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Camino de Santiago

juli - september 2023
Een 38-daags avontuur van Christine Meer informatie
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  • 38dagen
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  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    Dag 10

    In limbo

    9 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ 🌙 30 °C

    I’m in a bit of a liminal state as I take buses each day rather than walking. Today I took the bus from Los Arcos to Logrono. Tomorrow I’ll go to Burgos. Friday to Leon, and then I’ll rejoin the trail.

    I’m not holding too tightly to these plans, but I was able to map out a loose itinerary for my walk to Santiago. It will take about 15 days. If I really don’t feel ready to stop walking, I can extend the trip by 4 or 5 days and walk to the ocean at Finisterre. It would be nice to finish at the ocean.

    I’m feeling a bit antsy to be walking again and restless with lots of idle time. (It’s amazing that a whole day’s walk can be done in 30 minutes by bus. My concept of time and distance is definitely changing.)

    I don’t really enjoy the big cities as much as the smaller villages. Some of the smaller villages were originally built as safe havens for pilgrims and continue to have a feeling of welcome and support. It’s easier to get lost in the crowd of locals and tourists in the cities.

    I read posts from other people who had to leave the Camino for various reasons describe the transition from being a “pilgrim” to being a “tourist.” When I’m not walking, I feel less like a pilgrim, which is hard. I also don’t feel like a tourist. I’m not really here for the food or the wine. (I saw a restaurant menu that looked good and asked when they started serving dinner and the host said 9pm 😟).

    So, it turns out sitting can be as hard as walking. Maybe another good lesson to ponder.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    21222
    Dag 11

    Tourist day in Burgos

    10 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I took the bus today from Logrono to Burgos. The route the bus took was along the same road that much of the Camino in this section follows. I was glad to be able to see the landscape and have a sense for this part of the trail, but I also felt content in my decision not to walk it. The trial was long and dusty and wound through fields and along the road. It looked brutal to walk in the sun and heat. I’m glad to have more time for the part of the trail that I hope to really enjoy.

    When I was researching places to stay for the trip, I decided to treat myself to a fancy hotel in Burgos, mostly for the amazing views of the Cathedral. I was able to change my reservation to still stay here, and it’s such a beautiful place to stay. (Tomorrow I start the albergue life.)

    I didn’t realize the Cathedral in Burgos is a World Heritage Site, but I can understand why. Construction of the Cathedral started in 1221 and finished in the 15th and 16 century. The inside had so many rooms and sculptures and pieces of art it was more like a museum than a church.

    Overall it’s been a really pleasant “tourist” day. Tomorrow I’ll continue on to Leon and from there I’ll rejoin the trail in Hospital de Orbigo in the foothills of the mountains in Galicia. I’m feeling good about my decisions so far, even if they’ve been challenging to make in the moment.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    1
    Dag 12

    Illusion of control

    11 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today was my last big bus day - from Burgos to Leon. As we all got off the bus, I noticed another pilgrim walking in the same direction as me. We chatted a bit and he told me that he took the bus because he got food poisoning and was too sick to walk. He said he plans to come back next year just to walk the stretch he missed.

    As I’ve said before, we’re all on our own walk, and I know for many people walking the whole way is important to them. For me, it sparked similar questions of - How do we accept the things we can’t control? What counts as “enough”? How do we let the goals that we set for ourselves be motivating and inspire us to do hard things without allowing those goals to become rigid and unyielding?

    In a lot of ways, I’m grateful that I decided to change course early in my Camino. It disabused me of the illusion of control before I got too attached to any certain outcome. Maybe if I’d walked as far as that man walked I’d have a harder time accepting an “incomplete” Camino.

    I’m weary of traveling by bus and I’ve had my fill of fancy Cathedrals, but I remain grateful that I decided to do this my own way.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    1122312
    Dag 14

    Happy to be back on my feet ;)

    13 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Yesterday was my last bus day. I arrived in Hospital de Orbigo, a small medieval village on the Camino from Leon. I forgot to post yesterday, because I spent the afternoon relaxing in an albergue with a comfortable outdoor patio where I could read and enjoy the warm breeze. It was nice to have a quiet day to prepare for my next few weeks of walking.

