Camino Moments

  • Deep Walking

    I am a deep walker, I am also a long walker, and it is true that in many ways they are the same thing.  You must be a long walker to walk the Camino de Santiago, and when you are a long walker you often become a deep walker.  There are descriptive terms I recently came across in some Camino posts on Facebook.  They resonated with me because I have looked for ways to describe my experience and my passion regarding all the walking I do.

    Over the last few years and especially since my retirement in March of 2022, I try and walk everywhere I can, including at least a 10K long walk every day.  It has become a habit of sorts, and when I can’t or don’t do it, I miss it terribly.  It has been through experience that I have discovered what these types of walking are for me, and it is helping me think about and set the consciousness for my walks. 

    When I am on a long walk, especially by myself, I settle into a rhythm and my mind becomes focused and still.  Essentially, I go into a meditative state.  Creative ideas begin to emerge, and new insights appear like magic.  It would literally happen everyday on my Camino’s even when I walked with others for most of the day.  Often tears would form in my eyes and I would feel like I was walking in heaven with an angel.  When in this state I would remember things that happened in my life and feel them with the presence of forgiveness and the healing power of love.  This state of being would not last for the entire day, especially when I started getting tired and was close to the end of the day. 

    There is something about the simple life on the Camino that brings this experience into being, but it is still there when I am about my business in my normal daily life.  I have always found movement to be a path to peace and healing.  I often think about Saul on the road to Damascus and the divine inspiration he experienced on his journey.  There was not speedy transportation in those days, so deep walking was a more normal experience.  Perhaps Saul, who was fueled by anger and intensity, had some remorse for the stoning of the Apostle Stephen.  It is those moments that open us up to a divine presence that emerges and transforms the moment.

    Walking on the Camino Frances, I was a solo walker.  I also became part of a Camino Family of over a dozen people.  I would on most days get up early and head out the door alone.  Most every day I would have at least a couple of hours to enjoy the early morning quiet and be alone with my thoughts and feelings.  It was a time when much of my deep walking took place.  I often reflected on my life and many times wondered what I would do differently if I had it all to do over.  It is a common theme during deep walking, to reflect and ask questions and grapple with the what ifs.  One particular morning what emerged was a sense of clarity.  What I decided is that if I had it to do over again as a child, I would pursue Art and Music as a primary focus.  I used to be good at drawing as a young child, but my parents directed me away from that to academics.  With music they never really made the effort to help me understand its power and motivate me to practice.  I don’t regret my path as some very good things came on it, but I did not develop my true self.  What also occurred to me is that “It is not too late”.   Even in my 70’s I can learn and practice and develop these latent abilities and desires.  Since then, I started taking drawing lessons through an internet course and practiced singing with a Karaoke system I have.  I am enjoying these experiences, and it has brought a sense of joy to me.

    Buen Camino

  • Talking about Walking

                  Not everyone has heard about the Camino de Santiago.  When I am out on my daily walk, I most often wear my baseball hat that I bought in Sarria in 2021 that has the Scallop Shell Symbol and Camino de Santiago stitched on it.  Many recognize it and it often leads to a conversation, but many have never heard of it and know nothing about it.  When they ask me what it is, I always take some time and share that it is a 500 mile walk across Northern Spain.  The response I often get is “who would do something like that?”  My short response is, “Anyone who is seeking an experience and starting point to transform their life”. 

                  It seems that everyone who walks the Camino has a compelling story about why they are walking and how they decided to do a Camino.  I think at some level, those who embark on this journey are broken in some meaningful way.  It inevitably shows up in our stories about our life and our experiences.  It often starts with the question, “Who am I, and what is my life about?”  In my 2022 Camino in the fall of that year, so many of the people I met and connected with were young men and women who were seeking answers to these questions.  Even those who were there for the adventure were finding that it was so much more than just an adventure, it was a transformational moment in the context of their life. 

                  I have never thought of myself as broken, if life threw me a punch, I was taught to shake it off and get up and continue on.  In fact, doing the Camino was in my mind about my future, not my past.  What I discovered was that it was about neither, it was about the present moment, forgiveness, and the essence of who I am in this moment.  In the journey of seeking, comes the journey of being.   Ursula K. Le Guin, in The Left Hand of Darkness said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 

                  When we talk with others about this journey, it is not easy to dive into the depths of the inner experience.  When I return home from walking a Camino, I feel a deeper connection with myself and I am kinder, more compassionate, and a more fulfilled human being.  The connections with others I have met on my Caminos are profound and meaningful.  My faith in humanity and transformation is greater than it has ever been.  When I return to start a new Camino, I feel like I am reborn, even in my last Camino where I had to come home early, was a meaningful experience. 

                  I love to talk about the journey that is the Camino.  The essence of the walk which is the Way, the path, the adventure, the challenge, the courage, and the victory.  All the details that make up the physical experience.  The expansion of our comfort zones and all the feelings that are associated with that moment of taking the first actual step.  But somewhere along the path, in the presence of fellow Pilgrims and in listening to their stories, something happens.  I began to realize that like the Pilgrims who had taken this journey for healing, I too was here for healing and there were wounds within my consciousness that I never wanted to acknowledge.  I too am broken in so many ways and itis time to come to terms with what has been ignored and is festering.  I have come to believe that the healings of the Pilgrims of old were not about arriving in Santiago, they were about the experience of the journey.  The kindness and acceptance of others, the realization they are not alone, and the possibility of reconciliation with their divine self.  

