Why We Walk

Christian and Jim 

This morning on our walk, Christian the 27 year old from Norway told me he was walking to find what to do with his life.  He is so gifted in many ways. Gifted with humor and fearlessness and directness and intuition and the ability to read and know people. He can enter the circle of people who are speaking other languages and not only make new friends but get what he needs.  He is thinking long and hard about his life.  He is even letting go of the hearvy wine drinking( available at every meal) and smoking.  He is becoming family.

Many pilgrims walk alone,some in groups and some in families.

  Elisa from Belgim walks because of the loss she has endured, her deep depressions.  She says she feels free here on the Camino.  

Kyoung from South Korea walks because she decided to quit her job after ten years and now does not know quite what to do.  She is considering returning to host at an Albergue once she has finished her walk.

George and Kyoung

 Her mother, Helena walks because she is a devote Catholic and wants to visit every church( but there are too many!!)

 George just ended a long time relationship,Ray just started a new relationship. 

Three women from South Africa walk in friendship and fun.  They are eating and drinking their way across Spain.

The Women from South Africa

Two couples from Ireland are on a week long  holiday from their teaching.  They sleep in hotels and have a service carry their bags.  They are totally enjoying their 150 KM walk from Sarria to Santiago.  They say that this section of the Camino looks a lot like Ireland except that Spain has sun!  But, they have not walked the mud and rain and snow days of the Camino.

A couple from Ireland

Hans and his wife from Holland walk slightly in front or behind us and have done this walk several times.

Hans and Etta

 Couples from France walk because they are just next door.  

Biking groups of Italians and Spaniards and French we see briefly as they pass us by . There are solitary bikers as well but the groups seem to be in a contest of speed.
 By foot, bike or horse on the Camino.

Spaniards and other Europeans take their week or two week holiday on the Camino and each year walk a new section. The goal for all is to complete the entire Camino in six years and earn their Compostela in Santiago. 
The woman in red and her dog from England walk because I do not know! It looks so difficult for her with her heavy, heavy backpack and her rather unfriendly dog.
 The two German( Black Forest) women walk because of some pain in their past . When they greet me along 
the way it is with a long and deep hug.

And me, I walk because I can( just barely). It is in my heart to walk.  The energy of the Camino calls to me. There were days, desperate moments when I asked myself , "why" and could not give myself any answer but this particular door is still open.  It is closing. So I walk because I still can! 

Because I can

Water or Wine

It has been two weeks on the long and hot and sometimes dusty road through the Mesetas from Burgos to Leon.  We are are at the end of another 20 Km walk just a few km from our town.  And then rest and sleep.

Miguel's front yard

Across the street from us we see a Spaniard

Miguel and Jim

tending his modest wine orchard and at the same moment he sees us and waves.  We are invited over for water which we accept and although we carry our own water bottle we do not want to miss an opportunity to visit.
He invites us into his home, serves us bread and meat and cheese and then asks if we want water or wine.

Miguel's wine operation

At every evening menu del peregrino we hear the very same inquiry.  Water or wine?  Water flows from fountains in every town and village and you just have to put your head under it to fill up or hold out your water bottle.  It is always a lovely experience.  But in the restaurants they serve bottled water and that is what most pilgrims want when they have water. Why not have wine?

Vineyard in mid April

Vineyard in early April 

Because our host, Miguel has newly formed raisins hanging like little jewels all over this kitchen and I can smell his wine,and even though it is not yet 2 P.M., I choose  un vaso pequeno de vino .
I watch as he fetches a bottle and pours a full glass.  As I watch him pour the wine, I see the vines outside his door and imagine him tending each one and making this wine.  I am filled with awe and anticipation. His hand on the bottle.  The wine flowing into the glass. Yes, it is the very best wine I have ever tasted.
I have another glass.

