Putting The Iconic Camino de Santiago into Perspective

One of many historic bridges we crossed.

It’s been three months since we arrived in Santiago de Compostela, Spain after 44 days, walking about 500 miles with seven days off. “How was it?” people ask. The words wonderful, challenging, immersive, fun, beautiful, and satisfying quickly come to mind.

But like our 2018 Camino, it was an experience that defies a tidy write up. We’re still processing it, and that’s partly why you haven’t seen a post since April. Each of the

Wheat and Canola (rapeseed oil) on a 17-mile day

44 days was different as we trekked across northern Spain. My daily Facebook and Instagram posts totaled over 13,000 words and about 400 photos. But those posts barely scratched the surface of each day and fall short when trying to piece them together into a cohesive picture of the whole experience.

This time our daily mileage was lower, about 13 miles on average, as opposed to 15-16 in 2018. We passed through over 200 villages, some dead, some dying, and some thriving. We probably patronized over 120 eating establishments.  

So, what did we think about all day, every day? Well certainly, food, sore feet, the ache de jour, the weather, family, mundane things, and life. But throughout the walk we were constantly filled with thoughts of gratitude about everything, especially that we were able to do this. We thought about so many people we know and have known in our lives. We were in awe of millions of pilgrims who walked over the same Roman roads and saw similar sights as we did 1200 years ago, but without the nice shoes, showers, and relatively comfortable beds.

Dinner in Tricastella

The Camino is very social. While the spring scenery was beautiful, this time we especially enjoyed the people we met. It is so easy to meet people from all over the world, of all ages and walks of life. It’s the norm to strike up conversations. At the same time, the Camino is very solitary. There were stretches where we would go for hours without seeing or talking with anyone else. And that was fine, too. And then there were times, especially with the tourists and large student groups in the last 60 miles, when the loud crowds (some with boom boxes) were a culture shock.

Crowds 2 days before
Santiago

 

We walked 11.5 miles on this Roman road
and saw only one person

In retrospect, it wasn’t that hard physically, even though we’re four years older with more aches than we had in 2018. Just one step at a time, one day at a time, walking to the metronome beat of our walking sticks. Just get up and walk—that was our day job (plus laundry, eating, drinking, and finding our accommodations).

We made it (again)!

For some, the destination of Santiago de Compostela and its magnificent cathedral (and the certificate of completion) are the focus of the Camino. For others, it’s the journey itself. For most people, it's probably both. This time, we weren't as destination focused but we were more intentional about enjoying the journey every hour of every day. For a lot of reasons, including the beautiful spring scenery, the decent weather, the people we met, the better accommodations, and the slower pace, it exceeded our expectations. As a bonus, the 46-year special bond we share was reinforced with so much quality and quantity time together. We still think about it and the people we met daily. Our combined three Caminos have become part of our identity. This was a most satisfying lifetime experience we will never be able to replicate again, a good metaphor for life itself. To paraphrase the trail greeting, it was a buen Camino. A VERY buen Camino!

 Perhaps this link to our best shots will give you a sense of what it was like. (They are best enjoyed on a tablet or desktop, rather than a phone.) Yet, they still don’t convey the beautiful spring smells, the conversations we had with people, the taste of the food, and the sounds. But they average about four to five photos per day, still a fraction of the 1400 photos I took. I also included some photos from our three-day detour to Bilbo to see the Guggenheim museum. Still want more? Then check out my FB or Instagram posts that start April 10.  

Facebook.com/ron.kelemen      Instagram:  @kelemenron

Post Camino
After the Camino we went to St. Albans, UK (north of London), where we helped Shanti and Alan settle into their new home, and then babysat two-year old Hazel when they took a brief walking vacation in Italy. Even though we had just walked the Camino, we were out of shape for wrangling a 32-pound toddler and lifting boxes.

Hazel getting a sugar high
that we paid for later

Off to explore St. Albans
on the Ring Road

From there we spent a week in the Berkshires of Western MA with Skyler, Spencer, Feruza, and my brother Neal. Unfortunately, Ringo Starr had to cancel his Tanglewood performance because someone in the band got Covid. But the next night we got to see Bonnie Raitt as we shivered in the cold rain.  But it was still fun to hang out with them and their friends.

 

Tailgating, Tanglewood style

Since then, we’ve had an unusual number of obligations with the with non-profit organizations we work with. But mostly it’s been a fun two months enjoying two camping trips, socializing with friends, and enjoying all the fresh produce and festivals that Salem has to offer over the summer. I wake boarded for the first time, and other than swallowing or choking on half of the Columbia River, I really enjoyed the adrenaline rush. Kathy just turned 70, and one of her gifts was a portable pizza oven. So far, we’ve had some successes and failures with it, but each one gets better. Life is good, for us at least, and we hope it is for you, too.

 

“What We Can, While We Can”

On the Columbia River

One of several experiments

Camping at the Oregon coast

Campfire and belly laughs with Airstream friends