Reflection

[PeterBarry]

Recently I have been thinking of an experience I had on my last visit to the Camino Frances.
I had walked from ST Jean to Burgos (having done Burgos to Santiago year before) and was leaving the Camino traveling to Madrid by bus.
On the morning I walked to take the bus I walked from the alburgue in the park backwards along the way through burgos town.
I met with a man I had helped some days earlier and we chatted for a few moments.
I then met with a lady who was alone. I had met with her and her friend the night before.
They had traveled all the way from germany, walked all the way.
Her friend had a knee problem and reluctantly had to finish in Burgos and this lady was traveling on alone.
I spoke with the 2 girls briefly the night before and then met this lady alone on her way the next morning.
For some reason I think often of this lady and her journey alone. I think of her courage starting alone from burgos having had her friend all the way from germany. I know the route from Burgos and it has many challenges. I wonder did she make the journey succesfully and did she miss her friend.
It is one of the strongest memories I have of my times on the camino, this lady setting out alone from her friend to complete her journey.
I can say that at that moment I wished her all the good luck that anyone could have, and I have many times since thought of her jorney. I tell this story to some of my friends family and colleagues and they wonder why this has a significant meaning for me as indeed somtimes do I.
I think she is representative of all pilgrims and signifies for me the ultimate meaning of 'ultreia' or marching on or going forward to some destiny or other.

The image of this solitary pilgrim will stay with me always.
Strangely I cannot remember a face just a form.

So its late and I am rambling.
Good night.

 

[sillydoll]

Thanks for sharing this with us Peter.
I remember being really touched by the interviews with the Brazilian photographer-author Lady Foppa on the video "el Camino de Santiago no un camino de rosas (the camino is not a way of roses).
She walked almost all the way to Santiago on crutches after injuring herself early on in her pilgrimage. She was told by a doctor who attended to her not to walk any further. She didn't stop though and was in tears when she arrived in Santiago.

You can see some of this video on Youtube - with an interview with Lady Foppa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLZVIkjjyQ


The DVD is in Spanish but has English sub-titles.

Lady Foppa - http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/br ... ndex2.html

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Hi Peter,
I guess this is also one of the things that has amazed me about the Camino... the way I might have met some people only briefly, but there was something about their very presence that has lived on for me. And yes, I have wondered how they got on. But one of the strange things that has happened for me since my return has been that I have come into internet contact with quite a few of those people since I have been home. This is despite the fact that I only collected two e-mail addresses while I walked. Sometimes this contact has come about via other people's e-mails or via blogs or photos posted online. But it has been really quite remarkable. I find I am forced to keep practising my French for some replies (ready for next time I guess!)

I know there were people I met whose courage inspired me, or whose faith inspired me (or turned me off in some instances!). The joie-de-vivre of so many people I walked with remains a real treasure as I reflect on my Camino experience. And who knows which others of my fellow walkers I have yet to 'meet again' on the internet.
Margaret