The Sacredness is in the Commitment

Rest day in Portomarin, in which we were careful to walk less than 5 kilometers around town, in order to get a "real rest". 

Rand and I celebrate anniversaries every single day. The anniversary of our first meeting. The anniversary of our saying goodbye in Leon. The anniversary of him surprising me at the airport in Philadelphia. The anniversary of this town and that meal and this laundromat experience and that gracious host.

But March 29th is a special anniversary. It's the day that we "got married" last year in a bar in a little town called Rabe de las Calzadas. Keld, from Denmark, served as our officiant. Simon, from England, served as best man. And Dirk, from Germany, stood up with me. We had just met these men earlier in the evening, but the depth of our conversations warranted inviting them into the sincerity of this experience.

It might seem silly. Like something school kids would do on the playground at recess. But the sacredness was in the commitment made that day, not in its formality or legality. And like any good marriage, our love was only just beginning and has grown more true, more deep, more real with each passing day.

In honor of our anniversary, we checked into a "7-star" hotel here in Portomarin. The water may run brown, and the heater may not work (but they did bring us a space heater!), and we may have two twin beds, but we're here together, in Spain, and there aren't enough stars to top that! And really, you can't beat the view from our balcony!

We decided to take a "rest day" and stay a second night here in the hotel where we've already made ourselves at home. To be honest, I was worried about being bored. And anxious to reach Santiago now that we have only 90 kilometers to go. We wonder what it will be like to arrive in the midst of Holy Week. But we also have to honor our bodies. The fact that we've walked 11 long days tells us a day off is necessary.

The day actually passed quickly with naps, work, food, watching other pilgrims come into town and Spanish game shows. And hopefully our bodies (and blisters!) will be gracious to us tomorrow when we walk.

Where did all these people come from?

Day 11 of walking: Barbadelo to Portomarin, 18.2 km

Yesterday we passed through Sarria, where many pilgrims begin their walk. The kilometer marker here is 111 to Santiago. You only have to do these 111 in order to receive your certificate of completion, so many people who don’t have the time or the stamina or the ability to do the full 790 (or so!) begin here.

The town was full of bright backpacks, brand new shoes, and clean smelling people. We felt completely out of place and kept walking. Just like I had done last year, with an orthopedic boot and a shiny new pair of crutches. These were my first 4 kilometers once I began walking again!

When we arrived in Barbadelo last night, the first thing we saw was a tour bus and dozens and dozens of teenagers and luggage bags. It should have been our first clue as to what was to come today. Just a few days ago we were wondering if there were any other pilgrims on the Way. What a difference a couple of days makes!

The time changed over night so we got a late start. We remembered this from last year, that the time changes a couple weeks later in Spain than it does in America. But we were still out of our Albergue by 9 a.m. And instantly saw a sea of people.

Young women in spandex, talking nonstop chatter. Old women in velour pant suits and overdoses of perfume. Young men blasting their music, racing from one stop to the next. Old men intrigued by every plant, bug, farm, and cemetery. All with clean shoes and small backpacks, smelling of soap and other clean things.

We had to remind ourselves not to be irritated by this influx of people, who we’ve nicknamed “mall walkers.” Just because they didn’t start in Leon, or St. Jean Pied de Port, or even further away, doesn’t mean the Camino is any less of a commitment or a feat. We should applaud them for coming at all. Especially now, in this week leading up to Easter. And just because we are tired with blisters, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be encouraged by their fresh energy and enthusiasm.

It was a challenge, however. Especially when we stopped to take photos at the “100 km” marker. It was a particularly special moment for Rand, who has waited so long and worked so hard to get here. And yet while we took photos a dozen people passed by without so much as stopping to appreciate the marker. A very different experience from last year, in which I arrived here with several others who had started in St. Jean, and we celebrated with chocolate and photos and words of jubilation.

There was a bit of redemption at the 99 km marker, however. Rand stopped to take a photo, now that we are down to double digits! And a group of men came along and were also excited to see “noventa y nueve”.

