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Reflections having completed the Camino Frances mid June 2016

Time of past OR future Camino
Frances in 2016, Portuguese in 2017, and Frances again in 2018. Madrid to Ponferrada 2019.
Camino Stories:

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I love that the Camino is an equalizer: regardless of what nation or culture or even age one is... All were equal and received equal respect. I was so impressed with a young woman in her early twenties from Sri Lanka living in Australia and traveling alone on the Camino. We were sitting at a table outside with numerous pilgrims from many places of many different ages.... mostly in their forties, fifties and sixties. This young woman, who was completely in her body and owning who she was, shared her experience and her opinions with humility, strength, articulation and poise. I noticed that in America younger people sitting in a setting like that often tend to feel themselves as less than... I spoke with this woman privately to acknowledge her and thank her for her sharing. She said that it was the way that the other pilgrims at the table held her that gave her the permission to be herself, for which she said that she was grateful.
 
Camino Stories:

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
Beautiful. Thank you
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Camino Stories:

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
"Thank you for your thoughts - I loved them"
 
Camino Stories:

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Thank you so much for these wonderful experiences...we feel like we were there with you. We start our 1st camino on 27/08/2016 and our hearts are full and open...we will walk open to learn.
 
Thank you so much for these wonderful experiences...we feel like we were there with you. We start our 1st camino on 27/08/2016 and our hearts are full and open...we will walk open to learn.
Thank you so much for these wonderful experiences...we feel like we were there with you. We start our 1st camino on 27/08/2016 and our hearts are full and open...we will walk open to learn.
Sounds like you're in a great place to begin your Camino. Buen camino to you and yours......
 
Camino Stories:
I must say what an amazing post!!

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
Camino Stories:

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Such an impressive post. Thnx for that!
 
Camino Stories:

I met a business man who walked from his home in Switzerland. When I met him, he had already walked 2100 kilometers. He never recalled crying, ever in his life. Recently, he has cried every day on the Camino He went on to say that he had no expectations and was curious how “I’ll be when I return home, recognizing that my wife has also changed.”

I had read about a Hotel owner who converted part of his hotel to an Auberge as a way of giving back, after having walked the Camino. I made a point of staying at his Auberge. It was a beautiful facility in which Pilgrims had full access to the amenities of the hotel. I was enjoying a pilgrim meal in the dining room with folks from different countries. We were the last table of people in the dining room. A young man, who had the atmosphere of a proprietor or manager, was present. We engaged him in conversation and he said that his father, the owner of the hotel had walked the Camino 5 times from St. Jean in France to Santiago. We asked him if he noticed any change in his father when he would return from his Camino’s. He said, “every time”. We asked what did you notice? “Every time he was more human”.

I met a young man who lives in Pamplona, walking faster than I who came up beside me. He slowed his pace and walked with me the rest of that day into Granon. He said that he had separated from his daughter’s mother, not sure if he still loves her mother and is walking the Camino to think and then after a pause, he said or maybe to not think.

I met a woman from southern California, who has walked the Camino de Santiago every year for the last 8 years, from various starting points throughout Europe. She said the Camino is now in her cell structure; it’s something not only that she loves and that feeds her but it is literally part of her. She provides training for individuals interested in walking the Camino in her local area and is very active with an organization called, American Pilgrims on the Camino. On this particular Camino she had started in Barcelona. She shared with me that on this Camino, when she arrived at Cruz de Ferro, the place of the Iron Cross; where pilgrims throughout history have left symbols/tokens of what they wish to let go of, or honoring or memorializing, etc.. She witnessed a woman that had a type of a wheeling device that was made for her, due to her inability to walk. She was able to cuddle the device with her hands in order to manually travel the Camino. There are many who do the Camino on bicycles, other’s who push baby carriages that on many parts of the Camino, one is not able to use a bike and therefore use an alternate road for vehicles. When she arrived at Cruz De Ferro, she was unable to wheel her device to the base of the cross due to the terrain. The people that were present at the cross, formed a human chain and carried her to the base of the cross, which she embraced and cried. The people then as a chain, carried her down from the cross to level ground, formed a circle around her and in silence the tears of many were released.


