While the Camino was very much a physical walk and challenge, it was very much a spiritual and personal journey for most of us on the road. The different space away from work and regular patterns of life gave time to talk, to listen, to think and reflect. In some senses it was an 'unreal' time, yet it was a time to value the important things of life and to enjoy the simplicity. For nearly everyone we met this was the case and bonds quickly formed between people of different backgrounds and nationalities, who we now call friends.
The Camino was a physical achievement that gave us the confidence to realise that maybe we can do things that we thought were beyond us. In our own way, at our own pace, we can attempt exciting adventures and actually do those things we've always thought about doing. Carpe deim!
The kindness, generosity and help that we received and saw demonstrated towards others was very touching. Often in a foreign country in a foreign language you feel like a fish out of water, not understanding the 'norms' or systems. We were challenged (both in Spain and France) by the help of fellow pilgrims and locals who went out of their way to explain cultural differences, guide us, help with heavy luggage, assist with ticket purchases etc. In the future we have determined to be of more help and to show more kindness to those who may need a little support and guidance in our strange country. We were truly touched and humbled by the kindness that we received.
The Camino was a time of learning about ourselves too... this too can be a sobering exercise as you realise that you are very much still a work in progress. Thankfully God is wonderfully patient towards his faltering children.
Overall the Camino was a wonderful experience, a huge privilege and gift to have the opportunity to walk and have a change in pace. Thanks for journeying with us and our advice to you is to add the Camino to your bucket list! With love from Gabe, Biz and Maree
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
"Bon Appetit"
A previous blog commented that we had all lost weight durng the walk - Gabriel had to hold his pants up with a shoelace that a Quebecan gave him, likewise Maree, whereas Biz just had to tighten her pack straps! But let us assure you this was due to the walking not to a lack of good food!
Our day started with breakfast of bread (baguette), cheese qnd sometimes jam (we've had no butter for 30 days. If we had no drink we would stop at the first cafe to get a morning shot of tea or coffee ( and sometimes a fresh croissant if tempted - and we often were!). We were careful to have regular water and snack stops - feasting on chocolate, nuts, lollies; biscuits, fruit - all for that necessary shot of energy.
Lunch was either bread, cheese, and extras like olives, tomato, salami and fruit. Sometimes we bought our supplies the day before or had to find a local supermarket or wee shop to buy our lunch: If there was no supermarket we had to buy "tortillas" or "bocadillas" at the locql cafe/bar in the town we were in. Bocadillas are big sandwiches with any filling.
Dinner was either a shared meal of rice or pasta cooked with fellow travellers or a pilgrim meal bought at a local restaurnat for a discount price: We preferred to cook ourselves as it was cheaper qnd usually nicer: Spanish meals were always accompanied by red wine - the cheqpest was NZ 1.80 a bottle: As you can guess we enjoyed our meals. NB Wine is cheaper than bottled water or coke!!!!
Lots of cheese and bread maybe was not so good for the cholesterol levels but balanced by the red wine!
Suffice to say we qre healthy - hqving been well fed and watered.
Our day started with breakfast of bread (baguette), cheese qnd sometimes jam (we've had no butter for 30 days. If we had no drink we would stop at the first cafe to get a morning shot of tea or coffee ( and sometimes a fresh croissant if tempted - and we often were!). We were careful to have regular water and snack stops - feasting on chocolate, nuts, lollies; biscuits, fruit - all for that necessary shot of energy.
Lunch was either bread, cheese, and extras like olives, tomato, salami and fruit. Sometimes we bought our supplies the day before or had to find a local supermarket or wee shop to buy our lunch: If there was no supermarket we had to buy "tortillas" or "bocadillas" at the locql cafe/bar in the town we were in. Bocadillas are big sandwiches with any filling.
Dinner was either a shared meal of rice or pasta cooked with fellow travellers or a pilgrim meal bought at a local restaurnat for a discount price: We preferred to cook ourselves as it was cheaper qnd usually nicer: Spanish meals were always accompanied by red wine - the cheqpest was NZ 1.80 a bottle: As you can guess we enjoyed our meals. NB Wine is cheaper than bottled water or coke!!!!
Lots of cheese and bread maybe was not so good for the cholesterol levels but balanced by the red wine!
Suffice to say we qre healthy - hqving been well fed and watered.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Completo!
Yesterday we marched the final steps into Santiago! The completion of 32 days of walking and 765km´s came with mixed feelings. Relief, joy, excitement and tiredness. While everyone says the journey is more important than reaching the goal, it was wonderful to finally reach the desired destination. It was a joy too to meet and congratulate other fellow walkers arriving into the cathedral square. Pilgrims celebrated together and greeted one another all over the city as we kept bumping into familiar faces that we´d shared a room with or walked with a little along the trail.
It was strange indeed not to rush out of bed this morning and prepare for a day of walking many kilometres. Today we have been enjoying this beautiful city, alive with energy and people. There are far more religious tourists here than pilgrims... more about that later.
