“Pilgrims are poets who create by taking journeys.”
–Richard R. Niebuhr
Life can be funny in the way that once you are somewhere, or taking part in a certain journey, it feels as if you have always been there, that this is what you have always been doing.
By day two of the Rickshaw Run, it felt as though I had always been driving a rickshaw across India, as though there were no other place I should be but at the helm of a grossly underpowered vehicle through the chaos that is the Indian highway.
Eight months later and something similar has happened here on the Camino de Santiago, an 800-kilometer pilgrimage trail that runs from San Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Campostella on the northwest coast of Spain.
It’s only my fourth day on the way (and that after beginning at its halfway point), but already I can feel it happening–that strange process whereby what I’m doing now becomes all I’ve ever done; as though I’ve never done anything else but walk through rural Spanish landscapes, with 25 pounds of supplies on my back and blisters on the bottom of my toes.
There are still ten days of walking ahead of me, but I wanted to take advantage of free wi-fi tonight (thank you, Astorga!) to give you a glimpse into what life on the way has been like thus far…and hopefully convince you that despite the backaches and blisters, this is so worth doing.
As they say on the way, buen camino!
Because there’s no better way to start the day than with a pose…
This statue of a pilgrim on the way out of León made for a perfect photo-op before carrying on yesterday morning.
Sunrise silhouettes.
Quickly passed by two Austrian pilgrims…
Fortunately for me, this picture fails to capture the fiery darts of envy I was sending their way. What I would’ve given to swap my 12kg load for their sensibly-sized and impeccably-packed backpacks.
Rural pastoral.
A pilgrim’s lunch.
Is it sad how much I’ve come to look forward to lunch on the Camino? Perhaps it’s for the way it gives structure to our days…keeping an eye out all morning for a supermercado, picking up a baguette, chorizo, and cheese for a couple of euros, and then waiting for the perfect rest area to present itself.
…and the necessary post-lunch inspiration.
Streetscape in Villar de Mazarife.
Meet Luis, Julian, and Hernando…
three men from Villar de Mazarife who kept me entertained with stories of life in small-town Spain and introduced me to the local league of domino players.
Limonada leonesa.
A glass of this sugary regional specialty–similar to sangria, but without all the fruit–has proved delightful at the end of a long day’s walk in León.
We’ll get there in the end, right?
My heart races just reading this! Can’t wait to join you on the trail!
Yay! Can’t wait to have you here tonight…here’s to many adventures along the way.
That’s awesome that you’re walking El Camino!!! I definitely want to do it at some point (hopefully sooner rather than later). I think I would also be looking forward to lunch all day…haha. You captured some nice photos along the way. 😀
Thanks, Audrey! You definitely have to do it…it’s been an incredible experience so far–physically exhausting, but leaves you in such an amazing place mentally at the end of the day. And yes–I think if I wasn’t stopping to take photos along the way, I might be done far sooner 🙂 Hope you’re well!
This looks amazing, and something I would definately like to try one day! I always love that great sense of achievement at the end of something challenging like this. Go girl!
Hey Becki! So sorry to just reply to this…I feel like I’m still struggling to catch up with everything after the Camino 🙂 But thanks so much for saying hello, and I can’t recommend doing the trail enough. It was such a great experience, on so many levels…Hope you’re doing well! x
IT is certainly at the top of my list. Can you share your inner desire to complete the pilgrimmage?
Thanks for the comment, James! It’s great to hear the Camino’s at the top of your list…that’s a great place for it to be 🙂 I suppose my inner desire was really to clear some space in my life to think, to be in a place where I don’t have to worry about quite so much and my mind has room to roam. When are you thinking of walking the Camino yourself?
Hey Candace,
I just stumbled across your blog and loved your advice on how to write a memoir. And then I find this, which will be the topic of my book. Well, the golden thread… Most funny though is that I walked the Camino only a month after you did. Started on the 1st of May 2012. Walked all 900k from St Jean to Fisterra. Basically, what I want to say is thanks for sharing your experiences. What else is there but travelling?!
And PS: I love your sketches.
Hello, Kate! Thanks so much for stopping by and saying hello – it’s wonderful to hear from you, especially considering you’re a fellow pilgrim 🙂 That’s quite crazy you walked the Camino not too long after I did, and I’m incredibly jealous you walked the entire way! That had to be such an amazing experience. So will you be writing your memoir about the Camino? I’d love to hear more about it!
Candace,
I’ve added “The way” as one of the tops trips I want to do! The thought of trekking for a few weeks across Northern Spain sounds amazing to me! I’m glad your traveling the world and living your dream! Keep it up and I’ve enjoyed reading your other posts as well!
All the best,
Mitch Steimel
Hi Mitch! Thanks so much for saying hello – it’s great to hear that you’ve now added the Camino to your list! I really can’t recommend it enough – from exploring Spain in such a different way, to meeting travelers from all over the world, to having the time and space to process any life questions you may be asking, it’s a brilliant journey. Let me know if I can help with anything!