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Published: August 3rd 2013
Here I sit in a hostel blocks from the Cathedral of St. James - backwhere it ended once and now ends again. I feel a tad melancholy and bittersweet upon this visit to Santiago. I visited the cathedral immediately upon being dropped off (first getting here by car just didn't feel quite right) to say my goodbyes and do one last cruise thru the cathedral. I hugged St. James and went under the altar and saw the casket that supposdely has the bones - none of which I had done before. Then I listened a bit to mass before heading out to the streets to take care of things for the evening.
That is when it reallly hit me. I didn't feel like I belonged here any longer. I know I did the walk and earned the right to be called a pilgrim. But my pilgrimage had ended. I walked victorious into Santiago some 10 days ago. Now as I looked around I saw streets full of tourists and new pilgrims. There wasn't a chance I was going to see a friend from The Camino or even recognize a face from The Way. I just felt out of place. Plus, as excited as I am to be going home, I am also sad to be leaving The Camino and The Little Fox House in Carantoña. I feel sure I will walk again, but it is hard to think that I am done walking. I know a new journey has alrady begun, and I am anxious to get it underway, but I am just sad about this one ending - just as we are sad when vacation is over (well I guess its kind of the same).
I have to share last night before I close though. I think Ihave shared that Thursday these HUGE semis brought in stages and some carnival type activities for the fiesta that start in honor of some saint in Tracy's village. It is totally mind blowing what they do and how they party! This village is maybe 10 or so homes maybe 20-25 people, yet this huge production is set up for 4 days. Complete with masses and marches with the virgin Mary's statue around the town cross every day about 1pm. We think a couple boys got confirmed or something today too. Well Thursdays all night party and music show was nothing compared to lastt nights. We got back from our trip about 20-30k to another town for a folk music show around 2-3am. There were now TWO HUGE stages set up instead of 1 and maybe 150-200 people instead of 100 if you were being generous. We listened to the performers awhile bfore heading down the street to Tracy's house. Shoot you could hear the music, even when the windows were closed, as good as if you were standing in front of the stage so you might as well listen from bed. I finally fell asleep around 4am. I woke up for somme reason at 6am and they same group was STILL singing! WOW! and you could still hear people down there. We think they must have quit around 7am or so. WOW! And of course they are probably going strong again by now! I am just amazed.
On another note - tommorrow begins another leg of my trek home. Catch the bus in Santiago around 10 for the short bus ride to the airport and catch a 12:15 plane to Paris. Once in Paris I have to bus from Charles DeGaul to Orly. I should finally get to Orly around 4 or 5pm on Sunday. Then I get to hang out there until my 10am flight on Monday - I am not even going to try to do anything in Paris! From Paris I fly to Heathrow and have a 6 hours layover there before going on to SeaTac. It should be a fun two days. I figure when I am doing all that sitting I will just pretend I am walking and it'll be a breeze.
Goodnight all from Santiago for the last time - well for a while anyway!
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Congratulations Pilgrim!
I often feel like I don't belong after a trip, but your feelings must have been magnified many times over given the time and effort you put into the Way, and the friends whose Paths you may never cross again. And then there is the personal reflections and lessons you learned...now to be applied for the rest of your life. Thanks for sharing and giving me a foreshadowing of the experience should I have the blessing of walking the Camino.