One of the most beautiful things about the Camino is the unique and most amazing people that show up to inspire, entertain, comfort, and motivate an individual or a group of people who are attempting this amazing journey. One of my favorite and most memorable people who fit this category are Lance and Karen, who became identified with Lance’s chosen attire, which was a Scottish sports Kilt he wore as his primary walking clothes. It wasn’t one of those heavy wool kilts that we are used to seeing, it was a lightweight cotton sports Kilt that was perfect for this kind of journey.
Walking with Lance was literally walking with a magnet that drew people into our space. Literally everyone wanted to take a picture with Lance in his Kilt, and it seemed that everyone would ask the famous question about what he was wearing under it. A question to my knowledge he never answered. In many ways it seemed our Camino Family circled around Lance and Karen as the hub of the wheel. These are two of the friendliest people you will ever meet on such a journey. People who would do anything for you if you asked or if you just needed help. True to his Scottish heritage, Lance was always ready for a party or a toast at the end of each day. He and Karen were literally friends with everyone they met and treated everyone as though they were the most important beings in that moment. A rare quality indeed.
As a couple Lance and Karen set a great example for everyone to follow. Often you would see Karen circling back to check on Lance when he had chosen to walk alone for a while. The two of them would provide an organizational sense of community where all would be welcome. Karen would book Albergues for everyone who was in the group that day and needed help. I remember when I took a day off in Leon and they and others kept going. I was a day behind and missing the group. One of my adopted Camino kids Nara texted me and wanted me to catch up so we could see each other in Santiago before she left. I increased my distances and walked two 35K days in a row and the morning of the second long day I stopped at Gonzar at 10 am for breakfast and Karen saw me and grabbed me with a great big enthusiastic bear hug that made me feel I was back. They had just finished breakfast and were leaving; I stayed and ate. I caught them again before we all arrived in Palas De Rei. It felt great to be back with Lance and Karen and the rest of our group, who I hadn’t seen for about 10 days.
These are the memorable moments of this wonderful journey that live within me and color my memories in so many wonderful ways. Every journey is different, and everyone walks their own Camino, but the people we meet on the journey are what make it special. Lance and Karen just being themselves certainly made my Camino a lot more fun and meaningful.
On my 2022 Camino, every day was a meaningful day when it came to meeting people. During the first few days on the Camino, I met a woman from the town I am from in the United States. I live in a medium sized community located on the northern banks of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. There are about 60,000 residents in the town and close to 200,000 in the county. Not too big and not too small for my tastes. Our meeting during those first few days was short, with no chance to talk. The odds of meeting someone from Coeur d’Alene on the Camino are long. I was hoping to see her again so we could talk.
Walking the Camino and encountering people is like an accordion that goes in and out. People have different agendas and some move faster and some slower and some take days off and some don’t. There is no predicting that you will run into someone down the road because you do not know their agenda and how they are managing their trip as they move along the path. Many of us would stay within a day of each other one way or the other and our paths would cross quite often. After meeting Beth, I did not see her again much in the following days. At about the 2-week mark on the Camino we were walking from Castrojerez to Fromista and I was walking that day with a young speedy fellow named Mike from Toronto, Canada. Mike and I were walking and talking when we came to an unusual Albergue attached to a Monastery. We stopped and I went to use the bathroom. When I came out Mike was gone. That is not unusual on the Camino as there are no expectations concerning any decision to walk together. There is a code on the Camino that everyone is on their own journey. My first thought when I saw Mike was gone was to simply let him go and bless him on his way. What a concept in our daily life, just bless each person on their way.
I started walking and my first thought was “Wouldn’t it be nice to walk with Beth”. You can imagine what I thought when a half hour later there is Beth on the side of the trail and was fixing her pack. I stopped and asked her if she would be willing to walk together for a while. She happily said yes and off we went walking and talking as though we had known each other our whole lives. Beth told me the story of her journey and why she was on the Camino, and it is/was a compelling story indeed. I felt honored to be witness to her story and the power of the Camino in providing transformational moments. These heart opening moments are often an everyday experience in being witness to and honoring each other’s journey both on the Camino and in life.
