Thoughts and insights on the Camino 😇
To be a pilgrim or peregrino on the camino, does that you will be clever, clever on so many things, cause you have time to think a little between the walk and the Albergue, where you are going to sleep for the night-
I wonder about, why so many lovely people, whom are working at the different hostals, or should I call them albergues?, don´t know how important food, with af lot of energy and proteins is for the peregrino? I don´t understand, why we are offered a pilgrimmenu with a choice between fish and fries or chicken, well all kind of meat, just with some French fries, no salat/no veg. Nor the breakfast is good to walk 20 – 30 km on.
We, the peregrinos, are burning so many calories during a day, of walking, we are getting cold and hot, we are using all our psysical and mental energy, so there is nothing left at the end of the day, when we arrive at an albergue.
Therefore I wish, that they in the breakfast menu, (which unfortunately only consist of 2 peaces of light toastet bread with butter and jam, and if you are lucky a glas of orangejuice and coffee/tea), also would offer us fruit cut into pieces, and a boiled egg. The people at the albergues knows exactly what we need, to get a good start of the day, for they have a very few times showed it.
Only in one of the albergues, I until now have been on, has it been possible to buy a piece of fruit and a leg/sports massage.
It is hard to walk 20-25 km a day and a lot of the peregrinos get blisters, hurting knees and legs there are hurting a lot. So after a day of walking it could be so nice to have an massage, so bad knee problems and other muscles injuries can be prevent or totally avoid. What a business I could make there 😉
Please keep in mind, if you want to walk the camino, that it is real cool to have both a pair of threkking boots and trekking sandals with you in your backpack, then you can change from time to time, and believe me, sometimes it´s a big relieve to do it!
Somehow there is something total wrong, by walking the camino, it seems like there really is a trend about turning into bed about 9pm and get up and rush out of the albergue before everybody else. There seems to be rush hour at the albergues every morning between 5:30 – 07:00 am. Because if you walk early, then you will be able to get one of the best beds at the best albergues for the next night.
BUT it sure seems to be just a little too much, it feels like a competition, about who is the first, and at least not the last one to get out of the door in mornings.
Al lot of people desire (after what I have heard on the camino during my now past 200 km, when they are planning their tour, is to get away from stress and away from the everyday and just to be present. Yes I know that some of them there walk it, just are walking it, so the can tell others that they have done it, and som are also doing it as a sports event. BUT there is so much run/stress here in the mornings, that people don´t get out of their stress symptoms if they are not carefully and aware, because to do that it will demand a lot of man or woman, to resist the stress /pressure from the mornings, but if they can do it, they will figure out, that there usually will be a bed for those who come in late afternoon as well for those who come in early.
This stress seems to fill a lot at the camino, cause people does not take the needed break as they should, (all due to, if there should not be any more beds for them at the next albergue).
It can really be it a challenge, one of the big ones, not to let themselves be infectet by this culture, cause if you are a part of it, in the mornings and during the day, then your brain does not have the vacation and that silence people desire so much, but they will then return home just as stressed, as they were, when they began the camino.
In the beginning of my camino, I was walking together with somebody, and had to set my temp after them and they after me, and while we are walking , and we talk. But if you came for silence, then this walking in groups does not work very well, cause many adjust, and take their breaks when the others do it, and quite often you forget to relax and take the breaks your body need when nesessary, due to that you will not slow down the others. This is also the reason why many get blisters and problems with muscles, which might had been avoided if they had listened to the body instead of following the others. Not everybody like to walk as far, but many people do not like to tell those they are walking, that they need to stop and rest for the night before them, so they often walk 5-10 km more than they should due to their body.
It is a question about balance to recognize what your body need and at the same time to tell others without being nerveus to hurt other feelings. Well understand what I am saying, nobody want to bother/hurt others, and therefore they do not tell, that they really want to stop for the day.
I have realized, that I do not want to walk with other people, not because I don’t want to be social, but because I really need the silence during my walk and then I will be very social, when I reach the albergue. In some albergues we are often between 40-70 people in one room, so it´s hard work to avoid being social there.
I do not want this rushhour every morning and I like to walk in my own pace, and will do that a lot more from now.
I have until now met at lot of real lovely people on thre camino, with whom I have shared stories, and we meet different people every time we take a break at a reataurant, so if you want to be alone with your own thoughts during the day, it is really necessary to shop for lunch and food for the, so you can take your breaks away from the small cities, somewhere on the road.
At this time 200 km at the camino a lot of people has already left the camino due to injuries and has gone home, this is actually most young people, but also some at my age. I am injured, I have many diffeculties walking in my boots due to that I have flatfoot syndrome in my left feet, and inflammation in my right scinbone.. It is really hurting when I walk and the reason has to be found that I properly has tightend my boots too much, so I have closed for the oxygen to the muscles and tendons or it could be because of to much overwork walking downhills
This tedonithis/inflammation has given me so much pain and got me a downtrip and besides that also a long break in Logrono, nedded to take 3 nights. I really have to admit, that this really hurts and my mood has been on LOW. 😞
The average age here at the camino, is in fact higher than I thought, for the time the are most elder people are between 50 – 75 years, but here is also younger people. Here are really many Koreans and Canadians, and then the rest are a mix from the whole world, well not many from Denmark
To walk the camino, is like being counted in as a family member, where everybody is caring, and everybody and the speaking is friendly to you. If you take a break outside from the cities, you can be sure, that everybody passing you, will be asking if you are okay! So noboby will have the chance to feel alone. Cozy and yes, sometimes, it can be a little to much.
I have now learned to shop for the next days lunch and breaks, so I now only need to stop for coffee and can take my lunchbreak at the road instead.
I have also now learned to say “No thank you” when people like to walk along, because I do not want slow down others, and I really need to walk in my own pace. ❤Only sometimes I really enjoyed walking with other people.
To walk the camino is a big challenge, and I pray, and believe in, that my walk from now on will be without any more injuries, so I will reach Santiago with style.
But believe me, I will walk in my own pace, cause I have no deadline, before the end of june and for me it´s really necessary to tell you, my reader, (maybe future caminowalker?) That if you are going to walk these 800 km, then you have to take your time to do it, not many can walk more than 22 km a day, so please divide 800 with 22 and add at least one week to a long stay at 2 or 3 nights in the big cities, or to have time for a break if you get injured. And if you walk faster than that, then you will have time to enjoy Santiago a day more when you arrive ❤ Watch out for having a planned airplane ticket home
Why do I do this camino walk, well let me tell you, I don´t know why, but the camino has been calling for me many years now, and despite all my complaining, then I love to walk the camino, and I really think the Spanish people are doing a great job for us, whom are walking this. They are mostly real helpsome and smiley people, but many of them do not speak English.
Hola spaniolas, Buenos dias, buen camino, gracias 😊
I lys og kærlighed, namasté 🙏 ❤ Lilly Acacia