"Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much...."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Country Life
Well we are back in Jacksonville after a lovely night in Newark, New Jersey due to a late arriving flight and an wait of over an hour in immigration. I could post a multi-page story, but lets just say it was like the DMV operating without caffeine. Also, after 1 euro glasses of wine and free tapas we were treated to a $35 bill for two wines and some hummus at the airport hotel. Welcome back to the USA.
Our second Camino in the books and a third in the planning stages, but not until we have made a trip to Italy and France.
We had a great time with people from all over the world. It is amazing how you can sit around the table with people from multiple countries, with just a little shared language and have a great conversation. We exchanged emails with some people, others just prefer to separate the Camino experience for their day-to-day life.
It is hard to explain how walking with people each day who share a common destination, but vastly different motivations bind you together some how. We met a few devout Catholics, but mostly other Christian faiths or agnostics. Based on the number of people who understood the rituals of the Pilgrim mass, there were many non-Catholics in attendance, but there were a lot of tears from everyone by the end.
We spent two and a half days in Santiago. We found ourselves looking for cafes and bars along the route of the Camino for our morning coffee, breakfast, lunch, post siesta coffee, pre-dinner wine, dinner, and after dinner pastry. (I know we have turned into hobbits). Watching the hikers faces as they are in sight of the Cathedral - some after 40 days or more on the trail - joy. Also, looking at someone sit down in clothes that have been worn every-other day for weeks, and see their face light with the first sip of cold beer. Exchanging a "Buen Camino" or with people we saw on the Portuguese way a knowing "Bon Camino".
Great trip all around.
For you tech people out there -- I got a Fitbit just before leaving on the Camino. It was very handy to help track our mileage to determine where we were along the way and to gauge when we needed to stop for the night. So, ere are the stats for 15 days on the Camino Portuguese:
- 551,000 steps
- 1,441 flights of stairs (mountains)
- 274 miles
The ‘Botafumeiro’ is the famous incenser in Santiago de Compostela cathedral. It has been used since the Middle Ages, by legend to clear the air when crowds of pilgrims having completed the Camino arrived unwashed in Santiago de Compostela after their months long journeys.
This ritual is in writing at since the 12th century. The current ‘Botafumeiro’ dates back to 1851 weighting 120 pounds when empty and up to 25 kgs more when full.
Eight men, called ‘tiraboleiros’, are required to operate it, After being filled with incense and burning coal it is set in motion forming a 200 foot long trajectory to the ceiling of the cathedral. It reaches speeds of 40 MPH.
