Playa de Comillas

This morning, I woke up in a gorgeous and peaceful convent. 🙏🏻 Being able to walk the Camino is a GIFT. I might complain at times, but today I realize that my ability to be here is a blessing.

Today I walked with Bastion and Vincent from Santillana del Mar to Comillas. We covered 14.88 miles in 6.5 hours. The landscape was lovely, with rolling hills, beautiful ocean views, and breathtaking churches scattered along the way. The usual. Bastion speaks no Spanish, and Vincent speaks no English. It’s amazing to realize how much I have learned over time as I translate our conversations. I feel fortunate to be of service in this way. We picked up a new friend, Fernando, who lives in Las Vegas. Fernando is special. He is very gentle and has a goodness about him that makes you feel at ease in his presence. 😊

As I was walking and talking with Fernando, he told me about his working life, and how he had moments of working multiple jobs and going to school to provide for his family. I mentioned how I’m not sure I’m in love with my job, but I also don’t know what to do. It’s a really good job with good benefits. Fernando made a beautiful analogy. He said life, work, relationships, and friendships are like the Camino. He pointed to a curve in the road ahead and said, "See how the road curves up there? We don’t know what’s behind that curve. It could be something beautiful or really difficult and challenging. Work is like that too. You just have to continue forward toward the goal because there will be moments of joy and pleasure and moments of disappointment and real hardship. We can never know what’s ahead for sure."

It’s appropriate that I heard that today because I had an unexpected curve in my Camino. 💔 Even writing this makes my eyes a bit teary. Two days ago, my friend Javier and I took the boat from Somo to Santander together. I gave him a hug on the sidewalk, and as Javier always did, he said, "If you need anything or want to have a walk or coffee, please do not hesitate to contact me." I thought to myself, no big deal. I know Javier’s routine, and he will probably be at the train station tomorrow at 7:30. I will try to be there too, and we will be together again. On my way to the train station the next day, I received a message from Javier saying that his foot had some issues and he needed to rest it for two days. He said we would see each other again in Comillas. I was a little disappointed because I always see Javier. Javier and bread are my two staples of a day in Spain. 🤣 But it was okay. I would see him again soon. This morning, I sent him a "Buen Camino" message before heading out on the trail.

When I arrived in the main plaza of Comillas, I had the pleasant surprise of running into Javier by chance. I was excited to see him and gave him a big hug, but I could see he was not feeling like himself. He asked if I had received his message this morning, and I said no, I hadn’t read it. He said that he had to leave the Camino today and return to Madrid in two hours. I was in shock! 😳

We went to have lunch together and enjoyed one of the most delicious meals I’ve had yet in Spain. I tried my best to celebrate in that moment all the ways I had enjoyed my time with him, but it was so surprising I couldn’t help but feel sad. As any good guide would do, he gave me a few last words of wisdom. He said the most important thing to remember is that the Camino is not a competition. That you have to take time to enjoy the special places you will visit along the Camino. Places like Santillana and Comillas are special for the unique Spanish culture found in them. In rushing past them to walk the 30/40km, you miss the opportunity and the purpose of this Camino. I want to be sure I make the effort to do this. Because if I am honest, I relied on Javier. If he was going somewhere, I would too because I trusted his opinion.

At lunch, we were also discussing the Camino Francés, which is ten times busier than the del Norte. I originally thought I wouldn’t like the Francés because there are so many people, but now I think it could be special to walk it. He said to me something that truly changed something inside me: "People must be an opportunity, not a problem." 🥹

After lunch, Javier walked me to my albergue, the way he always did, to make sure I was fully okay and where I needed to be for the day. I gave him a big hug and said I hoped we could stay in contact, and then he left. I sat on my bunk bed in shock. How could I be so distraught over the departure of a friend I’d only met a little over a week ago, you ask? My Camino experience was made dramatically better by having Javier as part of it. I realize how special that is because although you might meet many people along the Camino, but the ease of the connection is not always there.

Admittedly, I feel really angry with myself for not taking advantage of my time with Javier more. He was always so generous and warm with his invitation to share my company, either on the Camino for the day or for a post-Camino stroll/coffee. I often chose to spend time alone, thinking to myself I would have so much time on the trail with him tomorrow. But today I realized that was not promised. My tendency to think this way is a fault in my character. I often hermit myself away from others because I have a core belief that I am not interesting enough to maintain someone’s interest. To maintain their companionship, I must sequester myself. But in fact, it is just the opposite. When someone creates a safe and comfortable space for me to be myself, I must be brave enough to show up. To say yes to the coffee or meet them on the Camino with my shoes on.

The community of Comillas is lovely, as almost all Spanish towns seem to be. 😍 The historic part of town has a large plaza with a gorgeous cathedral. When I walked into the cathedral, I couldn’t help but sing a little to hear the sound of my voice reverberating off the impossibly high ceilings.

I also visited El Capricho de Gaudí, which is a home designed by the famous architect from Barcelona. It was stunning. The details of the design are so well considered. My favorite parts were the elements of nature incorporated into the house in small features like the stained glass and ceramic tiles. There was also a phenomenal sunroom in the center of the house! A perfect place to have an afternoon coffee with the plants. 🪴

There was no group dinner this evening, so I bought a bit of hummus, tomatoes, and cheese. I actually shared most of my dinner goods with other pilgrims and loved it. Food is always better when you share it! 🍕

Definitely getting no sleep tonight. There is a man in the bunk bed across from mine who has been trying to cough up his lung for about the last two hours. I’m seconds away from throwing a throat lozenge at him. He’s like a thousand years old and walking the Camino, so … respect, I guess. And also, don’t be cheap—get your 998-year-old wife a private pension so she doesn’t have to climb to the top bunk bed. She’s actually sleeping with her tennis shoes on because she knows she has to go pee so often in the night that she just decided to sleep with her walking shoes on. 🤣🤣 She’s gone once per hour so far. It also smells like the most horrible smell of feet in here too. Don’t you want to be a pilgrim too?!

Being here is a gift. A smelly dormitory gift. 😂Read more