THE WAY: Summary Of Writing From Sarria to Santiago

Friends, thank you so much for walking this pilgrimage with me! It has been a joy to share the adventure with you. I’ve enjoyed writing about our time on the Camino. For me, it’s like re-living the beautiful days on the trail to write about them. I get to experience the memories all over again.

I’ve created a little index here of the writing on this blog about walking from Sarria to Santiago, so enjoy this little summary of all the writing about the Camino de Santiago:

The Snippets of The Way

Pilgrims’ Arrival

Pilgrims’ Passports

Pilgrims’ Mass

Pilgrims’ Lodging

Pilgrims’ Menu

Pilgrims or Princesses

Pilgrims’ Words

The Snapshots of The Way

Signs and Symbols

Stunning and Sublime

Seaside and Sunshine

The Stories of The Way

Live The Way

Stop Often

Make Friends

I really do hope to go back and walk some more in Spain one day!

We’ll see what the next season of walking brings!

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night.

Also a huge thank you to all the folks who walk alongside me on these journeys! Walking down a trail is maybe my favorite way to spend time with a friend!

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox. Or check out Humility Walk to follow more walks! (There are even some you can come along on!)

The post Chasing Daylight in June: The Way appeared first on Alison Chino.

On the Camino de Santiago, lots of folks head off to a place called Finisterre after reaching Santiago. 

There is a tradition of going to the sea to unburden yourself of your belongings.

It’s a second and more final ending to your journey.

But we really just wanted a day by the sea.

So when we met a lady on a train to Sarria who told us that A Coruna was beautiful and much easier to get to by train than Finisterre, we took her advice, bought train tickets for six euros and headed off to find the sun, the sand and the waves.

Once we reached A Coruna, it took us a little while to actually find the sea.

We ended up walking through the lovely old town of A Coruna.

When we finally found the sea, the clouds had rolled in and we were feeling some raindrops.

But we were determined to have our day on the beach.

And we had snacks. So we could be patient.

And pretty soon the sun came out!

And we had a gorgeous afternoon in the sun after all.

It was happily ever after for sure.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Snapshots of the Way: Seaside and Sunshine appeared first on Alison Chino.

I’m reaching the end of my stories and snippets from the Camino de Santiago, and I feel similar to how I felt about finishing the journey in June.

A little sad.

The treasure in blogging is that I get to relive the memories as I tell the stories.

And the princesses have relived them with me.

So I wanted to share a little word from each of them about our pilgrimage.

Especially after our silly snapshots of our princess life yesterday, I thought it would offer a bit of balance to peel back some of the ridiculous to see the great big hearts of each of these dear women. They reminded me that everyone on the Camino has a story in their hearts about why they are walking and what they are learning.

So here are ours.

Words from the Pilgrim Princesses.

From Stephanie:

I gained a new appreciation and love for the beauty of the world, the people in the world, and the life that others live.  That we are all so different and yet the same!  That I can see the beauty in each person that crosses my path and feel better off for it.

From Diane:

I loved experiencing all the wonderful things on the Camino with my Princesses-walking, talking, singing, praying. Going through fields and forests and being at the beach- sights, sounds, colors- all beautiful! I loved that everyday was a new experience. I love the physical challenge. I loved the people of Spain and the pilgrims we met. I loved the food. I loved the flowers and the churches and the markers. I loved it all and doing it together!

From Alison:

I started this journey knowing that my hardest road to walk this summer was going to be the letting go of my oldest child who finished high school this year. I had no idea how God would meet me in my grief over the end of this season of my life. I was not sure how to face having three children around the table each night instead of four, much less the grander questions over futures unknown, but God showed me that the way I move forward is by trusting that He will always have a place for Cole at a table somewhere. He will provide for the things I think only I can give to my children, and actually He will do it better than I ever could. I can release my need to be needed by them in the day-to-day.

I watched God provide for so many details for people on the Camino. Sometimes He used me. More often I watched in awe as He used someone else. In the simplicity of a daily journey of walking and talking and eating and drinking, I witnessed that each of us has a role to play, and we don’t have to do any more or less than just what we are given to do today. My role as primary caretaker and giver of counsel in my son’s life has come to an end for now, and instead of grabbing back for that role every time I interact with him, I want to let go with grace and watch how God fulfills those needs in my son’s life.

From LynEtte:

The Camino experience for me as been without a doubt a moment in time, which I truly wished I could freeze. (Where was my Fairy Godmother?) The overwhelming anticipation alone kept me awake many nights!! Researching, reading, watching movies, and documentaries about The Camino.  Nothing could have prepared me for what an adventure I was to live!

The beauty of the Galicia Region of Spain was breathtaking! Every element contributed to this beautiful land, with every step I felt spellbound!  The climate could not have been more perfect. The food, and oh the wine, how could one describe the magical sensation of the wine? When I let myself think, really stop and think of the History, Religion, and the sacrifices that Pilgrims have made, it brings me to my knees! I am so humbled to walk along this path. The people of Spain, their pride, enthusiasm, eagerness to serve, I desire to be as they are. The Pilgrims I walked alongside, ahead of, and behind, they are my biggest “treasures” on The Way!! I believe in the Power of People!! People feed me, they inspire me, they motivate me…. I have an ache to acknowledge them, I long to know their stories or whatever part they feel they can give, I want them to know I will listen, with care, and help them in whatever way is possible! It is a gift to know a person, however fleeting a moment may be, to see one of God’s creations open up like a flower, to give of themselves, or even when they don’t give, I feel an obligation to them. God placed me there in that moment, with THAT person. I must give what I can, if only an acknowledgement or a prayer.