Life stories are what make the Camino what it is and what it has become. Can you imagine the Pilgrims in the middle ages sharing their stories with each other and the people who cared for them. Indeed, that experience in my opinion, is a big part of the healing and transformation that takes place on this most amazing journey. There are no judgments or people trying to fix each other, just compassionate listening and sharing of one’s own journey. It is not my intention in these blogs to share people’s story, rather to affirm the process of living and sharing our stories with each other and finding open hearts and listening ears and warm acceptance in the moment.
By the end of this Camino Beth had become part of our Camino Family and she walked with us into Santiago on that last day. She has become a friend and when she is in Coeur d’Alene we try and get together for a walk or two. It is the way of the Camino, it just gets into your heart and soul and continues to do its work on a deep level.
Prior to my return to the Camino Frances in 2021 to do the second half from Fromista, one of my friends who had a similar experience to me and had to return to finish warned my of the path to Molinaseca, indicating it was his most challenging day on the Camino. Naturally I discounted his warning thinking he was just having a bad day. That is until I walked it myself.
My day started at Foncebaden, which is a small town at about 1,400 meters above sea level. The first few Kilometers takes you to the Cruz de Fero which is the highest point on the Camino and 1,505 meters or 4,900 feet in elevation. It is an absolutely gorgeous walk along the mountain trails heading toward Molinaseca. One of the challenges with being at the high point is that you must descend and in this case Pelegrino’s must descent rapidly and do so on a trail that offers little or no forgiveness, is steep, rugged, rocky, erratic and goes on for about 10+ kilometers, where you emerge from this rapidly descending obstacle course just before you enter Molinaseca.
This was one of the moments where my age was a major factor in my ability to navigate this trail. Steep descents in washed out gullies carrying a backpack, was no picnic for me. I did walk for a ways with a woman from Sweden who had been living in Spain, she was in her early 30’s and did not seem phased or overly challenged by the path. I noticed her quick feet and reactions made all the difference for her to move down the trail with some degree of control and comfort. Not me, I had to carefully pick my way down the trail using my trek poles all along the way. Each step was an adventure in itself and an opportunity to fall or slip and potentially get hurt. I found that I had to keep my posture straight and I was straining my back which made me feel stiff. There were moments of vertigo during my descent. About 40% of the way down I arrived at Acebo and fortunately was able to stop for a bit to eat and gather my wits about me. I was thinking at the time that the worst of it was over, but that was not the case. Ultimately, I had to surrender and just take my time in my descent and know that I would eventually get to my destination. When I finally emerged onto level ground just a couple of hundred yards from Molinaseca, I was relieved and could finally breath easily.
Molinaseca is a lovely town with a river flowing through it and would have been a great place to stop for the day, but I had to continue on for another 8 K to Ponferrada and was so tired after I got there I was not even interested in seeing the beautiful castle. A year later when I came back to do the full Camino Frances in one trip, I did two things that helped me a lot. Instead of taking the Camino Trail, I walked the road to Molinaseca which was about 2 kilometers farther but a whole lot less challenging to my wellbeing. The second thing was to stay in Molinaseca so I could enjoy the beauty of the village.
For those who may be reading this, and you are considering doing the Camino Frances, take into consideration your age and condition. If you are young, agile, have quick feet, and are not intimidated by rough steep trails then go for it. But if you are like me and struggle with the effects of aging, consider taking the road. My basic instincts are to dive into the challenge, but my current reality has me thinking differently about doing that. I am in good shape for my age and can keep up with most anyone on the trail, but I am learning to recognize the things that give me the most trouble and deal with them in a reasonable way for the greater good of my body and my enthusiasm. There is no shame in taking the road less traveled when it is a safer and easier route.
On my first Camino in 2019 and on my first day walking I came to a small building on the Spanish side of the border. It appeared to be an opportunity for a respite in the middle of a storm. I opened the door and stepped inside; the building was full of Peregrino’s who were standing together with their packs on. There must have been a dozen people, and it was dark and eerily quiet. I squeezed inside and closed the door to get out of the gale force winds.