                  One of the transforming experiences is the process of moving from self-focus to an attitude of serving.  Our culture has a narcissistic bent to it that seems to separate us, where the Camino is compelling us to focus on serving others.  It has a way of drawing us together and becoming less concerned about our own perceived needs, and more willing to help fellow Pilgrims.  It seems the cultural hierarchies evaporate, and we are all fellow travelers in a difficult and fascinating journey.  When a middle-aged woman that I was walking with, shared her story of the desire for a child and the journey that occurred for her and resulted in an upheaval in her life, I was transformed by her pain and her courage.  Over and over on the path people would share from their heart the pain and brokenness and I began to see the power of honesty and deep awareness.   A young woman looking for self- love, a gay young man looking for acceptance in his family, the loss of a best friend to suicide, and so many other painful moments.   To me that is the real Camino and the one I most like to talk about.   We are all broken in some way by life’s great challenges, and we all seek to be healed.  That is the Camino. 

    Buen Camino              

  • Walking the Spiritual Path on the Camino

    The Camino is a lot of things.  It is an adventure, a physical challenge, a religious pilgrimage, a vacation, a walk of grief and sorrow, a time of healing, and an opportunity to connect with others from different cultures.  But more than anything else, it is a spiritual journey of the heart, the mind and the soul.  That is true whether a pilgrim intends it to be or not.  It makes no difference what a pilgrims intention is in taking the journey, if you walk the entire journey you will be transformed in a meaningful and powerful way, making it truly a spiritual journey. 

    When I returned from my 2022 Camino where I walked the full Camino Frances, I came home a different person.  The changes were not always obvious to others, but they were and are to me.  Since that Camino I have felt more peaceful, more joyful, more fulfilled, more focused, and healthier than I have ever been.  As I write this, I do so having arrived home from my annual wellness exam.  It has been 16 months since that Camino and at 74 my blood pressure is 110/68, I take no medications, and my doctor said I was in the top 1% for people my age.  There has been a seismic shift in my reality, and I am grateful. 

    When I returned home from that Camino, within 5 months I had published 2 books.  The first was a compilation of my 3 Camino’s and is titled Heaven is Walking the Camino de Santiago.  Although there are some spiritual components to that book, I felt it did not go far enough into the spiritual and so I wrote a 2nd book called Heaven is Walking the Spiritual Path.  That book is more about living our life as though we are walking a spiritual path every day, which I believe we are whether we are aware of it or not.

    I think it is important to make a distinction between a Religious Path and a Spiritual Path.  You can be on a religious path and not experience the blessings of a spiritual path.  In my book Heaven is Walking the Spiritual Path I wrote: “What I have found regarding most religious movements is that they spring out of the experience of an individual and that experience becomes the path to salvation for those who follow.  That most often means there are rules of living that are adopted that the adherents must follow in order to receive the blessing of that path.  They generally come down to rules of behavior (10 commandments), rituals, daily disciplines, dress codes in some cases, and a muting of one’s personal thoughts and feelings that might be contrary to the teachings.  In other words, there are boundaries in place to control behavior and to keep the seeker on a narrow path.  There are people who seem to thrive in a more controlled environment for lots of reasons, and in fact, the majority of people seem to need a certain structure.  I am not one of those people because I have found that every spiritual path is unique and what might work for one, does not work for another.  We must find our own way, and others’ successes inspire us to do so.” 

    A Spiritual Path transcends religion and is about who we are and our relationship to our inner world.  Religion can be a component of a spiritual path, but in my opinion is not necessary in order to be walking a spiritual path.  In the context of the Camino, spirit shows up in our perspectives and feelings along with our experiences, which are the catalyst.  We are following Spiritual principles when we trust there will be a bed for us and a place to eat at the end of long day.  It shows up in taking time to help a stranger, or bless someone who is snoring, or being amazed at a beautiful sunrise.  It shows up in letting go of the need to control another or feel hurt when someone decides to walk with someone else.  We are following a spiritual path when we suspend judgment, knowing that another’s negative behavior is a cry for help. 

    Over a 30+ day journey the pilgrim encounters all different kinds of people and behaviors, and because when we are tired and challenged daily, we are confronted with our weaknesses and hurts.  Any true transformational process has a component of chaos attached to it.  We learn on the Camino to get by with minimal equipment and clothes, and we begin to see how cluttered our life has been.  Many mornings when I walked alone there were tears of release, of past feelings, of regrets and of appreciation at the opportunity to feel deeply the essence of my true nature.  When life becomes simple, then healing becomes real.  There is an inner path which opens to the power and the reality of transformation.  This is the beauty of walking the Camino de Santiago.  The longer you walk, the more powerful and intense is the experience.  Where in our cultures do we have this opportunity?  As I wrote in my book: “As you take on the qualities of kindness, compassion, joy, love, peace, and enthusiasm, you will become a magnet for good things and have meaningful moments, loving relationships, and success in accomplishing your hopes and dreams without hurting others.  You will live with a peaceful heart, a loving heart, an open heart, and an understanding heart, and you will realize just how happy you are while accomplishing much in the world.” 

