Our First Camino Experience

The first time we walked the Camino was in 2002.  At that time, it was just a dream to be able to walk the entire 500 mile route across northern Spain.  Besides the time commitment it required, we weren't sure if we were capable enough to walk 500 miles carrying a full backpack or if my Spanish would be enough to get us through.  We decided that it would be best to find a group to travel with.  We only found one tour group that covered the entire Camino in a two-week period with a combination of walking and driving.  So we joined that group, called, Spanish Steps, which provided van support and prearranged where we would stay each night.    

Other than the walking, which definitely kept us tired and sore, our experience was, for sure, a lot more comfortable than the pilgrims who travel carrying all belongings in a backpack and need to stop at refugios to find a place to stay each night.

During these 2 weeks we walked 124 miles of the 500 mile route.  Something kept drawing us back and telling us that we still needed to complete the full pilgrimage.

Below are a few photos from our first Camino experience along with some comments or excerpts from my travel journal.

Parade of gigantes in Pamplona

Before starting the Camino we stayed in Pamplona for a couple days on our own.  There was a huge fiesta going on.  The streets were filled with people of all ages celebrating and walking along side a parade of gigantes (giant plaster statues).  The celebrating went on through most of the night, so it was pretty impossible to get any sleep.

Puente la Reina, entrance to the pilgrim's bridge

We were excitedly anticipating entering the town of Puente la Reina and walking over the Romanesque bridge that we had heard so much about - the Puente de los Peregrinos, which crosses the River Arga.  It has 6 arches and an unusual hump-backed shape and is probably the most recognized bridge along the road to Santiago.
 

Puente de los Peregrinos

A view of the pilgrim's bridge from Calle Mayor with its beautiful symmetrical shape reflected in the water.

Upon entering Puente la Reina it seemed like such a busy and large town.  We found out later that it is actually quite small.  We had entered the town at the junction of 2 major highways, so this location was a high traffic area.  Its surprising what a different impression you can get when you enter a town on foot instead of by car.

Reaching the Cruz de Hierro -
After we passed the ruined village of Foncebadon, the trail became windy and woodsy.  Krishna walked far ahead of the group.  Whenever he started to meditate while walking (which was more and more as each day of the pilgrimage passed) he really move fast with his massive staff in his hand.  Soon the path became so narrow that we had to squeeze through the bushes single file to get by.  As the path opened, we followed a main road and suddenly the Cruz de Hierro came into view.  Its a pretty simple monument - just a plain cross attached to a tall wooden stake.  The custom is to add a rock from home to the pile around the cross.  This ancient tradition even pre-dates Roman times (when stone heaps were "mounds of Mercury" the god of travelers; there are legends that ancient travelers followed this path guided by the Milky Way, to reach Finisterre at the Atlantic coast of Spain, the end of the known world)  To add religions significance, we prayed as we held our stones from home for the needs and prayers of our families and loved ones.  We climbed the hill of stones and added our stones to the top of the pile.  Today, it seems that people are leaving more than just rocks.  Things like shoes, ribbons and other mementos are scattered on the mound.

 

When we arrived at the town of Villafranca del Bierzo, the first place we reached was the Iglesia de Santiago, a small church on the left side of the road.  The side door (the North Portal) of this church is the "Puerta del Perdon".  A Spanish pope in the 15th century granted that pilgrims who reached this far but were to sick to go on the Santiago de Compostela, could enter this door and receive the same absolution and plenary indulgences as if they had reached the Apostle's tomb in Santiago. We were not to sick to go on and, by now, our blisters had healed. We did touch the door in awe and reverence to the holy and blessed people who have passed this way for generations.

Just beyond the church was the Hospital de Santiago, now a pilgrim's refugio.  A man dressed in ancient pilgrim garb was standing around the grounds,  I wondered what his purpose was - was he a religious person, or just posing for photos with pilgrims who would pay him.  We used the servicios at the refugio and left some money with the worker, since we didn't need to buy anything to eat or drink.

 On this day we started from the 36-kilometer marked in the town of Arzua.  We couldn't believe that in only 2 days we would be in Santiago.  We've come this far but what change will this make?  Will life just be as it was once we return home?  My thoughts seem so petty as I'm walking.  I want to think about ways to change, something significant, but still, its easier to think about petty things.  I decided to focus just on my breathing.  Maybe if I can do this for a while my petty thoughts will go away and I can pray and perhaps reach some spiritual enlightenment,  It doesn't happen.  But the walk is so beautiful, so close to nature.  Feels so good.  So that's it - just appreciate the beauty of each moment we have and accept life as it comes.  Each day, if we pause to notice, life is full of little miracles.  Krishna was wearing his Qualcomm tie-dyed T-shirt.  We paused as we passed by a chicken coop and noticed that all the chickens and roosters walked as near as they could get to Krishna and then put one leg up - as though they were saluting him.  They must have been attracted to the brightness of his T-shirt.  By the time I got the camera ready, most of the chickens left, but you can see one remaining chicken, standing at attention, in this photo.