Just a few hours before, I woke up and got ready for my first day on the Camino. I was excited and ready to begin my journey. It was a beautiful April 23rd morning just before sunrise. I noticed in my weather App that there were squiggles starting about 9 am or so and I did not understand what exactly that meant. I stood on the Camino marker in the middle of the cobble stone street and took my first step. It seemed like I almost floated the first several kilometers and just over an hour later I arrived at Orrison for breakfast. I had what became my go to breakfast of a Tortilla Patata, an Americano Café, and fresh squeezed Orange Juice. About 9 am I left the Albergue and headed up the mountain. While I was having breakfast some clouds came in and there was some wind. I was already a third of the way to Roncesvalles and feeling good. Little did I know what was to come.
About a kilometer from Orrison the wind started to pick up and as the elevation increased the temperature started to drop. Back home walking over a mountain I would be in the tall pine and fir trees of North Idaho. But these French mountains were bare and there was literally no protection. It also was not lost to me that if I was blown off the road and started rolling down the steep and bare mountain side I may not stop until I got to the bottom. Is this how the Ophthalmologists son was killed in the movie “The Way”? It was a very surreal moment as the wind picked up more and more velocity. It became a significant struggle to move forward. I don’t know what the wind speed was, but my best guess is 80 to 100 kilometers per hour, it was gale force winds for sure. When I was beside myself the food truck appeared and provided some needed wind shelter. One of my inspirations were the small Koren women who were carrying their giant packs and pushing on through the wind. A couple of times another Peregrino and I grasp the arms of one of these women to help them along. The wind was relentless, but we moved on, walking on the inside of the road so as not to get blown down the hill.
There is a place on the hill where the Camino diverts off the road and onto a path up a hill and around a ridge and behind a mountain. It was a welcome relief, and it was along this trail that I crossed into Spain. After I got back on the road and back into the wind it was then I came to the small hut that indicated it was a little Albergue for someone who wanted to stop. The hut was about 10 feet by 12 feet at most, probably smaller than that. I saw it as a good place to rest and get my bearings for the final ascent. As I stood in the hut amidst fellow Peregrino’s in this quiet scene, all I could feel was fear. The tentacles of fear were pulling me into this collective consciousness. I had the immediate revelation that if I stayed any longer, I would not make it to my destination. So no more than 60 seconds after stepping into the hut, I said loudly “I am leaving to get to Roncesvalles if anyone wants to join me.” I stepped out of the hut into the wind and continued my journey. The climb closer to the summit became steeper and I would have to walk 20 steps and stop and catch my breath. I was thinking at the time that it could not get any worse than this and almost instantly it started to snow sideways because of the wind. I almost fell on the ground laughing at the absurdity of it all. I had no gloves, but fortunately my trek pole handles were cork and seemed to keep my hands warm enough. Eventually I summited the mountain and dropped down onto the more rugged path to Roncesvalles which was out of the wind and took me into the trees where the walk became normal. After a couple of kilometers, I caught some Peregrino’s who when they heard me turned around and said, “Congratulations, you made it”. And yes, there was the Monastery at Roncesvalles. It was 2 pm, 7 hours after I left St Jean de Pied a Port. What a way to start the Camino.
I learned the next day that the Peregrino’s in the hut had to be rescued by the fire department in St. Jean. It was such a valuable lesson in the power of fear and how to overcome it. The importance of reaching my destination was greater than the fear I felt in the little hut. I will never forget that day on the Napolean Route and 3 years later when I walked it again it was perfect weather all the way. I did not have to fear the fear in the hut.
One of the great joys of my 2022 Camino Frances was time spent with the young folk. They are enthused, spontaneous, generous, courageous and encouraging. One such Peregrino was a young woman named Maggie. There were actually two Maggie’s that I walked with on occasion, and both very talented in their own unique way. But this Maggie had a tattoo of a bat just above her left knee cap. She would refer to it as her Bat-Knee. It is one her identifying characteristics and I know this because when I was walking from Astorga to Rabanal del Camino I encountered a man who was around my age. He was walking very slowly, and I fell in with him and matched his pace for a bit. He was very friendly but clear he was a slow walker, and he only tends to meet people once because they are all faster. He said that a young woman walked with him for a few minutes who had a Bat Tattoo on her knee. It was about 15 minutes before I arrived. I wished him well and picked up my pace and managed to catch Maggie and walk with her to Rabanal. She was actually going further with a group of her peers.
