78: Age of the oldest pilgrim I’ve met (from France, walking with his daughter – they do two weeks of the Camino each year. Have also met a 73 year-old South Korean woman travelling alone, a 74 year-old Italian man with his son, and an American who will turn 70 on Sunday and is doing…
Author: renaissancerebecca
A Camino Q&A
I realize I have yet to write a post about the ins and outs of the Camino, so here’s a little Q& A for you all. What is the Camino? A pilgrimage route through Northern Spain. How long is it? The route I chose, the Camino Francés, is 480 miles from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to…
The Things I Never Dreamed Of
When I took my first writing class at the John C. Campbell Folk School, I never had the intention of becoming a published writer. I just wanted to write down some of my family stories. And take a week doing so at a beautiful place in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Four years later…
A Down Day
Walking the Camino, like walking any other path in life,can sometimes have its “down” days. Today was one of those days. I just didn’t feel like walking anymore. I opened my pedometer to see I’d only walked 200 steps since last I checked it. The route was descending steeply and full of rocks. It took not…
Learning to Walk
“The book says it’s good to walk with two walking sticks – better for your balance than just one.” My mother sat in the chair in the corner of my bedroom reading my Camino guidebook. As she read, I tried to organize my pack. “I’ve only ever used one, but I guess I’ll bring both…
Sights and Sounds
I was just two miles from my destination for the day but needed a rest. My left foot felt every rock despite the thick soled hiking shoes I was wearing. My body asked gently for a break, then it pleaded, and I gave in. I tossed my walking sticks to the ground. I dropped my…
My Day-by-Day Spiritual Journey
At the parish hostel I stayed at in Tosantos (population: 20) we all went up to the third floor chapel after our shared meal. The hospitalerios (a volunteer who runs the hostel) led us in a prayer service that included readings, blessings, songs, and prayer in French, German, English, Spanish, and Italian (representative of the…
Unloading My Fears, Lightening My Pack
“Don’t let your fears load your pack,” Rick said to me on our third day on the Camino. He’d read this advice on a Camino Forum, but admitted he didn’t follow it close enough. As we walked along, he decided to heed this advice and let go of his bedbug spray. Years ago the hostels…
‘God: Is This the Right Way?’
The trail marker was ambiguous. I thought it pointed to the mowed path off to our right. My new friend Michel thought it meant we were to stay on the paved road we were on. I recalled that my map indicated we’d be walking along a road for most of the day, so I listened…
Everyone Walks Their Own Camino
Rémy and I placed our orders for paella at a cafe on the square in Pamplona. It had been a long day walking the Camino and we still had a few more kilometers to go. Our packs sat on the ground next to our table. As we sat sipping our beer, I saw Antoine walking…
RenaissanceRebecca 