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Reflections of a pilgrim

My journey on the Camino de Santiago
It was the year before I turned thirty, which may or may not have had something to do with it. I had known about this walk for more than ten years, but always thought it was an impossible daydream. I don't think anyone really thought I would go through with it - including myself - until I actually packed up my backpack and left.
This is not meant as a travel guide. It is simply my reflections, hindsight revelations and memories as I see them now - four and a half years later.
Join me on my walk through the north of Spain.
Photo: My husband, whom I in fact met on this walk, took this photo of me walking down the road one early morning. This, and all other photos in this article belong to me.
What is the Camino de Santiago? - A short introduction to The Way

Camino de Santiago is also known as the Way of St. James (or sometimes just The Way), as legend has it St. James was buried in Santiago de Compostela. A cathedral was built on the site of his grave, and in the Medieval Ages Christian pilgrims walked there to be forgiven for their sins.
There are several routes that lead to Santiago, the most popular being the Camino Frances (the French Way).
This route stretches 780 kilometers (about 500 miles) from St. Jean Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees, then across the north of Spain to Santiago de Compostela, following the old Roman trade route to the Atlantic coast in the West. This westernmost point of Spain is known as Finisterre. Many pilgrims in fact choose keep walking after they reach Santiago, making Finisterre (meaning "the end of the world") their final destination.
The Camino Frances is the route I chose for my pilgrimage, and I started in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port on August 15, 2011.
From my research it seems like most fit people spend four weeks on this route if they don't take any days off. Six weeks is recommended if you really want to relax and enjoy it, or if you are not very fit.
Personally I decided to spend eight weeks! Not because I walk very slowly, but because I loved the freedom to stop wherever and whenever I wanted, really have a good look at the sights, and to truly experience it. Some days we walked only 5 to 10 kilometers, because we suddenly came across a cute little village and wanted to spend some time there.
I am glad I took my time, because there is so much to discover!

So why would I want to put myself through this?
When you ask a pilgrim why he or she is on the Camino, they may close up completely. A few may answer your question honestly, some will give you a brief, superficial answer, while others may simply stop talking. My answer when asked was always a shrug and "I heard about it ten years ago and wanted to do it ever since."
The first time I ever heard of the Camino I was 19, and home from school with the flu. I was watching television, when suddenly there was a program about a pilgrimage. I had heard of pilgrims before, of course, but it was a word I associated with the medieval age. It was new to me that people still were willing to leave their creature comforts behind and walk to a place they considered holy.
I listened with a longing in my heart as the route was explained. There was an interview with a man sitting under a tree with a book, who talked about the simple life of a pilgrim. It sounded magical. I started longing for something I had never even heard of before!
In hindsight I have discovered what is probably the biggest reason for my wanting to be a pilgrim. But I will not reveal it yet. You will have to stick with me until the end to find out!

From my journal
Day 2: Orisson - Roncesvalles
This is ridiculously simple and deliciously primitive! Placing one foot in front of the other, drinking water when I'm thirsty, eating something when I get hungry, stopping when I need to catch my breath. The fact that it's simple does not mean that it is easy, though. Already it is pretty hard. Crossing the Pyrenees with a 14 kilo backpack... Yes, I know that's too heavy. Other pilgrims seem to pass me all the time, but they all seem to be looking ahead rather than at the view - which is stunning! Green mountain tops that look like the backs of sleeping dinosaurs. Every crest and corner reveals a new view. I can see little houses in the distance. And everything is just green, green, green. I can hear the sound of bells from cows and goats and sheep and horses further up. I want to stay in this moment forever.
In the beginning there was a backpack - And the dream of a pilgrim-to-be
It is safe to say I devoured practically everything I came across that had something to do with the Camino. I read books, saw television programs, looked at photos online. The sight of a backpack in a travel shop made my heart skip a beat.
Slowly I started collecting things I might need, telling myself and others they were for travelling or hiking. My backpack doubled as a suitcase, a pair of mountain boots were "necessary" for walking the dog, and who doesn't need a lightweight sleeping bag and a sun hat with cooling crystals in the head band?
When finally I decided to do the walk I had most of the things I needed right there in my backpack!
Here are some books for you who also daydream about doing the walk - all these are on my own bookshelf.

