Walking the Camino
Jack Karolewski
©
Copyright 2020 by Jack Karolewski
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Follow
the yellow arrows. Carry the bare minimum on your back. Pay full
attention to your feet. This was the advice I was given as I set out
on one of the most extraordinary travel adventures of my life.
The
Way of St. James, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is a walking
pilgrimage route that has been traveled by millions of people over
the last 900 years. It begins in France and ends in northwest Spain
at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of St.
James the Apostle --- the patron saint of Spain --- are entombed.
Recently, I and my two best friends (Rick McKay and Joe Masonick)
walked the final part of this historic path from Astorga, Spain to
Santiago, doing about 200 miles of the 750 mile route. All three of
us had retired from teaching after thirty years, and we were ready
for three weeks of reflection and rejuvenation.
We
scoured the Internet for websites and read all the recommended books.
We trained over the summer, logging over 300 miles both with and
without 20 lb. backpacks. But our training was on relatively flat
terrain, and it took sometime to adjust to the ups and downs of the
actual Camino trail. The route goes through mountain passes, river
valleys, forests and hilly farmlands. It passes through major cities
and small villages, many built of grey stone. You see cathedrals,
monasteries, castles, and chapels dating from the 11th
century. Time slows down as you walk 12-15 miles a day, everyday,
with all you need snug in your backpack. You notice subtle shifts in
light and color. You hear birds and farm animals. You feel the sun
and the wind. You smell flowers and fresh manure. You see corn,
grapes and other crops ready for harvest. You sense the spirits of
the many that have walked this same route before you: kings and
queens, saints and sinners, the rich and the poor. You feel peaceful
and always safe. Others would be walking ahead or behind you, though
time might pass without seeing anyone for 20-30 minutes. By
following the yellow arrows (painted on cobbled streets, walls, or
trees) and other signposts, you stay on the ever-westward path of the
pilgrim, or “peregrino.”
We
met men and women from all over the world, mostly in their 20’s
or 50’s. The young were finishing college, and contemplating
what to do with their futures regarding jobs or marriage. The older
were also introspective while pondering new challenges or past
regrets. Some pilgrims were couples, some came in larger groups, or
some walked alone. During the heat of the summer season, the Camino
is crowded with teenagers and families with children. While only 2%
of the pilgrims are typically from the United States, we did meet
fellow citizens from Colorado, the Pacific Northwest, California,
Illinois and New York. But most of the pilgrims were from Spain,
France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Austria and Italy. Others came
from Mexico and Brazil. Knowing a little basic Spanish was helpful,
but not essential. We talked freely with people from Ireland,
England, Australia and Canada. About two-thirds of the pilgrims we
saw were men, and one-third were women. Some were walking for the
physical exercise, a test of endurance. Some were purely enjoying the
art and architecture of Europe’s cultural heritage. Some were
in a “let’s party” mood. Some were in a state of
prayer or meditation, to fulfill a promise, or to give thanks to God
or ask for a blessing. All those walking for a religious or spiritual
reason would be entitled to a “Compostela” pilgrimage
certificate by the Catholic Church, providing they walked a minimum
of 100 km. (62 miles), or bicycled 200km. (You were even allowed to
ride horseback, but driving parallel to the route by car made you
ineligible.) For believers, the certificate ensured that one-third of
your life’s sins were eliminated. If you died on the Camino,
however, it was said that your soul went immediately to heaven.
Towns
along the Camino are spaced regularly so that services such as food,
water, and lodgings are readily available after a typical day’s
walking. (It is actually a law in Spain that pilgrims are to be given
every courtesy and not hassled.) My friends and I enjoyed excellent
health regarding food and water on the Camino. (I even ate “pulpo”,
which is fresh octopus chopped into bite-sized chunks, fried in olive
oil, and dusted with red pepper and marine salt.) The fine meats,
fish, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, breads and wines were delicious
wherever we went. As for lodging, as an official pilgrim you are
given a free “peregrino passport” at your starting point
on the Camino, which entitles you to lodgings at public or private
albergues or refugios. These are mostly large, dormitory-size
buildings with bunk-beds, showers, toilets, a kitchen, a laundry
area, and volunteer staffs to help. (Some even had Internet access,
and almost everywhere we stopped for the evening had an inexpensive
Internet Café available to keep in touch with families at
home.) Some of the albergues/refugios are free (donations accepted),
while other were a nominal 4-5 euros, about $4.80-$6.00 U.S. Some of
these lodgings are excellent and clean, but others sadly can be
overcrowded, noisy, lacking hot showers, or filled with loud snoring
at night from both the men and the women. Bathrooms were usually
segregated by sex, but the sleeping areas were unisex. If you
preferred, you could also stay at a hotel, a hostel, a pensione, or
other rented room available in each town or city. (ATM machines were
common for obtaining cash too.) In any case, you got your pilgrim
passport stamped at each overnight site, proving that you were there
for Compostela purposes upon arrival in Santiago.
