The End is Near and I'm Feeling....

The end of this incredible journey is insight; in fact we are only 67 km away, which could technically be done in two days. With the end now in sight there are a mix of emotions that many of us are feeling... exhaustion, annoyance, nostalgia, pride, saddeness,  apprehensiveness. As such, my friends and I are planning to take our time for these last few kilometres and arrive in Santiago early in the morning of July 31st, after catching one last sunrise, as oppose to rushing through these last kilometres.

It's hard to put into words right now exactly how I'm feeling; especially because so many things have changed since entering these last 100 km before Santiago. The first noticeable change is be arrival of the "Tourist-Pilgrims." These are the people that have decided to walk parts or the entire last 100 km. Typically these individuals are not well liked or tolerated on the Camino because they tend to: be loud, take "short cuts" (i.e., the bus), and cause the albergues to fill up quickly. One can quickly find themself annoyed with these 4-day pilgrims - and I have. But if there's one thing this experience has taught me it's to not judge others and to respect the fact that everyone is on their own individual journey - which will look very different from my own journey! With that said, I'm trying really hard to be welcoming to the new pilgrims and I'm trying to encourage my friends to do the same. My highlight today was talking to 2 teenage girls that started today and who were so excited to practice their English with me. One of the girl's even tried carrying my bag for about 200 meters - it was very sweet! 

In many ways the arrival of these new pilgrims and all the noise that they bring with them, is helping us get ready for our reintegration into the real world, which for some people is starting to feel a bit overwhelming. It's as though the next 4 days were intentionally trying to teach us how to incorporate the lessons learned during the past 700 km into our daily lives. 

With the end being so near it's truly a bitter-sweet moment that many of us pilgrims are living. Four weeks ago, when we were nursing horrible blisters and aching muscles/bones, many of us probably thought the end couldn't come sooner. Now with just 67 km to go, many of us are trying to figure out the best way to drag out these last few kilometres. Personally I want to live these last few days like I have for the last 28 days - appreciating and being awestruck throughout the day, which is even possible in the freezing rain, with a ripped poncho! 

    My mountain view from 2 days ago!  

So ya, the end is near and I'm feeling....exhausted, annoyed, nostalgic, proud, sad, apprehensive... But most of all, I'm excited for what's still left to come - both out here and back home!

- Buen Camino

Foot Care and Feet Washing

I hate feet! I find that they are disgusting, ugly and most of all they smell. I hate when people touch my feet. And most of all, I hate when people play with their feet in front of me or worse in public places.

My distain for feet, like many things, has been changed while walking The Camino. Right now for example, someone is out here patching up their feet. It's funny, here one of the first questions people will ask one another is: "How are your feet holding up?" One of the first things people will do when they take a coffee or lunch break is take off their shoes and socks - and we do it at the table. And of all the different injuries people are nursing out here it's the feet that tend to get the most attention. I personally spend about 30 minutes a day caring for my feet, which is more time then I spend back home getting ready to go out or go to work. 

So why all attention on our feet? It's because feet represent a pilgrim's vulnerability, weakness and limitations. This is not the first time I hear this, but it is the first time that it makes sense. Growing up I heard the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet many times. In fact, I have probably come to take this act of servanthood and humility for granted, not realizing in what condition these men's feet would have been in. As pilgrims, we travel down gravel, dirt and rock-filled roads for nearly 30 km, in hiking shoes/boots; and at the end of the day our feet are in horrible conditions - I don't even want to touch my own feet! 

These aren't my feet, rather the person beside me. 

Jesus and His disciples traveled down roads in similar, possibly worse, conditions and distances; muchmore, they did this in SANDLES! Their feet had to be a terrible sight and yet He humbled himself and did a servants job! Wow, this act has taken a whole new level of what it means to serve and care for others. 

Interestingly enough, last night I attended a Pilgrim's Blessing, and there was a line in one of the prayers specifically addressing feet saying my exact thought about feet representing "vulnerability, weakness and limitations." This is so true! It's very hard to walk and move forward in your journey if you have any sort of injury on your feet - be it an infection, a blister, a stress fracture. This is why it is so important to properly wash and care for the feet, because without them we're essentially paralyzed. At the end of the blessing, the Augustinien Priest washed each of our feet, being sure to carefully dry them and even give them a symbolic kiss at the end. I was moved by the care that he showed us. There was no judgment or reaction for the condition of our feet, just a desire to care for us, to give our tired feet rest, and a gentle reminder to serve and care for one another no matter our condition or life situation. Again, it gives this Bible story that I grew up hearing a whole new meaning!

