity that accompanies children and their families during their fight with cancer. To raise awareness (and money) for the foundation, Robinson walked 259km along the Camino de Santiago--along with the stuffed monkey, Lucas.
The foundation remains a firm supporter of Louis and his family as his cancer treatment continues, Robinson explained during an interview, and he decided to do another Camino trek to boost awareness and visibility around the work that the foundation does. “It’s still close to our heart.” Although he didn’t launch a Gofundme campaign this summer, Robinson added that Anderson Wise will make a donation to the foundation on the occasion of the recruitment firm’s 5-year anniversary as one of its “profit-for-good” initiatives.
Five days, 100km
Robinson (and Lucas the monkey) last year walked for 13 days. This year’s trip, he noted, was a bit shorter: 100km over five days. The two of them started in Vigo, continuing through Arcade to Pontevedra, Caldas de Reis and Padrón before arriving in Santiago de Compostela. It wasn’t as painful as last summer, said Robinson, who struggled with blisters during his past Camino trek, but “it’s still hard work!”
“I think I was a little bit more prepared of what to expect,” he added, “and what I should and should not carry. So, I must admit, it was a much more enjoyable moment.” Robinson also spent some time walking with other people along the Camino de Santiago, chatting with people from Guatemala, South Africa and America, who were also raising funds for charitable causes. “We walked over 20km together and had such fun. It made the journey so much easier when you’re talking!” And as he was less exhausted, it was also “really nice” to be able to explore the towns and cities that he walked through.
Favourite moment? “Padrón was great,” replied Robinson, highlighting the famous Padrón peppers that he got to eat. “Lucas’ and my favourite.”
Audiobook on Churchill
As was the case last year, Robinson also enjoyed a few books during his Camino walk this time around: “Churchill’s D-Day: The British Bulldog’s Fateful Hours During the Normandy Invasion,” written by Allen George Packwood and Richard Dannatt, as well as “Listening to Joseph,” a book about someone moving to the grand duchy, by the author Susan Alexander (Alexander is also a member of the British-Luxembourg Society, of which Robinson is president).
The British-Luxembourg Society on 15 October will be holding its annual Sir Winston Churchill memorial lecture, said Robinson, who added that Packwood--director of the Churchill Archives Centre at the University of Cambridge--would be speaking at this year’s edition. “It’s the 80-year anniversary of D-Day, and it’s also the 150-year anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s birth. Normally, we have a memorial lecture in his name, but we don’t really talk about him. This time, it’s about the man himself--by somebody that really, really, really knows him well.”