Finding treasure on the Camino de Santiago

WEDNESDAY 13th JULY 2016

“If we consciously remind ourselves of our blessings, it should become harder to take them for granted and adapt to them!” Robert Emmons

Becoming a Pilgrim and expectations

The Camino de Santiago has for centuries been the route of choice for people seeking religious, spiritual and personal enlightenment, amongst other things.  It is a journey that most (not all) people usually take very consciously and prepare for, both physically and mentally. It is said that once you’ve made the decision to walk you automatically become a Pilgrim, even if it’s takes you years to actually do the walk, whichever one you choose. 

So, if that is true, I have been a Pilgrim for some three years now, when I made the decision to walk the Camino Frances. I read countless novels, guidebooks, blogs and other material in preparation for my walk, and I also “clocked” 700 Km’s on my feet in the seven months preceding my departure. I was certainly prepared. At one stage Warwick suggested I stop reading, as I was getting quite anxious about all the conflicting advice and opinions from Pilgrims past and present. My sense now is that you can do all the physical, mental and academic preparation your heart desires and still nothing quite prepares you for the majesty, mystery, intrigue, surprise, enlightenment, challenge, friendship, intensity, love, community, generosity, gratitude, humility, beauty and overall simplicity of the Camino. 

There are many roads to Santiago, I chose the Camino Frances, mostly because it is the one everyone talks about, and because it the one most written about and because I thought I would enjoy and manage the plus minus 800km challenge. You know me and a challenge! I read so many conflicting reports about my route, many said it was fantastic, many said it was too busy, too long, too hard etc, etc. I actually met with two Pilgrims who at various stages of my planning assured me I would love it. I watched countless You Tube videos, bought one or two on line videos, and of course watched “The Way”, at least three times. I knew it was going to be amazing, I do not believe that my expectations nearly matched my reality. The reality is that this journey is more beautiful in so many ways than you can possibly imagine. It exceeded my expectations a million times over.

An ensuite pilgrim on unexpectedly tough pathways

 I made the decision very early on in my planning and research that I would be an ensuite Pilgrim. I would have my bag transported and I would stay in private hostels or pensions along the way.  I didn’t want to rush  and stress to find a bed everyday, I didn’t want to stress about anything. I just wanted to walk and walk, and take in my surroundings and take my time. This was good for me, and it made sure I didn’t go into organize and control mode. I could just get up get ready, make sure my Babar was in place by 8am and just walk. If it took me 8 hours to walk then so be it. I noted the quite ‘disapproval’ of some people I met when I mentioned how I was doing ‘My Way’, and interestingly enough I felt no need to justify my decision or defend it. I loved my privacy, clean sheets, towels, bathroom and full night’s sleep every night.This trip was a gift from me to me, and from my family who gave me the time, I set out to enjoy it my way.

 I took along a little bag full of art supplies specially purchased as I was going to stop along the way and try and produce a small watercolour “painting”. I carried it in my Tinkerbell day pack for the first three days, and then put it safely away in Babar. It is yet to come out.

The route is overall much tougher than you realize when preparing. I can’t recall anyone ever really being emphatic about how rough some of the terrain is. Twenty kilometers in Cape Town when training would take a maximum of five hours including a short stop. On The Camino, it was seldom that I could complete 20 Km’s in five hours, as there would be at least one stretch every day that challenged me.  Often it was the pathways that were big rocks or stones, and not conducive to fast walking, and better to slow down completely. There were many ups and downs too that were steeper than expected albeit short and sharp. How people complete this journey in 20 to 30 days amazes me completely. I was very grateful for my rest days. Often the route was longer than the Brierley ‘Bible’ stated by at least two kilometers, maybe three.  It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you have been walking day after day after day in heat, wind, rain and more heat, those kilometers matter. I learnt quickly to add on at least three Km’s to his daily quota and then if it came in under (not often) it was a serious bonus. 