    Buen Camino           

  • Albergue Adventures

    PERREGRINO DINNER IN ALBERGUE JUST PASSED GERNIKA

    Of all the adventures that are unique to the Camino, the Albergue’s are at the top of the list.  For so many of us, staying at an Albergue is a throw back to days of yore.  An Albergue is essentially a hostel that is specific to Peregrino’s who are walking or biking on the Camino and have a credential which is otherwise known as a Camino Passport.  To check into an Albergue you have to have a regular Passport and a Camino Passport.  The Camino Passport gets a stamp that is specific to the Albergue and at the end of the journey is proof that you walked a certain distance (You can also get stamps at bars, restaurants, and churches).  To receive a Compostela in Santiago you must have a Peregrino passport with a stamp each day and two stamps a day for the last 100 Kilometers.

    Most Albergue’s are dormitories with bunk beds.  Some are large rooms with lots of bunks, and some have 4 – 6 bunks in smaller rooms.  Occasionally Albergue’s just have single beds in group sleeping areas and some private Albergue’s have a few private rooms available as well.  Generally, Albergue’s will have a kitchen area, a space for group meals, laundry options, and some have clothes dryers as well.  Some will do Peregrino meals, some have bars that serve food and drinks.  There typically are 3 types of Albergue’s, the most common is the Municipal Albergue which is publicly owned and operated, the Donativo Albergue which offers beds for a donation and is often but not always attached to a Church, and private Albergue’s which can run the spectrum from upscale to basic.  Most Municipal and Donativo Albergue’s do not take reservations, but if you call ahead and give them a heads-up they will let you know when you need to arrive to get a bed.  Private Albergue’s tend to take reservations, some are even on Bookings.com.

    Before my first Camino at age 70, the last time I slept in a dormitory setting was my first two years of college in my Fraternity House where we all slept in a dorm in bunk beds.  I could write an entire blog on that experience, but it would not be relevant to this blog.  In an Albergue the dorms are coed although the bathrooms are most generally male or female, but not always.  I remember staying in the municipal Albergue in Villafranca Del Bierzo and was in the bathroom using the shower and shaving at the sink.  As I gathered my stuff and headed back to my bunk, one of the residents from Spain pointed to the door I just walked out of which said Mujeries, which means Women.  He smiled and I realized I was in the wrong bathroom.  I just assumed it was coed, and none of the women who came in said anything. 

    Sleeping in a dorm setting with a mixture of people of all ages means that you will likely experience all the various quirks of different sleepers.  People talking in their sleep, snorers of all types, plenty of flatulence, people going to bed at different times, and people getting up at different times.  When you score a bottom bunk, you must deal with the skill of the person who has the top bunk.  It isn’t always easy to get up on the top bunk and to get down in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.  In some cases, being in the lower bunk is like riding a boat in a storm when an older person ends up in the bunk above you.  Most people are very respectful and try and follow the rules as best they can.  It only takes one self-focused individual to upset the apple cart and create a bit of chaos. 

    In September of 2023 I was staying in a hostel in downtown Bilbao called Pil Pil.  It was not specific to Perregrinos so it was more of a mixed bag.  About 9 pm I came into the bunk room and climbed up on my upper bunk.  In the climb I managed to pass a small amount of gas and it made a noise.  The fellow in the lower bunk in the bunk that bumped up against the head of my bunk became very upset and agitated.  He was likely in his 50’s and definitely did not understand English.  He started ranting and raving in Spanish and I could not understand a word he was saying.  I caught the word fart a couple of times and indeed he was focused on me.  I chose not to engage with him directly and just started reading my book.  He started playing off color phases on his phone in English.  Derogatory comments about mothers etc.  I just took a deep breath and after a while other folks came in and the tantrum stopped.  Not once was I afraid of him, and I eventually went to sleep.  The next morning, he was gone before I woke up.  When I got my pack together, I noticed my water bottle was gone.  It was a stainless-steel bottle with a ultraviolet light built in to the lid.  Cost me $20.  Clearly, he had taken it while I was asleep.  I actually felt sorry for the man and was glad I did not buy into his tantrum the night before. 

    Even with all of this I remain a strong promoter of Albergue’s and encourage others to consider them on their journey.  It is where you connect with young people and forge meaningful relationships with people from all over the world.  It is where you share songs, meals, and exchange ideas and have lots of conversation.  Albergue’s also make the journey affordable for the very budget minded.  Where else can you spend a month or two in Europe for 12 Euros a night?  My pattern is to stay in a private motel once or twice on my journey, the rest is in an Albergue.  I prefer Municipal or Donativo Albergue’s because of the broad range of people who stay there.   I have learned to manage the occasional snorer and have found the use of an eye mask to be invaluable when I go to bed early.  Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, but never two nights in a row. 