Our last morning of walking was Friday, October 4, 2002.  Just 21 kilometers left to reach the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.  The first part of the day we walked through small Gallego farms, as in the few days before, and then through a forest area.  In one area the path was hewn between rows of man-made rock fences.  The greenery grew thick and shaded the path like a forest tunnel.  It was beautiful.  I really wanted to take a photo, but, once again, we needed to keep walking. I told Krishna that I would have to take a mental photo of this path to remember later.  There were so many beautiful paths each day and each moment was so different.  Wish I could have captured more in photographs, but they will mostly be in memories only.  Some paths had big stones placed to make crossing a stream easier.  One had flagstones that required hopping from one to the next.  Such beautiful memories - I think I only took photos of the convenient sites.  It would have been great to have photos of the more challenging spots where we had to pay attention to our steps rather than stop for photos. 

Soon we got close to the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela.  First we passed the town of Lavacolla and walked along the side of the Santiago airport runway.  We came, then to the Santiago stone marker.  We were almost there!

We continued walking, ascending gradually along the side of a mountain and passing some attractive residential areas and then an industrial area.  Finally we reached the Monte de Gozo (Mount of Joy), the hill overlooking ithe city.  This hill got its name because, from this spot, pilgrims could get their first glimpse of the Santiago de Compostela and its Cathedral spires.  At one time the view must have been of a green valley and a small town with majestic cathedral spires.  Today, though, the city has grown so much that the view is of a bustling city with many houses and buildings.  The spires were hard to find through the trees and buildings.  As we viewed it, I felt tears welling in my eyes, but wonderful joy in my heart.

Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela

We follow the Camino markers into the city and eventually the streets become narrow and cobbled.  We reach the Cathedral from the side and need to go under a stone walkway.  A man is standing in the walkway playing a bagpipe.  We are overflowing with emotion as we leave a few coins for him, then, turn the corner and find ourselves in the middle of the Plaza del Obradorio directly in front of the Cathedral.  Kilometer 0 (zero) is marked on a stone in the middle of the Plaza.

The Pilgrim Passport and the Compostela

Part of my pilgrim passport from our 2002 pilgrimage

When you start the pilgrimage you must get a pilgrim passport from a refugio (inn where pilgrims can stay overnight along the Camino path) or pilgrim office.  The pilgrim's passport is a small leaflet with spots for stamps.  You can get the stamps (sellos) at refugios, churches, bars, or town halls along the way.  When you arrive in Santiago de Compostela, you must go to the pilgrim's office near the Cathedral and present the stamped passport as proof that you actually completed the pilgrimage. 

If the proof is validated, you will receive a "Compostela", a pilgrim certificate, which, since the 14th century, is awarded to those who can prove that they have covered at least the last 100 kilometers of the pilgrim route.  When we completed the Camino for the first time (in 2002) the lady behind the desk had a big book which had a list of names transcribed into Latin.  She couldn't find either "Krishna" or "Bonnie" in her book.  She used my saint name, St. Boniface, so my name, transcribed into Latin, became, Bonifacum.

For Krishna, though, after a few minutes of deciding what to do, she just spelled his name as is.

When we completed the Camino again in 2005 and 2007 we again stopped at the pilgrim's office to receive our Compostelas.  Things had changed and they were no longer transcribing names into Latin. 

Why we walk the Camino de Santiago

Years ago Krishna and I set a goal to complete a Hindu pilgrimage and a Christian pilgrimage when we retired as a way to gain a deeper awareness of our cultural and spiritual roots.  We did complete these pilgrimages after we retired and because of these two journeys our lives have evolved in ways we totally didn’t expect.  The Hindu pilgrimage took us to the 4 corners of India.  That story is for another time.  What I’m going to write about today is about the Christian pilgrimage which took us on a 500 mile walk along the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. 

The Camino de Santiago has been a Christian pilgrimage route since the Middle Ages, when, legend says, that the remains of St. James the Apostle, were found in a field in northern Spain, near the Atlantic coast.  A cathedral was eventually built at the site and the city of Santiago de Compostela grew.  People from all over Europe began travelling there to visit St. James’ tomb.  It became one of the 3 main Christian pilgrimage sites along with Jerusalem and Rome. Years ago Krishna and I set a goal to complete a Hindu pilgrimage and a Christian pilgrimage when we retired as a way to gain a deeper awareness of our cultural and spiritual roots.  We did complete these pilgrimages after we retired and because of these two journeys our lives have evolved in ways we totally didn’t expect.  The Hindu pilgrimage took us to the 4 corners of India.  That story is for another time.  What I’m going to write about today is about the Christian pilgrimage which took us on a 500 mile walk along the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.

