Camino reflections: day one

in the last few months i have been reading books about the Camino, books i avoided prior to my own experience. I recall a momentary thought that it would be sensible to read about the experiences of other pilgrims but it was a brief consideration. the truth is, i did some research and reading online but only for facts and info, i wasn't interested in more. now i know why...i didn't want the thoughts and feelings of others to change my own. i wanted to be fresh and relatively free from expectations. i suppose i only wanted to know 'enough' to feel i was reasonably ready and prepared. i knew i wouldn't ever truly be prepared but i wanted to feel prepared 'enough'. i suppose i also trusted the feeling deep inside that led me to the Camino.

I didn't sleep much the night i arrived in San Jean pied de port, but i didn't expect to, none of us did. the next morning, the first morning on the very first day on the Camino i was a mix of emotions- excitement, anticipation, curiosity, apprehension- i truly had no idea what to expect, other than a long walk over the Pyrenees with probably a mix of rain and snow. so i guess i new 'enough' because that is what i got. and so much more...

about 20 minutes in this was the view, all around beautiful green, light rain and quiet. except for our feet on the pavement for we were walking on a road for a long time. a very slow incline, "into the clouds" someone said.

and then it was mud, i was glad to have my hiking boots because it was slippery. later it was rocks and mud. then boulders. then deep wet leaves atop more mud. it was a good indicator of the path in the coming days and weeks. we sort of had every terrain all rolled into one day. the first day.

 our first stop, real stop because we had taken a few minutes here and there for photos and water. we actually went inside the Refuge Orisson for coffee and a snack. we also got to warm up and dry off...the last time i would be truly dry for 2 days. but i didn't know that so i just enjoyed the coffee and warmth and the second stamp in my credencial.

 as we climbed higher the rain came harder and soon there was wind. then it was as if the rain was coming from all directions. you know that type of rain? i tried to take a photo of the Officer and it came out with rain drops and moisture, it may be one of my favorite photos because i remember that moment so vividly when i see it.

 i learned a lot about the Camino that first day:
-the Camino is whatever it is from moment to moment
-your attitude and perception will carry you through or hold you back
-pilgrims are a diverse group with a shared journey
-you will not know the meaning of an encounter with another pilgrim in the moment...but you will at some point
-pilgrims have died on the Camino and will continue to do so, it isn't just something that happened in Medieval times
-ziplock bags were a brilliant invention
-drying rooms for clothing and boots are a blessing
-everything matters

back blogging

since returning to the States i have been making my best attempts at "settling" in, maybe not for 'the long haul' but for a while. it has been an interesting past few months, quite a transition really although i guess i am still going through it. i have been thinking about this blog but not quite ready to write. then i got called out by Ovi. then i got called out by another- stop thinking about it and just do it. they are right and so here i am.
i have been missing the Camino. missing friends, missing walking, missing the simplicity, missing the daily lessons, missing the "buen camino," missing the camaraderie, missing the beauty, missing the food, missing the many languages, missing the pull of the path, and missing the unnerving feeling that you are so intimately connected to the past while being so incredibly present in the moment. 

Ultreïa! roughly translates to onward or keep goingEt suseïa! roughly translates to upwardMedieval pilgrims used to greet each other with these words. Not it is most common to hear Buen Camino. Sometimes Ultreïa! is written on a wall or in a book; i saw it this way a few times. Memories flood back from when i heard it sung. First by other pilgrims then by The Officer, and later by our little family as we sung together.

Ultreïa (French)

Tous les matins nous prenons le Chemin,
tous les matins nous allons plus loin,
jour après jour la route nous appelle,
c’est la voix de Compostelle!

Chorus:
Ultreïa! Ultreïa! Et sus eia!
Deus adjuva nos!

Chemin de terre et Chemin de foi,
voie millénaire de l’Europe,
la voie lactée de Charlemagne,
c’est le Chemin de tous les jacquets!

Et tout là-bas au bout du continent,
Messire Jacques nous attend,
Depuis toujours son sourire fixe
Le soleil qui meurt au Finisterre.

