Afterword

Two weeks have passed now, two weeks of relaxation and recontemplation. Something in me feels complete after walking the Camino de Santiago. My stick is still there, waiting for new advenures one day.

Walking this Camino was one of the best decisions in my life, although it was not even a decision, but a spontaneous respond to my friend David, when he mentioned to walk the Camino again. I had no idea what I was going to process.

Starting with the wrong shoes would let me suffer the first 14 days of walking. I thought in the beginning that something is wrong with my feet, they are not used to walk so much, the shoes are just one week old and I am not familiar with them. It was not my feet but just the bad quality of my shoes, thin sole and too tight for my toes. I learned how to deal with pain, with every step.

Being in Burgos then changed my life completely. Not only that I got wonderful new shoes there, but I met a lovely Irish girl. Her name is Patricia. I stayed in Albergue Santiago y Santa Catalina for two nights. On the second day I was just on the way to go out at lunch time, when I heard somebody knocking at the door down the spiral staircase. The door should be open after 11 am for pilgrims to enter. So I went down and opened the door, the host forgot to open it. And there I saw Patricia the first time. At this moment I didn’t know it would change my life.

Patricia and I have been together on the path for the next 6 days, sometimes walking together, sometimes walking by ourselves or with other people. There was already a strong bond between us, a lovely and comfortable feeling. Besides the walking itself we spent most of the time together, eating together, resting in the same Albergue. Patricia just walked until Sahagún this time. Here we spent our last day together, at least for now.

There are different qualities which makes the Camino so special. At first there is the path itself. Just starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a highlight, considered as one of the most beautiful cities in France. The city is an important place on the Way of St. James Via Podiensis and also the last stop on French soil. The pilgrimage route then continues in the Camino Francés. Walking for almost 900 km through such different terrain, starting in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France crossing the pyrinees to Spain, crossing through Navarra, in the Middle Ages it was a Basque kingdom, walking through the vineyards of La Rioja, the long Meseta in Castilla y León and ending up in Galicia at the Atlantic ocean, Finisterre, the end of the world, as they say.

Another quality are the beautiful people walking the Camino. They are from all nations you can imagine, France, Spain, England, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, U.S.A, New Zealand, South-Korea, Australia just to name a few. There is a lot of talk about feet and legs and knees and shoes around. Which plasters and bandages are the best? Obviously it concerns many pilgrims. There are new friendships and laughter, fun as well as serious stories. The people on the Camino are like a big community. It happens that you are meeting somebody and then again after two or three weeks. Other people you are meeting every some days or never again. It’s a coming and going. Many people are just walking in stages, continuing their last Camino, starting or finishing it.

A Camino friend was just writing:

The Camino is now a part of us in such a significant way.
How are we bringing the Camino back to where we are from, being the inspired agent of change that others so desperately need to improve their quality of life?
We fortunate few now get to share what we have experienced with those needing our now inspired truth.
Be someone’s miracle!

I like the way he put it. I am still deeply touched by all these beautiful people walking the Camino.

Sometimes during community dinners in an Albergue, we had a sharing why we are walking the Camino, or what are our deepest impressions. When I started the Camino I did not know. Then it was the moment, the moment I made my next step, the moment to have a break, to drink some water, a juice, a coffee. The talk with people, the beautiful churches along the path, all the blessings we received by priests and nature. The happiness to reach the Albergue, knowing to find a shower and some rest. It is always just the moment, the Camino provides, life takes care. The path is the goal.

And there is my friend Andrew from Australia. When I met him first while walking he was struggling from a straint in his leg. But he just kept on walking, slow but steady. We met in different places later. Then for dinner in La Faba we met again, he was sitting there with a bag of ice on his leg. Simply too many kilometers walking. Without ever talking about this we were walking the last two weeks together, until Finisterre. Andrew is a real character, so caring and welcoming. Everybody on the Camino liked him and he was friend with so many people. His companion was one of the gifts I received on this Camino.

It happened in this little church in Rabé de las Calzadas on the way to Hornillos del Camino. I felt a deep communion with Patricia, there were two nuns and one of them was talking in Spanish, most I couldn’t understand. Tears were in my eyes. Somthing happened in this moment deep inside me. It should be shown later.

Back in Portugal, the Camino de Santiago will be alive forever. When Patricia and I had to separate in Sahagún, she was heading back to Ireland. I was missing her lovely companion and friendship, her presence, her beauty, her smile, her talk, just everything. But we were still in daily contact. I loved the messages we were sharing, she was with me in my heart, in my soul and in my mind. When I arrived in Santiago de Compostella she could feel my excitement as if she would be there herself. In the Catedral de Santiago I prayed for her to finish her Camino here one day. I could show her the Plaza del Obradoiro and the huge beautiful church using my phone.

And still we are deeply connected in a beautiful harmony. Our sharings are deepening. We will meet again this year in Portugal.

Buen Camino