Here's a first update of these days on the Camino de Santiago (French Way).
12th November (day 1 Camino)
I'd like to thank the dozens of people who sent me messages/emails yesterday and today wishing me well on my trip. You can't imagine the impact these messages have. A sincere thank you.
Today I travelled to the north of Spain to start the Camino de Santiago tomorrow. I came here calmly, but I confess to being “tired” and wanting to switch off the net and my mobile phone, something that will happen at 00:00 tonight. Tomorrow I'll go to starting point and begin the walk itself.
I won't be reporting daily, after all, this is a “personal immersion” trip. I'll try to stay away from my email inbox, social networks and mobile phone as much as possible. In any case, I'll record the moments in my notebook and report back when I think I should. In the end, I promise, I'll publish the day-to-day, but for now, during the journey, I'll make my way without any commitments or strings attached. I'm sure you'll understand.
13th November (day 2 Camino)
I have so much pain in my legs that I don't know where to start. I can't move...
Yesterday I had a mishap: When I was about to say goodbye to my friend Pericles to start the journey to Oviedo-León, he told me that he'd just seen on the news that the conditions weren't the best because, as well as some rain, there was snow in the mountain range that I'd have to pass through, making the journey very dangerous.igo. A man died recently. Since I'm crazy, but not a fool, as they say where I come from, I decided to do this part of the route by bus to escape the danger and start straight after. I “lost” a few kilometres, but since this isn't a competition either, but something “of my own”, I accepted it. More kilometres, less kilometres, after all, you don't mess around with these things. Said and done. Pericles dropped me off at the station and I took the bus, starting the walk just before Léon.
Today I left at 8am and did more than 35km. I'm in so much pain you can't imagine... my back, my feet... I think my rucksack is too heavy. I need to get rid of some material quickly.
I know I haven't prepared myself (at all) physically, but I'm now thinking that this is going to be really tough...
14th November (day 3 Camino)
He passed me on the way yesterday. I met him at the hostel in the late afternoon. His name is Roberto, he's Brazilian. He's not old enough to be my father, but an older cousin. Today we walked all day together. After many hours of walking, some of them in absolute silence, he willingly told me that after devoting a large part of his life to a company, he had been made redundant. I asked him if he was making the journey to forget the past and change his life, to which he replied:
“I'm actually making the journey to learn to trust life. There's certainly something better in store.”.
So am I. In life, in decisions, in whys, in “yeses”, but also in “noes”. I really had to meet him here on the Way to Santiago.
To all the broken hearts, half-full souls and all those who are going through a time of change... trust. With strength, determination, hard work and above all a lot of love... things will happen. And change. Trust.
15th November (day 4 Camino)
15 November, 13:42 - Voice message (transcribed into text below):
“The pain is immense. I don't feel localised pain like I did the days before. I don't know what's wrong, but from the ankle down, everything hurts in both legs. It burns. It's 7 kilometres to ‘El Acebo’, a small town where I'm staying overnight. There's nothing else along the way, just dirt tracks with lots of stones. I'm on my own. I just hope the hostel has heating in the room and a good shower. I'm dead. I've walked nearly 22 kilometres. I've climbed to 1,500m, I've just passed the famous ‘Iron Cross’, there's still the descent. The bottle of water I was carrying has run out and I'm thirsty.
Strange, because in the morning I only had a few blisters on my feet, which was acceptable.
The pain in my shoulders from carrying the rucksack became unbearable. I just want to get rid of it.
I've been walking for three hours with my teeth clenched. Step after step. A little over an hour ago the pain increased in intensity and I had tears in my eyes.
What the hell is going on?
My feet move automatically in their own rhythm. I don't have the ‘courage’ to stop them and take my boots off to see what's going on, because I don't know if I'll be able to pick them up again. They're numb. In the last half hour I've started to feel so much pain that I've entered a state where I can hardly feel any pain anymore. Strange, I know. I was walking but my mind wasn't here. It was far away. Anesthetised, I could only think about people, places and feelings. Good things, not so good things. Wrong decisions, right decisions. The past and the future. Everything. When I get to the hostel I'm going to send a hug to some people who are special to me. I was physically on the Camino, but I wasn't really walking. Despite so much physical pain, this has done me good. I'm lighter and have some answers.
Now I've come to my senses and decided to record this voice message on my mobile phone. I'm in pain. A lot of pain. But I'm thinking that perhaps this is what the Way of St James gives us: the opportunity, through immense sacrifice and physical pain, to reflect and heal our souls.a”.
——————–
2 hours later I arrived at the hostel in El Acebo. I walked slowly and it's not looking good: two nails have come off, one on each foot. I have more blisters on my left foot and a good part of my right foot is bare. The old blisters and today's climb and descent... that's what it's come down to. But tomorrow, when I get to the next town, I'll go to the pharmacy. And that's it. Tomorrow's another day, let's go for it! Nothing can be done without sacrifice. And strength of mind. I'll get there.
16 November (day 5 Camino)
His name is Kevin, he's Irish and he's 54 years old. He sees me coming into the hostel room in a lot of pain and asks what's wrong. He speaks rather slow, slurred English. He offers me Band-Aids and ointments. Shortly afterwards he asks if I want some food from the nearest restaurant so I don't have to walk any further. I gently refuse so as not to disturb him. He says he's only been to Portugal once, to watch a football match 20 years ago, and wants to go back one day. He also tells me that he's done parts of the ‘Camino’ in other years but is now doing it from start to finish (+800km). I see that he has a few bumps on his head, so I ask him what happened. He tells me that yesterday he was walking alone down the mountain, got off balance, fell and was injured. But he carried on. He then told me that nothing is going to make him give up on reaching Santiago.
Kevin has multiple sclerosis and wants to show that he can make the journey.
I'm... speechless.
17th November (day 6 Camino)
“To go on pilgrimage is to believe and pray with your feet”
150 kilometres down! We're in the fight.
18th November (day 7 Camino)
It was the day to climb (and descend) another 1,400m mountain. It was a complicated day, very short or very long depending on which option I chose, because at the end of the route (the last 15km) there were no hostels available, which meant I had to stop beforehand or walk a long way. Luckily, I met two Spaniards along the way, also pilgrims and very friendly by the way. I got chatting to them and they had the same problem - 1) walking a short distance; 2) walking 40km; 3) finding a “corner” (other than a hostel) to sleep in along the way.
They made a few phone calls and managed to find a “rural house” closer by. We ended the day in a house in the middle of nowhere, having dinner and toasting the Camino de Santiago with homemade coffee liqueur.
19th November (day 8 Camino)
I've been walking between 6-9 hours a day. In addition to the problems with my feet that haven't yet been resolved, my muscles are getting more and more tired. I confess it's been physically painful. In addition, today, for the first time, I was accompanied by rain for the last 4 hours of my walk. It looks like it's here to stay. The mud that forms along the way makes the journey very tiring... But we'll get there!
To make up for it, I've been meeting very interesting people every day and with fantastic stories. I've already made new friends from Brazil, the USA, Ireland, Canada, Hungary and Spain. There's a great sense of mutual help and group spirit among all the people, even if they've never met. The Camino is also about socialising, sharing and an open spirit among pilgrims. Here we meet the most genuine people and that's unique.