This is possibly the most famous book about the Camino. Captivating from beginning to end - this one is difficult to put down. Especially if you read and enjoyed The Alchemist, this is a must-read!
"Those who are willing to be vulnerable move along mysteries."
~ Theodore Roethke

And who would have thought....
I would fall in love on the Camino?
Throughout this article you will notice that I sometimes write "we", other times "I". This has a simple, yet beautiful explanation - which makes a lovely story all of its own. I set out on the Camino by myself, and intended to also finish it on my own. But along the way I met a man whom I fell in love with, and as luck would have it he also fell in love with me! With the exception of two days, we walked the whole Camino together. Some days we walked at different speeds, and therefore occasionally discovered things separately.
But we were always looking for the other one at every corner and hilltop, hoping to catch a small glimpse of each other.

The ground beneath your feet
A pilgrim's sigh...
At first it didn't matter to me what sort of ground I was walking on. But already after a few days I started noticing the difference between a soft path in the woods or on the grass, the crunch of my mountain boots against small pebbles or the crash against bigger ones, and the pounding against hard, unforgiving asphalt. Worst of all, however, seemed to be walking on the ancient Roman roads with big, fat blisters under the balls of my feet. As beautiful and fascinating those ancient roads were, I sometimes cursed them loudly...
I loved crossing the mountains. They usually meant there was a longer distance between villages, but the ground was often softer there. My shoes turned out to be too hot to wear in this climate (the temperature stayed in the 30's almost throughout the whole pilgrimage - which people said was unusually hot), and hot feet tend to blister. Hot feet apparently also makes blister patches melt into a sort of hard gel that gives you more blisters - so the ground made a huge difference in how painful walking was for me while this was at its worst.
If I can give you one valuable piece of advice, it is this: buy your shoes well in advance of the trip, and wear them as much as you can. Get to know them to avoid uncomfortable surprises while on the pilgrimage!
The guidebook commonly referred to as "The Bible"

...and like the Bible, it is ageing but has a flare and detail that transcends the passing of time.
Brierly gives you advice on what to do before, during and after your pilgrimage in order to make the most of it and to avoid injury.
With its detailed map and lists of places to sleep, I would not want to be without it!
The simple beauty of a sunrise

Somewhere along the way I stopped writing in my journal. I even started taking fewer photos. I reached a point where I for the first time in my life was truly living in the moment, rather than trying to capture the moment so that I could re-live it later.
I started to appreciate the actual walking. Little things like a raptor soaring in the clear blue sky high above us, or fresh bread with thick Spanish omelet and a glass of coca cola – suddenly these became the really BIG things. Every moment was filled with new impressions. New people, new landscapes, new architecture, new smells. Even walking in the rain – clammy underneath my rain jacket and my trousers soaked through – was all right.
Everything was broken down to the basic needs - food, water and a place to sleep for the night. Everything else was a bonus. The goal was no longer important. Or, the walk itself became the goal. Time slowed down and there was no rush to do anything. Only a few times did we get up particularly early to walk, following our long, thin shadows down the road. But when we did, the sunrise was always beautiful, always made us stop and stare back at the town or village we had just left, with the sun rising up behind it.
A light-hearted "guidebook" to the Camino de Santiago
We were lucky enough to meet Paul Huschilt and his friends in the Pyrenees and stayed in touch with them for a little while. He told us he was writing this book and I have been waiting impatiently for it to be published. Well, now it is here and I read the whole thing in two days.

This is a tongue-in-cheek "incomplete" guidebook to walking the Camino (or to staying at home, as it were), and a description of his own walk from Burgos to Santiago. When we met him and his friends, they were doing St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Burgos, to complete the walk.
The only negative thing about this book that I can think of is that you can't read it anywhere public. Because you will laugh out loud!

Ultreya!
The Spanish word Ultreya means "Onward" and has traditionally been used by pilgrims to greet and encourage each other on the Camino. You will also hear "Buen Camino" a lot, both from locals and other pilgrims, wishing you a good pilgrimage.
I never had any doubt that I would make it the whole way. Not even when I found myself sitting on a bed at the Jesus y Maria pilgrim's hostel in Pamplona, too tired to get up and too tired to lie down. My whole body ached and I had blisters under my heels so thick they started to form new blisters of their own! This may have been very arrogant of me, but I also believe it was this stubbornness that made it possible for me to push myself and walk ever onwards.
Ultreya!
"Your backpack is too heavy. You carry too much responsibility in life. You have to learn to let go."
~ Orietta, the woman running a hostel in Viloria, said to me.