“Animo!” I cheered them on. And when we saw them again later in Portomarin, they repeated this word of encouragement right back to us.

Canadians, Cookies, and Another Trip to the Pharmacy

Day 10 of walking: Samos to Barbadelo, 18.8 km

Total for 10 days of walking: 210.2 kilometers!

Today felt much more like last year’s Camino. Perhaps it was the presence of other pilgrims on our route. Or because it was actually hot today. Maybe it was stopping in someone's backyard for a cold drink. Or simply because we have so many kilometers under our belts. Whatever it was, we felt grateful for it!

After leaving Samos at noon (because I had to work in the morning – that’s right! We’re still carrying the computer!), we started seeing other pilgrims right away. But interestingly, one of the first pilgrims we met was headed right towards us.

“I think you are going the wrong way,” Rand said to the young Canadian. “Santiago is that way,” pointing behind her.

She laughed. “Are you in a hurry?” she asked. “Do you have a minute?”

She clearly didn’t know who she was talking to. It was noon and we were just getting started!

The reason she wanted to chat was because she had been lost for the last couple hours. The Camino isn’t as well marked when you are walking “backwards”, from Santiago to St. Jean Pied de Port. Reminding us that we often take for granted that we are going the right direction.

She pulled a map out of her pocket, which wasn’t much more than a list of towns. We assured her that she would have no trouble getting to Samos. Beyond that, she would have to trust the Camino to provide.

We didn’t take the time to discover why she was walking the Camino in reverse, but I imagine it was more personal than something to discuss in passing. But we wished her well and told her we were most impressed by her.

She said that she’d left Santiago 6 days before, so we were nearing our finish. “I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when I’m 6 days away from the end of my Camino,” she said. Rand and I are just starting to process that ourselves.

Shortly after leaving the young Canadian woman, we came across a shirt lying on the path. We picked it up and carried it with us until we met a group of high school kids. “Does this belong to you?” we asked. “Do you want a digestive cookie?” one of them asked in response. Something about this exchange made us instant friends.

They were 7 high schoolers and one leader, from an international school in Germany. It was their spring break, so this was mostly for fun, but was also a “kind of mission trip”. One of the girls was Dutch American. Another was Swiss American. The boy we spent the most time walking and talking with was from Missouri, but had been living overseas for the past 4 years. We didn’t take the same breaks throughout the day, but each time we bumped into one another it was like we’d been friends forever. All because of a digestive cookie!

Later, when we stopped to eat a snack in someone’s front yard, I ended up resting my arm on the same poisonous weed that I encountered last year. Rand watched in horrified amazement as my arm, in a matter of minutes, went from turning red to covered in welts. Luckily I had the same experience last year, so I assured him it wouldn’t last long. Within the hour it was back to just being red, and by the time we arrived at the Farmacia several hours later, there was no physical evidence of the allergic reaction; simply an irresistible urge to scratch. The pharmacist gave me some allergy cream and when we showed her a picture of the "burn weed" she said, “Very common and nothing to worry about.”

All part of the adventure!

A Real Rest

Day 9 of walking: Alto do Poio to Samos, 23 km

The one thing I wished I’d had last year on Camino was a pair of tennis shoes. Yes, they are bulky and heavier than a pair of sandals or flip flops, but they also provide a secondary pair of shoes that you can actually wear while walking the Camino. As opposed to just in the evenings when you are resting or walking to dinner.

This year I brought a pair and am so glad I did! I have worn them every day and they have provided my feet with great relief. I wear them for about 5 kilometers, either at the beginning or the end of our day, when we are on long stretches of pavement.

It helps that my backpack isn’t as heavy this year. So I don’t need the ankle support of the boots that I did last year due to the excess weight on my back.

Rand and I went to REI and were fitted for backpacks and that too has made a world of difference! We haven’t had any trouble with our backs or shoulders this year. You would think a backpack is just a backpack, but when you are carrying it 8+ hours a day the fit really does matter!

