Camino - Live Like it's Heaven on Earth

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Panorama St Jean Pied de Port, France

Day 33 to Day 85 Camino Frances

It's very difficult to believe I've just walked 800kms, and then some, across northern Spain. It seems more daunting now than thinking about it before. But then I didn't think about the distances so much but the experiences I hoped to have. I wasn't disappointed.

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well and happy. I know it's been a long time coming but here come the blogs and pictures of my journey. But first an overview.

It's NOTHING like anyone describes it. It's better. It's not just about the physical walking each day. The camino is different things for different people. There is no one perspective that you can read about that will tell you what the camino will be like for you. It is a magnifying glass on yourself and the world around you. You see things about yourself that you've probably denied for a long time. And, for the most part, the camino allows you to think, and think with clarity. There's no normal life issues getting in the way like home, work, children, bills, noise....

Although the Camino started as a religious pilgrimage to Santiago because the bones of St James are reported to be there, it has become the best Tourism Campaign over the last 1000 years. I must admit that I'm a skeptic when it comes to this kind of thing. It doesn't matter what I, or anyone believes, though. What the camino does is bring people together. The camino engenders a sense of belonging. A feeling that all pilgrims have a common goal. Everyone's purpose each day is to walk as far as they can go on their way to Santiago, find a village with lodgings, find food, water, and a bar. Not necessarily in that order. ha ha. Sometimes the bar comes first! It is a simple life.

The camino, with all the people from around the world, is a snapshot of what the world COULD be like. There is friendliness and tolerance, patience and helpfulness. No one gets angry (except a Norwegian couple). There is acceptance. And if you don't have these skills now then you can learn them on the camino. There are not only Christians, too. All religions, including Jewish and Moslem, have walked the Way in my time there. It makes me wonder. And it gives hope, for the true nature of people is exposed in this raw experience. And the true nature of people is good.

My blogs won't be a chronological account of my Camino and my pics will be a little random too.

This blogs pics are from Biarritz, Bayonne, St Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles.

Next Blog. Camino - Sing like Nobody's Listening

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Photos

Judith with her watercolours
Judith is from Belgium and we travelled the first 2 days