Time to go support and encourage some of the new members of the Blister Gang! 

- Buen Camino

Finding Joy in the Unexpected!

Today was by far one of my best experiences on the Camino. We woke up "late," meaning that we woke up at 5:45 instead of 5:30 am. By the time we taped up our feet, packed our bags and ate a bit of breakfast it was nearly 7 am. Normally we would be ansy to get on the road, but today nobody seemed to mind. We had about 16 km to do before getting to arriving in the city of Astorga, where we would be meeting Olivier for our morning coffee break, Sophie's "copin" who is visiting her for the "week-end" from Toulouse.

As we were nearing the 10 km mark of our hike we noticed a little wooden kiosque parked in front of a seeming run-down farmer's house. At first we didn't really pay much attention to it and figured that perhaps the farmer would have some cold drinks and if we were lucky some fruit to sell us, which happens from time to time on the trail. To our surprise it wasn't a vendor, but rather an Oasis parked in the middle of nowhere that aimed to nourish pilgrims - both in terms of their bodies, but also their spirits. As we arrived in front of this stand we were warmly greeted by a man who informed us that we could gladly take anything on the cart and that his sole intention was to bless us for the journey that still lie ahead. This man freely offered us a gift and expected nothing in return. We sat there for nearly 30 minutes talking with one another, while enjoying fresh organic fruit, hot coffee, hazelnut milk, cookies and the best part, peanut butter and whole-wheat bread! These comfort foods are things that we sometimes take for granted back home; yet out here, they are precious, unexpected and joyful moments. This act of generosity was a highlight and a life lesson for many pilgrims today, many if whom spent the next 6 km discussing about how unexpected this was. 

As we entered Astorga, we were greeted by a musician sitting at the foot of a statue of a cross offering up prayers for the pilgrims entering the city and continuing on their journey. Once again this was a unexpected moment that I could have easily overlooked and not appreciated if I was in a rush to get to my destination as soon as possible, rather than try to appreciate the present. 

Typically when we stop following a long stretch, we rest for about 30-45 minutes - the time to drink a coffee, air our feet, use the washroom and fill up our water bottles - but today we were in no rush to get anywhere. We ended up resting for nearly an hour before deciding to "leave" the city. As we were leaving we were previe to a small parade with giant mascots and music - again, so unexpected, but such a gift! Before leaving Astorga we had one more stop - The Chocolate Museum! For 2€ we got to see the historical evolution of the Spanish chocolate industry, before being able to taste various types of delicious chocolate. Nearly 2 hours later we were finally on our way out of the city, to complete the 15 km that still remained. 

Because of all of our breaks, detours and unexpected moments we arrived in the albergue nearly 3 hours later than normal; but we were so happy and in awe of all the different things that we got to experience today! Far too often I try to control every aspect of my life, meaning that my days are typically jam-packed with multiple activities. As such, there is very little room to be amazed by the unexpected moments that God wants me to see and experience; meaning that I won't stop and have a coffee being offered to me by a complete stranger, or listen to a man playing guitar, or take a longer break to visit and eat chocolate. I found so much joy and amazement today in the unexpected, which is how I want to live each day!

- Buen Camino

León is Way Too Big!

The Way to Santiago de Compostela passes manly through small towns and villages. In many cases these villages are dead and rely heavily on the pilgrims as their primary source of revenue. Most times these towns are a great source of reprieve for tired pilgrims, offering us cold water, a great cup of coffee and/or a quick snack in order to get ready for the next set of kilometres. Along The Way there are a few big cities that come up: Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León and Lugo. Many pilgrims plan their rest days or low-mileage days for these big city stops in order to have the opportunity to visit these places. I am not one of those pilgrims, seeing I don't enjoy big cities, especially when I'm hiking.

For the most part I have been able to avoid the business of these cities by either arriving really early and leaving early the next day, or by simply moving on to the next village with an aubergue. Unfortunately, today there was no avoiding León and worse we arrived there at peak time, meaning that it was buzzing with people.

My days are filled with large periods of silence - except when I decide to sing - and calmness; needless to say there was a bit of culture shock when I got into the city. Very quickly I became overwhelmed and over-stimulated and after visiting the Cathedral I wanted to get out of the centre of the city as fast as possible. 