The most important thing is still the right pair of hiking boots. Rand and I are both wearing different boots this year. I had a pair at home that I loved and simply bought the same pair in a half size bigger, to allow my feet to breathe and stretch. Rand, too, had a pair at home, wider than the pair he wore last year, and they are working well for him. We used to have to stop regularly because his foot would ache (in the same place where I broke mine!). And my broken foot was definitely due to wearing the wrong pair of boots.

All of these contribute to our being able to take longer walks this year. Added to the determination to finish. But still we take many small breaks and one long one each day.

Matthew 11:28-30, in the Message Bible, says,

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

On this trip we’ve learned what it means to take a real rest. Not a pop in for quick cup of coffee and to use the bathroom rest. Not a sit down by the side of the road and drink some water rest. But a real rest. A stop, take off your boots, and don’t get up again for at least an hour rest. We will walk 10 kilometers, stop and take a real rest, and then are able to walk another 10, doubling our average walk day last year.

It gives me a lot to think about, when I relate this to the Scripture. Jesus doesn’t want me to just pop in every now and again. But He wants me to dwell, to linger, to lay down in the grass and put my feet up in His presence. And when I do, I can go so much further in life.

Today, taking care of ourselves and taking a real rest meant being able to see this view, of one of the oldest monasteries in the western world. And getting to walk down to it and spend the night in beautiful Samos!

All New Steps!

Day 8 of walking: Las Herrerias to Alto do Poio, 16.9 km

Today is the first day that we have walked all new steps for me. And the first 8 kilometers were straight up a mountain!

I remember taking the taxi on these mountain roads a year ago. I was so envious of the pilgrims in their ponchos, braving the wind and rain as they walked up hill. I would have done anything to have been walking beside them. And today I got my chance!

My body felt great; my heart even better. The view was gorgeous, and I couldn’t think of anywhere in the world I’d rather be.

If I had made this trek last year, I probably wouldn’t have had the same appreciation for it that I had today. I likely wouldn’t have enjoyed the rain, the challenge to my quads and glutes, or the wind in my face. There is beauty in having something taken from you, and then being given another chance.

Once we reached our summit we found the bust of Don Elias Valina Sampedro (1929-1989), the priest who came up with the idea to mark the Camino with yellow flechas (arrows) to guide pilgrims on their way. It’s thanks to him we don’t have to carry a map!

I was feeling so good that I encouraged us to press on to the next town before we stopped. But soon the rain started coming down harder. And the side of the mountain wasn’t there to block the wind. My gloves were soaked through, making my hands even colder by wearing them. We stopped at the next town but the woman at the store told us she wasn’t cooking. We would have to go two more kilometers. She made us a cup of coffee and filled us with chocolates and sent us back out into the wind.

When we arrived in the next town we came first to an Albergue. We stopped but no one was there. We wandered around. It looked really nice. There was a washer and dryer, which we were in need of. But without someone there to greet us, we felt we should move on. We found the local bar and were craving hamburgers and French fries.

A few days ago we met a couple from Germany who said “The Camino Provides” means the Camino will give you what you need, not necessarily what you want.

It proved to be true. The woman at the bar told us the only thing she had for us was soup. Homemade vegetable soup. Hot off the stove. It was exactly what we needed on this cold, wet day!

As we were leaving town, we came across an open barn full of hand-carved walking sticks. Several days ago Rand left his stick outside the place we were staying. We leave our stuff outside and unattended all the time. But this time, it wasn’t there when we left the next morning. We’ve passed a few stores where he could have bought a replacement, but the former one was special and he wanted this one to be too.

There was no one in the barn, but the door was open and a sign said they were made by “Pirri” and were available for 3 euros. We were bummed not to get to meet Pirri, but Rand found one that felt good. We didn’t have any change, but we figured a hand-carved walking stick was worth the 5 euros we left in Pirri’s cash box. The Camino Provides!

To Come Together... Or To Come Alone

Day 7 of walking: Villafranca del Bierzo to Las Herrerias, 20.5 km

Last night over dinner Rand and I were reminiscing about one of the first conversations we had with our friends Jeff from North Dakota and Aloys from Holland last year.

