This Place is for the Birds

I walked alongside a river today, with a beautiful wildflower garden alongside me. But the birdsong was my favourite part.  I think the birds are taking over the countryside and farming villages - I sure don't see many people around!  Large birds that look like our Great Blue Herons happily nest in the church bell towers, which actually chime on the hour. Roosters crow in all the little villages, too!  

All day long I'm serenaded by cuckoos and doves and countless other happy little birds cheering me on. In between that and chocolate, I can walk forever. 

Tonight my friend Vito cooked me a fabulous meal and the we shared cake with a group celebrating a birthday on the Camino. So many different ages, nationalities and life stories... Never a dull moment. 

Also this evening I took part in a small mass in this convent I'm staying in overnight. I am so moved by the passion these people have for their faith. The love and dedication they embody humbles me and brings me to tears. In the light of their grace, my personal religion seems rather shallow and self absorbed. I have much to learn about faith and love and commitment. 

There's something about this walk that moves many of us to tears readily. Perhaps there's a collective energy resulting from so many individuals throughout the history that have walked these exact same steps. All of us moving in one common direction,  all of us open to learn and be humbled. It feels like I'm walking in the safest and yet most precarious place on earth. Safe in that I am not alone - all these people (past & present) are on some level sharing a similar journey with me. The commonality of the experience results in abundant respect, love and camaraderie. But there is a perilous element to this pilgrimage because I am asking for change and trying to be open to accept it, however it presents itself. Change is frightening and can be painful. There must be loss to make room for growth. Am I prepared to reformat my reality?  What will i lose and what will i gain?

Discovery

Last night I enjoyed a lovely a evening in Hontanas (population 4 + 100 perigrinos). Four more camino friends are slowing down or quitting due to injuries, so my young Italian friend Vito and I marched off at sunrise again on our own.

Tonight I'm sleeping in what appears to be an old barn (including birds nests in the rafters) in yet another abandoned village (Boadilla del Camino) after a solid 30 km trek.

Interestingly, the Camino is beginning to influence my accustomed sense of time and space. Standard measurements of time, such as when I wake up or depart for my day's walk, or when I expect to arrive at a destination, seem of little value. Likewise, distances have become more subjective and personal. Values are becoming more internal and less driven by traditional external methods of measurement. 

Im also noticing how the Camino gently directs my thoughts into the present. My senses are hyperactive and my mind is more open to receive and experience immediate stimuli. My home life and history (with all it's worries and complexities) has fallen away significantly. My future has become as immediate and simple as "where the heck am i gonna pee?"  Sweet and prolific birdsong or the wind moving the wheat field can engage my mind completely. 

It is obvious to me at this point that I am starting to look more inward as i progress along on this journey. During the first two weeks i was captivated by the magnificent scenery, novel living arrangements and new relationships with interesting people.  There was much posturing and presentation of my own self-authored narrative. I was deeply involved in my standard routine of Observing and characterizing individuals into familiar prototypes. Now it seems i am becoming less convivial and less intent on developing traditional relationships with fellow pilgrims. It would seem  i am more preoccupied with my own internal explorations. I find myself more focussed on looking inward, rather than on how I present myself outwardly. 

It is said that the Camino is a metaphor for life. The first part of the pilgrimage is about Life, the middle part (which involves many days of walking across uninteresting, flat plains) is about Death, and the last part metaphorically represents Rebirth. 

I have certainly experienced the first part of the journey in full colour. We shall see what awaits me for the next part...

Bottleneck in Burgos

The beautiful city of Burgos was my destination after a long slog through solid rain and mud, and hours of industrial wasteland. But this was another awesome day for me as I just happen to love photographing moody grey days and urban decay!

It was like a Homecoming party in the huge albergues in Burgos. I met up with many friends i have made on the camino so far. But the cold, wet weather and challenging walking conditions were taking their toll.  By this morning many of my new friends had chosen to end their caminos. Ally was heading down to southern spain for some sunshine and to heal her sore feet. Lis needed another rest day for torn ligaments.  Gerry was cold and tired and wanted to fly home to Newmarket. Chris was taking a bus to Madrid. Another friend couldn't walk anymore after a dog attacked her.  My dutch friends were heading home because they had caught bad colds. Others had become frustrated with the lack of accommodations. Many pilgrims were sore, tired, disappointed and cold. 