Did
I forget to tell you about blisters and foot care? Each day we
communicated our aches and pains in minute detail, with some days
worse than others. While I was lucky and only suffered some nasty
blisters and two bruised toenails, I saw pilgrim foot disasters that
shocked me: feet covered with bandages and tape, some with dried
blood; people limping with sore feet, joints, tendons and muscles;
infected feet causing some people to rest under doctor’s orders
for several days before continuing; and pilgrims actually sewing up
each others foot sores with needle and thread! The importance of
well-fitting shoes and pre-pilgrimage physical training cannot be
over-emphasized. Also, lighten your backpack to the absolute
necessity level. You need only two changes of clothing: one to wear
and one in reserve. You do hand laundry every night. If it doesn’t
dry by morning, attach it to your backpack with safety pins and it
will dry while you walk. Laundromats are also available with washers
and dryers in most places, if you prefer. We enjoyed outstanding
weather during our trip, with only thirty minutes of light rain, but
bring raingear because the green hills of Galicia in northwestern
Spain usually get substantial rain every 3 days or so on average.
When
we finally arrived in Santiago de Compostela, we were tired but fit
and joyous. The cathedral there is massive, and was the third biggest
pilgrimage goal in the Middle Ages after Rome and Jerusalem. We
re-united with many of our new friends we had met on the Camino. We
saw the remains of St. James in a silver reliquary under the main
golden Baroque altar, and hugged the famous statue of the apostle
from behind, as countless other pilgrims had done over the centuries.
We put our five fingers in the Tree of Jesse, a marble column which
has grooves where countless pilgrims have grasped it upon arrival. We
next went to an office to receive our Compostela certificate. Each
day at noon, a special Mass is held for all peregrinos, and your
country is named aloud at the altar, as well as the place where you
began your walk. A gigantic incense burner is lit at the conclusion
of the Mass, and is hoisted and swung by six priests a hundred feet
over the heads of the congregation for several minutes. On St. James’
Feast Day (July 25) the cathedral and outside square are packed with
thousands of people, with celebrations, music and evening fireworks
--- all broadcast on national TV, with the King of Spain (Juan
Carlos)in attendance.
As
our pilgrimage ended, however, I felt that we had been a part of an
incredible, unbroken tradition stretching back in time. Being home
now, I strangely miss the daily physical challenge, the uninterrupted
time to think and contemplate, the simple routine of walking through
northern Spain’s spectacular scenery, the sharing of
encouragements with a newly-met mobile world community of pilgrims,
each unique yet each the same, wearing the scallop shell which is the
symbol of St. James, smiling in the sun, unworried and unhurried,
slightly scruffy, blessed, free.
I
grew up on
Chicago's South Side, and moved to Davis, California in 1988 with my
wife, Alice, who is now a retired radiologist.
Our
outstanding
daughter, Jennifer ("Jen") was born in 1993. She graduated
from Cal Tech, and is now completing her doctorate in Chemical
Oceanography at M.I.T.
I
attended Northern
Illinois University, where I earned an undergraduate degree in
Education, and two graduate degrees in History. I retired from a
thirty-year teaching career in 2005. Since then, I have been enjoying
a second, part-time career as a reference librarian and an active
community volunteer at six different venues. I also run a library
book club and movie club.
I
have visited 114
foreign countries so far, as well as all fifty states. I am keenly
interested in reading, writing, movies, music, art, history, travel,
photography, comparative religions, hiking, bicycling, nature,
collecting, and museums.
Any
questions or
comments are always welcomed: explorerjack8138@gmail.com
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