Sorry, but we warn you that this post is huge. We’re writing it on 11/15, over three weeks since we “finished” our Camino. We’re still traveling, now in England, but we continue to process our Camino experience. We talk about it frequently, trying to explain for others, and even for ourselves, what that experience means. In this post we’ll share what we did, what we valued, and what we learned. To truly appreciate it, you’ll have to walk it for yourselves, but this is our best attempt to sum it up.
By the numbers:
483.7 miles à The “official” distance from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago, according to the John Brierley Pilgrim’s guide to the Camino de Santiago. This is a point to point calculation.
602 miles à We calculated (with help of Sara’s Garman watch) that our total actual walk was over 600 miles, including all the roaming through villages/towns/cities, a few wrong turns and whatever else we chose to do at the end of a day (of, course – walk some more).
45 Days We Spent on the Camino:
- 38 days walking the Camino;
- 3 days exploring the cities: Pamplona, Burgos, Leon.
- 3 days in Santiago and 1 day in Muxia & Finisterre
- 42 nights sleeping in a new bed
What Sara loved most about the Camino walk:
- The Daily Rhythm: The Camino experience is hard to describe, aside from the daily rhythm of waking up and walking. And, I grew to love that daily rhythm. There is something soothing or easy about knowing exactly what you are going to do each day – WALK.
I looked forward to every morning (not quite so much on the cold rainy ones) and felt excited about the day ahead. We knew we would walk for 5-8 hours that day, but we didn’t know what WOULD HAPPEN or what WE WOULD SEE or EXPERIENCE along the way. And it seemed as though something magical happened almost every day. Sometimes it was a rainbow, or the way the light from the sunrise created a golden hue over the fields. It could be running into a friend we had not seen in several weeks or finding a café/bar along the way that was unexpected and beautiful. Often it was as simple as the beauty of the landscape, or the clusters of grapes on the vine ready for harvest.
Walking the Camino made me an observer of my surroundings. It helped me to pay attention and appreciate the little things that cross my path and to see the beauty, diversity and the cycle of nature.
- Friendships: We met so many people on the Camino. It truly became our Camino family. We often talked about how friendships and relationships developed so quickly. Although Pilgrims don’t walk together throughout the day, we cross paths and often stop at the same cafes for coffee/tea , breakfast and lunch. Many of us were walking similar “stages” so would meet at the end of the day for a glass of wine and dinner before going to our separate auberges or rooms. There was a sense of “loss” if a friend would leave the Camino or we would walk a different stage (miles for the day) and get ahead or behind us by a day. I am confident that we will connect again with many of the people we walked with.
- Physical & Mental Strength: I felt physically and mentally strong while walking the Camino. Walking 10-18 miles per day isn’t easy. Going up and down hills isn’t easy. Climbing mountains isn’t easy. But, we did it. And, it took mental, as well as physical, strength and commitment to do it. I loved how I felt.
- Orisson & Community Meals: So many days and experiences were amazing that it’s hard to say one was more exceptional than the other. However, our first day of walking (in the rain) from St Jean Pied de Port to Orisson was one of my favorites. It was an incredibly hard and steep climb as we began our ascent into the Pyrenees, so we chose to break that first stage into two days and stop in Orisson the first night. Orisson is an albergue with room for about 50 pilgrims, and all take part in a community meal. After the meal, the pilgrims are asked to stand, one at a time, to introduce themselves, to say where they come from, and to tell everyone why they are walking the Camino. That’s how in Orisson we met and became friends with our first “Camino Family.” It was a special evening. When I booked places for us to stay along the way, I’d often look for albergues that had Community meals. It’s a special experience when you share a meal and drink wine with a group of people who have common purpose and goals and often common values.
- The International Community: In addition to the friendships, we loved talking to other Pilgrims about their countries. It was fascinating to hear their stories about family, work, health care, taxes, government. SO many of the people we spoke to couldn’t understand the work culture or health care system in the US. We tried to avoid partisan political discussions, but we often had conversations about why so few Americans travel abroad.
- The Walker’s Viewpoint: We loved seeing and experiencing a country in this unique way. Walking through a country along paths that meander through fields and woods, through small villages, hamlets and towns and experiencing rural life up close is such a different experience than traveling in the typical tourist way, in a car, a bus, or a train. I loved how friendly and welcoming the local people were.
- Simplicity: I loved the simplicity of the day to day. Wake up, get dressed and ready your backpack, then walk — stop for coffee/tea/breakfast, then walk — stop for 2nd breakfast, then walk – stop for lunch, then walk — arrive at your destination, have a glass of wine or a beer, have dinner, go to bed. The work of the day was walking, and I looked forward to it every day. The joy of each day was the beauty of the countryside, the people we met and walked with, the people who supported the Pilgrims, and the feeling of accomplishment each day. I loved that we didn’t have any big decisions to make except for where we would walk to the next day and where we would sleep. No decisions about what to wear ( I actually wore the same clothes every day. I had walking clothes and evening clothes. Yes, we did laundry on a regular basis). No more deadlines for work. There weren’t a lot of choices for meals during the first 4 weeks either – so no decision making there.
- Looking Back: We learned to appreciate looking back to see where we’ve come from and what we’ve accomplished. We get so caught up In our “end goal” or destination that we often forget to appreciate what we’ve accomplished or where we’ve come from. Some of the most beautiful vistas and grandest sense of accomplishments often happened when we would stop our forward motion and just turn around. I hope that we remember to do that more often in our lives as we continue our journey after the Camino.
What Evan loved most about the Camino Walk:
- Enjoying Nature: The views were beautiful as we walked through a number of different areas. For 2/3 of the walk, we had great weather. The last weeks were a bit more soggy, but still with gorgeous views and interesting villages to walk through.
- Spanish culture: We enjoyed the small villages and towns we hiked through. By taking extra days in Pamplona, Burgos, Leon and Santiago we were able to experience the culture more fully. Features: learning how to get my preferred coffee; eating dinner far too late; stores all closed between 2:00 and 5:00 pm; no tipping necessary; great jambon (Iberian ham); bocadilla’s (crusty rich bread, one slice of jambon, one slice of cheese); great chocolate croissants; outstanding gin and tonic; no bill to pay until you ask for it. And so much more.
- Cathedrals & Museums: We didn’t visit them all, but every town had one, and often more, churches. The huge cathedrals in Pamplona, Burgos, Astorga, Leon and Santiago were fascinating. They’re full of wonderful art, sculptures and paintings, and often feature great museums. We learned a lot about Spanish history and culture.
- Our International Camino Friends: Walking and sharing the experience with others from all around the world. Our Camino friends included folks from Denmark, Holland, Australia, England, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and a number from the USA, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Missouri (I might have missed a few). We realize how unaware we Americans are about what goes on elsewhere in the world. And all the people we’ve met and walked with have been warm, wonderful and generous – the kind of people we want for our friends.
