Hi everyone,
We just came back from our Camino last week and are still getting used to our new /old routine.. We walked from Astorga to Santiago and then on to Finisterre from where we took the bus back to Santiago. Altogether it took us 15 days. Apart from the initial hick-up at Madrid airport where my rucksack got lost in transit, only to be found in a corner two hours later after having been sent all over the airport, between terminals etc, thanks to two wonderful ladies who used their airport passes to get in and out of security to find it! It was a stressful start especially with the language barrier and after a sleepless night at Dublin airport but all ended well and now it's just part of the amazing adventure we had.
Coming from Ireland we had not experienced any heat or decent warmth for many years, indeed not in my son's life so landing with 30 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system, which i believe was unusual at this time of year, but we were grateful to feel the much needed warmth we so lack where we live. Walking in the heat was again a different story with heavy backpacks and not much shade in places but we embraced it and could only feel blessed not to be walking in the rain on slippery slopes and feeling damp all the time. Altogether the experience has been very positive and it was amazing to walk together with my son. From the responses we got i realised we achieved quite an amazing feat, considering we walked 25-35 km each day in the heat, had no blisters or other complaints and my son embraced the challenge and was happy to walk all day, every day, no matter how long or difficult. I consider myself lucky as i heard many people only wish for their child to be so happy, let alone interested to do such walk at all. I could not have done it and would not have brought my son had he not had an inner drive or motivation to want to do it himself. It would have been quite the struggle thinking of those long stretches way beyond lunch time when it got seriously hot when we could easily have given up, but it was my son's optimism and resilience which helped carry us through and also meant we had an amazing, enjoyable and (mostly!) harmonious time together. Once we got lost, and he was the one who got us back on track using the map, not me! I can only think it was a great experience for him. Definitely it boosted his confidence and the ability to trust his own abilities to navigate and take charge, finding our way in unknown territory. He was unfazed.
The one rule my son had before we left was not to bring my phone but for safety reasons i didn't feel that was wise so we made a compromise to bring it only to ring his dad and in emergencies. I kept my promise and did not need the phone at all as the guidebook provided all the info we needed and i'm convinced this contributed to the positive experience we had. Not knowing where we would sleep at the end of the day etc was part of the adventure and not a worry as i thought before we left. My son loved the dorms and sleeping in a bunk and never did we have any bad experiences, although we avoided the big towns and big municipals but rather choose the more personal, family orientated albergues so that may have had something to do with it. People were respectful of one and others' space and the issues of noisy sleepless nights and about safety i preempted just did not occur. We met lovely people and i'm grateful to have shared part of our walks together. With a child people tended to leave us alone a bit too which suited us well although we also had wonderful encounters with people who embraced Finn as being part of their 'family' and we enjoyed regularly meeting people we would then meet again a few days later along the way. We often walked a little further in the afternoon to avoid crowds or to make it to a nice albergue and although it was at a push on occasion we're glad we did, as we stayed in special places we would not have wanted to miss. We also realised we were fitter and able for more than initially anticipated so we were never ready to stop walking after 15-20km. We loved the walking itself and the idea of carrying our own backpack and the freedom that gave. We learnt to embrace the urban, industrial or less than beautiful parts and let go of certain expectations of certain parts being more in nature. Coming from rural Ireland it was sometimes a surprise to see a highway or realising the main road is never far from the trail but rather than it being a disappointment we accepted this is part of the world we live in and also made us appreciate the place we live a little more. And after all, the Camino is a pilgrimage, not a wilderness walk and the path was there long before any such infrastructure was built. My only concern is that the infrastructure is there to facilitate the Camino, to allow for more trucks and tour buses etc to pass so i just hope it won't spoil the routes in time to come.
We already miss the simplicity of the Camino and feel strong urges to start walking as soon as we wake in the morning since we got home. We have already done a few long distance walks since we got back but it's not quite the same! We miss following the arrows, the misty mornings, the lovely medieval villages, the warm welcome at albergues, not knowing who you will get to meet, what we'll eat, what the next day would bring... First thing my son asked was when our next Camino will be...Now we have done part of the Camino Frances we know a little more what to expect, and also realised our own potential, resilience and strength to do this and the undoubted benefits doing something like this brings to the bond we have as mother and son. It's the best thing we have ever done together and in every way it's been life affirming and i can only look forward to our next Camino together. We're thinking Camino Primitivo for a little more adventure but we'll see!
