Scallops, or the St James shell as it’s also known, are not only a delicacy, but also a strong symbol, usually worn by people who undertook the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that leads to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. The pilgrims walk hundreds of kilometers through Europe on foot, some do it for religious reasons, some for adventure or soul-searching, but all who do it say it’s a transformative experience.
Hence the desire to mark the Camino with a tattoo, usually with the shell whose symbol has guided them all along the pilgrimage. We don’t have the details on who got the tattoo, but we know it was masterfully done by Portuguese tattoo artist, Maíra Egito.