    I know the Albergue is not for everyone, but most everyone can stay in an Albergue.  If you are willing to start your day on the early side, and arrive at your destination by midafternoon, it is rare that you will not find a bed.  Only one time on my Camino in the fall of 2022 did I have a close call in getting a bed and that was at Albergue Casa Cruceiro in Ferreiro about 9K before Portomarin.  I arrived late in the day from Filloval and did so because I was doing two back to back 35K days to catch up to a group of Perregrino’s who had become my main Camino Family.  I had gotten a day behind them and they texted me to catch up if I could so we could walk into Santiago together.  I ended up catching them at Gonzar the next day so it only took me a day and a half.  I arrived at Ferreiro at 4 pm that day and fortunately there was one bed left in the Albergue.  It was actually a great place to stay. 

    Staying in Albergue’s puts the Perregrino into a very nice rhythm because they are so similar in so many ways.  They are way more social than other options, and help the Perregrino feel more part of the Camino experience.  If you are a solo walker it is even more helpful because you now have access to people who can help you with some of the issues that show up in doing a month long walk across a foreign country, it is more budget friendly and community minded and for the Perregrino who wants to walk alone, people will respect those choices without judgement.

    If you are reading this and planning on walking a Camino perhaps our path will cross in one of the fine Albergue’s that exist to serve the weary traveler on the road to Santiago.  For more information on walking or planning a Camino go to my website at https://caminocoach.net.

    Buen Camino 

  • Getting Help on Your first Camino

    There is a constant flow of individuals or aspiring peregrinos looking for any information they can find that will help them on their first Camino.  Facebook forums, YouTube vloggers, Americans on the Camino website, friends who have gone before, and commercial organizations that lead groups.  That certainly was my journey in 2019 as I was seeking to understand the essentials of what it takes to walk the Camino de Santiago successfully.  As I have written in past blogs, I have walked on the Camino 4 times and finished 2 times arriving in Santiago on foot.  It does not mean my other Camino’s were not successful, just not successful in the way I envisioned them to be in my planning. 

    I think it is quite arrogant to think that everything I have learned is directly transferable to someone else going on the same journey.  This is because every journey, every Camino, is subject to the person walking it, and everyone is different.  So, preparing not only involves the basic issues that are practical in nature, it also involves understanding yourself enough to know the mindset necessary for a successful, transformative, and life enhancing experience.  One thing I know for certain, I would like to have finished my first Camino instead of barely making it to Carrion de Los Condes and then having to go home because of seriously infected blisters.  That does not mean my first trip was not transformative, it was a humbling experience and a lesson in being willing to listen to those who overcame their challenges and me being willing to change my ways. 

    The difference between my first Camino and my second, which was a return to finish my Camino, was the help and advice of my Camino Angel.  She helped me by taking me to a doctor in Carrion de Los Condes for treatment at the end of my first Camino.  But she helped me more by coaching me when I came back to finish.  It was a lot of little things associated with blister management and prevention, and in helping me set a more reasonable pace by booking my accommodations ahead and encouraging me to follow the plan.  She knew the ropes and helped me fill in the gaps in my preparation and understanding of what it takes to walk 800 Kilometers in 32 days.  Although she lived in Spain, we had several Zoom calls, and her support and clarity made the difference.  I successfully finished my second Camino and then came back a year later and did the entire Camino Frances again and did it with no blisters, no body pain, and no issues.  It was a magical experience.  At the end of my second and third Camino’s I sent her a gift of $200 each time with my immense gratitude for her help. 

    After doing part of the Del Norte in the fall of 2023, and dealing with some unexpected issues, I decided that I would become a Camino Coach and help others in the way my Camino Angel helped me.  I feel moved to offer help, especially to first timers and to offer help on a donation basis.  That is where people would donate what is comfortable and affordable for specific help in planning and executing a successful experience.  Some would need a lot more help than others, but my pilgrim clients would decide what the help is worth to them.  Although Camino guides and You Tube vloggers were helpful to me, there is nothing more helpful than talking through issues with a person who has successful experiences walking the Camino. 

    A good example of that is when I only allowed myself 30 days from arrival to departure in Spain on my first Camino.  I determined I needed to average 30 K per day to achieve my objective.  So when I got behind the first few days I started pushing myself to catch up.  That was the basis of my feet getting so blistered I could not continue.  I needed time to find my pace without over doing it in the early days.  I learned that I would have much more stamina in the later stages and in fact that happened on my 3rd Camino when I took a day off in Leon and a few days later I was asked by my Camino Family to catch up so we could walk into Santiago together.  Because it was in the last 6 days of the journey, I was able to walk back-to-back 35 K days and catch up 3 days before the end.  I was in shape to do it. 

    Certainly, people can do it without coaching help, and do it successfully.  But I would have benefitted from coaching on my first Camino and did benefit with help on my next two.  I would like to help those who would benefit from my experience and knowledge.  To contact me go to my website at https://caminocoach.net.  You will never receive an invoice for services provided.  Buen Camino      

  • Embracing the Spiritual on the Camino

    The Camino is many things; it is a long hike, it is a journey to healing, it is an endurance contest, it is a religious quest, it is a party, it is a transformational journey, it is an adventure, it is a tragedy, it is a victory, it is an awakening, it is an inspiration, it is a struggle, it is a joyful journey, it is a loving experience, it is forgiveness and compassion, but most of all it is one of the most profound spiritual journeys I have ever experienced.  It is a spiritual journey because it causes you to reach within your own thoughts and feelings for the courage and fortitude to embark on and complete an 800 kilometer walk across Spain.  To acknowledge the spiritual nature of this journey, one does not have to believe in God or be religious in anyway.  It only requires that we become aware of the depth of our own consciousness and be in touch with our feelings.  Spirit emerges within us in the realm of feelings.  Feelings of joy, feelings of love, feelings of inspiration, feelings of despair, feelings of hope, feelings of connection and feelings of loneliness. 

