When I first travelled to Europe in my forties I fell in love with Chartres Cathedral, after reading about at Art School via Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth. I noticed the pilgrim symbols and connected them to the trail I had recently read about in Coelho's, 'the Pilgrimage'.
In 2010 I returned to France and the places I stayed in St Jean de Luz, and in the countryside near Arles all had coffee table books about the Way/Chemin. I went for a run along a track that neighboured the old house I stayed at in Arles, which came complete with a respectfully restored 12thCentury Chapelle and noticed the trail I was on had the chemin symbols.
It kept crossing my path whereever I went.
Then I returned to New Zealand where I was working in a little hot chocolate shop, gifty/booky store and two tourists came in from Germany. They unfurled a map of the
Camino Frances as I served them hot chocolate and I nearly dropped the tray.
After exclaiming my enthusiasm, the guy stared directly at me and said, "It is time, you must go". I smiled and said the usual reasons why I couldn't leave my daily life for so long and he soothed me saying, "when it crosses your path wherever you go, the Camino will find a way".
It sounded wonderfully romantic and I put the thought in my heart, turning to concentrate on my busy business. Little did I know that the GFC was around the corner and I would need to vacate the premise my little loved store was in. I thought about 'returning to online' business but I made sure I was going to train and get on that strange way to Compostela while I thought things over.
And so, in 2012 I walked from SJPDP to Finisterre with my h usband Tim, and the wonderful friends we made as our Camino family.
Last year we walked from Le Puy to Cahors and were intending to pick up the trail from there in June but that's for another time.
I trust the Camino will work that out.
Meanwhile, like many of you have expressed my passion for the Camino has increased. We organised a fundraising event and spoke about travelling as a couple to raise money for a cyclone ravaged Pacific Island and I wrote a blog from my journal which still pops up on albergue pages in 2020. (gratifyingly) It's linked on my profile.
The Camino broadened my mind and the working online thing had its day with me and I decided to go to University in 2016. After four years I completed my Arts Degree last year in Social Anthropology and now find myself still on the Pilgrimage path studying about the Camino for my Masters.
With or without a study purpose, which will be very much participant observation as pilgrim I fervently hope to return in 2021 or whenever the Camino reckons. I will just attend to all the bits I can to make that happen and my husband you ask? Well, he is equally keen and retires from his job for 34 years next June. Of course,t he first thing he wants to do is head to the Camino.
May we all return as we hope, seeing who we are meant to, or keeping the flame and faith burning virtually during the covid constraints.
Take care, take heart and Kia Kaha from Aotearoa/New Zealand,
Catherine. p.s. Tim sees the Way marker on the streets of Chartres