A month on the Camino Francés: soak in and let yourself go

Slow and steady wins the race

Tonight during dinner I told a fellow pilgrim that the last one to reach Santiago wins. She looked at me like I was crazy. “Win what?” Exactly. Why such a rush to get there, to count the days and rush to the next cafe, the next city, the next photo shoot? Because? All we have is now and now, I’m slowing down.

It was inevitable, really. Most pilgrims, from what I’ve seen on Facebook and YouTube, slow down every month or so. The first third of the adventure is about getting your body in sync with walking every day. Blisters, knee pain, quadriceps and calf strains. Once that settles, the mental challenge begins. Boredom, resistance, nostalgia. Resolve those and spiritual or existential issues arise. Higher level stuff.

Everything at once

I haven’t followed that pattern exactly. Some days I experience it all. Hurt feet, hurt feelings, and a spirit that still isn’t sure why I came on this trip. Other days as I walk, alone and completely present, I feel the magic and mystery of the Camino. It floods me and makes me cry. The power of the moment washes over me and I have never felt so safe before. Sure about what? I can’t pinpoint a specific domain, I just feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. And that feeling is priceless.

Walking 12 to 15 miles every day has slowed my thoughts and simplified my priorities. Get out of bed, eat, walk, drink beer, shower, do laundry, drink beer, eat, sleep. Do it all again the next day. Repetitive, yes, but every day is new. New trail, new views, new friends and a new city. Yesterday I walked 6 miles with Noella from Nova Scotia, the longest I’ve ever walked with anyone except Ed. I learned about lobster in the North Atlantic, that her province has 2 national parks, and that her husband is a world-class prankster by photographing the Amazon guy in the delivery test photos!

A different path?

Sarria is located 115 kilometers from Santiago, where more than 30 percent of all Camino walkers begin their journey. It is the minimum distance to win a Compostela and it shows. The math backs it up: approximately ten thousand pilgrims collected their certificates in the last 4 days and 700 new pilgrims joined us in Sarria on Monday alone. The trail feels like a different Camino.

I feel full of energy and inspiration from the excitement and adrenaline that these new pilgrims bring to the Camino. We’re avoiding the crowds by booking non-stage cities, smaller, more expensive accommodations, a feature we hadn’t planned for. I also started later and, contrary to popular advice, found the trail much less crowded around 8am. Ed, following his initial routine, is on the road at 6 am. Sometimes he is in the walker bubble; sometimes in the middle, but he loves the cool, misty Galician mornings.

I don’t want this to end, but Santiago is only twenty miles away. We will be there in 2 days. It will be surreal to walk through the old town along narrow, cobblestone streets that lead to Plaza del Obradoiro, the square in front of the Cathedral. I’ve seen it in movies, videos and photographs, but I doubt I’m prepared for the waves of emotion to come. I hope to stand tall and tall and let them carry me.

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