LIVE from the Camino From Pamplona!

[Karo]

Hi!

Left Ronchesvalles yesterday morning, walked the whole day to Pamplona. Albergues were crouded, but on the Camino it was quiet, we walked mostly by ourselves. The weather was excellent, sunshine and warm. By the route it was easy to see the results of heavy rain, but not too much mud anymore. Only problem was to find the albergue in Pamplona, the one we were searching for had been closed. The unbelievable fine place I am writing from is at 2 Mayo nr.4. A beautiful place!
Feeling a bit sore this morning, we are aiming Puente la Reina today. No blisters so far, but the moist=sweat is creating a problem... Anyway, for me the spiritual side of Camino revealed itself to me already yesterday. Camino can make one feel quite small and humble. In a positive way! Absolutely one of the best experiences of my life! Buen Camino!

Karo

 

[Anonymous]

Good news that things are going well for you, peregrino. Buen Camino, xm 8)

 

[Karo]

From Los Arcos

I've reached Los Arcos today. Yesterday we walked from Paplona to Ciraqui, where we found out that the albergue was aldeady full. So we slept in Lorca, in a new, very fine albergue. Everything has gone fine, just few reminders... Never, ever leave a town with little or no water. Take a pair of GOOD shoes / sandals, incase your hikingboots create somekind of problem. And keep your eyes on those roadmarks for Camino. If you don't see any for a while, consider turning back and check.
From Pamplona we had a lot of company, many people in the Camino just now. Lots of wonderful peopel to meet! If you wan't to be by yourself, leave early or contnue in the afternoon, it has beenm less crowded then. We made one wrong choice by turning after Irache to a road " Los Arcos by Luquin". The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, lots of up and downhill klimbing. The problem is at Luquin, where it was not possible to get any food, the albergue had been closed for too few peregrinos... We had to walk almost 16 km:s without much of anything to eat. Water we had, but it was still a bit rough for the end of the day. Besides, the Camino has desappeared after Luquin under grass and vegetation. Take the way by Villamajor Monjardin.
All is well, tomorrow is another exciting day!! Buen Camino!

K

 

[marktqm]

Hola Karo,

In about 5~7 days you'll be leaving Burgos. Say hello to the 'hospitalera from hell' (Virgen de la Guia refuge) as you pass along Rabe de las Calzadas. Many ex-pilgrims on this forum will be interested in your report.

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

Not that u'd would want to, karo...what a nightmare of an "hospitalera." Pity that Marivi, the woman who owned the other albergue, is no longer there. Marivi was the light that canceled out the darkness from the sick "hospitalera from hell." Buen Camino, xm 8)

 

[Karo]

Camino Blues

Greeting from Finland!
I've returned back home as planned. On Saturday we walked from Los Arcos to Viana, and took a bus to Logroño to make it on time. We had booked a busticket from Logroño to Madrid for Saturday evening, and travelled back home to Finland on Sunday.
The last section of our Camino this time was as wonderful as the ones before. After three days of walking I noticed that my body was no longer so sore and stiff in the morning, so it was easier to enjoy the surrounding beauty of the nature and the company of fellow pilgrims. Weather was fine, sunshine and warm, road was mostly dry. Not too crowded either.
So those of you starting soon, it looks good for you if the weather stays fine.
It obviously varies how crowded/overcrowded the refugios are right now. Wolverine, who is just a bit behind me (I think) has had lots of fellow pilgrims with her, but I did not encounter such on my few days on the Camino. Refugios were almost full, but as far as I saw everybody had a bed to sleep in. Anyhow the number of pilgrims must be increasing for the months to come, so problems can be expected with accomodation...
The packing I did was just right, nothing too much or missing. I'll write about it on the equipment section.
What's happening right now is a kind of a blues. We (me and my husband) found out that this experience was one of the greatest ones in our lives. Unfortunately it is hard to share this with people back home, especially since Camino is not so well known in Finland. Our families are trying politely to listen to our AMAZING experiences from this once in a lifetime trip (which we are planning to continue asap!). Somehow they don't seem to really share our enthusiasm. But it's understandable. Once you have been there, done it, you'll never be the same again. We had such spiritual moments and guidance during our 130k walk, that it made us look back and foreward our lives in a different way. A better way. It's really down to the basic, simple things in life that matters. Life it self is a thing to celebrate and respect. And what comes to guidance of God, it was there. Now we're trying to return back to the normal life, our four kids are helping with that in a wonderful way :wink: . Even though we have the Camino in our hearts.
To all fellow pilgrims, Buen Camino!

 

[Anonymous]

Hello Karo, thanks for ur post and the info u shared, am leaving for the C in a couple of weeks & ur update is very informative.

RE: "camino blues," there isn't an iota of what u said that I or most pilgrims I know have not experienced upon returning home. Lacking the necessary frame of reference & experience to understand what a pilgrimage is about, people at home cannot react to something so potentially personal, profound, and life-transforming, or begin to understand it, as one who has done it would.

This is where I find a forum like this quite helpful and therapeutic (even life-saving), not only with post, but also with pre, C blues.

No one who has not done the Camino can begin to understand this, as sympathetic as they may want to be. I have family in Galicia who grew up with the C tradition/culture all around and they're in the same category. I have friends in Santiago who work first hand with pilgrims, even at the Pilgrims' Office and the Archicofradia (!!!), and I would put them there, too.

There's a section in Nancy Frey's book on pilgrims re: "post-camino blues" that has helped me understand this. I review it every so often.

As u've done it before and know, the thing now is to keep up the "kindness of strangers," and the unreal beauty that we experienced, alive. It really isn't as diff as they say.

My best to u and ur husband & congrats on a buen camino.

xm 8)