    The modern world gives us little time to reflect and marinate in our deeper reality within our heart and mind.  It comes at us, and we are compelled to respond aggressively or retreat meekly.  My spiritual life is much more present when I am moving physically.  When I have a singular focus, my thoughts settle down, and my mind becomes open.  Walking the Camino puts us in a place that requires us to be alert and centered, and when we are journeying in the presence of others to a common place, we open ourselves to those around us and become our real selves.  On my 2nd Camino Frances in the late summer and early fall of 2022, I walked alone as much as I walked with others, and yet I never felt alone, even when I could not see another pilgrim.  The idea was that all of us on the Way have the goal of getting to the same place.  It was not a competition, it was a collaboration of people with all kinds of different life experiences, skills, and stories.  When walking the Camino, people share their life at depth with people they have just met.  And when people are genuine and open, we connect.  I honestly fell in love at least 100 times on the Camino, and I am not talking about romantic love, I am talking about connecting as people, as family. 

    Last fall I walked the first 9 days of the Camino Del Norte.  It was hard, and it challenged me significantly.  I was surprised at how few Pilgrims there were, and I was so tired at the end of each day I didn’t have the energy to explore.  On the 5th day walking from Markina-Xemein, I met two young pilgrims, Kyle from North Carolina and Hollie from England.  Meeting those two was a great blessing, because it lifted my spirits and gave me new energy.  We walked together to Gernika, and I found out that my Albergue was another 6 K past Gernika in the mountains.  I was sad that I had to leave them, and I did not see them again, but I have fond memories of that particular day.  Hollie was only walking to Bilboa and then would go to Porto to meet her boyfriend.  Kyle was just 18, but very mature for his age.  It reminded me of the wonderful days on the Camino Frances the year before, and I was grateful for those hours of companionship and sharing.

    There is a saying on the Camino, it is “The Camino Provides”. Not “God Provides” but “The Camino Provides”.  When there is something needed, it shows up just when the need is greatest.  The energy to make those last couple of Kilometers at the end of a long day, a place to sleep when everything seems full, a restaurant or bar when you are hungry and tired,  a doctor to help with your blisters, or someone who can take you to a doctor and be your interpreter.  I don’t care how many times someone tells me the Camino was easy, because I know that virtually everyone is challenged and must reach within themselves for strength.  Often at the end we forget about some of those most difficult days because of the feeling of accomplishment.  In my second Camino I came to a place that I just wanted to finish, that I was done with the Camino thing, and then an Irishman shows up, and I walk with him and he tells me how impressed he is that I can keep up with him when I am in my 70’s.  He buys me lunch in Portomarin, and then heads off to Lugo because he wants to see the Roman Walls.  He leaves me energized and renewed.  A year later I was back on the Camino having profound and meaningful experiences. 

    If the Camino de Santiago is anything, it is a spiritual journey of courage, of forgiveness, of healing, and of compassion.  It changes you from within your heart and soul.  It gives those who partake in this pilgrimage a renewed hope about life and about people.  It lifts the spirit and opens the door to deeper self-discovery, and that is what a spiritual journey is all about.

    Buen Camino

    Stephen Towles

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  • The Beautiful Meseta

      There is not a single part of the Camino Frances that deserves to be skipped, and yet when someone asks in the Camino Forums what part should I skip, the most common answer is “Skip the Meseta, you won’t miss much”.  The Meseta is the land from Burgos to Leon which is about 162 K (105 miles).  It represents about 20% of the Camino and I believe often gets a bad rap.  If you follow the Brierley guidebook and walk it in 8 days, if turns out to be 20 K per day on average.  Not only that, but it is also relatively flat, which is a nice change of pace from the walk to Burgos.  The Meseta is the stretch where the Pilgrim can get their act together to get ready for the last 13 days of the Camino.  It consists of a lot of arid land and agricultural land as well.  It definitely has its’ own unique beauty, but more importantly it is home to many Spaniards and others as well.

                  The first stop out of Burgos is Hornillos del Camino, which is a small agricultural town.  It is a long narrow town with several Albergues and places to eat.  At the West end of town there is a Bar that is owned by a young man from Africa, who immigrated to Spain.  He is quite a promoter and as you entered the town, he had lots of flyers advertising a karaoke night.  One of my young female companions who was like a daughter to me, talked me into going.  I was not into crowds and there definitely was a crowd, so I left quite early and went back to my Albergue for some peace and solitude.  When I got back to the Albergue, I was lying on my lower bunk bed just relaxing and reading.  A woman came who had arrived late afternoon, and we started having a conversation.  I learned she was from Holland, and she was a quite fit attractive 55-year-old who was doing 30 K days.  Sometime during our conversation, she asked me if I had anyone back home.  I answered in the affirmative mentioning my kids and grandkids.  She looked at me directly and said, “I mean do you have ANY ONE back home?”  It caught me off guard for a moment and I responded with a “yes, I do have a sweetheart back home”.  I realized in that moment that she was interested in me for some reason.  I asked her how old she thought I was, and she said she thought I was in my mid 50s just like her.  I told her that I was 73, and she would not believe me.  I had to show her my driver’s license.  We laughed and I was quite flattered at her interest in me.  Honestly it made my day.  The next morning, she left just before I did, and I did not see her again.  I will long remember the moment I realized her interest. 