It was in Santo Domingo on day 9 that Maggie talked about her tattoos including her Bat-Knee and perked my interest. I mentioned that it would be great to get a Camino Tattoo and so she grabbed her art pencils and drew a tattoo of the scallop shell and the arrow on my right shoulder. I walked around with it for a couple of days before it washed off, and I got comfortable with the idea of getting a tattoo. When I planned my trip I scheduled a rest day in Leon, which is 13 days or so from Santiago. A good time for a rest. When I arrived in Leon and realized my companions were going on the next day, I had a moment of equivocation about my day off. I didn’t really feel I needed it, and it meant getting a day behind. But ultimately, I felt it important to honor my schedule and decided to do the rest day. On my rest day I was out looking for a place for breakfast and ran into several of my “Camino kids and grandkids” and had breakfast with them. I mentioned the idea of a tattoo and of course they became very enthusiastic about the idea. I asked them if it hurt, and they assured me that it was no big deal. I found a tattoo parlor and stopped in and had a nice conversation with a young tattoo artist and he came up with a design. For 100 Euros he would do the tattoo later that afternoon. I set an appointment and returned at the scheduled time. I was a little nervous and excited, it seemed like I was doing something significant for me.
If someone ever tells you that getting a tattoo is no big deal and does not hurt don’t listen to them. It took a lot of concentration to go with the flow and deal with the pain of the needles. It was manageable, but not a walk in the park. He put some plastic wrap over the finished product, gave me some instructions to follow while it healed, and sent me on my way. When people saw my tattoo on the trail, they loved it. When they asked me why I did it, my sarcastic response was “That is what happens when they leave me alone in Leon unsupervised”. Three days later I caught Maggie and her Bat-Knee and showed her my accomplishment in Leon, and she loved it. All the “kids” on the Camino would come up to me and ask to see my “Tat”. It healed in just a couple of days and has become an enduring part of my Camino reminding me of my incredible experience. Despite the pain endured in getting it, I am glad I did, it was well worth the 100 Euros. In addition, it reminds me of Maggie and her artistic work on my shoulder that started the ball rolling. These are enduring moments on the Camino, moments that just show up in the middle of a great pilgrimage. You can’t script them, they just happen.
From the moment I stepped off the train in St. Jean I felt the energy of anticipation from all the Perigrinos who were arriving. There is shared feeling of emotional vulnerability within the anticipation and preparation at St. Jean. When I checked in my Gite I met a Jewish woman with whom I ended up having dinner and some intense getting to know you conversations. It was her plan to spend a day in St. Jean and so she would be leaving on the 9th. We only spent a few hours getting acquainted, but to this day we are in conversation on occasion through What’s App. Since I am in my 70’s I have a tendency to create categories within which I place people, not to pigeon hole them, but to create a safe space for a deeper experience. Since my children range from ages 33 – 48 and my grandkids from 7 – 25 I have convenient places within which to form a relationship. If you are less than 50 you are my Camino Kids, if you are less than 30 you are my Camino Grandkids. Since my family relationships with my adult children and grandchildren are Adult to Adult relationships, it is natural for me to feel an equal relationship with the people I meet.
On my first day on the Camino I left early before the sun was up. It was a promise of a beautiful Sunny day to meet the challenge of the Pyrenees mountains. Within the first hour of my ascent I met a young German named Hendrik, my first Camino Grandson. It was an instant connection and we walked and talked and shared as though we had known each other for a long time. Hendrik was 24 and had recently graduated from University and was starting his first job on November 1st. His Camino was about the transition from a student to worker. I happened to be a similar age to his Grandfather, who he believed would never do such a thing as walk 500 miles. We walked, we talked, we stopped for breakfast, and soon met Nara who at that time was a 31-year-old Korean/American woman who grew up in New Jersey. She had lived there since she was 2 years old. My first Camino Daughter and it really felt like I was walking with my family, and it was only the first day. I felt privileged to be walking with these amazing young adults and even more blessed as they authentically shared their life journey with me. There is something about the energy field on the Camino. Shirley McClain affirms that it is a spiritual ley line that has a consciousness of its own.