Ultreïa (English)

(a very rough translation i found online)

Every morning we take the Camino,
Every morning we go farther,
Day after day the route calls us,
It’s the voice of [Santiago de] Compostela!

Chorus:
Onward! Onward! And upward!
God assist us!

Way of earth and way of faith,
Ancient road of Europe,
The Milky Way of Charlemagne,
It’s the Chemin of all the Santiago pilgrims!

And over there at the end of the continent,
Santiago waits for us,
His smile always fixed
On the sun that dies at Finisterre.

typical...

it wouldn't be a proper adventure if i never had to spend the night in the airport. tonight will be that night as the trains-buses-shuttles which run to said airport can get you there by 6ish am and not before. seeing as i have a 6:45am flight to another country that probably will not work.and even if that would work, tomorrow there will be a public transportation strike throughout Rome. it was suggested i take a taxi at 50 euros but it was followed with this statement by the hostel worker "or that may not work due to the strike, hmmm i don't know. if you want me to book the taxi let me know."

travel is never dull.

thankfully i did not fall off any mountains

which is why i am able to write this post from the comfort of Rome Italy. we completed the trek in 8 days. it was tough, harrowing at times and still we knew we would get to Italy. we arrived to the welcome of another Camino friend who graciously hosted and celebrated along with us.

we spent marvelous days together talking about life, the Camino and what is to come. then we prepared ourselves for the moment of goodbyes. the Healer and I calculated today that we have walked over 1000k together between the Camino and the Alps, sharing countless moments: visiting cathedrals/churches/chapels, exploring villages, tasting the local foods and walking. amazing.

i am now in Rome alone and marveling at the fact that i have 9 days before i head home. 9 days in Rome and Paris. life is good.

hiking the alps!

hi all. sorry for the limited contact. the Healer and i have reunited for another epic journey, this time up-over-across-down-around the alps from Germany through Austria and into Italy. i will follow up with more when i return. in the meantime, follow our route (the E5) via the many maps online.

p.s. the Alps are astounding!

Camino question and answer

i have been sent a number of questions* and have been thinking about the responses. in fact i have written a lot about my experiences but have not had much access to the internet! so here are a few Q/A....

Was the Camino what you expected?
hmmm, interesting question. i did not have many expectations, in fact i had no idea what to expect beyond a lot of walking. but even that was a bit unclear as even the estimates of the distance changed from book to book or person to person. i suppose whatever i did imagine, this was beyond and certainly better.

Were you surprised by the people on the Camino?
haha i love this question! people always surprise me! people are fascinating- where they are from, what they think, how they behave, their interactions with others or situations, their reasons for doing the Camino....but maybe i would say it was all very interesting, and funny. people, we all, are funny.

Why were people doing the Camino? What were their reasons?
like i said above, the reasons people were on the Camino ran the gamut and i think most people had a number of reasons, not just one. you have the reason that compells you to start, to take on this epic journey. but you have reasons each day (maybe each hour) for walking- because you are looking forward to a city, because you want to get through the discomfort, because you are in a rhythm, because you like meeting new people, because it feels good, because you are hungry (and there is food in the next village perhaps)...

a some point you were asked why you were on the Camino. the Healer and i talked about how we had formulated two answers, the general one for those we just met and then deeper answer that we continued to reflect upon and that we shared with those we felt connected to.

Ovi, the Healer and I spoke at length during our weeks on the Camino about our reasons, the reasons we heard; we pondered their meaning and what was behind the motives. the conversations were expanded to include the ideas and insights of the Runner, the Happy Canadian, and the Speaker of the Camino, among many others. from those conversations we came up with a few themes in what we heard as to why one was a pilgrim on the Camino:
- there are people who are searching/seeking.
- there are folks who have been called, who sense this is where they need to be.
- there are those who are stuck or maybe even existentially lost.
- there are others who are in a state of change or transition.
- there are some who are grieving and/or healing.
- there are a few who are running or avoiding something or someone.
- there were a number who are there for the physical, emotional and/or psychological challenge.

but of course the Camino is your own journey and experience. even these themes miss the depth and the truth of each of our individual pilgrimmages. what i can say with confidence is that the Camino is not yours to make, it is yours to experience. from what i observed, the more you try to "make" it into something or control your destiny on the Camino, the more difficult each moment becomes. to some degree the Camino is about letting go and being present and accepting whatever comes because it is true what they say, "the Camino does indeed provide."