I also learnt that leaving early (even though I am on holiday) worked much better for me. The heat kicks in around 12h00 and intensifies throughout the afternoon (no wonder these Spanish siesta in the afternoon).  It’s hot. I got into the habit of  waking up really early and walking and then having my first coffee between 5 and 10kms depending on where or when I found the first cafe. Coffee never tasted as good as that first coffee. Mostly, there was always a cafe to serve you a coffee con leche somewhere even if you did have to walk an extra few Km’s to find it.

My Purpose

Most Pilgrims (not all), walk the Camino with a specific purpose in mind, there are millions of reasons and purposes recorded for why people do the Camino. I met many people who were walking because, “someone significant had died, someone had left them, they were trying to decide on their next career move, finding themselves, questioning their faith, etc.” It was interesting to see the various reactions when I was asked why I was doing the Camino’ and my response was “To Celebrate My Life, to show my gratitude and to raise funds for a special Non Profit that I am passionate about”. 

I am proud of the fact that I (WE!) managed to raise over R85 000.00. I am over the moon that the people close to me and in my network thought it important enough to take the time to sponsor me no matter how big or small the donation. I feel so touched that many of you passed on my fundraising link to others and they in turn donated.  Now Cami, who runs little libraries tells me she can start at least nearly 20 Little Libraries with that money. Every step I took, every pain I felt, every early morning, every day missing my hubby and son was worth it. I was so blessed to walk with this NPO in mind and heart. I was also blessed to walk with gratitude in my heart every day for all I have and have had in the form of my family, my job, my friends, my health and my last 50 years. It is said that “Why you do it, will get you through it!”  It sure did.

Everything done with the heart and with PASSSION will drive you and make you successful. I am passionate about making a difference and that drives me.

Camino treasures I found and lessons learnt

So, what lessons have I learnt along the way? What treasures did I find? I think as the months go by and I process my journey more and more, there might be other reflections and insights, but for now here are some of my reflections on my Camino;

1. Don’t take anything for granted ever

Every day is a blessing, every day that you can get up and walk without pain is a blessing. Every person you interact with is a Camino Angel. My supporters (Warwick, Kyle, June, and all the others (you know who you are), including Sarah and Jacqui), are a blessing to me everyday. Don’t take your family, friends and health for granted. Tell them you love them, and spend time with them like today is the last day you can. The Camino opens your your eyes first hand to to the sadness and tragedy of people’s lives. Hug your children every day, tell them you love them and don’t let them get away with not hugging you back or saying it back. Time is too precious. Tell your partner the same thing and make sure he or she does the same. I LOVE YOU WARWICK! I LOVE YOU KYLE! I FEEL SO GRATEFUL AND HAPPY TO HAVE YOU IN MY LIFE.

 Spend time with important people in your life (like I did with Jacqui and Sarah) and make sure they know you care.

Don’t keep putting things off for tomorrow, do it now, tomorrow might not even be here. Enjoy life, have fun and look after your body.

As the quote at the start says, consciously remind yourself of your blessings so you don’t take them for granted. A Treasure of note.

2. We are all imperfect and still being developed and built 

Life is all about the journey and not about the destination. We are (I Am) being built and developed and changed and reshaped everyday and none of us (ME) are perfect. And that is ok. We are all beautiful works of art in the making, and sometimes we will be appreciated and sometimes we won’t, but that doesn’t make us bad or ugly. Like the cathedral in Santiago is under scaffolding to restore its beauty and give it a face lift, we all need to constantly look at what we might need to give us a “facelift” and embrace it, as it is necessary not bad. All good art needs a little restoration sometimes.  And we will never be perfect and that is ok.  Accept yourself warts and all and the whole world may do so too. Some won’t, but that’s ok too. As long as you’re kind along the way.

I learnt that making friends with your “shadows” is good thing, and your shadows sometimes show you the way. Embrace your shadow side, fall in love with it and you may be surprised .

