- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
This popped up in my memories today so I thought I’d share it. It’s from six years ago today as Wendy and I were in O Pedrouzo about to finish the Camino Francés. Ah, to have that ‘first camino feeling’ again!
…
Camino de Santiago, Day 38. For most of the last 38 days, the mythical city of Santiago de Compostela has been so far away that it has barely been worth contemplating as our destination. No matter how far we walked, it never seemed to get any closer; on the contrary, one day we saw a sign that said it was 565km away and two days later another sign said it was 580km away.
But we trudged on anyway, faithfully following yellow arrows over mountains and bridges, alongside rivers and roads, and through forests and vineyards and 180 consecutive kilometres of wheat fields, some days in searing heat and others in driving rain. And in doing so we learned what we had already suspected: that the Camino de Santiago is the very epitome of the goal being the journey itself, rather than the destination.
But there is still a destination, after all, and we approach it both in anticipation at the prospect of finally arriving and with more than a little sadness knowing that our path will soon end, because Santiago de Compostela, which doesn't seem quite so mythical anymore, is now only one day's walk away.
…
Camino de Santiago, Day 38. For most of the last 38 days, the mythical city of Santiago de Compostela has been so far away that it has barely been worth contemplating as our destination. No matter how far we walked, it never seemed to get any closer; on the contrary, one day we saw a sign that said it was 565km away and two days later another sign said it was 580km away.
But we trudged on anyway, faithfully following yellow arrows over mountains and bridges, alongside rivers and roads, and through forests and vineyards and 180 consecutive kilometres of wheat fields, some days in searing heat and others in driving rain. And in doing so we learned what we had already suspected: that the Camino de Santiago is the very epitome of the goal being the journey itself, rather than the destination.
But there is still a destination, after all, and we approach it both in anticipation at the prospect of finally arriving and with more than a little sadness knowing that our path will soon end, because Santiago de Compostela, which doesn't seem quite so mythical anymore, is now only one day's walk away.