                  The next morning, I found out from my Camino daughter, that the owner of the karaoke bar asked her to marry him and even had a ring.  He was so smitten with her but of course my Camino daughter was not looking for something like that.  He did stay in touch with her and met us in Bercianos where we played some board games and learned about his unique journey to Hornillos.  He seemed like a decent fellow with bad timing.  I tell these stories because they happened on the first day on the Meseta.  The small unique towns and villages were friendly and appreciative of the Pilgrims.  It was one of the most interesting parts of the Camino and the people were especially welcoming.  We experienced the singing Sisters in Carrion de Los Condes, and every day we would walk toward the distant horizon with the sun rising at our backs.  I cannot remember ever being bored with the changing scenery along the way.  I noticed that the cover photo on the late John Brierley’s guidebook is from the Meseta, and so he too thought it was an important part of the Camino.  By the time we entered the Meseta my Camino family was coalescing and we were splitting up and some were taking alternate routes, but always coming back together the same day or the next.  Some of my group happened to run into John Brierley in Reliegos and found had experienced a respite from his battle with cancer.  He was back on the Camino he loved and doing updates in his guidebook.  They had a wonderful conversation with him and were blessed by the experience.

                  I know there are a lot of people who do not have the time to take 30-35 days to do the entire Camino Frances.  I will say there is something about that time frame that allows for a deeper and more complete experience, especially with the personal connections that we make on this journey.  I would encourage those who do not have the time to consider doing the section between Burgos and Leon.  It is 12 days to Burgos, 8 days to Leon, and 13 days to Santiago.  Three nice sections to do a complete Camino. 

    Buen Camino,

    Stephen Towles

    Caminocoach.net                    

  • The Journey to Camino Conditioning

    One of the biggest concerns of the first time Pilgrim who is going to walk the Camino, is the fear that their conditioning will not have prepared them for the experience.  It is not a question on Facebook posts as much as many other things, likely because most people don’t want to admit that they are not ready physically for the experience.  It is understandable that few people have the time to really get themselves in Camino shape before they go.  Therefore, they must catch up or endure the first couple of weeks of 24-kilometer days (15 miles) before they start to feel like they are getting in shape.  And by the time they finish and are actually in shape, it is over.  There are also a lot of folks that decide to go at the last minute, figuring they will get in shape on the journey, and that might work OK for 20-30 year olds, but it does not work well for the rest of us, especially people my age. 

    When I made the decision to go on my first Camino it was 19 months before I was scheduled to leave.  I was a fairly regular walker, which was an hour or less of walking and not every day.  I was age 68 and scheduled myself to leave for The Camino on April 21, 2019.   I knew that I needed to be in better shape than I was and that meant losing some weight and getting comfortable walking long distances with a 15 -20 lb backpack.   Even at my age I was so Naïve as to what it was going to take to accomplish my goal.  Because of time considerations I was planning on doing 32 K per day (20 miles) on average.  I figured that since all I had to do was walk I could pace myself, do longer days, and finish the Camino in less than 30 days.  I figured that if I could walk 16 k I could do 32 k, and so every once in a while I would do a 16 k walk just to see where I was at in my conditioning.  The bottom line is that my training walks were inconsistent, my 16 k walks were infrequent, and I didn’t walk far enough to test my shoes to see if they would give me blisters.  There were so many little things I didn’t realize were important and I thought I could deal with them on the journey.  As the saying goes, “Stupid is as Stupid does”.  Therefore, I arrived in St Jean de Pied de Port having lost no weight, having shoes a ½ size too small because they were my normal size, and not in the shape that I needed to be to have the kind of journey that I was expecting. 

    My first morning heading up to Orrison for breakfast was driven by adrenaline and excitement.  That went well for those 8 kilometers.  I did fairly well on a physical level that day, but the downhill into Roncesvalles did a number on my feet, especially my little toes.  I was so exhausted when I arrived that I slept for 2 hours.  I also slept well that night and felt OK the next morning.  I walked most of the next day with a young lady from Hungary and pushed on to Larrosoana which turned it into a 27 k day, which was still short of my goal of 32 k a day.  That left me 13 k behind schedule for the first 2 days.  I started to feel the effects of walking so far each day and my feet were not doing well.  On the 4th day trying to catch up I did 36 k and my feet and body were breaking down fast and I was still behind my schedule.  I ended up leaving the Camino on the 14th day at Carrion de Los Condes with skin pealing off the souls of my feet and I had seriously infected blisters.  I clearly was not ready for this journey in so many ways and it wasn’t much fun. 