We were discussing the fact that we all had come to the Camino alone, and that we would recommend this to anyone considering walking. We worried that coming with friends or loved ones would change the experience and inhibit the intention for walking.

"Would you still recommend walking alone?" I asked Rand, wondering if our coming here together the second time around would change his opinion.

"Absolutely," he said.

The few pilgrims we have met this year have all told us about their "Camino families", not people they came with but the people they began their walk with and still connect with along the way. Jeff and Aloys were that to us last year, along with Sophie from France, Romy from New Zealand, and several others.

One of the sayings on the Camino is "The Camino Provides."

Rand and I talked about how coming alone makes you lonely and in need of a Camino family to encourage you, to be part of your experience, and simply to connect with along the Way. If you bring your family with you, perhaps the Camino would not provide a family of pilgrims for you because you wouldn't be so much in need. We certainly haven't found, or needed, a family during our short time here this year.

Even so, we still get excited when we recognize pilgrims we have met a day or even hours before. We greet one another, chat about where we have been and where we are headed, and wish each other a Buen Camino!

Today we saw only one other pilgrim, while we were stopped in Trabadelo for lunch. But she didn't stay long. She was simply looking for stamps.

Trabadelo was where I spent my last night before going to the hospital last year. Elly, the hostess, was still there. I remembered that she had come to Spain from the Netherlands for love. The love didn't last, but she stayed in Spain anyway.

We told her our story and she said, "You see that a lot. People falling in love on the Camino."

"Does it last?" Rand asked.

"I don't know," she said. She simply sees the couples as they pass through en route to Santiago.

"You can't say anything will last forever," she added. "Which is why you have to appreciate every day. I think the couples who meet on the Camino will last longer than most, though. Because you get to know someone different here than if you met in the discoteque." We processed this for a moment before she continued, "The most important thing in a relationship is talking."

"Katie likes to talk," Rand chimed in.

"Talking AND listening," Elly said pointedly. "Which is different than hearing."

It's always fun to get relationship advice from your bartender!
 
So it seems that we still believe in coming alone to the Camino. But not necessarily leaving the same way!

Significant Places

Day 6 of walking: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo, 23.4 km

While riding the bus felt like a fast forward version of Rand and my Camino, today's walk from Ponferrada to Villafranca felt like an intense look at the most significant places of my solo journey.

Ponferrada is where I met Rowena and took her to the doctor for her leg. And where I later returned to go to the hospital myself. It's where I spent several days at the castle hotel, bought crutches and an orthopedic boot, and began my slow journey forward by bus and taxi.

The highlight of the day for me was walking by the pharmacy where I bought my crutches and was told my Camino was over. Less than a year later here I was again with two happy, healthy feet and not so much as a blister.

Later in the day we passed through Cacabelos. It was in this town that I realized I would never make it to Santiago in time. But instead of throwing in the towel, I called the airlines and extended my stay an extra 10 days.

Finally we came to Villafranca where we would spend the night at possibly the most magnificent place on the whole Camino. (All pilgrims who need a night off from the Albergues should stay at the micro hostel La Puerta del Perdon!)

It was in this town that I spent Easter weekend last year. Where I attempted to rest, reflect on the spiritual parts of this journey, and was kicked out of Jesus' procession for being a girl. I would only walk one more day after this before taking the bus back to the hospital in Ponferrada.

Ponferrada where I had left almost a week before. 

And we tackled that stretch all today!

It was exciting for me to walk this today and feel so good. But talking with Rand made me realize how hard this stretch was for him. To know I was hurting but to be so far away and not be able to help. Sometimes I think it is harder for us to see the ones we love hurting, than it is to be the one who is hurt.

Not the Camino I Remember

Day 5 walking: El Acebo to Ponferrada, 17 km

Total for the first 5 days: 107.6 km (If you "walked with" us last year, you know we are breaking all kinds of records for ourselves! This is probably 40 km more than an average 5 days of our 2014 Camino!)