3. The overwhelming generosity of people when you take the time to notice

The Camino is filled with Camino Angels. People who will give your the last orange in the their fruit bowl, people who will drive you 25 Km’s to the nearest town to a dentist, people who will pack you a picnic lunch at the drop of a hat, people who leave water for Pilgrims at their front doors, people who smile and greet you in a way that makes you feel like royalty, people who will shares heir last Compeed (blister plaster) with you because you are in pain, never mind they don’t know where their next Compeed will come from, people who hug you and ask you your life story without blinking, people who tell you that you are ordering too much food ((so you don’t end up wasting food and paying for nothing), People,like singing nuns that bless you and sing for you, people who give you free classical guitar concerts, people who walk out of their way to give you directions  to get back on the path and fall out of their windows to tell you the way to go, people who come out of their homes to pick you a bunch of flowers and wish you Buen Camino, people who sit at their windows and offer you nuts for sustanance and to chat with you about slowing down and enjoying your time, people that genuinely want you to have a Buen Camino. 

Everyone you meet, Pilgrims, waiters, hotel hosts, farmers, hopitalerios, priests, nuns, is kind and generous of spirit. That is how I try to live my life everyday and I just want more of that now. A sense of community that is infectious. 

I read somewhere in my research about the Camino, someone said, “The Camino is God’s dream for how people should be when they are with each other!”

The amazing thing is that the Camino opens your eyes to the other Angels in your life outside of the Camino. Those people that are your Home Camino people! YOur work family, your friends, your own family.

4. You can live with very little (and what if’s just weigh you down)

I think I’ve always known this as I am not a hoarder, but you can really live with very little. Despite my taking Babar along with every what if in him you can imagine, I never ended up using half of what’s in him. The first aid bag is full, the art supplies are untouched, the seven t shirts and three pairs of shorts and two long pants are mostly unused except for two shirts, one pair of shorts, a little sweater, and my underwear. I sent a bag of stuff home with Sarah, and when Warwick got it, he sent me a text to ask if I was walking naked, as he couldn’t believe how much I sent home. I could have sent more. It’s amazing how little you can live with when you want to. Life is simpler with less, and it is best to declutter. Babar will be lighter on his next journey for sure. And on my next Camino when and if I am blessed with another, Babar will stay at home. 

Travel light, live simply and learn to manage with less. It’s good for me and the world.

5. Our minds, bodies, and spirits are awesome!

I am a Comrades runner so I know what my body and mind and spirit can do, but that’s for one day. When you have to get up day after day after day and walk an average of 25kms through rough terrain, and do it for 37 days, you really realise how amazing you are. Your body is tough and capable of so much ( I met Pilgrims running 60 Km’s a day), your mind is your friend or your foe (use it wisely), and your spirit is incorrigible when given the opportunity.  You can do anything when your mind, body and spirit are in sync. When 25kms becomes, “Oh, it’s only 25km today!”, then you know you can move, climb, run, and conquer mountains and anything else you are presented with. This Camino makes you see that, and helps you realize that you can do anything. AND WHEN YOU ARE WEARING A CROWN, AND SPORTING A PHOTO OF YOUR SON SAYING “I BELIEVE IN YOU”, AND MESSAGES AND MUSIC FROM YOUR HUSBAND SAYING YOU ARE AMAZING, IT MULTIPLIES YOUR ABILITY BY 10000 IF NOT A MILLION.

6. There is beauty in everything and everywhere you go always take the weather with you

Complaining on the Camino is rife. People complain about the food, the blisters,the distance, blah, blah, blah! I think that if you go in with the right attitude and you look for beauty and comfort you will find it. It depends on if you succumb to the negative influences of other people or the weather or the pain. I took over 4000 photographs, and I genuinely saw beauty everywhere.  There was always something to look at that amazed me or caught my attention. I felt like a kid in a candy store every day. The Camino reinforces this message, dig deep, find, your courage and your strength and your positivity and use it propel you. Beauty is always there if you choose to see it. You always get to choose your weather! When all else fails, play THE SOUND OF MUSIC soundtrack and sing at the top of your voice or all the music your husband has gifted you. It really helps fix the weather inside you. It cannot go wrong. 