In my previous Camino’s I did not fully understand these dynamics and the intimacy I experienced in these moments often scared me and I would run away from them, because I thought somehow I had to be alone. On this Camino I understood the power of these connections and the transformation that takes place in our relationships on this challenging journey. I was in the space of just going with the flow and allowed them to decide who they wanted to walk with rather than try and script each day, including who I walked with. At the first Albergue in Roncesvalles we were in different parts of the building and yet the next day we somehow ended up walking together. In Zuberi we stayed in different Alberbues and I thought Hendrix was going to walk to the next town when I left him to check into my accommodations. Nara had helped organize a dinner in her Albergue and found me and invited me to join them. The next morning we somehow all ended up walking together again and several others joined us at various times. I kept thinking they were probably getting tired of this old man and they would probably take off with their peers of which there were plenty.
During that first 4 days the three of us ended up meeting the people who would ultimately become our primary Camino Family which continued to grow as we connected with more and more people. Hendrik ended up spending most of his time with a group of people more his age, and Nara tended to stay more with the main group. We all walked together and alone, and many days I would get up early and spend several hours if not most of the day walking alone. Every connection I made was meaningful and authentic. My time alone was a great blessing, and my time with my Camino family was affirming and a great joy. I must have adopted at least 25 kids and grandkids along the way, and every one of them inspired me. The truth is that often they had more difficulty keeping up with me than I had keeping up with them. There were a collection of all ages in our family and from many different countries and cultures. To me these relationships affirmed the goodness of humanity and has inspired me to see the good and call if forth in everyone I meet. At the end of the Camino when I was on my way to Madrid, I wrote a text to several of my Camino Kids and grandkids. The following is my exchange with Hendrix:
“Hi Hendrik, I am on the train to Madrid to catch my flight home tomorrow. As I reflect on our time together walking and in our other times on the journey, I feel compelled to affirm the blessing you are and will continue to be throughout your life journey. You possess qualities of kindness, compassion, and a compelling curiosity that is contagious. From one who is moving toward the end of life to one who is just at the beginning of their journey I wish you much success and joy as you continue to live an authentic life. You will most certainly find your way of that I am sure. Much love and many blessings to you on your journey. Please stay in touch. Your Camino friend, Stephen”
He responded a couple of days later:
“Hey Stephen !! I hope you are safe and sound at home already (maybe drinking hot cocoa while watching over the lake?)!
I am sitting in the next bus heading to Lisbon now (hoping I catch both good weather and some waves). Your message meant a lot to me and I had to let it sink in a little bit before I answer in detail now
You are one of the persons that inspired me the most on the Camino and I can say by heart that you definitely served (and will serve) as a big role model in terms of how you don’t judge other people and try to always see the best in them. You made me rethink my relationship I have with my father and grandfather and I really want to improve on that
You kinda allowed me to see my problems in a different light and I am very thankful for the new perspectives!! While walking to Finisterre, I thought about what this Camino might provide me at the end and I think I sharpened my overall senses both mentally and physically (and right now my body tells me to get up my butt and move it cause it isn’t used to sitting still in a bus anymore 😂) Tibor finished that thought by saying it is all a beautiful mess.
I will give my best to try in touch and I will also do some research on unity when I’m back in Berlin. Until then: stay safe, healthy and please stay just the way you are, people like you make the world a better place and build bridges between generations.
Hendrik ❤️”
My 3rd Camino inspired me to write the book “Heaven is Walking the Camino de Santiago” and publish it on Amazon. Walking the Camino made me realize what a better world we would live in if we could just be with and treat others the way we do on the Camino. I realize the importance of these powerful connections and relationships and country, culture or language are no barrier to deep, authentic and meaningful interactions.
In 2019 I was called to walk the Camino Frances in honor of my 70th birthday. I wanted to do something meaningful and challenging to inspire me as I was entering my 7th decade of life. Those who have walked the Camino know it is a wonderful adventure when one is in a life transition. I was a novice at this sort of thing and did not understand the importance of taking care of one’s feet when one is walking 20 – 30 kilometers a day with a 20 lb. pack. I found myself during the early stages of my Camino dealing with constant blisters that kept getting worse and worse as I continued, with every step becoming more and more painful. I kept thinking that they would get better, so I just kept going. I did take a couple of days off in Burgos hoping they would get better, and I did try and go to the Medico, but the language barrier was too great.