Here are my wonderful Canadian friends in front of our auberge:

The cathedral in Burgos is mind blowing!

 I was keen to press on this morning and am grateful for a full 30 km walk today with no rainfall.  We are leaving the mountains behind and entering a part of Spain with days of flat plains, with up to 17 kms between water or shade (or a bathroom). I'm excited for it. The stark landscape let's me think. 

After walking for over seven hours straight today, I was happy to see the beautiful village I will stay in tonight.  

This place is heavenly when it's not raining!

A Night in Belorado

We arrived in another wee village today, all wet and cold from a muddy hike over hill and dale. Fortunately I had reserved a room for our band of 8 Canadians and we were grateful for a bed and (sort of) hot shower. You'd think we were a bunch of teenagers at camp, all giggly in our bunk beds...

We bravely ventured out for what turned out to be my favourite dinner yet. Collectively, we spoke little Spanish and the proprietors of the tiny dining room spoke no English, but we somehow ended up with lots of great food and wine including the best hot skillet of paella I've ever had. 

I felt we should celebrate our adopted american pilgrim's birthday before he was about to leave the camino and so the whole place celebrated along in every language. Fun times!

... And some impromptu dancing followed (works in every language)!

30 K a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

We did a 30+km walk today through some more mountains into a wee village called Ages where pilgrims outnumber the residents.  I reserved a room In advance, thank goodness, for our little group of 7 Canucks and one American wannabe. We're all cozy here in our beds trying to keep warm before we head out for dinner. There is a raging thunderstorm  outside and the temperature is quickly dropping to 3 degrees. Its freezing in this albergue, as is the case with all of them. 

But I'm having a grand time and my legs and feet feel good. Many of our friends have either fallen far behind or dropped out due to physical injuries or frustration with the weather or lack of accommodation. Apparently this is the single busiest time ever in the history of the camino. I've talked to a number of veteran pilgrims who are so discouraged with the overcrowded  conditions that they're dropping out of this stream of walking humanity...

However, I'm having lots of fun travelling in our little group. We all have something to contribute, and we look out for each other. We are each very positive and grateful to be on the camino. 

Here we are enjoying a fabulous dinner last night:

We laughed in the afternoon when i ordered water and Ally ordered  baileys Irish cream in coffee, and each one cost just over a dollar.  I particularly appreciate the vending machines that sell cold beer for a buck (right beside the pop and chips and condoms). Ya gotta love this place!

Often dessert is simply packaged ice cream...

It is so cold up here in the mountains that the leaves haven't even come out yet. 

We discovered these rock circles created by individual pilgrims adding one stone at a time, leaving their wishes for themselves or their loved ones with each stone...

The Rain in Spain is a Pain

I'm all cuddled in my sleeping bag in my bunk in yet another 800 year old albergues. 

It was a quick 23 km walk today mostly in the rain (including wind and hail) and now I'm trying to keep warm after a shower. These places are cold inside and it's too nasty outside to walk around. The businesses still remaining in these abandoned little Spanish towns are all shut down in the afternoons for siesta. It's kinda spooky. 

Fortunately I have excellent company and  food and drink available in the albergues. 

The price is right at about 30 euros for a bed, dinner and breakfast. 

It's amazing how much thinking one can do during a six hour walk. I feel like my whole world is being reframed and reformatted. I know everything will look the same from the outside upon my return home, but it already feels very different from the inside. I don't think I'll see things the same way again. I'm really excited for my new future. 

Enjoying My Camino Family

The rain held out today and I ended up in a very fun albergue in San Domingo. There are over 10 bunkbeds crammed into each of many small rooms, and a big common area where many of us congregated tonight. People of all ages and all nationaties gathered to cook, eat, drink, sing, talk and laugh together (we even had a guy playing bagpipes). 

My delightful group of travellers morphs a bit each day but its dominated by a super friendly representation of Canadians. (We are convinced that we're the friendliest and happiest group on the camino).

So many fun and interesting things happen each day that I can't begin to record them

here. My whole world view is shifting in ways I could never have anticipated. This is truly a life changing experience.