Here are some pics from my first camino (French Way) starting in Sarria walking 70 miles to Santiago. Much of the walking on this route is through countryside passing through villages and farms. The views are lovely. The Spanish people were great and really respectful of the fact they you were walking the camino and they would go out of their way to let you know if you had taken a wrong turn. They would call out "Buen Camino!" or "Buenos dias!" as you passed. The same goes for the other pilgrims and everyone says "Buen camino!" even though they are travelling past you on a bike at 20mph. I realised that I took a lot of photos of the ground in fact I spend a lot of time looking at the ground! When you go uphill, looking down slightly bent over, that is the most comfortable position and I was very aware of the changes in the landscape that way!
The pathways were clear when I walked in mid-July but at other times of the year when there has been more rain I guess it could be a bit tricky. Especially at the best of time streams may be plugged with a few rocks. As a Londoner at heart I never ceased to be thrilled by real countryside!
The pathway was very well-marked with yellow arrows or the camino symbol and often houses that were en route made their own contribution to help the peregrinos as well.
An horreo is a traditional Galician method of storing grain. You see them everywhere!
I caught these two men passing the time of day. I think I'll have to use this as a screen saver!
This is the hill where you first catch a glimpse of the cathedral.. The hostel here is a hideous carbuncle that should be destroyed. It looks like the Southbank Centre on a bad day. This "interesting" graffiti covered sculpture should be dealt with in the same way. It is desolate and windy and with the many grey clouds it makes this "nearly there" moment a bit of a downer.
'Fraid this mood continued when I reached the outskirts of Santiago with it's impersonal city focus. No "Buen Camino!" as you come to end of your journey; rather I felt somewhat tolerated and certainly not welcomed. Much the same I guess as we feel towards tourists on the London underground who have trespassed on our daily commute to work. People have different responses to the arrival in Santiago - some feel triumphant "I've made it after all" feelings and others similar to me, a bit of an anti-climax. Contemporary wisdom tells us that the journey is more important than the arrival. Does that make my gloom "right"? Or is it that I valued and enjoyed the warmth and camaraderie of fellow pilgrims who share their stuff, time and kindness with you? The contrast between the two environments highlighted issues about my significance in the world; to myself, others, the world, to God. It was quite painful.
In the midst of the crowds in Santiago it was funny that mostly you didn't recognise anyone you knew, even though you had been walking with hundred different people along the way. You saw people in the background, waiting at a bar, resting along the way, stopping at a different stage to you and then seeing them pass you later as you were resting. It can all seem a bit unreal when you make it to Santiago and it can feel like you are back in the real world. Not surprisingly many people head off as soon as they can to Finisterre to recapture some of the peace of the camino. Having queued for the compostela and been to mass at the cathedral many either walk or bus it to the "End of the world" -Finisterre. There's not a lot going on - sandy bays with a lighthouse. Met up with many of those who had been part of the crowd who walked together. People hung around the bus stop as it arrived to see if they recognised anyone. I wasn't the only one who felt a bit lonely.
As I said earlier, the plan was to walk with my sis, son and his friend to Finisterre when they arrived in Santiago. But having been to Finisterre thought it might be a bit too desolate for a first camino So I suggested that we walk the last 3 stages of the French way instead so that they could get a better idea of what it might be like. Unfortunately there were so many new pilgrims on the walk due to the school holidays starting that it was impossible to get accommodation so we only did 3 days walking and caught a cab into Santiago.
Here are the boys arriving in a typical village.
Here's one of me and my sister yakking as we walked!
There is a saying "Mi camino, Tu camino" which means that as in life, we all walk our own road and mine is not the same as yours. It is an opportunity to reflect on issues that are current in our lives or not, whatever you choose, as you want, as you choose in your normal life. I found that my experiences on the camino mirrored those in my life at that time and it helped to see more clearly patterns of thinking and behaving that were not right for me and I was able to take those insights back into normal life. It was just really helpful to me at that point in my life.
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