Spirit of the Camino

Sitting in the quiet, sheltered square of a small village on the Way, admiring the end of October roses around the church and nibbling ripe figs from the trees on the square. It is easy to get wrapped up in destinations and schedules but the point for me is the journey and this was a great, unscheduled moment.

A community in formation

For most of the last few weeks, about 400 Km, I have been walking with 3 great young people from France and Germany. We met in a hostel and after an evening of chatting the next morning they invited me to walk with them. From time to time one or more of us will take an alternative route but we have evolved a practice of always staying in the municipal hostel so it is easy to find each other again.
What is more important is that, at any one moment there is likely to be between 2 and 8 other folks walking with us. Some sprint ahead, some slow down so they are only with us for a day or two.
More poignantly, someone will develop an injury and have to go home as happened twice this past week. More happily today, someone who had taken time to heal caught up to us to great rejoicing.
One of the great cultural aspects of the Camino is this inclusive community ethic. I have heard some very fine folks opine that walking the Way by oneself is the authentic way. It is certainly an authentic way. But when I see how much I am learning from my companions (and I hope vice versa); when I remember the infrastructure at Le Puy for gathering medieval pilgrims into groups for safety; and when I think back to Canterbury Tales, I am convinced that the community element of the Camino is an authentic part of the experience.

Approaching

There is an Advent feel to the Camino. Much of the walk is spent contemplating an approach. From the time one first sees the Pyrenees in the distance several (in my case many) days pass before you begin the ascent. Yesterday on several occasions a blurred image on a distant hill gradually emerged as a medieval village before I found myself walking through it an hour or more later. Today the mist of a rainy day gradually revealed a lovely town. This sense of approach in the physical landscape is echoed in my emotional and spiritual landscape.

Pyrenees

The Pyrenees loom forbiddingly for every pilgrim, especially in the guidebooks and hostels. I planned to take the low road and avoid the issue. Fortunately the warden at the hostel on St Jean talked me out of it. He pointed out that 500 people take the Route Napolean every day in the peak season and that it makes a long day but not an especially difficult one. I compromised and sent my pack by baggage transport to Roncevalles, walking with just a day pack. Long but enjoyable with great views. Looking back I realize that the reports of difficulty came from folks who had read about it while everyone I spoke to who had walked it said long but not a problem if the weather is ok. Must be a lesson in there somewhere.

X is my friend

The way marking on the Chemin de Saint Jacques is terrific. However there are several systems in play. One is the Grand Randonee system of hiking trails. The GR65 follows the Chemin but misses some urban points of interest. It is accurately way marked with white and red bars. The Chemin uses yellow bars. Horizontal bars indicate "keep going straight"; add a vertical at one end and an arrow head at the other and you have a turn sign; but the one I rely on most is the X, meaning wrong way. At a multiway intersection I find the X more reassuring than the horizontals.

The Best Camino Advice I Received

1 Baron Rothschild, asked how he had prospered in the 1920s and 30s financial meltdown, replied "I always sold too soon". That is how I am
deciding when to stop for the day.
2. Churchill. "the only thing I learned in the army was never miss a chance to visit the WC" or words to that effect.
3 A pilgrim friend, "just take it a day at a time".

Steel or synthetics

I have seen 4 approaches to using arms to assist legs in walking to Santiago.
Quite a few folks travel with no device. This requires strength, but especially balance, particularly on the steep, rough trails from Le Puy for about 100 km.
A lot of pilgrims travel with a traditional wooden staff. I am pretty sure this represents respect for tradition asmuch as need for an assist. Both these groups move very well.
There are also 2 types of modern walking pole in use. The steel tip variety really dig in on soft or loose surfaces and provide propulsion and balance. With the rain we have had there has been a softening of hard packed dirt surfaces which has led to the washing of loose stone onto the path so steel tips give a great advantage.
I use a synthetic "rubber" tip. The poles are a gift from my wife and family, their way of saying "Go and pursue this dream of yours with our support". I wake up in a strange bed, in a strange town surrounded by new friends or strangers and the sight of those poles stiffens my backbone and softens my heart. I wouldn't change them for anything.
However, if you are buying poles for yourself or a loved one, look for a quick change connector between tip and shaft so the tips can be switched when the track changes.