How about you?
Would you consider going on the Camino de Santiago?

Creag and Morwenna - And their music
We met Creag and Morwenna in Galicia - he was carrying a guitar, she a harp on her back. We talked briefly at a crossroads, discussing which way to go, as our guide books did not offer any guidence and there were no signs. We eventually turned left, and soon discovered the familiar yellow arrow that assured us we were on the right track. Later that night we stayed in a hostel in Las Angustias, where the rooms were built around an 18th Century church. There, Creag and Morwenna played for us, and the sounds of their harp and guitar was so beautiful it moved me to tears. I feel so lucky to have been there!
In this video they show their own photos from the Camino, accompanied by their music.

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela
I expected to arrive Santiago with a big cheer and my chest swelling with pride and happiness. But truth be told, I think we both were filled with mixed and conflicting feelings as we walked those final steps onto the big square in front of the Cathedral.
We were there. It was over. That was it.
As much as I was looking forward to coming home to my friends and family, to give them all the presents I had collected along the way, show them photos and tell them about the walk (not to mention showing off how much weight I had lost) I just couldn't shake this one feeling: I didn't want it to be over!
Of course, for us a big part of the ambivalence came from knowing that we would soon have to say goodbye to each other. Being from opposite sides of the world (Norway and Australia), there was no way of knowing when - or if - we would get to meet again.
However, I am excited to let you know that this of course ended very well, and we are now married and living together in Melbourne, Australia. In 2015 we also welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world, and our happiness is now complete. The lesson from the Camino has stayed with us, and we are enjoying every (wakeful) moment with our son. Our dream is to take him with us and walk the Camino again when he gets older.
This photo is taken at the pilgrim's mass we attended in the Santiago Cathedral.
Online resources on the Camino de Santiago
- Camino Adventures
This is a terrific site for planning your pilgrimage. It provides you with all the information you need, including maps, a packing list, and recommendations on guide books. I really wish I knew about this site before I planned my own journey. - Camino Forums
A forum where you can ask questions and read about other people's experiences and advice. You can also meet people here who are planning on walking at the same time as you. I learned quite a few things here that I was grateful for on my pilgrimage. - The Confraternity of Saint James
The Confraternity of St. James is a pilgrim's association, based in London, England. They publish guidebooks on the Camino and you can buy your credential (pilgrim's passport) from their website.

The revelation
I promised earlier that I would tell you my reason for going on a pilgrimage. It did not occur to me until I came back from the Camino, and had a look at all the things I owned. Suddenly it felt like all these things owned me, and I felt claustrophobic in my own home. I have always been a collector of many things, and had a hard time letting go of them.
I suddenly remembered Orietta's words from the hostel in Viloria (quoted above), and discovered she was right. What attracted me to do the pilgrimage in the first place, I realised, was the simplicity. The thought of only owning what I could carry on my back. Any unnecessary item literally weighs you down and makes it harder to move forward.
This is the reality in life as well - only not as immediately obvious. This revelation has changed my life, and will continue to influence me for the rest of my days.
Thank you for reading!
Walk with me
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You don't choose a life, you live one. - Camino de Santiago on DVD

A griefstruck father (played by Martin Sheen) embarks on the Camino de Santiago with his son's ashes in his backpack. His son died on walk, and his father now wants to fulfill his wish to complete it. Along the way he meets other pilgrims with their own reasons to go on a pilgrimage, and although he is reluctant at first, he stays with them until the end.
The Way's best feature is the beautiful scenery, and of course Martin Sheen. But also the moving storyline and the sense of humor makes this a movie well worth watching.
The proof