So many of the places I wanted to share with Rand have changed. The Albergue donativo where I stayed outside Astorga and had a delicious communal meal with all the neighbors had only two places set for dinner. The bar in Santa Catalina no longer had the “open 25 hours” sign on its cigarette machine. The Godiva chocolate place where I hung out during my “be more quiet” days in Ponferrada is all boarded up. Even the Cowboy bar was closed up tight.

We talked to a young man yesterday who stayed at the Albergue in el Ganso where I stayed, soaked my feet in a cold pan of water, and made dinner with more than a dozen others. He said he was the only one there and that it was really creepy.

There are definitely far fewer people on The Way than there were last April. At least on the stretch where we are. The Albergue we are at tonight was overflowing with walking and bicycling pilgrims when I was here last, but tonight there are no more than a dozen others.

It feels natural to want to play "tour guide" to Rand on this stretch that I walked before. But disappointing when the places, moments, and people who made that Camino for me are no longer there.

We knew this Camino would be different. We wanted it to be. But it is harder than I expected to let go of those expectations. Perhaps it will be easier in two days when we get to the stretch of Camino that I wasn't able to walk before.

In the meantime, we pray that whatever lessons we are here to learn we will be receptive to them.

La Cruz de Ferro

Day 4 of walking: Rabanal del Camino to el Acebo, 17 km

Today we visited the Iron Cross, la Cruz de Ferro, where pilgrims from all over the world bring stones from home to place at the foot of the cross.

Last year some were disappointed that I didn't bring anything from Ohio to place at the cross. But I carried with me instead the stones that Randy had brought with him. And because of time constraints wasn't able to take them to the cross himself. (Read last year's blog post here.)

This year, however, Rand had the idea to bring something special to the cross: an Ohio buckeye. I had given him one last year for his birthday as part of his "get to know Ohio" gift. And he thought it would be fitting to bring it to the cross. Together.

We also brought with us a bracelet that read "Team Jeremiah" and "Fight Against Leukemia" for a very special 9-year-old boy in Ohio. He is not only facing something more difficult and painful than I can even imagine, but he is doing it with a positive attitude and a learning mind. It is this kind of child-like faith and curiosity that will lead to a cure.

Bringing something from home to this place is a way to symbolize our collective journey, as well as what we individually bring to the table. Perhaps last year I wasn't convinced that I had something worthwhile to contribute. Maybe it took Randy and the faith of a little boy to show me otherwise. Because this I know to be true: we all matter.

La Farmacia

Day 3 of walking: San Justo de la Vega to Rabanal del Camino, 23.8 km

Something every pilgrim has to deal with is a trip to the pharmacy. While the reasons for visiting the pharmacy are rarely fun (you can buy toothpaste, deoderant, etc., but chances are you are there for pain or sickness), the pharmacists do their best to make it a good experience.

I wasn't expecting to have to go the pharmacy so early in the trip, but I am very grateful that it had nothing to do with my feet!

Luckily we found ourselves in a larger town (Astorga), where pharmacies always have at least one person on duty who speaks English. My Spanish is pretty good when it comes to basic conversation, but explaining that I had a sore throat but no cold or cough or other symptoms was beyond my ability.

Our pharmacist spoke near perfect English and was very thorough. She listened to my complaints and asked more questions than most after hours clinics in America. I left with a package of losenges and feeling well taken care of.

This was also my experience last year. Looking for compeed for blisters, inserts for my boots, crutches for a broken foot, anti-inflammatories for tendonitis, and cortison for a rash I developed after stopping for a rest in a park. At every different pharmacy I was listened to and treated quickly and efficiently.

A woman I spoke to who had sprained her ankle also had a great experience at the pharmacy. She said the pharmacist assessed her ankle to see what kind of sprain it was in order to give her the right kind of brace.

There are so many ways that this country takes care of its pilgrims. But pharmacies may be one of the most important. I am so grateful for those called to serve in the medical profession!