7. There is possibility in everything 

The Camino reminds us that there is possibility around every corner. Every day the landscape is different from the day before, the people are different (from four different regions in fact), and from all over the world,  the friendships you make are different and filled with possibility. Your thoughts are prolific with possibility. Like the spring flowers all around you. Like the beautiful doors and gates on your pathways. The Camino reminds us to focus on these possibilities. And believing in possibilities makes us dream more, and live better. In life we need to see the possibility in everything we do. The possibility in people, in projects, in thoughts, in ideas, etc. Listen, watch and keep searching for possibilities! Open every door.

8. Laugh often!

If you cannot laugh at situations and yourself in life you are done. Well laughing often and at yourself is compulsory on The Camino as it should be in life. Laugh often from your belly, and from your heart.  It refreshes  your soul and keeps you focused on moving forward and it’s good for you and gives you courage to continue and dig deep.

9. Camino Friends are forever

Making friends on th Camino is different to home. It happens swiftly and with purpose. There’s no beating about the bush. There’s pure honesty and you just get on and you take the time to get to know someone really well when you walk 25 to 30 Km’s with them. It is so real and so down to earth and so refreshing. There are no expectations and there is genuine concern and interest mostly. If not, you just move on. Easy as that. I collected a lot of countries and their people as you know, and it was fun but above all I met Jennie (the pastor from Eureka, who will be a friend for life ) and Isabella, the gorgeous young woman from San Francisco off to study at Yale, who instantly felt like part of my family. I met so many people, but stands out, are also Chloe, Kevin, and Maria, and KImbereley. I also reconnected with some old friends, Jacqui and Sarah.  What a privilege to send so much quality time with real friends, and to just talk and talk and talk and listen and listen and listen. These bonds are stronger than ever and and we are Camino family now. It means a lot. 

Nancy Frey describes the Camino as “a community of souls United but the rhythm of their feet!”

FIRST BELOW; JENNIE,RACHEL, ISABELLA AND ME

SECOND BELOW: MARIA

THIRD BELOW; JENNIE AND I

FOURTH BELOW: KEVIN AND GREG

ISABELLA AND I BELOW, JENNIE AND I ABOVE. ABOVE JENNIE AND I, CESAR, THE DENTAL ANGEL

BELOW; MY GERMAN FAN – FRANS ( A DELIGHTFUL MAN)

BABRA FROM NIAGRA ON THE LAKE (ABOVE)

SARAH AND I (ABOVE)

JACQUI AND I (ABOVE)

10. Some Rambling

The Spanish sure know how to make good gin and tonics and eat well. A three course delicious meal can cost you only ten to twelve Euro with wine in Europe. Who would have thought?

 Your feet are your best friends when you are walking so much, look after them, talk to them and love them. Massage them and keep your shoes clean and cared for else they feel neglected.

Stop often and “smell the roses ” (in Spain they are spectacular), slow down and enjoy every single moment of your journey every day.

When you are lost, or feel you  don’t know where to go  or just need directions just look for the signs they are all over. Be open to them and they will show up. They may come in very different forms and shapes and places, but they show up.

In conclusion

If I had to do this over again, I would do it all the same with two additions. I would learn to speak some Spanish before leaving home as I think my experience could have been even more enriching if I could have had real conversations with the locals. And I would book into small Alburgues (Pilgrim dormitory type Accomodation) every fifth or sixth night, as I may meet more diverse people in these settings.

Did I find treasure on the Camino de Santiago? You bet I did. Every day I found gifts and treasures and a life time of memories and friends. The Camino itself is a treasure, and it is there to be explored and discovered by all. And now all that’s left to do is think about ………….“OH THE PLACES YOU WILL GO …….!”

Thank you for following me, and for encouraging me with your comments and support. Thank you for supporting Little Libraries and thank you for being interested in my journey. The next Camino beckons…….. Any takers?

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN – ULTREIA ((ONWARDS)!! SUSEIA (UPWARDS)!!!!!!

(This last pic courtesy of Isabella – I saw this statue in the mist)