More Pilgrims

Other pilgrims we meet along the way:
 Katie who is from Belgium is traveling with her daughter,

Katie, Jim, Lisa and Rosemary

Lisa  who has developed tendinitis and can not walk so Katie ends up walking with us from time to time and meets her daughter at an Albergue.  We have been walking with her for 8 days now. She is involved in peace and justice issues in her country and when we leave each other in Burogos she weeps a bit and expresses some gratitude at meeting Pilgrims from the USA who helped her to experience an attitude change toward Americans.

Margaret and Amy from the U.S.and Franz from Germany

William from Holland

  There is the woman and her dog whom we met walking who is from Germany.  She speaks no Spanish and Jim has had to help her find a room at night where she could stay with her dog.  Albergues do not allow dogs.
She has walked a week now starting in France .  He dog is not friendly and yet it is easy to see the bond between them.  At first I had judgements that she comes to Spain with her dog and no Spanish speaking skills and expects to have others figure things out for her.
 Now, I do see the bond, the love between this woman and her dog and know nothing more about what is happening and believe that whatever happens she will find what she needs on the Camino. We have not seen her for a couple of days and suspect that she has returned home.
I met a Spanish father with his 10 year old daughter in Los Arcos .Also, the German and the young man from Barcelona have  met on the Way and have a similar pace of walking and are now walking together as often happens.
 We meet for a moment while tying up our shoes or walking  or having cafe and exchange pleasantries and soon are good friends and hold each other when we part with our, ¨buen camino¨.
 There is the lumbering man, very large , overweight carrying a huge pack on his back and one on his front and looking very ill equipped  but is walking one foot in front of the other.  I think of him often as I deal with blisters and a pack too heavy and want to whine.  Every once in awhile I also feel like I am
 the lumbering man putting one foot in front of the other .

I notice  groups of young people looking so strong with just the perfect clothes and packs and then the lumbering man and even Christian and we all are going together and we all support one another perfectly.

It looks so easy for some, a Sunday stroll in the park and others, sometimes me,  impossible.   

Some pilgrims we meet at night in the Albergue and never see again for they have walked ahead or been slower than we.  Others we meet and after 10 days of walking are still seeing them like William from Holland.
  Our little group of 7 is hoping to stay and support one another to the end.

Kyoungsin and her mother and Christian

We Are Seven

Christian on The Way

Christian in his new Camino clothes.

Christian, a 27 year old from Norway joined us on the Camino 5 days ago.  We met him at an Albergue  in Uterga and he asked Jim if he could walk with him. No one seems more ill equipped to be on the Camino than Christan who is wearing jeans, belt , combat boots, sweaters and has a pack that weighs 50 pounds which holds among other  things, cologne, hair gel and the like.
  He has since gotten rid of his pack and junk but still smokes and is generally having WAY too much fun. He and I tried to create the perfect Camino song to the tune of West Side Story's, " I Feel Pretty". Not a word of Spanish does he speak but he communicates perfectly to all no matter what the language.

Christian and Jim

   He has become part of 7 of us who walk together or at least plan on getting to the same Albergue every day.  George is  from Arizona and  is strong and the wise sage of the group .  He knows everything about feet

Kyoungsin, Jim and George.

( and almost everything!) and keeps us walking.  He is soft spoken,and has been planning this walk for years.  He is the most prepared of our group and joined us 3 days ago.

Rosemary and Christian

 We also are joined by Helena and her 30 year old daughter from South Korea who joined us around the same time.  Helena is a devoted convert to Catholicism and has never been out of her home town, speaks only her language and seems completely dependent on her daughter who is devoted to her.
Marie is also from Minnesota and like Helena, has Catholic roots.

 So , now we are 7 and although we sometimes walk alone and some are taking buses and taxis we plan to eat our meal together and sleep at the same Albergue.

 Jim, George and I have walked every step thus far while others have taken the bus. We are doing the Camino our way, uniquely our Way.

We are supporting each other on this journey, doing our best.  The connection with these people has been the greatest miracle of the Camino.  The weather, the huge effort, sore feet and crazy minds were all overcome through this new Camino Family.

Christian, Rosemary, Jim, Kyoungsin ,Marie and George.( Helena is resting in our Albergue)