The business of León made me think of my life during a typical school year - a lot of beautiful and interesting things and commitments - but when everything's happening at once it can feel a bit chaotic. I don't want to be a pilgrim wandering forever seeking quiet and calmness, but perhaps there's ways to incorporate the things hat I appreciate about this journey into my everyday life back home. I have about 15 days before arriving in Finisterre (3 day hike from Santiago de Compostela) to discern how to find the "juste milieu." How about you, how do you find calm amongst the chaos?

- Buen Camino

Everybody has a Story and Some Type of "Injury"

I'm now 15 days into my journey and I feel totally disconnected from the real world. In fact I have no clue what's going on back home, with the exception of the news of a tragic train accident in Estrie a little while ago.

Out here we're really in our own world and we interact with one another much differently then if we were back in our everyday lives. The biggest difference is how honest we are with each other - both with our weaknesses and with our joys. Out here it's fairly common practice to ask the fellow pilgrims how they are doing? How their feet and bodies are holding up? And the most important question - la question qui tue - why are you walking the Camino? Out here people expect an honest answer because they truly care, meaning they don't want the typical "I'm fine thank you and you?" Because people are so honest and vulnerable with one another you quickly realize that everyone walking this trail has a story and a reason for walking. 

Another thing you soon realize when people start being honest with one another is that everyone walking has some type of injury by now - whether it be a blister, tendonitis, and/or shin-splits. Once people realize that you're struggling with an injury they become very eager to open up to you about their own injuries and sometimes they're willing to share with you their precious supplies and how to properly care for that injury according to their own cultural customs and practices. I hate the fact that I have blisters, but I realized this afternoon that my blisters have allowed me to meet some incredible people and witness such incredible acts of selflessness.

This afternoon, after arriving at an Augustine Nun Aubergue and being greeted with tea and escorted to our room, a French woman graciously offered me better supplies to care for an open blister. After that we began talking and sharing about our different life experience. She eventually went downstairs and asked her friend, a nurse, to come help me bandage my foot. Her friend came and before I even had a chance to introduce myself, she was washing and bandaging my foot, even offering to do the same tomorrow morning. What compassion and generosity, I only hope that I can remember this lesson and put it into practice the next time I see someone in need - both on this journey and when I get back to the real world. 

Below are some pictures from our time of fellowship and singing with the Nuns, what an amazingly beautiful experience! I continue to be amazed each day!

- Buen Camino

It's the Journey and not the Final Destination...

I'm now 12 days into my Camino journey and the saying I hear time and time again out here us that it's not actually about reaching Santiago de Compostelle, but rather the journey to get there! Yesterday I saw a sign saying just over 500 km to go...the truth is, I hate these signs because it stirs up my competitive nature in me and that's not what I want while I'm out here.

Out here there are people that really embrace the philosophy that's it's about the journey and not the destination. Typically they are the ones that leave the aubergue at no fixed time, that take the time to sit and have a coffee while eating breakfast and will gladly make long stops along the trail because they simply feel like it! These people have no stress about where they are going to sleep at night, how many km's they need to get in that day, or how much the day has cost them so far. These people are simply surrendering and trusting that their needs will be cared for and trying their best to live in the present moment. 

On the other hand, there are the competitors who thrive on trying to get in as many km's as possible in a day and who want to be the first out the door in the morning, even if it means leaving in the middle of the night. For them, this experience isn't so much about the journey, but rather the final destination. 

I think that if I wasn't consciously trying to surrender and move into a new season of my life that my competitive drive and nature would take over and I would foolishly become caught up in push to finish this hike as fast as possible; meaning that I would have missed out on some of the precious moments that I have lived in the past days. Take today for example, we are stopped in Burgos tonight, meaning that we really only did 20 km today and we achieved that by 1 pm. We easily could have gone on and many pilgrims did go on. But by stopping we got the opportunity to see the most beautiful cathedral and more importantly we got a chance to spend one last night with our two favourite people from the Faroe Islands, who sadly will be leaving us tomorrow. 

Good-byes are tough and I hate them, but they are a part of life. I'm just blessed that we got to spend the last 10 days with them and that they have been apart of my journey!

