"Finding" former Camino companions

[indyinmaine]

I finished my St. Jean to Santiago Camino in late October. As I'm sure many of us did we met people and then thought we'd "see them" again along the way. A number of times that didn't happen. Even though the encounters were either short or intermittent exchanging e-mail addresses en route was awkward. Also "last names" only came into view after two or three encounters!

In particular I'm looking for Patrick from Ireland, Eileen from Oregon(?), who was walking with two women from San Diego and had to go home after Villamayor de Monjardin, and Marcus from Switzerland. I'm sure there are others who will come to mind as I transcribe my journal.

 

[anniethenurse]

Look around Facebook - the American Pilgrims on the Camino group is quite active.
There is also agroup called Camino de Santiago with more than 11 000 members.
And next time write down everybody's contact info as soon as you can.
Buen Camino.

 

[Deleted member 12253]

The reason , nobody gives second name on camino, first name can be pet name not official first name, I walked 7 caminos, never would dream giving my phone number or god forbid email addresss, Buen camino

 

[capecorps]

I also avoided giving my contact information because I wanted to live in the moment. However, I do regret it now.

On the Camino, I met lots of people who I shared lots of good times with. But strangely, the ones that I remember most are the ones that I never conversed with because we spoke different languages. I encountered them separately at the beginning of the Camino and all along the Way. There were four of them. We were all of an age: sixty; traveling alone and recently retired. There was Rolf from Germany, Pierre from France, Manuel from Spain and a Middle Eastern man, whose name I never caught. They were the backbone of my Camino who gave it structure and a kind of security. I am a nerd. So early on, we all recognized each other as fellow nerds. We were also all manly men, not given to demonstration. When I first encountered them, we nodded; the time after, we smiled; next time we said “ Buen Camino”; the time after we shook hands and slapped each other on the shoulder; next was a time having a quiet supper with Pierre, drinking wine with Manuel along the trail and helping Rolf find a bank machine. Never really spent time with the Middle Eastern man, but he always seemed show up at crucial times. Like the time where there was just me in the bright sunshine, the startling blue of the Castilian sky, layers upon layers of clouds, mountains, green fields gently waving in the soft breeze, red earth, purple hills, vistas of red, lilac, yellow flowers, when I felt God’s creation speaking directly to my soul, he came by, laid his arm on my shoulders, smiled and carried on.

When I reached Santiago who did I run into, but Rolf, Pierre and Manuel. They hugged me, and to my surprise, I saw a tear glistening in their eyes. I was kind of disappointed not to run into the Middle Eastern man.

I attended mass at the Cathedral, said my prayers and raised my eyes. Then I saw him, my Middle Eastern buddy in the center of the altar, smiling his enigmatic smile.

I went up and gave him a great big hug.

 

[walkmag]

I also avoided giving my contact information because I wanted to live in the moment. However, I do regret it now.

Dear capecorps

thankyou for your lovely peice of writing , very heartwarming

 

[capecorps]

I did eventually learn my Middle Eastern friend’s name. It was James…..St. James. I also have his contact information and we keep in touch from time to time. I’ll be visiting him in Santiago as soon as the snow clears in the Spring.