On Sunday we fly across the country, catch a bus to France and prepare for our onward journey to the USA for meetings... and the world of reality again.
When we get access to better internet we will post some more photos and some final reflections... but we are here!
It was strange indeed not to rush out of bed this morning and prepare for a day of walking many kilometres. Today we have been enjoying this beautiful city, alive with energy and people. There are far more religious tourists here than pilgrims... more about that later.
On Sunday we fly across the country, catch a bus to France and prepare for our onward journey to the USA for meetings... and the world of reality again.
When we get access to better internet we will post some more photos and some final reflections... but we are here!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
40km´s to Santiago
We can hardly believe it... over 700km´s behind us and just 40 ahead of us. There are mixed feelings about reaching Santiago. The thought of not having to rise early each day and walk 20-30km´s is quite appealing, yet we will miss the simplicity and rythem of life and the community of people around us.
Since the 100km mark the roads have been crowded with walkers. All you need to officially complete the Camino and receive your certificate is to have walked 100km´s. Apparently this is enough for those who believe they will receive absolution of sins. Many of these walkers have their bags bused ahead to their days destination and only carry day packs. There legs are fresh and their shoes clean. They are a different kind of pilgrim, very much with the party spirit. Many of them are Spanish. We were told that to have walked the Camino gives you the edge on your CV for a job. We are expecting Santiago to be busy and crowded. Apparently tomorrow evening there are 3000 beds set up in barracks style to accomodate pilgrims converging on Santiago. That will be worth a picture!
Our trousers are very loose and almost falling off - one of the benefits of walking over 700km´s I guess!
Since the 100km mark the roads have been crowded with walkers. All you need to officially complete the Camino and receive your certificate is to have walked 100km´s. Apparently this is enough for those who believe they will receive absolution of sins. Many of these walkers have their bags bused ahead to their days destination and only carry day packs. There legs are fresh and their shoes clean. They are a different kind of pilgrim, very much with the party spirit. Many of them are Spanish. We were told that to have walked the Camino gives you the edge on your CV for a job. We are expecting Santiago to be busy and crowded. Apparently tomorrow evening there are 3000 beds set up in barracks style to accomodate pilgrims converging on Santiago. That will be worth a picture!
Our trousers are very loose and almost falling off - one of the benefits of walking over 700km´s I guess!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Betwixt and between
Relevant words of advice received today from Esther our daughter ...
In anthropology, there is a term called liminality. Victor Turner, a famous anthropologist came up with it in relation to rights of passages. The word comes from the latin Lemin- which means threshold. His theory is, as with rights of passages, there are three stages. 1. the preparation and separation 2. betwixt and between 3. reentry into society (this is not exact but approx). so you can imagine for some rituals (eg young boys) are separated from their social group, are caught in a liminal stage between boyhood and manhood and then once they have completed that, may then return into society.
This can be the same for your pilgrimage. Before it, you had to prepare- get all your stuff together and organise your journey. Now, in your separation from society, you are not following your normal day to day routine. Your position is not defined. Your world is turned upside down. Here is a liminal place, a threshold on the doorstep of something new. Here is a place you aim to learn something and change.
Once you have finished your pilgrimage, you are expected to reenter society different. You don't go through this and come back as the same person. So perhaps as you are walking, in this liminal, betwixt and between, stage of your life, maybe think about what you will learn and discover and be like when you finish. This isnt just a walk, it's a pilgrimage. A religious experience. So don't go through looking at the scenery and taking it at face value. Members of society who get stuck in the liminal period don't quite fit back into their society. They do not graduate into the next life stage (as with boys who aim to reach manhood) so part of the challenge is to take what you have learnt and apply it to your regular life in New Zealand.
This is the question to us - How will we be different?
In anthropology, there is a term called liminality. Victor Turner, a famous anthropologist came up with it in relation to rights of passages. The word comes from the latin Lemin- which means threshold. His theory is, as with rights of passages, there are three stages. 1. the preparation and separation 2. betwixt and between 3. reentry into society (this is not exact but approx). so you can imagine for some rituals (eg young boys) are separated from their social group, are caught in a liminal stage between boyhood and manhood and then once they have completed that, may then return into society.
This can be the same for your pilgrimage. Before it, you had to prepare- get all your stuff together and organise your journey. Now, in your separation from society, you are not following your normal day to day routine. Your position is not defined. Your world is turned upside down. Here is a liminal place, a threshold on the doorstep of something new. Here is a place you aim to learn something and change.
Once you have finished your pilgrimage, you are expected to reenter society different. You don't go through this and come back as the same person. So perhaps as you are walking, in this liminal, betwixt and between, stage of your life, maybe think about what you will learn and discover and be like when you finish. This isnt just a walk, it's a pilgrimage. A religious experience. So don't go through looking at the scenery and taking it at face value. Members of society who get stuck in the liminal period don't quite fit back into their society. They do not graduate into the next life stage (as with boys who aim to reach manhood) so part of the challenge is to take what you have learnt and apply it to your regular life in New Zealand.
This is the question to us - How will we be different?
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