This is my compostela, the certificate pilgrims receive at the pilgrim's office in Santiago de Compostela as proof that they have walked the pilgrimage. It is written in Latin (even with a Latin form of your name), and it was stamped and rolled up into a paper tube for my safekeeping.
I received it with a feeling of pride unlike anything I have experienced before, and one thought in my head: "If I can do this, I can do anything!"
Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
~ Confucius
Before you go, I would love to hear about the best travel experience you have had - Or you could just say hello...
Loved reading your story. Am looking forward to my own pilgrimage and this was an inspiration. Blessings.
Come across to your blog, it really is a enjoyable article and nice photos! I love going on the Camino. Check out my experience here: https://www.followthecamino.com/blog/2015/09/25/ga...
Buen Camino
I want to try this one day in the future.
I think you've told it like it is. I think I wouldn't have been able to keep going with the blisters, but I know I would have loved the serenity and the nature. Glad you were able to make your dream come true.
I loved seeing your pictures. I have been to Santiago but not to the camino. Congratulations!
I have thought about this walk several times. I'd love to do it. Thanks for sharing your inspirational journey!
What a fascinating lens, about a journey I would not personally undertake, but all the same found interesting!
I know someone who did this not long ago. I might have done it in my 20's. I'm afraid I wouldn't do it now - I like my creature comforts too much (shame on me)! It's awesome that you met your fiance on this trip! So romantic! I met my hubby on the Internet - how pathetic is that in comparison, LOL?
I have a friend who is doing this later in the year and another who started from the same point as you did in France a few years ago. We actually were in Santiago de Compostela on St. James Day in 2012, but we were not pilgrims. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story.
This is such a cool lens! I know several people that did this, so I definitely want to do it once to! Greets, Joebeducci
Thank you for sharing the experience! So inspiring! And a good read indeed! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this with us. It's a lovely read - with a happy ending! I did a 500-mile walk across the Ethiopian Highlands with an Ethiopian friend in 1999-2000. I kept a journal and forced myself to write it up often, even though I was tired and didn't want to be bothered sometimes. Now, I'm very glad I did, because as the years go by, memories fade. I didn't take masses of photographs (in those days I carried rolls of film) but it was good to record our journey. i didn't have any music with me but sang songs along the way. I wore walking sandals and had no blisters at all. Dinky Donkey carried most of our things. Because the country folk in remote places were suspicious of us, we would often say we were on a pilgrimage, and they could relate to that. The Camino de Santiago does look beautiful. Perhaps one day... But with a donkey, walking sandals and no music player!
Somehow it seems wrong to be consumed with envy for somebody else's pilgrimage, but you're done such a wonderful job of bringing this trip to life, it's hard not to want to follow in your footsteps (as it were). I found it particularly interesting that you stopped writing in your journal and took fewer photographs after a certain point, "in the moment" rather than recording it to re-live afterwards. Do you think (my theory) the experience is fixed more strongly in your mind when you are relying on memory rather than aide-mmoire?
Very interesting Lens Pilgrim and I am in love with your photos, they are great! I loved reading about your first hand experiences! Thank you for this beautiful Lens!
What an inspiring adventure loved your story thanks for sharing
Awesome lens, I really enjoyed reading it. Well Done.
Great lens Aibrean82 i really enjoyed reading
Great article. It was definitely an experience to cherish.
Wonderful article. One of those life experiences you'll never forget.
I cycled the Camino in 2003, it was a wonderful experience, and like you, I found it was a great way to let go of much of what was weighing me down.
Oh my, thank you for sharing your pilgrimage and showing me 'The Way'! I think it great that you took the extra time to enjoy the journey. I enjoyed the fact that this is a love story too!
Pinning this.
Superb-at times I could feel the blisters
My husband and I are going on a pilgrimage to Hiroshima soon - we are taking photos my Dad took after the war to present them to the Peace Museum. I think pilgrimages are a wonderful thing to do - your description of your pilgrimage is so wonderful.
I would love to do this one day, even though I have bad legs. How many hours a day did you walk, taking the slow eight weeks?
Really great lens it sounds very nice! thanks for sharing
Hi, it sounds great! but would you do it again? I imagine it is a once in a lifetime experience. But joking aside, I really can understand how the thought of doing the journey just keeps niggling away inside your head and heart.
The best part is the happy ending to that journey, and the start of a new journey through life together.
I love to travel one day to spin to see my soccer team Real Madrid.