    In the fall of 2021, I came back to finish my Camino.  I had walked significantly more in my training, still had not lost weight, but had much better shoes.  I also had worked with a Spanish friend that helped me on my first Camino and she helped me with my schedule and booked my accommodations.  We shortened my expectations to a 25 K per day average, and I finished in 19 days from Fromista.  It was still challenging, and I realized that my conditioning was still not what it needed to be.  When I got home after my success, I decided I wanted to do the whole thing the following September in 2022.  This time I lost 30 lbs before I left and put a lot of simulated Camino days in my training schedule.  I walked daily 10 – 12 K and weekly did a 20 K with a full pack with significant elevation in the walk.  I discovered the shoes that would work for me best, which are Oboz Hiking Shoes, and lowered the weight of my pack some, and gave myself a little extra time.  My Spanish friend helped me again with the schedule and booking some accommodations for the first few days.  I ended up doing that Camino in 33 days that included one rest day in Leon.  I had two consecutive days in the second half of that Journey that were 35 k, I did so in order to catch my group that had gotten ahead of me because of my day off in Leon.  It was the most fun, inspirational, meaningful, joyful, 33 days of my adult life.  I have become friends with people of all ages from all over the world.  I could keep up with anyone I walked with and arrive at my destination at the end of the day with energy to spare.  The weight loss made a huge difference, and not getting a single blister and experiencing any body pain was entirely due to my taking my training seriously the previous 12 months.

    No one who has not walked 25 k a day for 30+ days knows just how challenging it can be.  I know it is unrealistic to walk Camino days at home with all that shows up in life.  I also know that regarding weight issues that you cannot out work your diet.  Some people actually gain weight on their Camino because they eat everything in sight due to their daily exercise level.  I didn’t lose weight, but I didn’t gain any either.  I ate a lot and didn’t scrimp on my portions, but I tried to be sensible in my food choices.  During that 10 months between Camino’s, I used an APP called Noom to monitor my caloric intake and lost about ¾ pound a week and have managed to keep it off for the most part.  I have continued my training schedule, only it is not training, it has become normal daily activity.  I remain physically ready to do another Camino, in fact I attempted the Camino Del Norte this past September but found I was hasty and not really ready, so I came home after 9 days.  The first 5 days of that route are harder than any day on the Camino Frances and It got too expensive for me because of accommodation challenges on that route.  I wrote an article in this Blog series about it. 

    I believe to be ready for a Camino, I must walk about 90 kilometers a week for a couple of months before the Camino.  That would include two simulated Camino Days back-to-back to assess my condition.  I will say that if you prepare, you will have a wonderful, fabulous, inspiring, and transformational Camino experience. 

    Buen Camino,

    Stephen Towles

    stephentowles@me.com   

    You can read more about Stephen’s Camino Adventures in his book Heaven is Walking the Camino de Santiago available on Amazon.  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Heaven+is+Walking+the+Camino+de+Santiago&crid=1SMK81DODG0WV&sprefix=heaven+is+walking+the+camino+de+santiago%2Caps%2C151&ref=nb_sb_noss

  • Sunrise on the Camino

    It was Martin Luther King Jr. who said: “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving!”  I have come to believe that this statement is perfect for describing my experience on all of my Camino’s.  It is in the constant movement forward that everything, every experience, every incredible moment occurs.  And yet it is not speed that we seek, it is the slow steady pace of one step after another one million times over the 32 days that makes the journey what it is and what it is not.  Our modern life is one of movement from one place to another and one thing to another.  And the movement is fast and in the speed of our movement we miss a huge part of life.  You see, you can only walk so fast, and you must pay attention to where you are going and your surroundings and are subject to unexpected moments that I call Camino Moments. 

    One of my favorite moments of most every day on the Camino was when the sun rose in the eastern sky.  You see the Camino Frances is a journey from East to West, and every day the sun would rise from behind.  You could begin to feel it happening and it was almost always a spectacular moment at the beginning of each day.  I am one of those Pilgrims who would most always start in the darkness of the early morning.  I slept in my clothes and would generally wake up around 6 am and be out the door by 6:30 am.  Sunrise in September would happen about an hour into my walk, and most days I was alone at that time of day.  Generally, by the time the sun would peak over the horizon, it would be light enough for me to have turned off my head lamp (or torch as the English would call it), and then I could begin to experience the gradual and subtle change in the light as I moved forward on my journey.  It was one of my favorite parts of the day and there was not a single part of the Camino that lacked a spectacular sunrise. 

    I don’t notice sunrises when I am home because I am not generally outside at that time of day.  Sunrises from March to October come much earlier than they do in Spain because of how we are positioned in our time zone.  On the Camino, I was bathed in the experience most every day on my journeys.  I met many of my Camino friends at Sunrise because everyone would stop and watch and ooh and aah at the spectacle.  The thing is a Camino sunrise is no more or less beautiful than a sunrise in any other place.  But it is more special because you are existing in the elements and vulnerable to them.  One begins to appreciate and be inspired by this sense of vulnerability, and I could understand how those who lived in the open spaces might see the sun as a divine entity.  Certainly, there is a worshipful experience that occurs at every sunrise on the Camino.  You feel the loving presence of this divine creation of life and the beauty that is all around and within everyone.  It is the reason I used one of the sunrise pictures I took as the cover for my book “Heaven is Walking the Spiritual Path”. 