Emotional Moments

Day 2 of walking: Villar de Mazarife to San Justo de la Vega, 27.6 km

Rand and I officially began our walk yesterday at the exact spot where we said goodbye last April. Leon is a huge city, but we recognized the place immediately. It has surprised me how my body and mind and spirit have tuned in to these locations, memories, and emotions.

We paused to take pictures. Say how grateful we were to be walking forward together. And began our walk, hand in hand.

Today came another emotional place for us. We walked the stretch of road where I felt intense pain in my foot. Likely the place where tendonitis turned into a broken foot.

I walked alone for a few paces, surprised at how emotional I felt. A year ago I had no idea that it would take me another month to walk these last 285 kilometers, which most people do in 12 days. I had no idea how hard it would be, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

As I feel my feet getting tired and sore during these first 50 kilometers, I have had to remind myself that this is normal. This isn't a break waiting to happen.

I think this is a common sensation for anyone who has ever broken a bone, torn an ACL, etc. It is hard to go back to the activity that you now not only associate with joy and love and exhilaration, but also with pain and heartache. But essential if you are ever going to experience the freedom that comes with overcoming, pushing through, and learning why you loved that activity in the first place.

We imagined for a moment how last year would have been different if I hadn't broken my foot. Or how it would have been different if I'd broken it while Rand and I were still walking together. But that isn't our story.

Our story is that Rand went back to work and I broke my foot the day after we parted ways. And it had to happen that way. Even if we don't know all the reasons why.

Reasons for Walking

Day 1 of walking: Leon to Villar de Mazarife, 22.2 km

We are walking! It was so nice to leave the Parador Hotel clean, rested, and not having just walked nearly 500 kilometers! We had no trouble walking all the way to our goal of Villar de Mazarife, where I spent my first night without Rand last year.

Walking, we've determined, is our primary reason for doing the Camino this year. For Rand to complete his Camino (God willing!). For me to complete my Camino unbroken (God willing!). And for us to complete our Caminos together (one way or another!).

And of course to make new memories and lasting friendships!

These two were the only others at the albergue we stayed at tonight in Villar de Mazarife. From Switzerland, they have been married 41 years.

He walks for religious reasons.

"Are you Catholic?" I asked. "We believe in the Bible," he said, "the Old and New Testament. What denomination you are is between you and God."

I like this very much.

He gave us a pamphlet about how you know you are going to heaven. He carries them in several languages. We accepted it graciously. While it isn't how we are called to serve, it is our responsibility to honor the call of others.

His wife walks because she's already walked across Switzerland and France. Spain is the next logical step.

Even though he trained to walk with her, after the first 5 days he realized that no training prepares you for the Camino. Isn't that the truth! So he walks as much as he can, and takes the local bus to the albergue they plan in advance to stay at for the night. He also sends his backpack with the transport service so he doesn't have the extra weight to carry. She walks every step, with her backpack on.

"She is very strong," he bragged.

They spent the last 3 days resting in Leon after he caught a cold.

Catching a cold is something that has been on my mind since we arrived. Something I definitely want to avoid. It is colder here than I remember. At least it feels that way. Maybe because last year I left Ohio in the negatives and this year I left California at 85 degrees. Or maybe because we didn't walk our first several day. I'm sure that once we get moving more regularly on foot we will adjust.

El Camino by Bus

We wanted to start our walk in Leon, but Rand also wanted to take us to the 3 places (see yesterday's post) along our previous walk that meant so much to us, so we ended up taking the bus all along the nearly 500 kilometers we previously walked.

I was nervous. My only experience of riding the bus along the Camino wasn't a good one. Not the bus itself, but the reason for riding.

However, it ended up being the most amazing experience. The Camino runs parallel to the highway nearly all the way across Spain, so we were able to see so many places that left us with lasting memories. We probably annoyed the other people on the bus, because we were a constant source of chatter: 

“That’s where we ate French toast!”

“That’s where we ate at that lady’s house!”

“That’s where you went to the bathroom at the frat house!”

"That's the apartment we stayed at!"

