Saying Yes to Walking the Camino de Santiago

Be Prepared to Say Yes

I have a dream list and I am ready to say yes to whatever is on it! In April 2022, my friend Teri, invited me to join her on the Camino de Santiago in September and I was ready to say yes because travel to Spain was on my dream list. I have no bucket list. I have had a dream list for 45 years. An 8- day trip walking in Spain sounded great and I said yes. Now I had to learn what this was all about and what I needed to do to get there. A college friend of Teri’s organized the trip and we had monthly video calls. I was relieved to learn that we were not all walking together, following someone holding up a pink flamingo or umbrella. I would not be all in a line like Madeline.

The Camino de Santiago is a spiritual pilgrimage, that follows the path of St James, the Apostle, to where his body rests in the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It is open to people of all faiths and beliefs. I was ready to let go of the comforts of home, the familiar routine, and the ego. I yearned for this walking meditation and time to hear that still small voice of my higher power.

I needed to prepare!  We planned. We set goals, bought stuff like backpacks, hiking pants, sunscreen, and the book, A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Portugues. We walked 3 miles to Starbucks, had coffee, and walked back. We walked 10 miles once a week, then 10 miles twice a week. We filled out the health form required for entrance to Spain, bought airline tickets, and learned about the villages we would visit. We wanted to qualify for the certificate of completion in Santiago de Compostela and this required a properly stamped booklet with at least 100 miles logged. I envisioned myself with an open heart, making new friends, feeling strong, and connecting to God.

Teri and I flew to Madrid in early September 2022, enjoyed the city, dipped churros in hot chocolate, and recovered from jet lag. We met a few people making the journey with us at the oldest restaurant in Spain.  It is the first time this vegetarian saw a pig’s head come with dinner. We traveled to the start of our journey in Tui, Spain and met with our group. After brief introductions we played a game to find the person(s) who lived in California, hiked Machu Pichu, took a gap year to live in Europe after retirement, was an exchange student in Nigeria… I quickly learned that I was among enthusiastic, healthy, fit people and I couldn’t wait to get to know them better.

That evening, Teri and I walked for 4 hours looking for the start of the Camino. A kind local woman told us to look down and showed us one of the yellow shells on the ground. Sometimes the way was marked by a sign on a wall or a little concrete monument with a yellow shell. I didn’t know this is be a treasure hunt! Once, we walked for a while without seeing any sign. A woman came running out of a shop and directed us back about half a mile. There, the sidewalk was yellow. Who knew that each town had their own way marking? Follow the yellow brick road!

We walked the Central Way through Spain along the border with Portugal. We walked through heavily wooded, old forests; large, open meadows; farms with horses and cattle grazing; and beneath trellises loaded with grape vines. I loved the villages with the groups of people congregating on the street or in a square loaded with cafes. We walked in the hot sun and pouring rain. We covered 100 miles in 6 days.

We met people from many countries always greeting one another with “Buon Camino”. Sometimes we talked briefly, sometimes we talked for hours. A computer programmer from Ukraine shared how his work as a consultant in Spain saved him from being drafted. He made sure we knew it was a war and that the Ukrainians would not stop until they won. He shared about his family in Ukraine and his concerns for their lives. We met a group of people from multiple countries who had met at hostels and come together as a family, looking out for one another. A woman from Duesseldorf and I chatted about our love for the city after I told her I had lived there for 4 years. She kindly said that my German was very good. A young Swedish woman exclaimed that she couldn’t believe Americans only got two weeks’ vacation when starting a job.  A couple of women from Malaysia were delighted that Teri’s children had gone to school in the village they came from. Often, we shared why we were walking the Camino. Usually, people shared a spiritual motive; the walk was a spiritual journey, a way to get closer to God, a metaphor for their walk with God. We shared from the heart and differences disappeared. We were in this together.

Always, we found a café where we could get a cup of coffee and a pastry. We had to try the famous Santiago Cake, Torta de Santiago- an almond cake covered with powdered sugar imprinted with a cross. In Padrón, we ordered the Padrón peppers; some were hot, some were not. They made me laugh. We were always greeted warmly. We often joined people we had met up with before or people from our group. Sometimes we had a big meal at 3 in the afternoon and ice cream later for dinner.

Our only goal each day was to follow the path, marked by a yellow shell and walk. Most of the time, I felt totally in the moment and at peace. I came away with a deep feeling of connection to others, to God, and to nature. My heart is open, I have new friends, I am strong! And, for that I am grateful. I am ready to say yes to my next adventure! Are you ready for your next adventure?