- Buen Camino

Every Day's a New Adventure

I just finished Day 8 of walking. Today was a gruelling 31 km from Logroño to Nójera; interesting enough the first half was quite easy, while the second half kicked our butts. There are many parts of our day that resembles one another. For instance, we get up between 5 and 6 am every day depending on the distance that we are trying to cover that day. Mornings tend to be quite chaotic with everyone trying to pack up and hit the trail at the same time. Once the bags are pack the "Blister People" start carefully trying to figure out the best strategy to cushion their feet and to protect the from new blisters. During this time the "Muscle Strain People" apply layers of  Volteran and Icy-Hot to try to hide their pain. After that this process we can hit the road where we spend the day following a small little arrow and if we're lucky, a Camino sign.

Once we get to the next destination, we unpack quickly in hopes for a hot shower, wash our clothes and then try to eat and rest up before starting it all over again the next morning. 

You're probably asking yourself where's the adventure in all of this? The answer is simple...during the walk itself. Everyday we get to visit a new region of Spain - some days we're in mountains, other days the countryside, the big city, and there are days like today where we get to walk through wine country. Everyday I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. Spain is such a beautiful country, with very generous people. 

The other adventure comes from seeing "Mama Santiago's" reaction to discovering the newness around her: whether it be a different tree species, a snake, or an insect, her reaction is always pure joy and enthusiasms. Mama Santiago" is from Faroe Islands,a country located between Island and Scotland, where the climate doesn't permit her to see such things. She is a very sweet and generous woman that belongs to my Camino Family and every time I see her joyful reaction to new things, I am reminded to appreciate the small things and especially all beauty around me - including the tress, the snakes and yes even the bugs! Thanks Mama, I can't wait to one day visit your country! 

- Buen Camino!

Humility and Hospitality on the Trail!

I  made it to Torres del Rio today, to get there we walked nearly 30 km in 39'c heat. Truth be told today was one of the hardest days so far on the trail, most because I can feel pain in my feet with each and every step. Despite the pain we arrived once again at a Pilgram's Paradise as our Aubergue once again had a pool. 

No matter the village there's a easy way to distinguish the locals from the Pilgrims....it's in the way we "walk" at the end of the day. See for yourself in the video that I will try to upload!

The Camino is much tougher than I thought and the life lessons are much greater than I had anticipated. Two of the greatest lessons that I have learned in the past couple of days have been about: humility and hospitality.

Humility

The trail is tough and if you don't humble yourself to this reality there is no way that you will complete it. I don't like asking for help and I certainly don't like admitting that I'm struggling at something. For some reason we associate asking for help or admitting that we're struggling with something as a sign of weakness. But out here it's a healthy thing to do, as the only way we're all going to get through this experience is by taking rest breaks and with the support of our fellow Pilgrams. Out here there is a real sense of camaraderie, where we try to take care of one another, and quite often it's the little things that make the world of difference. Just yesterday I met Monica from France, who at the time of our first meeting was frantically trying to find someone who spoke French. She took a risk and asked for help, which I gladly responded to. This led to other occasions for us to help one another out. Without getting into too many details, our time last night will remain a highlight of this journey.  

Hospitality

Everyday my group and I try to find the "best" aubergue to sleep. Most time it is a cheap hotel-type situation, where the owners care very little a out our pilgrimage and journey. We have however stumbled upon two auberges where the host truly receive us into their home and seek to care for our tired bodies. In both case the host have taken my feet and have cared for them, gently tending to my open blisters and giving me important advice as to what to do and watch for in the coming days. I don't know about you, but I think feet are disgusting and I don't enjoy caring for my own feet, let alone a stranger. But these people have shown me what it means to be a generous host and how to truly care for another. 

Tomorrow will be a "rest" day, meaning that we'll only walk 20 km - I'm curious to see what lessons God will reveal to me tomorrow.

- Buen Camino

Pilgram's Paradise

Today was a hard day! My blister that I drained yesterday, was full this morning meaning that it was very painful. On top of that we started late and it was really hard to get going. Bottom line I had no clue how I was going to get through the day...but thanks to a lot of praying, I made it. The first half of the day was spent climbing to the top of a mountain where we had a magnificent view and a beautiful sculpture.

Not only was I able to climb, but I made my 20 km's to Puenrta de la Reina. In fact, I got  here nearly 1 hour before those that left at 6 am (2 hours before me), and we got a spot at the aubergue with a swimming pool. I feel very blessed to have spent the day at this Pilgram's Paradise!

