The Sea

Well, I made it to Finesterre, the end of the world and the end of my Camino. Here are a couple of photos from yesterday.
I want to apologize to those who followed this blog when I was contributing regularly ( sort of ). Somewhere along the Way I started finding it harder to analyse and more natural and helpful to observe and absorb without jumping to a more critical stance. Now, this is something I have been urged to do by several folks but have never succeeded in doing so I was very glad that it happened. I will do my best to go back over the experience and post some of my thoughts in the next month or two. Until then thank you for your encouragement.

Meseta

I have been holding off reflecting on the Meseta because my feelings keep changing.  Brierly calls it ¨Sublime¨  in his guide book.  Most of the pilgrims I have spoken with called it boring.  On the whole I side with Brierly.  It is like all the great Bread Baskets I suppose, certainly it took me back to Saskatchewan when I worked there.  If anyone has experience outdoors in Ukraine or Argentina it would be great to hear views.
One thing I noticed walking, in comparison to riding on a rail cart, is that places don´t approach, they almost seem to recede like a mirage.  A town you think will take half an hour to reach takes an hour or more.  One needs to stay focused on the immediate and control longing for coffee or beer.
Something that surprised me was how challenging a high wind can be in those circumstances.  There were two days of strong winds, strong enough to slow me down, even stop me in gusts, and to redirect me when I was sailing with it on the beam.  That wind left me dry, discouraged, and doubtful of my ability to continue.  I remember reading years ago that some winds seem to change the body´s chemistry a bit, and thoughts of the hot winds in North Africa and the mediterranean came back to me.  On the other hand, after two days the wind was gone and the walking was lovely.  As you can see I still haven´t arrived at a consistent, integrated view of the meseta.

Creating Spanish

Between Najera and Santo Domingo de Calzada there is an opportunity to visit San Millan and the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso. Both are fascinating but it is at Yuso, lower down a hill in San Millan, that one finds the artifacts that made this a UNESCO World Heritage sight. You can see a complete, multi-volume, large format bible here, hand transcribed and stored in its original rack.
But the key is the marginal notations which contain the earliest examples of written Castillian, what became Spanish, and Basque.
This takes you just off the Camino but a shared taxi will drop you and return (bringing you pack) in time to drop you on the Camino again without losing a day. Wonderful!

Gregorian Chant

One of my hopes was to experience the Liturgy of the Hours in one of its spiritual homes, the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. This is a centre for the perfection of Gregorian Chant in Spain. The bus left the station in Burgos at 17:30 sharp and passed through some wonderful hamlets and towns before arriving at de Silos at 18:45. The driver, both professional and kind, pointed out the unsigned hostel and indicated he would pick folks up at 08:00 sharp the next morning. There was just time to settle into the hostel and race to the Monastery Church for Vespers. A wonderful experience. Then down to the restaurant attached to the hotel for meal of local produce cooked in local fashion (delicious) before heading back for Compline. A few hours sleep, but more than the monks, then back for Vigils. A wonderful experience.

Burgos

When you walk (part of) the Camino, make time for a couple of rest days in Burgos. The Cathedral is famous and really takes several half days to begin to absorb. However, there is a great deal more. In addition to the many monuments - the castle, the city museum, other churches and monasteries - just strolling beside the river and pausing for chocolate con churro (try the restaurant behind the theatre) is a restful delight. It is a good place to replenish supplies as well.

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.