*have more questions or want to hear more about certain topics, please let me know.

update!

since my last post, which was a while ago, i have enjoyed:
- the beaches and sun of San Sebastian Spain
- the wine, cheese and foie gras of Bordeaux France
- a celebration with the national championship rugby team in Toulouse
- a moving candlelight procession in Lourdes
- the vibrant energy of Montpellier
- my first sight and dip in the Meditteranean sea
- yummy cheese, jazz music and the beautiful old town of Lyon
- lazy days along the lake in Annecy
- a visit to the former capital of the Savoy region, Chambèry

more to come....

Guernica-Gernika

Guernica by Picasso (thank you Wikipedia and Picasso for this image)

Gernika is about 1 hour by train from Bilbao. i took a little day trip there yesterday and walked through the lovely village, bought some local bread and fruit, saw a few pilgrims traveling along the Camino del Norte, visited the Euskal Herriko Museoa (Basque history and culture museum), and found myself speechless following my visit to the Museo de la Paz de Gernika (the Peace Museum of Guernica).

a recap on the significance of Guernica: the village has long held special significance to the Basque people,  as an administrative center, a leader in industry-agriculture for the region, and holder of Basque culture-traditions. because of it´s importance in the Basque region and the resistence of the people and/or the threat to Franco, on Monday April 26, 1937 the city was attacked by the German Condor Legion, the Italian Air force and Franco´s army. it was an all out assault on a town and it´s people. 

though small, the museum provokes thought and emotion from the start. the images, the audiovisual displays, the design all make it a museum for the present and the future. it is not a museum of history. you do not walk in and observe, you are pulled into Gernika, then and now. what i found  most complelling was that while you are emotionally impacted by the events of that day you are pushed to consider the importance of understanding and reconciliation not only in healing but in the process of movement towards a healthy and holistic future.

the museum literature says, "the story of Gernika is the story of strength, of those who faced a most horrific event and with great dignity have turned the act of inhumanity that was visited upon them into a monument to our common humanity." 

the mayor of the city recently said, "the city has not forgotten it´s past but seeks to advance towards a future of peace and reconciliation"

it was yet another memorable experience.

if you ever find yourself in Bilbao or San Sebastian or anywhere in the north of Spain, go to Gernika.

want to know more? visit these sites: 

lhttp://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/guernica/glevel_1/1_bombing.html

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/guernica.htm

http://www.historytoday.com/paul-preston/bombing-guernica

Basque country = Basque language

i always wanted to visit the Basque country, both in France and Spain. the history, culture, traditions...i find it all very interesting; you can read about it in books but there is something very different about real life experience. this trip has provided me with ample opportunities to explore, observe and enjoy the Basque coutnry both on the Camino and off. like entering Galicia felt like entering a different country, this holds true for entering Basque country. it really does feel different.AND there are still more to come because i will be heading back to France soon!

ok so clearly i appreciate this culture, and am curious, and in the last few days a few things have come up...

1. does anyone actually play pelota? i believe it is the national sport. every Basque village we walked through on the Camino had at least one court, i have pictures to prove it. yet each court is empty, no one playing. ever. i have watched a match (or is it a game? ugh i don´t know) on tv and saw a simulated almost 3D version today but nothing live. not even small children or a bunch of random people playing.i am not asking for a professional version, i am not even asking for a specific type (there are many you know)...just a few minutes of people playing...

2. Basque language, aka Euskara, is apparently "one of the oldest in Europe and it has no known relationship to the indo-european family of languages" (yes i took that directly from Lonely Planet Spain). it is the language of choice here in Basque country. awesome. glad you are taking back your language and able to speak your native tongue without fear of reprisals (as in Franco´s time). but can someone take a moment to update the maps then? all Euskara maps would be helpful. streets with two names, one in Spanish and one in Euskara, can there be a vote? can everyone just call it one or the other? or go ahead use both, but then can you print both on the map? i am ok with that, i would be happy learning both names of the street where i need to get out of the tram or go to the market.