I met a Spanish man from Barcelona in a municipal Auberge in a small pueblo/village that consisted of two auberge’s (like a hostel), a bar and a small tienda/market.. We visited for quite awhile in front of the auberge. He spoke a little English. I spoke a little Spanish. He spoke of walking the Camino many times; different parts of it. On this particular Camino he had walked from Barcelona. We met about 300 kilometers shy of Santiago. It wasn’t that he had anything so profound to say… it was his gentle, peaceful spirit that attracted me. We slept that night in the Auberge and I didn’t see him again until late morning on the trail. We walked together and talked for a few minutes. He walked significantly faster than I and moved on. As I was walking into the outskirts of Santiago I thought I passed him on a corner, turned around and sure enough it was him and we both recognized each other. We embraced and talked for a few minutes. He asked, where are you coming from and I said, I’m still walking from St. Jean. He said, he had already walked to Finistère, to Muxia and back to Santiago (The triangle that he walked was over 200 K more than what I had walked from where I met him) and was on his way home, walking back to Barcelona.

I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.

I was walking through a small pueblo and noticed a picture of Martin Luther King, a sign for yoga and a sensed a very friendly, welcoming kind of vibe…. I knocked on the door. A Latino man from Chicago and his Italian assistant were doing a project in which they were facilitating local residents, pilgrims and others of different cultures in coming together. They were attempting to help others move across the barriers that divide and separate to form community and in their words to “ change the world.”

I met a young couple on their way home to New Zealand. They had both met in London, as they were both employed there. They met in London, even though home for both was New Zealand. They had just gotten engaged ; had plans after completing the Camino to introduce his fiancé’ to his dad, who was in France on business. Following that, they were going to travel through South America. They said they needed to be in New Zealand by November. November, I said with surprise in my voice as that was 6 months away. Yes, they said; we both decided to return to our home and settle and raise a family there. We have no mortgage, rent, car payment or jobs. We saved enough while in London to take our time arriving home. We have enough money to give us time to find a residence and employment in New Zealand. It occurred to me young folks, middle-aged folks and older folks (particularly Americans) don’t know that they can do these things.

Some highlights of my take aways:
  • Not wanting for anything external or internal day after day, after day.
  • One can almost never feel whole if one thinks they need to be perfect.
  • Surrendering to Providence: the snail that crosses the trail in front of me, the type of beer served to me when I merely say, “cerveza por favor”, the waitress, the persons I meet, the illness, the stolen shoes, the pilgrim in the bunk above me, the smile of a stranger……..
  • There were more solo women walking than men and all those I spoke with reported that they always felt safe.
I am grateful: to the thousands of Hospitaleros(volunteers) from all over the world, that serve, have served and will serve out of their love for the Camino and who embrace the Camino spirit in the Auberge’s along the Camino. To the private and municipal Auberge managers and owners who embrace the spirit of the Camino. To the bar, hotel, pension, restaurant and tienda owners who embrace the spirit as well as the villagers who have a genuine smile, will often walk with or even on occasion drive a pilgrim to a destination that they cannot explain directions because of language and always have an “hola”, and “Buen Camino” for the pilgrims passing through their villages.
What a smashing post. I enjoyed reading it and it helped me remember my own journey and all the great experiences I enjoyed.
 
Beautiful and well written.
This reminds me of all the friendly and humble people from 20 different countries i met on my walk in June 2016 (Pamplona - Logrono).
Am already planning for the next part in spring 2017.
Buen Camino :)
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Beautiful and well written.
This reminds me of all the friendly and humble people from 20 different countries i met on my walk in June 2016 (Pamplona - Logrono).
Am already planning for the next part in spring 2017.
Buen Camino :)
 
I really have to stop reading these :D Awesome Chito. If you go in 2020 i'll be there.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I met a young woman from Germany with her three-year-old son walking the Camino. They had started 300 miles east of st. John, in France. In talking with her she said, “I was drawn to the Camino and wanted to walk; I had the time but was not comfortable leaving my son with anyone.” It was the way that she chose to do the Camino and it was wonderful to experience fellow pilgrims and others, assisting her all along the way from what I saw and from stories she shared with me. The sweetness of disposition of both she and her son was inspiring.
I, too met a woman with her child (Julia and Henry from Germany) and traveled with them for a few days and nights in late April in the same albergues. Her stroller got a flat in the rocky stretch before Burgos and I helped them for several kms to a cafe and a taxi into Burgos. The Slovenian couple helped them in Burgos but we lost them after that. I have always wondered what happened to Julia and Henry, and if they made it to Santiago. Being able to help them was a huge Camino gift to me. I'll never forget them.
 
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