    One particular sunrise I remember is on the walk from Ages to Burgos.  The walk was especially dark in the beginning and the early light began to emerge as I ascended the main hill.  The trail was quite rough, and I had to pick my steps carefully.  There is a cross at the crest of the hill and just as I passed the cross the sun began to show itself on the horizon and I was able to capture what I consider a special picture that inspires me every time I see it. 

    When I was walking from La Herrerias at the base of the mountain climb that leads to O’Cebreiero, I also left my Albergue in the dark and walked the steepest part of the climb in the darkness of early morning.  As I came to the monument, that signifies we are crossing into Galacia, it was there that the sun began to show up.  As I stopped to admire the monument a couple of Pilgrims I had met briefly a couple of days before, Adriana and Cleber from Brazil, showed up and took my picture.  It was a beautiful place to watch the sunrise.  We ended up walking the rest of the day together and Cleber was busy filming the walk for his Youtube Channel.  You can view that day at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hvcDQXHUG0&t=2s.  It was a fun day making new friends.

    My Caminos live in me and color my life in so many wonderful ways.  The memories are vivid, the sunrises are spectacular, and the people are exquisite.  If you have not yet done a Camino in Spain you have much to look forward to.  If you have done one or more Camino’s you know what I am sharing is an affirmation of this special moment in your life. 

    Buen Camino

    Stephen Towles 

  • I Found the Holy Grail

    In my 2021 Camino, which started in Fromista, my business was to prove to myself that I could make it.  After the way I left my Camino in 2019, having made it Carrion de Los Condes with infected feet and an early exit, I was in need of some completion.  There was not a lot of companionship on this journey because of COVID and the low number of pilgrims that were predominately Spanish who very often could not speak English.  It was more of an introverted Camino in the sense that I spent a lot of time with myself and my own thoughts and feelings.  As I was approaching O’Cebreiro, which is one of the highest spots on the Camino Frances, I was told to stop at the church in that town.  It was because the church claimed to have the Holy Grail.  As we know, the Holy Grail is the chalice Jesus used at the last Supper. 

                  To me the Holy Grail is less of an object and more of an experience.  It really represents an experience of the spiritual realm and all it holds for us in our life journey.  Regardless of my view, I was feeling in that moment like I was finished with the Camino, and I just needed to finish it and be done with it, yet I still had a week to go.  I was feeling a bit sarcastic and still I decided to stop at the church.  The Chalice of course is beautiful and ornate, but very unlike what Jesus would have used.  But it did make me think a bit about his journey, his mission, his intentions to transform his people and culture.  It was a quiet moment of reflection for me.  On my way out the door, I noticed a Pilgrims Prayer by Franciscanos de Santiago that was posted, and I stopped to read it, it is as follows:

    Although I may have traveled all the roads,

    crossed mountains and valleys from East to West.

    If I have not discovered the freedom to be myself,

    I have arrived nowhere.

    Although I may have shared all my possessions

    with people of other languages and cultures,

    made friends with Pilgrims of a thousand paths,

    or shared Albergues with saints and princes,

    If I am not capable of forgiving my neighbor tomorrow,

    I have arrived nowhere. 

    Although I may have carried my pack from beginning to end,

    and waited for every Pilgrim in need of encouragement,

    or given my bed to one who arrived later than I,

    or given my bottle of water in exchange for nothing.

    If upon returning to my home and work,

    I am not able to create brotherhood or to make happiness,

    I have arrived nowhere.

    Although I may have had food and water each day,

    and enjoyed a roof and shower every night.

    Or may have had my injuries well attended,

    if I have not discovered in all that that the love of God is Real.

    I have arrived nowhere.

    Although I have seen all the monuments,

    and contemplated the best sunsets;

    Although I may have learned greetings in every language,

    or tasted the clean water from every fountain;

    if I have not discovered who is the author of so much free

    beauty and so much peace.

    I have arrived nowhere.

    If from today I do not continue walking on my path,

    Searching and living according to what I have learned;

    if from today I do not see in every person friend or foe,

    a companion on the Camino;

    if from today I cannot recognize God, the God of love

    as the one God of my life.

    I have arrived nowhere.

                  In reading this prayer, I just metaphorically drank from the Holy Grail, and it tasted wonderful.  It was as though a weight had been lifted from me in that moment.  The realization of why I came on the journey and what it was about.  The healing powers of the Holy Grail come in many ways, and these words that filled my mind and heart changed everything for me.  Not only did I no longer feel alone, I felt lighter, healthier, happier, and filled with clarity about my journey.  From that point forward there were no thoughts of “I am done with this”, just thoughts of feeling the energy of spirit move in and through me.  That evening I met a wonderful woman from Sweden at a community dinner and we had a nice conversation.  We did not walk together, but we did have dinner in Santiago and shared some stories.  I began to more deeply appreciate the friends I had made on the Journey.  With the exception of one day when I walked with an Irishman from Sarria to Portomarin, I mostly continued to walk alone, but I no longer felt alone and when I arrived in Santiago I was emotional and grateful and ready to do it again from start to finish. 

    Buen Camino