This is the furthest I've walked in one day and it took me 10 hours to get here. You would wonder how it could take so long to walk 28 km but, besides being on the turtle express up-hill all the way, I take a lot of breaks for boot removal and for eating high carb food. I left the Municipal Albergue at 7:00 after a so-so night's sleep in a small room with 39 other people. Soon I was entering a steep uphill path in a forest and it was very dark. For your amusement here is a picture of what a pilgrim (me) walking in the dark looks like.
Part of the reason it took me so long was that I had stopped for the day about 10 km earlier. I had paid 5€, had some lunch and a shower and then felt great again. I thought, "why stop now?" and left that Albergue for a new destination.
I had a real internal struggle with this latest group of touristpilgrims today. I was getting so annoyed with them being there, messing up my peaceful pilgrimage as they walked on their little 'holiday'. Many of them are with a tour group so don't carry backpacks, wear bermuda shorts and carry binoculars. There are school groups and others that have picnics delivered by vans that are following them. This woman's husband carries the stuff because she needs to work on her tan. And my personal favorite, this 'pilgrim' below.
Then to make matters worse, I began feeling very guilty about being such a judgmental grump and wondering what kind a 'spiritual' pilgrim would I had become. Turns out most of them who had been walking since St. Jean felt the same way as I overheard quite a few discussing it. As I walked on I finally figured out why i disliked these people being around. It's not 'them' that disturb me, it's what they represent. The Camino is almost over. Soon I will be back to the usual daily race and commercialism that can't seem to be avoided. I don't want it to be over, but on the other hand, I'm getting tired of walking.
Tomorrow I'm going to try to have a new outlook on these touristpilgrims. There's nothing wrong with having a week away from the office, lose an inch or two and maybe get atonement for your sins at the same time! Here's me embracing a little bit if Camino commercialism.
I'll walk with you when you get back. Your body will miss the walking and I miss you so it should work out great.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone who has walked a long way finds it hard in that last 100km from Sarria when suddenly the track is crowded with a different kind of pilgrim. I nearly wanted to give up at Portomarin and just catch a bus to Santiago after a day of walking with crowds of people, some of them carrying noisy radios, having noisy mobile convos etc. However, I had calmed down by morning! I guess I realised that we are each entitled to walk it how we like. Before you know it, you will be in Santiago....
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine:) still following your amazing journey - gotta love that Benji - a true Camino spirit:) Marie would love that story! Having taken one home myself, I'm not so sure strays are the ones that get found - or if they find us when we most need them - whether we know it or not:) I'm imagining all the added people as a kind of building crescendo of excitement come to meet up and celebrate with you at the finale of your journey! Always nice to have friends at the end:) Onward & upward! Danielle
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