The first time we walked the Camino was in 2002.  We weren’t sure if we could walk 500 miles, especially with a full backpack, or if my limited Spanish would be enough to get us through.  So we joined a group called, Spanish Steps, which provided van support and pre-arranged where we would stay each night.  That year we only walked 124 miles of the 500 mile route.  We walked the most scenic and beautiful paths of the Camino and drove the other parts.  Those 124 miles were very painful ones, blisters, lost toe nails, aching back and knees, but there was something special about the journey.  And something kept drawing us back and telling us we had to complete the entire Camino.

In 2005, we went back again and walked the entire Camino.  It took 35 days, averaging 15 miles a day.  No blisters, no lost toe nails this time, but plenty of challenges.  We walked though the Pyrenees, the Rioja vineyards, through days of the dry and hot plains.  Then it rained every one of the last 10 days.  We got used to being wet and cold as we walked through the mountains and into the hilly farmland of Galicia. 

The journey was a life-changing experience. 

Not so much the destination, but the journey itself… it’s so hard to explain…the emotion, the joy it brought …

While walking and contemplating our steps, we were given a new appreciation of life itself and of the little miracles that take place each day.  It also gave us a new perspective of what is important in life.

It was a real awakening for us.

In 2007, our oldest son, then a Doctor in the Army, left for Iraq.  We promised God that if he brought our son home safely we would go do the pilgrimage again.  Our son came home in January, 2008.  In the Spring of 2008 we returned and walked the last 100 miles of the Camino.  According to tradition, if you walk at least the last 100 kilometers, you will complete the pilgrimage and can receive the Compostola (which is a certificate of completion).

After completing the Camino 3 times we were still driven to return.  There are routes to Santiago throughout Europe.  We decided to complete a French route, called Le Chemin de Saint Jacques, another 500 miles, which crosses southern France and climbs the Pyrenees at the French border into Spain.  In 2011 we completed the first of 3 segments of this route.  In April, 2012, we went back again, this time accompanied by two friends from La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, Linda and Fary, to do another segment.

On all our treks we’ve traveled with a tour group called, Spanish Steps.  The owner and our good friend, Judy Colaneri, and her husband, Juan Carlos, spent a week with us in January, 2012, and we had a Camino reunion at our house. 

Judy and Juan Carlos own a Bed and Breakfast, called, Fuentes de Lucia, in Austurias in Northern Spain.  While they were here I told Juan Carlos that much of my ancestry came from Spain and gave him a few names, dates and places that I knew.  Juan Carlos began a project of tracing my roots.  He not only found my ancestor who left Spain 11 generations back in the year 1611, but he found the passenger list of the voyage that ancestor took to the New World and he found a letter showing that my ancestor was hired as an assistant to a sea captain from Cusco, aboard a ship bound for Peru.  Now I know why we keep being drawn back to Peru as well.  And the little town I couldn’t find in Spain because part of the name was not correct – Juan Carlos found it, and its just 40 km from their B&B along the Camino Primitivo (the most ancient of the pilgrimage routes, now traveled infrequently). 

So – I’ve learned that I’m a true child of the Camino!

I always believe that things happen for a reason.  Now I know that we had to keep going back to the Camino and maintaining our contact with Spanish Steps to make this discovery about my ancestry.

In April, 2013, we will return to complete the last segment of Le Chemin, which will bring us over the Pyrenees and into Spain.  We will end our journey in Roncesvalles, Spain (our original Camino starting point) and tie together a journey of 1000 miles.  

When our journey ends we will rent a car and spend a week driving the 500 miles to Santiago de Compostela that we once walked and stopping at places along the way that we had hoped to see again.  We’ll also have time to visit Austurias, maybe with a short stay at the B&B, so we can visit the home of my ancestors.

The traditional greeting along the Camino is, “Buen Camino”, “Good journey”.  Life is quite a journey!

Bonnie

November 25, 2012

Introducing our Journey of 1000 Miles

Since the 10^th century pilgrims have made their way to Santiago de Compostela via a network of trails known as the Camino de Santiago (or, in French, le Chemin de Saint Jacques).

Krishna and Bonnie Arora, members of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club, have walked 830 miles of the 1000 mile pilgrimage route from Le Puy en Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.  In 2005, they walked 500 miles from Roncesvalles, in northern Spain, to Santiago de Compostela.  In 2011 and 2012, they walked the first parts of the French route from Le Puy en Velay to Figeac to Condom.

In 2013, from April 20 – May 3, they plan to walk the last part of the French route, from Condom, France, to Roncesvalles, Spain.  This journey will get them from France to Spain, over the Pyrenees and tie together a pilgrimage of 1000 miles.