    I left Hospital de Orbigo this morning ON FOOT! I was excited to be walking again and enjoyed my renewed commitment to “marvel” (a Burns favorite) while I walked. The morning light was especially beautiful. The walk was mostly flat and not too strenuous.

    Some of my favorite things from today -

    A pilgrim stand in what seemed like the middle of nowhere had a cornucopia of treats. Enjoying a fresh slice of watermelon in the middle of a hot stretch of walking was delightful (as was seeing the joy, surprise, and gratitude of every pilgrim who stopped in.)

    Buying chocolate in Astorga, apparently known for its chocolate.

    Finding a restaurant that would serve me dinner at 5pm! It was truly a miracle. Spain seems to close for all food options from 4pm-9pm (no joke). I’ve walked into so many restaurants at 5, 6, or 7 and asked when they serve dinner and they all say 830 or 9. I’ve been eating random street food or bread and cheese from the grocery store for dinner. Tonight I couldn’t find a grocery store that was open, so I went wandering praying with little hope that I’d find a good spot for dinner before going back to my albergue. I stumbled into a cozy restaurant that let me order the “menu del dia” with three courses for 20 euro at 5pm. Truly a miracle. (I’m wondering if they let me order a late lunch, because no one else is eating.)

    Looking forward to another good day tomorrow.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    1
    Dag 15

    Sad to say goodbye

    14 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today I walked 20km from Astorga to Rabanal. It was a relatively easy, straight, level path for most of the day, so I had time to think and reflect. It was a sad day for me as I learned that the vet would be coming to put down our family dog, Winni, today. She was old and her health was declining. I spent a lot of time with Winni in my early 20s, taking her for walks in the park whenever I was home for a visit or living at home. She was a good companion, and I’ll miss her and her presence at the house. I’m glad I could take time on the walk today to think about Winni and grieve saying goodbye.Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    1121221111
    Dag 16

    Cruz de Farro

    15 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today was a beautiful walk up into the mountains. I was tired and left a bit later than usual, around 8 instead of 7 or 730. Leaving later meant I was behind most of the other pilgrims and had the trail to myself for most of the day. It was nice to have time for solitude and reflection, especially since today was the day I reached the Cruz de Farro. It’s a part of the trail where pilgrims leave behind a rock that they carried from home as a symbol of something they’re leaving behind on the Camino. I was grateful to have time to myself to reflect on what the ritual meant to me.

    It feels good to be walking. My blisters have mostly healed and my knee isn’t as sore. I’m looking forward to more days of walking and appreciating the beauty of the trail.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    1
    11
    Dag 18

    “If it pleases me, I will.”

    17 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Yesterday I walked about 10 miles from Acebo to Ponferrada. The first half of the walk was finishing the descent down the mountain I climbed the day before. The second half of the walk was along the road. Walking on the road definitely isn’t as pleasant.

    I was talking to the albergue owner in Hospital de Orbigo about the route and where I planned to stop and he told me the section coming up is a lot of road walking, sometimes with very little space between yourself and the cars. I decided to take another taxi to skip this section and have a rest day before a big climb tomorrow up to the peak of another mountain. I’ve been feeling guilty about taking another taxi after starting to walk again. It’s hard to shake the idea that I’m “taking the easy way out” or that I’m not “suffering enough.”

    I’ve been reflecting on a quote I read in a book by Adrienne Marie Brown. She was quoting a friend of hers named Idelisse Malave who makes decisions with the mentality of, “If it pleases me, I will.” I’ve been using this phrase as I make decisions - asking myself “Will this please me?” If yes - I do it. If no - I don’t. Would it please me to walk miles on the road with cars whizzing by? No. Okay, so I’m going to take a taxi.

    I was also reflecting on Adrienne’s quote - “Your no makes the way for your yes. Boundaries create the container within which your yes is authentic. Being able to say no makes yes a choice.” Being able to say no to the parts of this experience that wouldn’t bring me joy is what has allowed me to say yes to the parts that have. If I had to walk every mile, I probably would have quit all together, or gotten injured and quit because my body needed to stop. On the days I have walked, I’ve been able to enthusiastically say “Yes, this is bringing me joy” even when I’m tired.

    It’s hard to shake old notions of asceticism and the moral value of suffering in religious contexts. One last quote I’ll share from Adrienne that I like is - “There is another path that isn’t full of stress, self-doubt, pain, victimization, and suffering. There is a path in which everything is learning, playing, practicing, doing things anew.”