I left Burgos on a Sunday morning and limped to Hornellos del Camino and the next day to Castrojeriz. The following day I met Neus de Saavadra walking up the long hill out of Castrojeriz. I passed her on the hill because I could walk fast uphill, but she passed me later when we were going downhill. We ended up staying in the same Albergue in Fromista but it wasn’t until I stopped at a garden bar on the way to Carrion de los Condes that we actually had a significant conversation. She asked me about my feet, and I shared with her what I was dealing with and that each step was painful. When we arrived in Carrion, she offered to take me to a Clinic for pilgrims and serve as my translator. She was kind and compassionate and encouraging. So we went, and while the Medico’s and staff were working on my feet, I kept hearing the work “Loco”. Afterward I asked her if they were talking about me. We had a good laugh. Both of my feet were infected, and the skin was coming off the bottom. They cleaned up my feet and told me that I could not walk any distance for at least a week to ten days. Sadly, I decided to return home.
In my conversations with Neus I learned that she was from Catalonia near Barcelona and was walking the Camino as a celebration of her cancer being in remission. In fact, prior to meeting her she had just returned from Barcelona because she had to leave the Camino for 2 weeks to get her final Kemo treatment, and she had just returned. It was then that I started referring to her as “My Camino Angel” because of her kindness and her willingness to help me out. The universe organized it in such a way for her to be there to help me. I returned home and Neus went on to finish the Camino, but we stayed in touch and exchanged emails and followed each other on Facebook. During COVID we zoomed a couple of times because I was seeking to come back to finish my Camino. When I finally confirmed that I would be able to finish in September of 2021, Neus jumped in and helped me book my accommodations. Since Albergue’s were limited to being ½ full, it was recommended to book ahead. I arrived in Madrid on September 8 and took a train to Palencia and a cab to Fromista, which was my starting point. When I was in transit she called to check on my progress and I was about 15 minutes from Fromista. I arrived and checked in my Albergue and got to my bunk bed and as I was taking off my pack a felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Neus standing behind me. There was my Camino Angel in the flesh, what a pleasant surprise. She had decided to do a Camino from Burgos to Leon and then from Leon to Ovideo and then on the Primativo to Santiago. She was going to walk with me to Leon, which I was very happy about.
It turns out she was not through with Cancer and had been doing more treatments. She told me about it as we walked to Carrion de los Condes the next day. I also noticed she was limping a bit and she shared that she had a bad nail on her big toe that was giving her a hard time. Ironically when we got to Carrion she decided to go to the Medico and get it wrapped so she could continue. It turned out they had to remove her toenail and she could not continue. I was able to run errands for her to the Farmacia just like she had for me 2 years before. She did end up meeting me in Leon, she took a bus to meet and spend time with a dear friend of hers. I went on and finished my Camino and again we stayed in touch. I felt so good that I wanted to do the entire Camino again and scheduled it for Sept/Oct of 2022. I did not see her when I did that Camino, but she helped me with reservations along the way. This past year her Cancer returned with a vengeance, and she passed away on September 20th when I was attempting the Camino del Norte. Her partner/sweetheart called me several days after she died.
Neus was an authentic, kind, compassionate being. She was my Camino Angel and a dear Spanish friend. I think of her often when I am on my daily hikes. One of the great blessings of the Camino’s I have walked are the authentic connections with other beings who are in transition, making changes, in-between something, or just seeking clarity and understanding in their life. I value them because they are genuine. You can read more about this journey by getting my book “Heaven is Walking the Camino de Santiago” on Amazon or my book “Heaven is Walking the Spiritual Path”. Both are available in either paperback or Kindle versions.
