This summer, I had the opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I chose the Camino Francés pilgrimage because I only had one week to prepare for my trip and it was a popular, historical route (60% of pilgrims). I highly recommend Camino Francés!
Travelers, referred to as pilgrims ("peregrinos" en español), always ask you on the way, "Why are you doing the Camino?" And the blessing in passing is: "Buen Camino." On the Camino, one has time to think and walk and live a simple life. Before I began, I had hoped to have time to think and gain a new appreciation and perspective. I pictured a time of solitude and rest.
But what I gained from my Camino was much more! Instead of time alone (as I had imagined), I made friends from around the world who became part of my "Camino family." If I wanted time alone, I had to be intentional about it by choosing to walk alone and meet up later. This worked out just fine, as we were all going the same direction. Walking and talking with my new friends really made my Camino what it was. The conversations we shared, the way of doing life... this is what I miss about the Camino.
For the most part, I would say, there is nothing I would change about my experience... On my first day, I got lost. I began walking before sunrise, all alone (besides one other pilgrim), and followed signs for the wrong route. There were two routes to choose from that day, route Napoleon or Valcarlos, and it wasn't until I got lost on route Valcarlos that I realized I took the wrong way. I had already walked 4.3 miles for 2 1/2 hours. So I returned by taxi in the rain with my new friend (Ramiro) back to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. We got back around 11:00am, therefore, we started again the next day. It was important for me to do the Napoleon route, because I didn't want to miss the epic first and most difficult day of hiking the Pyrenees as I crossed the French and Spanish border.
But everything happens for a reason, and that beginning allowed me to meet all of the amazing people that I did! On my second day of restarting the Camino, day 2 (3), I met Dana from Germany. Without much planning, the two of us happened to walk together for nearly our entire trip. Walking the same (fast) speed helped. Haha! This girl was a gift! She was a social ball of energy and I really enjoyed our time together. I can't count the number of selfies (especially morning selfies) we have together.
I have so many pictures and stories to share. And I am happy to share with anyone who is interested.
Highlights:
people I met
lessons I learned
time to think and walk and see beautiful sights
Lowlights:
bed bugs 2x
barely sleeping
infected foot blisters (luckily at the end of my trip)
Each place I passed through was unique and time stood still. Six weeks felt like six months! I walked through countrysides of crop fields (vineyards, wheat, barley, oats, and sunflowers), desert plateaus (la meseta), and hills. I saw daily sunrises, small villages, bustling cities, churches, cathedrals, castles, and really old bridges. Well, everything was pretty old compared to the U.S. I ate a lot of bocadillos de jamón serrano y queso, tortillas españolas, and "Digestive" cookies. Gotta love the morning café con leche! And of course, my 3-course meals: "menú del día" or "menú del peregrino."
I slept in hostels that ranged from 200 peregrinos to ten. FYI, snoring cannot be adequately recorded by cell phone. It is recommended to get a private room at least one night per week, and I understand why (even though I only had two nights of a shared room y una habitación privada). At one hostel, we had an itinerary of eating dinner together, having a time of reflection, and then watching the sunset as we sung a couple songs led by Carlos on guitar. This was one of the best nights! Along with the last night in Santiago, where many of us who started together or met along the way got to enjoy a celebratory paella meal and wish each other well.
I am thankful I could complete this journey of 900 kms (560 miles). I did the full Camino Francés (779 kms) from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela "a pie" (by foot). This took me 32 days (technically 33 with my lost day). Then I had time to keep walking to the coast, because why not? So I walked 4 days to Fisterra and 1 day to Muxía, for a total of 38 days.
For me, this Camino was an experience I will take with me and remember for the rest of my life. It has taught me that things will work out without the ability to make many plans. Because, plan what may, things will change as you walk. How far one walks is often determined in the moment. Sure, I had fears like running out of water, the hot weather, and of course los chinches (bed bugs), but it all worked out. I learned to value the simple life and friends from all countries and walks of life. I believe some of the best moments shared are meals together and walking in the great outdoors.
Grateful beyond words!
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