- Buen Camino

Life Lessons on the Camino: Zig-Zagging, Blisters and My Missing MouthPiece

I just finished my 3rd day on the Camino and already I feel like I'm learning valuable life lessons! Here's 3 that I canshare with you. 

1) Time alone is important, but so is spending time with friends and family.

On my way to St. Jean Pied-de-Port I met "Mr. Compostelle" - Sabi from Hungry - now don't get too excited he's happily engaged and his fiancé will be joining him in Santiago. Since Day 1 we have been hiking partners and we will likely arrive at Santiago together. In a very short time we have also become good friends. Our twosome quickly became a foursome on the first day when we met Mylene and Jay and in a very short time our Camino family began to take shape. By this  morning we were 7, but sadly we said good-bye today and surprisingly it was very hard. Family, no matter the shape or size is important, which is especially true when you're hiking 800 km. I am blessed to have Sabi as part of my journey. 

2) Blisters hurt, but force us to slow down. 

Blisters are awful. To date, I have 2 minor ones that don't hurt at all and 1 on the heal that hurts a lot! On the trail blisters force you to stop, rest and be present in the moment around you; rather than plow through to the next "challenge." There are uncomfortable and sometimes even painful moments in life that we tend to plow through as quickly as possible rather than take our time to work through. These blisters will be a daily reminder to be in the moment and to take the time to care for the little injuries/things, as oppose to rushing through them!

3) Zig-Zag down the hills. 

I don't have lot of patience. I like to get to point A to B as fast as possible. I like to know where I'm going in life and I get frustrated sometimes when things don't go the way that I have planned. On the Camino you can't go straight down a hill, it's too hard on your knees. Instead, you must zig-zag down the hill, which is much safer and less hard on your knees. There are times in life that we are called to zig-zag to get to our final destination, rather than take the direct route. And although we don't always understand why, we must trust that this is the better path for us. 

3) Don't sweat he small stuff - in this case the missing mouth piece!

I realized last night at 10 pm that I forgot my night guard in the previous village, boy was I ever angry at myself for being so irresponsible.  As Sabi pointed out, I swore in 3 different languages - Québécois, English and French. This event has taught me that I need to stop being so hard on myself and beating myself up for my very human imperfections, because I was really angry towards myself. Not only that, but it is teaching me about trust and allowing others to help me out, as Mylene and Jay graciously offered to drive to the hostel, retrieve the case and mail it to me upon their return to the US next week. It's hard for me to ask for help and to depend on others, which is something I'm being challenged to surrender right now. Who would have thought that my mouth piece would teach me lessons of: self-kindness, trust and generosity. 

- Buen Camino

Pardon, je n'ai pas compris!

Malgré touts les problèmes que j'ai eu avec mon vol à Paris, j'ai quand même eu la chance de visiter la ville un peu avant de partir en train vers Bayonne et ensuite à St. Jean Pied-de-Port. J'ai suivi les conseilles de Lonely Planet et de Marie-Charlotte, ma hôtesse, et je me suis promenée le long de la rivère, ce qui m'a permi de voir les grands sites touristiques, malgré le manque de temps. Mais encore une fois ce n'est pas les sites qui m'ont marqué, mais plutôt les moments et les discussions que j'ai eu avec ma famille d'accueil - j'ai assisté a mon premier petit déjeuner d'anniversaire - les gens au resto, Jean et Pricila à Bayonne et un monsieur sympathique à la gare de train. Pour moi se sont des moments précieux, surtout parce que nous avons travaillé fort pour se comprendre l'un et l'autre (hihi)! Les accents et surtout les expressions ne sont pas tout à fait pareilles - mais pas pantout!

Je me sens un peu comme quand je suis arrivée à Québec, dans le sense qu'il faut que je sois très concentrée, afin de bien comprendre le message, et dans le sense que je me sens un peu gênée de parler à cause de la crainte de se faire reprendre. Voilà mon côté perfectionniste et mon désir de bien performer sort à nouveau. Mais on fini toujours par se comprendre même si  chaque personne est obligée de répéter sa phrase ou d'expliquer le sense du mot (ou l'expression) au moins une fois au court de la discussion - c'est rigolos quoi! Je pense même retourner à Paris pendant 1-2 jours à la fin de mon séjour pour pouvoir profité davantage de cette ville magnifique et d'apprendre d'autres expressions françaises!

- Buen Camino