    I’m working hard to carve out a new way to do a pilgrimage - one focused on pleasure and not suffering.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    1
    1121
    Dag 19

    O Cebreiro

    18 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today was a surprisingly lonely day. I had a really nice rest day yesterday and enjoyed reading and spending time planning the stages for the rest of my Camino. I was looking forward to a bigger walking day today and knew it would be mostly incline climbing up to another high peak. Somehow I misread the distance and thought it was 17km but it was really only 8km. I made it to the top and to the town I was staying in for the night much earlier than I expected. Having a lot of idle time in a tiny mountain town with a few restaurants, a church, and a few places for pilgrims to sleep, left me with a lot of time to feel sort of restless and homesick.

    I’ve been away for almost three weeks and I have two more weeks before I reach Santiago, spend a day at the ocean, and fly home. As I get closer to Santiago and am in the second half of the time away, I am looking forward to being home.

    The constant movement on the Camino, whether walking or not, can be fatiguing. I haven’t slept in the same place for two consecutive nights since I left home, and I won’t until I get home again. Because I sped up my trip with buses and taxis at different points, I’ve also left behind most of the familiar faces I was walking alongside. There really aren’t a lot of English speaking pilgrims - most speak Spanish, Italian, or French - so it’s hard to have much of a conversation with most people.

    I’m not sure how the next two weeks will be, but it’s nice to anticipate that I’ll be glad to go home when the time comes. I changed my flight to have a full week at home before going back to work. I’m looking forward to hopefully catching some of the end of summer and enjoying time at the lake.

    About 155 km left to go before Santiago. Tomorrow I’ll walk 22km. Slowly but surely, I’ll get there.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    2
    Dag 20

    Triacastela

    19 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    I woke up this morning feeling a little glum from yesterday’s loneliness. I felt nervous when I heard rain in the gutters outside and worried about a repeat of the heavy rain in the Pyrenees. I tried to see if the rain would let up while I ate breakfast but eventually set out. Only a few paces into the walk, I overlapped with a nice Spanish man. We chatted and had a similar walking pace, so we ended up walking together for most of the morning. I was grateful for his company, especially on a rainy walking day when there’s not much to look at but mist.

    Eventually I separated from the Spanish man because I wanted to stop at a cafe to change my socks. I walked alone for a bit and then stopped again when it started to rain more heavily. I ran into two Australians I had lunch with a few days ago and joined them for the final stretch. By the time I arrived in Triacastela the rain had stopped and I was grateful for the company that helped buoy me through a longer walking day.

    I’m looking forward to my plans for tomorrow. I’m going to take an alternate Camino route that passes through Samos. Samos has an active monastery founded in the 6th century. And, if the monastery isn’t that cool, there’s also a cypress tree nearby that is 1,000 years old! I’m excited to visit.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • ReizigerCamino de Santiago
    21
    Dag 21

    “The second arrow”

    20 augustus 2023, Spanje ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Loneliness seems to be right at the surface the past few days. Leaving Triacastela and heading for Samos, a less traveled detour off the main Camino trail, I felt lonely again walking by myself without any other pilgrims in sight on the trail.

    There were nice parts of the walk and nice parts of the day. A lot of the trail was lush and green and forested, which felt serene to walk in the misty weather. I got to visit the 1,000 year old Cypress tree and tour the monastery. Mostly, though, today felt lonely.

    I realized when reflecting on the day how true the Buddhist teaching is about the difference between pain and suffering. I noticed how when I was feeling lonely today, my reaction to the loneliness made it worse. It felt easy to start to judge and question why I chose to do the Camino alone and think, “You chose this, so it’s your fault you’re feeling this way.”

    Noticing this extra layer of suffering (judgmental thoughts) in reaction to the pain (loneliness) is helping me try to be compassionate toward myself and remember that there are reasons I chose to do this walk alone and that I couldn’t have known that August was the unofficial month of Italian pilgrims.

    I am hoping the rest of my trip isn’t as lonely as the past few days have been, but if they are, I’ll try my best not to add to the pain by judging or blaming myself for it.

    I also want to acknowledge and appreciate all of Dylan’s love and support from afar in keeping me afloat. I’m grateful for FaceTime calls and texting conversations to keep me company.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
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