thank you for sharing.
Oh yes, walking a trail step bu step makes you living in the moment and I LOVE it... Had this experience trekking in The Himalayas and plan to do a lot more trails in the future.
Great lens, thanks for sharing.
I can so totally relate to your experience. It was the same for me on the Appalachian Trail. I really, really want to walk the Camino! Thank you for writing this lens.
Wow, I really enjoyed reading about your pilgrimage. I'm happy you did it, but do not think I am as adventurous as you. One of my favorite travel experiences was on a Greek/turkish sailboat cruise. We spent the day on the beach in Turkey and I went out and floated in the very salty Aegean Sea. Since it was effortless to do, my mind wondered and it was like I had a view of the world map and there was little me, just floating in the sea! Congrats on LOTD, very well deserved.
I would like to do this someday! Thx!
Congrats on LOTD and a well done documentary. It must have been quite a hike.
How did I miss your big (Lens of the) day? When I first saw your lens I knew it was destined to be! Belated congrats to you! and Hooray! Well deserved,
Interesting place ,nice lens .Thanks for sharing
I was intrigued by Shirley MacLaine's account years ago, but I didn't know about Coelho's book. Thanks for the heads up, and I'll definitely check that out. I got "chicken skin" reading about you finding love along your path. Cool beans!
What a wonderful adventure...I enjoyed traveling along as I read, and then hopped over to your lens on what to pack on this trip and found something I need...you have a wonderful gift for writing about your travels...and the tips for packing were great! Congratulations on receiving LOTD!
This was a great read. I have been to the Cathedral of St. James and that Incencer is huge! Very very rewarding trip. Congrats, on LofTD! Great story!
That was a great read.
Congratulations on LOTD. Sounds like you had a very interesting journey.
What a great adventure! Congrats on LOTD, it is well deserved. My best travel experience was in 97/98 when I went around the world for six months. I started off in the USA, working in a ski resort, then travelled across the country to New York, flew to the UK where we did quite a few miles, then to China and back to Australia. I have a Lens about it. I am setting off this weekend on another adventure, this time over 5000 kms on my motorbike and will be visiting Melbourne where all my family live for Easter. My 2 wheeled pilgrimage!
Congratulations on LoTD and for sharing your wonderful walk with me. I've enjoyed it very much.
I would LOVE to take my sons on Camino de Santiago. It would be such a bonding experience and I think they would really enjoy it. I think we'll wait til the baby is big enough to walk though. ;)
When I was 22, I left Canada with pretty much nothing but what I could carry in a backpack, no plan to return. I ended up in Guatemala many weeks later, after meandering down through the US and Mexico by bus. It was amazing and 11 years later, I still live in Guatemala!
Your journey is very inspiring. I once travelled to France and hiked up to a monastery. They harvested lavender in the field surrounding them. It was one of the most memorable and most beautiful experiences of my life.
When I was 22, I sold nearly all my belongings and took what I could fit in a backpack and headed out from Canada with no real plan to return. It was, without a doubt, the most incredible thing I could have done. I bused from Vancouver to Guatemala and 11 years later, I'm still here and have 3 children with the man I met here.
I would LOVE to take my sons on Camino de Santiago. It would be such a bonding experience and I think they would really enjoy it. I think we'll wait til the baby is big enough to walk though. ;)
Beautiful lens! I love the movie 'The Way'
Also for some reason the statement by the lady from the hostel made me tear up a bit. And yes less stuff is freeing perhaps for different times of life. With three children they have some things for comfort and security in little ways that don't take up a lot of room but are very important to them at this time in their lives. (My daughter is downsizing, prepping to leave the nest, I think it was harder on me than her overall, it surprised me seeing the items she wants me to keep for safekeeping when I remember placing these very same items on a shelf before she was even born-prepping for her arrival over 18 years ago with such clarity.
Great read and music... it was like I was there with you... Thanks
Congratulations on LotD!!
Best travel experience is hard to peg down I've had a few. Being in London, England was lovely, I always enjoy visiting Bayview, (near Petosky, Michigan). I loved how you put a little something for each photograph you chose to show here. It really added to the experience. Also the music and video did also. Thank you for sharing your journey, and so glad your walking companion chose to walk alongside for longer. I wish you two the best kinds of journeys, hopefully with less blisters overall.
I've enjoyed this experience with you. A good read. The best travel experience I've had personally are my solo canoe trips to the Northern Canadian wilderness.
Beautiful and brilliant lens. Thanks for sharing your story!
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