3. oh and Lonely Planet guide...can you maybe make a note that your map is using the Spanish street names and not Euskara. you don´t have to change anything, just say, "hey we don´t know Euskara so we can´t give you the correct names but please ask and someone will help you." and i promise people will help because i have found people to be really helpful even in my most idiotic (aka tourist) moments.

4. Euskara lesson for all:
    (English - Spanish - Euskara)
     street - calle - kalea
     center - centro - erdia
     apple - manzana - sagar
     toilet - baño, servicio, aseo - komuna
     today - hoy - gaur
     open - abierto - ireki, zabal
     closed - cerrado - ixti
     coffee - cafe - kafe
     next - proximo - hurrengo
and just as an added bonus-
excuse me i didn´t understand you correctly = barka, baina ez dizut ongi ulertu.

thats all for now...bihar arte! (roughly translated, see you tomorrow!)
   

note to self: hours of incredible art may feed the soul but not the stomach

yesterday i went to the Guggenheim. i was standing in the atrium, in awe- of the curves (the only un-curved surface is the floor), the mix of light as it bounced off of the metal and glass, the way it all sort of comes together as a flower at the top. the architecture, the design of the building is astounding. it could have been empty, void of all art in the galleries and i would have been happy still. Frank Ghery is a genius. i understand that many here in Bilbao were less than thrilled with his creation, but now those feelings seem to have dissipated. people are proud. as they should be. i read that when Ghery does his first sketch he just freely draws and does not take his pen from the paper. amazing. as i was walking on the metal staircase, watching the people below and noticing how the building flowed right into the bridge over the Bilbao river, i had this moment "this is real. i am in the Guggenheim and in Bilbao!"

i walked through Richard Serra´s work entitled The Matter of Time, basically mazes of metal. i watched a documentary once on the building of the Guggenheim and the introduction of Serra´s work. it is nutty to walk through something you saw on tv. it was immense and brilliant and somewhat overwhelming as it can get sort of claustrophobic lost among the metal that seems to envelope you.

Serra said about his work: "it is a diversity of durations of time...the meaning occurs only through continuous movement, through anticipation, observation and recollection."

i feel this same description could be used about the Camino.
i have more time to reflect these days, the Camino is constantly on my mind.

speaking of the Camino, i had an interaction last night, it went something like this:
(3 of us getting to know each other-where are you from, what are you doing here, what do you do, etc? so of course i say i just finished the Camino and the male dorm-mate is really interested as he is doing a 1 act play that is based on the Camino)
male dorm-mate, "so how do you feel now?"
me, "hmm good and i suppose a bit confused"
female dorm-mate, "oh well, come out with us tonight and we will get you back into reality."
me, "thank you maybe i will. but it´s all good, i think this is how i am supposed to feel."
male dorm-mate, "are you supposed to feel all cleansed? anyway, come with us and we will fix you up."

they were lovely and interesting young people. theatre kids, here as part of an international festival. many of the people in the hostel this week were in the festival. these two were from Germany, another in the room from Spain and still 2 more from France. funny, energetic and highly enthusiastic about their work. and i didn´t end up going out with them that night. i just couldn´t. whatever sort of "reality" they were inviting me to, it wasn´t what i was looking for...and maybe still isn´t. but for that moment anyway, for last night, it definitely wasn´t.

back the the Guggenheim for a moment. there was a huge David Hockney exhibit. i haven´t really had an opinion of his work, sort of the take it or leave it kind of opinion i guess. now i am a fan. not necessarily of his work so much as of him. there are some pieces i do really really like. there are others...meh. it is his continued desire to try new things and use new mediums. for the last few years he has been using the IPAD in creation of his works. there were demonstrations of how he creates these pieces, i recommend you look for videos on youtube because it is good stuff. what will he come up with next?

final thought of the day: a hot baguette and fresh fruit taste divine, sitting next to the Guggenheim.