The opportunity to walk the Camino Del Norte was presented to me as support from my longtime sweetheart and companion Kari. I had been thinking and talking about it since I finished my journey in September and October of 2022 on the Camino Frances. The fall of 2022 was my second time walking the Camino Frances, but the first time from start to finish in one trip. I even wrote and published a book available on Amazon about my experiences, it is called Heaven is Walking the Camino de Santiago. It is most definitely true that my last Camino Frances was a heavenly experience in so many wonderful ways. The place, the journey, the people, and the transformative experiences all have made a huge impact on this 74-year-olds journey in life. I have always been one to quickly jump into things with a hope and prayer and a lack of knowledge. Sort of a ready, fire, aim mentality that has at times been successful and other times created plenty of challenges to deal with in my life. In doing the Camino Del Norte I was determined to have as much knowledge going into it as possible and eliminate as much unexpected drama as I could. I got a guidebook, a Del Norte App from Wise Pilgrim, and watched countless YouTube videos of others who made the journey. The main theme of all my research was that it was harder than the Camino Frances, but it was worth the effort for the spectacular vistas, sunrises, and the walk along the Ocean. Based on all the information I gathered, I concluded that this was something I wanted to do, and could do, and it would be a good challenge for me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Indeed, it was a challenge, but not in the way I was expecting based on my previous Caminos. Unfortunately, nothing I read mentioned just how arduous the journey would be nor clearly indicated the horrible and dangerous condition and steepness of many of the descending trails. Knowledge is power and a lack of knowledge leaves you powerless to properly prepare and make good decisions.
I arrived in Irun, which is the traditional starting place, on September 13, 2023, after flying into Bilbao and taking a bus for an hour and a half. I stayed in the Municipal Albergue in Irun, and it was very satisfactory and much like any Municipal Albergue’s on the Camino Frances. I did notice there was not much support close by for getting something to eat, so I ate a Cliff Bar and went to bed completely unaware of what the next day would be like. Fortunately, the Albergue had a breakfast of toast, jam, and coffee and little did I know it would have to last me until 12:15 pm. My routine on the Frances was to get up, leave as quickly as possible and stop in the first town at a bar for a Tortilla Patata, fresh squeezed orange juice and a café Americano. What I learned is that there are so few Pilgrims on this route that the infrastructure is not as geared to their needs and certainly not as plentiful. Although I did not know it at the time, I soon learned that this was the norm not the exception. Pilgrims are not a priority; they are more of a novelty. It is the tourists that are the priority and one of the main drivers of the economy. On the Camino Frances the sheer number of pilgrims and their needs are an important source of income, especially for many of the small villages along the way. Not so for the Camino Del Norte where you must be much more curious and aggressive if you need something.
On the first day it began with a 250-meter climb out of Irun with an option for an alternate route that increased that climb significantly, I chose not to do the alternate at this early stage of my journey. At almost 20k the path took a steep downhill path into the town of Pasajes, which is back to sea level. My challenge is not with the uphill parts of the trail, it is with the downhill parts where it is steep and goes on for many kilometers. No matter what I do it always takes a toll on my feet. As I walked through the town along the water, I looked for a place to have a meal, but nothing seemed appropriate, so I continued. I crossed the water on a small ferry and almost immediately entered a climb up a seriously long stairway that was on the side of a hill and not the most comfortable place to walk. I felt the entire way up that I was one step from disaster. It turned into another 250-meter steep climb which ultimate turned into another 250 meters of steep dissent into San Sebastian. I successfully completed the day and was absolutely exhausted, but physically OK. One of the things that surprised me the most was the very poor, and in some cases, dangerous condition of much of the trail, especially the downhill parts. There are a few places on the Camino Frances that are difficult downhill portions, but it was only a few and they were widely spread out and none of them were as challenging as some of the downhill sections I encountered on the Del Norte. It was clear to me that I was not prepared for this particular obstacle course, nor could I think of a way that I could have prepared any more than I did.
