🎉 Anniversary edition!!! 🍾 on the way...of St. James

unterwegs (57)in #travel • 6 years ago (edited)

It's been one year, since my journey on steemit began.
To celebrate this, I want to invite you to the trip, where everything here began.
So, let's go on the way...of St. James

Now, my journey on the Camino from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela - 800 km on foot, starts. This pilgrimage, I will take you with me, will take 5 weeks and is also known as the Route of St. James. I’m going to spend plenty of time, alone with my thoughts, while putting one foot before the other. You can join me on this adventure, stage by stage, in the next weeks.

Arrived at the train station of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port at the foot of the Pyrenees, the firs stage starts with crossing the Ibañeta-Passes at around 1000 meters of altitude.

After this rather cold, breezy and foggy experience, the weather soon starts getting better and so it becomes clear, that this first stage was one of the most exhausting ones but every now and then, there is this obvious question arising: What exactly am I doing here?!?

At the latest in front of this road sign it becomes definite - I’m on the Camino and now, I only need to find out, what I am looking for, except…bridges…

…narrow streets...

…vast landscapes...

…more narrow streets...

…more landscapes...

Obviously, I am not going to be alone in the weeks to come and so, there will be many opportunities to answer this question with like-minded people.

For the start, one goal I seek is clear. I’m looking for tranquility, I’m looking for decrease in speed - I want time for me and my thoughts. I’m looking for myself.

In this spirit - Ultreja!

We’ll continue our hike on the Camino de Santiago and there is still this question: What exactly am I doing here?!?

The first around 200 km were characterized by monotonous changes between vast landscapes and small towns. This constant 30 kilometers movement heading westwards, day by day, helps to calm the thoughts, step by step. In the evening, while the pilgrim’s-meal with changing companions, there is a good time to look back and reappraise the insights of the day.

Daily to-do list:

Get up
Hike
Shower
Dinner
Sleep

Life at 6 kilometers per hour calms down.

Day after day on the way to goal. One step after the other. Through smaller towns…

…through larger villages.

Sometimes lonely...

...sometimes urban...

but always on the way…

...westwards...towards Santiago de Compostela…to the final destination of this voyage.

The daily routine and motion turns, day by day and step by step, into a calming rhythm that occupies the place which is usually reserved for all those important, daily distractions in “normal” life. Distractions, which in most cases distract you from one thing for sure. From personal goals.

Soon, we are going to reach the “Cruz de Ferro”, the famous iron cross. At this place, the pilgrim can lay down a personal item which stands for the emotional ballast, which one bore to this place. Behind me, the Meseta; lonesomeness as far as the eye can see. Those monotonous stages through this endless Spanish breadbasket brings out feelings of solitude and vulnerability despite the overwhelming play of light and shadow during sunrise. I am glad to be finally back in civilization. So, let’s go on…

…one step after the other.

Through Astorga with Gaudi’s impressive Bishop’s Palace.

And then, to begin the climb…

…towards the famous Foncebadon, a sinister and decayed place - as Paulo Coelho mentioned it in his book on the Camino de Santiago.

To an absolutely amazing shelter…

…and the delicious Paella, which must be here mentioned once again!

The next day brought one of those special moments of the Camino. It led us to a place with a tradition of many centuries. The pilgrim can lay down a personal item, representing the emotional ballast, which he/she brought to this place. The “Cruz de Ferro” - the famous iron cross.

I follow this tradition an lay down an object I brought, for this moment, to this place.

For a short moment, I would remind you of an important question:

(Freely interpreted: Hey Santiago! Do you hike with your head or with your feet today?)

Soon, we are going to reach the maybe most beautiful part of this journey - Galicia.

Although the daily schedule has become routine, which is…

Get up
Hike
Shower
Dinner
Sleep

…every now and then, there are moments which remember me on what this here is all about: To persist!. All the ”daily grind” is forgotten for a moment while I’m welcomed by Celtic music, gnarled trees and eucalyptus forests - I’m in Galicia

Spectacular Landscapes, breathtaking nature and a magical atmosphere. About this stage, there is less to write as pictures can express. So, come with me and accompany me for a day through Galicia.

Salud! This day will be concluded in the traditional way with Polbo á feira.

While I’m enjoying the beauty of this area,
things slowly headed for the moment where the serious part begins. My journey on St. James Way is approaching its end, and so, I start to review the last weeks and ask myself, whether I learned anything yet.

I saw many bridges, a lot of narrow streets, countless landscapes and walked already 700 kilometers through Spain. Now, there is only some enlightenment missing but maybe it awaits me already in Santiago de Compostela?

Tomorrow, I’m going to reach the goal of this pilgrimage and so I wonder, if the path is the goal how can be a place the goal of this journey? However - after five weeks of the same daily routine, some melancholy starts arising. How is it going to be, to work in ”normal” everyday circumstances and to be part of ”everyday life” again?

So, after a frugal Spanish breakfast, I start to the last kilometers like so many pilgrims did, before me.

Matching the general mood, it starts pouring with rain and so I reach Santiago de Compostela on the second rainy day of this journey after 800 kilometers by foot through the north of Spain.

Caused by the fact, that the city pays really serious attention to this pilgrim-topic, I do not wish to return to this topic because for me the important part of this journey where the 799 kilometers before. It is hard to walk only 20 even meters without being reminded on where you currently are. Following the tradition, for the second time on my journey to Santiago de Compostela, I visited a Mass which gave me the opportunity to witness, beside a bunch of priests taking pictures of each other at the altar, the smoking-spectacle in the cathedral. A well-known manufacturer of colored sugar water seems to be involved in all this.

Beside a lot of eating, drinking and celebrating there where still two days left for introspection and so, this card came to my mind which has fallen into my hands, somewhere on the journey.

One burning question which emerges here and slowly, I feel an urge inside of me to move something but my legs - and so, I start looking forward to come home.

The backpack is packed for the last time and the plane is is ready.

So, now it starts, the trip back in normal life. Into the everyday life with all the distractions and all the noise but also with all the options and opportunities. Knowing, that I can handle 800 kilometers by foot provides me with the feeling that I can handle almost everything. For a moment, I enjoy this awareness.

As soon as I defined my goal, I simply have to put one foot before the other, pursuing the goal in a persistant way. Step by step.

Question: Where and how, dear reader, do you want to be in 10 years from now?

Another thing, I learned on this way is, that everyone must go in one’s own pace. The journey is only pleasant, if you can walk at your own inner pace without waiting for someone or have someone waiting for you. I think, this picture can be used for almost every kind of interpersonal encounter.

This ends my journey on St. James Way but it will neigther be my last travel nor the last adventure. I’m going to take you with me on some of them in the future.

The obligatory Compostela - the official forgiveness of all sins - now decorates my hallway and what remains are memories of many fascinating and enriching encounters. Many hours alone with my thoughts.The certainty, what I’m capable to achieve if I have the will and last but not least - freely adapted from Confucius - even the longest journey begins with a single step.