“That’s where the food truck was!”

“There’s the chocolate place! That didn’t sell chocolate! Where they played Pink Floyd!”

“That’s the restaurant where you got in trouble for taking your boots off!”

“That’s the Chinese restaurant we ate at!”

“Remember how hot it was that day!”

“That’s where the bread truck stopped for us!”

“That’s our detour to the dam!”

“That was the really cold night, when the hospitalero turned off the heat when we went to bed!”

“Is that where we stayed when the Korean guy chomped his teeth all night?”

“Is that where…?” “Yes!”

You can see that a pilgrim's life is all about where you eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom!

We talk about the Camino all the time, read back thru last year's blogs to remember, and look at our passports to let the stamps and dates retell our story. But seeing these places--35 days of walking in an intense 2 days on the bus--was overwhelming and beautiful and reminded us of how we traveled from strangers to friends to falling in love. 

Plus we made several stops, in the larger cities, waiting for our bus transfers, and had the opportunity to go back to those places where we ate, slept, made new friends, and even more memories. Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Logrono. Santo Domingo. Burgos, Leon.

And we did our best to encourage the other pilgrims on the bus. I certainly didn't want them to feel isolated, or despondent about not being able to walk all 790 km.

Two girls we talked to had either run into trouble (pain or sickness) or were slow walkers like us, and were taking the bus all the way to O'Cebreiro (another 100+ km past Leon). A solo woman looked completely worn out, but when I tried to talk to her she said, "My English very bad." "Spanish?" I asked. "No," she shook her head. Even without a common language, I hope we left her with a sense that it is okay to take the bus, to take a rest, or to finish the Camino in her own time. These are certainly lessons we have learned.

Three Nights to Remember

Last year I immediately began walking after arriving in Spain. But this year Rand was in charge of planning our first 3 days. Then we would walk.

Rand picked out 3 very meaningful places for us to stay.

The first night we went to St. Jean Pied de Port, France, where we first met. It was so much fun reliving those first hours. I had arrived in the early evening, by taxi (remember I got car sick in the backseat!) and he came by taxi later, around 10 p.m. I stayed at the albergue across from the citadel, and he stayed at the albergue next to the river. I ate at the pizza place, and he ate at the restaurant right across the street. How amazing that our paths were so close to crossing that first night!

We went to my albergue first. It was 9 p.m. and the doors had just been locked for the night. But at least Rand got to see where I stayed the night before we met. We walked down the same street that I walked. I pointed out the fountain where I filled up my water bottles, and the store where I bought postcards and my Camino shell.

He pointed at the clock, with the statue of St. James, "You mean you saw this before you even met me?" I laughed. Because when we first met he asked me to go see this statue with him before we continued our walk. I didn't tell him that I had seen it 5 minutes earlier. I simply backtracked with him before we went on our Way.

We crossed the river and made a right, down the street where we first met, and around the corner to his albergue. Little did he know that he could see the street where we would meet from the backyard of his albergue! It too was locked for the night. But next door a woman was closing up shop, packing away fresh oysters, and she called Sabina, the woman who ran the albergue, and asked her to come.

It was cold so the woman let us wait with her. I asked if she wanted us to go and she said, "Slowly, slowly." A good reminder that you can't rush on the Camino! She told me that she sleeps in her van on days she works and had it running to keep it warm. The woman had to be 80 years old. I wonder if I will still be so adventurous!

Sabina showed up and remembered Rand right away. She was delighted to hear that we met a year before, practically in her backyard! A beautiful first evening in Spain!

Our second night Rand took us to Granon, where we fell in love with Ernesto, who ran a Donativo (an albergue that operates on donations but doesn't charge a set fee to stay). Ernesto was so excited to see us and update us on all the people we had met that night a year ago. (Oliver, the man with the tractor, now has a donkey and a girlfriend with 3 kids. They all come from France and visit regularly.) And to show us all the improvements he has made since we were last there. The top floor was completed and now has bunk beds (where we slept this time), and the bottom floor has a living/dining/kitchen room with a fireplace. "My dream," he said. It was so wonderful to see that this man, who we remember for having such a passion for the Camino and its legacy of hospitality, succeeding. A great reminder that dreams can and do come true!