Unlike the Frances, where the first day is the hardest, the next 7 days were equally or even more difficult than the first day on the Norte with similar rough trails, significant elevation assents and descents, and significantly less support than on the Camino Frances. Every day was significantly harder than any day on the Frances. The Pilgrims I met were great and helpful but had many of the same struggles I was having. As I was moving along, I was having more and more trouble with booking affordable accommodations, and found myself spending significantly more than I had planned. No beds meant booking a hotel room for $75 – $100 instead of 15 Euro or going to the next town to find a bed, which made things much more arduous than should be necessary. Even when booked ahead, the accommodation could turn out to be a challenge. In Martina-Xemein I had booked a private Albergue in advance. When I arrived in town, the private Albergue was a long way from the Camino and I was in no condition to make the effort to get there, so I was fortunate that the Donativo Albergue in town had a bed. When going to Guernika, I booked an Albergue that turned out to be 6 more Kilometers past Guernika and there were no beds available in Guernika, so I was forced to make the trek. I ended up putting in over 33k that day and the capper was the road out of Gernika that never seemed to end. It turned out to be a 250-meter climb on a road that was muddy, steep, uneven, and isolated. It was very hard walking, and the only good news is that the Albergue was right at the top of the mountain with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills and valleys. In some ways it was the hardest 6k I did on the Norte. I will say the Albergue was excellent, and we had a great Pilgrims meal and breakfast the next day.
Eventually this collection of days took its toll on me, and the long and steep downhill sections affected my little toes on both feet. I was faithful to foot prep every single day, with anti-friction cream, toe sock liners and hiking shoes that allowed me to do the Camino Frances with no foot issues or blisters. Eventually I managed to limp into Castro Urdiales on the 9th day of my journey and every step was painful because of blisters on my little toe. The only room I could get was 75 Euros a night, and it was not a particularly nice place. I was having too much trouble walking to continue the next day, where I was scheduled to do 34k because of accommodation issues. I checked with my airline and was able to change my ticket out of Bilbao and get a $369 e-credit for a future flight. I decided it was time to end my journey and caught a bus to Bilbao and a day later a flight home. The only way I could walk without pain was to wear flip flops and I was fortunate to find a pair on a Sunday in Bilbao.
I feel as though my short journey might be in divine order in the sense that sharing my experience might help others understand the arduous nature of the Camino Del Norte, where the reward is the beauty of vast ocean vistas from high mountain tops that are nurturing and inspiring. The Camino Del Norte is not the Camino Frances where the Pilgrim is the focus and an important part of the culture and economy. The Camino Frances is laid out as a journey between small town churches and city Cathedrals and has a unique religious and spiritual component with frequent pilgrim masses and support from many priests and nuns along the way. I experienced none of that on the Del Norte. What I experienced was more the category of an endurance hike and a semi-contest for beds. As I mentioned earlier, the pilgrim on the Del Norte is more of a novelty than an important part of the culture. That is the reality of attempting to do a spiritual journey through a vacation and tourist culture. The Del Norte can be a spiritual journey, but it requires more of that kind of focus for the pilgrim, a higher level of intention. The Camino Frances seems to lift you into its arms and transform your experience so even if you are there for other reasons than religious/spiritual, you are impacted on a very deep level by those who provide for you and those fellow pilgrims you meet and with whom you form deep and meaningful connections.
I am certain had I been able to continue I would have ultimately had a transformative experience on the Del Norte. It is hard to walk for 30+ days and not be impacted by the journey. I do believe there is a particularly unique experience with the Camino Frances because there is a river of energy that follows that path. Energy created by the millions of pilgrims that have made the journey, by the expectations of the pilgrims, by the kindness and the abundance of the support, and the many prayers, hopes and dreams that are formed and internalized on this amazing journey. I would not recommend the Del Norte for someone who has not done the Camino Frances and experienced its magic. It seems to me it is a journey for someone who wants a more significant physical challenge, more time alone, and is drawn to the sea and the mountains. If you can manage long, steep, downhill, rough trails, then you will do well. What I do know is that this 74-year-old body met its match, but in attempting the Del Norte I learned to embrace my previous experience on the Frances with a deeper sense of how that journey has fulfilled me in so many ways. Buen Camino, Stephen Towles
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Welcome to WordPress! This is a sample post. Edit or delete it to take the first step in your blogging journey. To add more content here, click the small plus icon at the top left corner. There, you will find an existing selection of WordPress blocks and patterns, something to suit your every need for content creation. And don’t forget to check out the List View: click the icon a few spots to the right of the plus icon and you’ll get a tidy, easy-to-view list of the blocks and patterns in your post.
Camino Moments 