We just came back from our Camino last week and are still getting used to our new /old routine.. We walked from Astorga to Santiago and then on to Finisterre from where we took the bus back to Santiago. Altogether it took us 15 days. Apart from the initial hick-up at Madrid airport where my rucksack got lost in transit, only to be found in a corner two hours later after having been sent all over the airport, between terminals etc, thanks to two wonderful ladies who used their airport passes to get in and out of security to find it! It was a stressful start especially with the language barrier and after a sleepless night at Dublin airport but all ended well and now it's just part of the amazing adventure we had.
Coming from Ireland we had not experienced any heat or decent warmth for many years, indeed not in my son's life so landing with 30 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system, which i believe was unusual at this time of year, but we were grateful to feel the much needed warmth we so lack where we live. Walking in the heat was again a different story with heavy backpacks and not much shade in places but we embraced it and could only feel blessed not to be walking in the rain on slippery slopes and feeling damp all the time. Altogether the experience has been very positive and it was amazing to walk together with my son. From the responses we got i realised we achieved quite an amazing feat, considering we walked 25-35 km each day in the heat, had no blisters or other complaints and my son embraced the challenge and was happy to walk all day, every day, no matter how long or difficult. I consider myself lucky as i heard many people only wish for their child to be so happy, let alone interested to do such walk at all. I could not have done it and would not have brought my son had he not had an inner drive or motivation to want to do it himself. It would have been quite the struggle thinking of those long stretches way beyond lunch time when it got seriously hot when we could easily have given up, but it was my son's optimism and resilience which helped carry us through and also meant we had an amazing, enjoyable and (mostly!) harmonious time together. Once we got lost, and he was the one who got us back on track using the map, not me! I can only think it was a great experience for him. Definitely it boosted his confidence and the ability to trust his own abilities to navigate and take charge, finding our way in unknown territory. He was unfazed.
The one rule my son had before we left was not to bring my phone but for safety reasons i didn't feel that was wise so we made a compromise to bring it only to ring his dad and in emergencies. I kept my promise and did not need the phone at all as the guidebook provided all the info we needed and i'm convinced this contributed to the positive experience we had. Not knowing where we would sleep at the end of the day etc was part of the adventure and not a worry as i thought before we left. My son loved the dorms and sleeping in a bunk and never did we have any bad experiences, although we avoided the big towns and big municipals but rather choose the more personal, family orientated albergues so that may have had something to do with it. People were respectful of one and others' space and the issues of noisy sleepless nights and about safety i preempted just did not occur. We met lovely people and i'm grateful to have shared part of our walks together. With a child people tended to leave us alone a bit too which suited us well although we also had wonderful encounters with people who embraced Finn as being part of their 'family' and we enjoyed regularly meeting people we would then meet again a few days later along the way. We often walked a little further in the afternoon to avoid crowds or to make it to a nice albergue and although it was at a push on occasion we're glad we did, as we stayed in special places we would not have wanted to miss. We also realised we were fitter and able for more than initially anticipated so we were never ready to stop walking after 15-20km. We loved the walking itself and the idea of carrying our own backpack and the freedom that gave. We learnt to embrace the urban, industrial or less than beautiful parts and let go of certain expectations of certain parts being more in nature. Coming from rural Ireland it was sometimes a surprise to see a highway or realising the main road is never far from the trail but rather than it being a disappointment we accepted this is part of the world we live in and also made us appreciate the place we live a little more. And after all, the Camino is a pilgrimage, not a wilderness walk and the path was there long before any such infrastructure was built. My only concern is that the infrastructure is there to facilitate the Camino, to allow for more trucks and tour buses etc to pass so i just hope it won't spoil the routes in time to come.
We already miss the simplicity of the Camino and feel strong urges to start walking as soon as we wake in the morning since we got home. We have already done a few long distance walks since we got back but it's not quite the same! We miss following the arrows, the misty mornings, the lovely medieval villages, the warm welcome at albergues, not knowing who you will get to meet, what we'll eat, what the next day would bring... First thing my son asked was when our next Camino will be...Now we have done part of the Camino Frances we know a little more what to expect, and also realised our own potential, resilience and strength to do this and the undoubted benefits doing something like this brings to the bond we have as mother and son. It's the best thing we have ever done together and in every way it's been life affirming and i can only look forward to our next Camino together. We're thinking Camino Primitivo for a little more adventure but we'll see!