On our third night Rand took us to the Parador Hotel in Leon, where we spent our last night together a year ago. As much as we loved staying with Ernesto on his bunk beds in an unheated room, we were equally happy to stay at one of the fanciest hotels in Spain. A night of pampering was just what we needed before beginning our walk! And this time we didn't have the added pressure of saying goodbye to one another in the morning. This time, we are going to Santiago together!

Encouraging Pilgrims

I was standing at the back of the plane practicing my Spanish with a man from Argentina when I saw a man take my seat to talk to Rand. They were still talking when I returned 20 minutes later. 

"What was that about?" I asked.

"He overheard us telling that young couple with the kids that we were doing the Camino," Rand said. They had wanted to know what Rand was going to do with his walking stick. Made from a tree that experienced the eruption of Mount St Helens, it's a real eye catcher. We spent the entire boarding process telling them about last year's Camino. They were on their way to hang out in Santiago and wanted to do the Camino when the kids are a little older. We assured them there were lots of families who walked, that they wouldn't regret it, and that it was safe.

The man who approached Rand on the plane was a recently retired CEO of PepsiCo, who married a woman from Spain 3 years ago. They divide their time between Dallas and Madrid and want to do the Camino, so Rand was telling him all the reasons why they should.

Sharing our experience with people who also long to walk is a tremendous joy and feels like serving. I think we all have times when we need encouraged to do the thing we long to do. And it is wonderful to think we could be the catalyst that turns a potential pilgrim into a true peregrino.

The next morning, after we'd made our way to St. Jean Pied de Port, France, by train and taxi, we saw a pilgrim staring from his map to the trail and back again. We stopped and pointed him in the right direction. We know what it is like to go the wrong way on our very first day! 

After taking the bus to Pamplona, a woman with a backpack approached us and asked how to get to St. Jean, where we had been earlier in the day. We told her about the bus schedules and what a taxi would cost.

And still later, before boarding another bus we talked to a man from New Mexico who had been in Spain for over a week. "It is so nice to speak English," he said. "It has been 8 days and my brain needs a rest!" His biggest concern was having enough money. We told him to hit the ATM at every big city, that we had run out and it wasn't fun or easy.

Later I said to Rand, "I was so worried about not fitting in because we aren't walking this stretch, but it has been so nice to be helpful for those who are where we were a year ago."

Serving other pilgrims and potential pilgrims will be a highlight of this trip for me!

Travel Day to Spain

Rand and I have been enjoying this season of the Amazing Race. They are experimenting with having half the teams made up of couples who have been dating or married for a while, and the other half who don't know one another but have been paired up as a sort of blind date.

It is a bit like our journey to Spain. Last year was like a blind date that lasted 35 days and nearly 500 kilometers. This year, however, we know one another.

How will this difference change our experience?

Just on our journey to get to Spain I already see that it is easier to complain to someone you know. When we were strangers I made a much greater effort to be my best self.

Last year I traveled from Ohio to Madrid and couldn't believe how close Spain is to the States. But this time, traveling from California to Madrid, it was nearly twice as far. We arrived exhausted and, while Rand seemed to be his usual happy self, excited to be in Spain again, I made a point of letting him know I wasn't having any fun.

Luckily the bus we were hoping to catch was full. I don't think I could have survived 5 more hours trying to sleep sitting up. So we made our way to the train station where I lay down for a 2 hour nap. Which, thankfully, was really all I needed to get an attitude adjustment.

While it wasn't the way I envisioned our return to Spain together, it was a good reminder that there will be benefits and potential pitfalls to knowing one another over being strangers. We know each other and our strengths and weaknesses,  which will benefit us greatly. But we are also comfortable enough to be our more authentic selves.

In any relationship, whether racing around the world or sitting comfortably at home, it will serve us well to always work to be our best selves.