My forever, from The Camino, are my precious friends!! The investment we have together, will forever bind me to them! My love abounds for these friendships!!

My God, only You, all knowing, could possibly know that I needed The Camino! You blessed me with a husband who could make the sacrifices. My spirit has been reignited, full of gratitude, love, and hope.

Bonus: Here’s a sweet video of us all talking about The Way.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Snippets of the Way: Pilgrims’ Words appeared first on Alison Chino.

LynEtte, Alison, Stephanie and Diane.

We declared ourselves to be pilgrims on the road to Santiago.

But before we ever started out on the trail, we had a hunch that we were taking The Way a little easier than most. (Camino Lightweights, if you will.)

For starters, we were only doing the last stage, by some accounts the easiest one, 110 kilometers from Sarria to Santiago.

Secondly, we were not carrying our luggage. We used a luggage transfer service instead of carrying large backpacks.

And lastly, we were taking six days to do what is normally a five day journey. And we built in time on both ends for extra rest.

Because you know, jet lag.

So for all of these reasons, when we were brainstorming for a hashtag for this trip, we decided upon, #PrincesasDelCamino.

And as it turns out, we totally lived up to our name.

LynEtte even brought us crowns!

So just for laughs, I thought it would be fun to share a few things princesses do while they are on the Camino de Santiago:

Always ask for ice. (the Spanish word for ice is el heilo)

Turn down the TV in a restaurant when it is too loud.

Have strong opinions about food, especially tuna.

Dress up for dinner.

Leave our mark everywhere we go.

Have wine with every meal.

Turn every outing into a party.

Start walking at 10am.

Find the best spots on the trail for resting.

Take lots of breaks along The Way.

Always look beautiful, even while walking.

Have sangria by the pool.

Fit in a little shopping.

In a cute little boutique shop, of course.

Take lots of selfies.

Make lots of friends.

Wear matching shirts for the finish line.

Have a day at the sea.

Cuddle each other when the weather turns cold.

Dance when the sun shines.

Love each other. A lot.

Laugh.

A LOT.

I love my #PrincesasDelCamino and I’m so thankful for the time with these sweet friends on the Camino de Santiago.

I hope we will find ourselves walking together again soon in the future. Until then, here is a little video collection of us Camino Lightweights some of our biggest laughs.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Snippets of the Way: Pilgrims or Princesses? appeared first on Alison Chino.

Live The Way: Make Friends

Jerry, come and have a look at these girls.

They already have their seashells on their packs and they haven’t walked one step of the Camino yet.

They’ve already been to the Pilgrims’ Mass!

Two brothers, ages 67 and 70, had completed all but the last stage of the Camino de Santiago.

In pieces they had walked, returning to Spain over the years to cover portions of the 800 kilometer journey from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela.

I loved meeting people who were walking the full Camino this way. An admirable kind of patience is required to finish a journey in stages, especially at a season of life where you perhaps feel your age more with each passing year.

We had this set of brothers in fits of laughter, four girls who had not yet seen a day on the trail, up late in the hotel bar, chasing our dinner of Sangria and pizza with cocktails before a day of walking over 20 kilometers.

No one ever accused us of being the wisest walkers on the road to Santiago,

but we earned a reputation for being friendly, a badge of honor I’ll wear proudly any day.

Long Haul and Short Haul Pilgrims

We met lots of Pilgrims who had been walking for many days, having begun some time in May at the beginning in St. Jean Pied de Port.

And we learned that when you meet folks who have been walking for a month with their possessions on their backs, you just want to honor their accomplishment.

Some of them welcomed the distraction and seemed ready to make friends with fresh faces.

Others were weary and perhaps slightly annoyed to be sharing the trail with loads of new folks who were full of energy  and blister free. Some of the long haul pilgrims began to find it hard to find a bed at night because they were all booked up.

I was in awe of anyone who had been walking since the beginning. I remember how desperate Diane and I were to be done with the Coast to Coast after only two weeks. If I was coming in on the home stretch of an 800 kilometer journey, I would want a cheering section.

And the four of us, well, we made a mighty fine cheering section if I do say so myself.

However, as we began to be aware of how far people had come on their pilgrimages to Santiago, we would answer a bit sheepishly when asked about our starting point,

Just Sarria.

Of yes, of course. That explains everything.

Fresh faces. Cheerful spirits. Stopping constantly for pictures.

We had begun at the end. We were only walking the final stage of the Camino from Sarria to Santiago. 110 kilometers.

Just enough to earn a Compostela.

No Pyrennes to climb and no bunk beds at night.

No sleeping in fields or carrying all our possessions. (We used a luggage transfer service.)

But on the fourth day, we met an American lady who had done the Camino several times many years ago and now returns frequently to volunteer along The Way. She was working in an Albergue for the summer via an organization for American Pilgrims who want to keep in touch with The Camino.

She encouraged us not to say, “Just Sarria,” as we talked about how many days we had been on the road. She told us to embrace our pilgrimage as our own.

There’s no right way to do the Camino, she said.

After that we began to claim our journey for what it was. Ours.

And we encouraged the many others who were walking to do the same.

No Strangers on The Camino

The lovely gift of being in a group of four walkers is that if someone wants to talk, there is someone to talk to, but it someone wants to be quiet, well, that’s ok too. The other three can carry the conversation.

You could kind of tell when someone passed you or when you passed them if they wanted to talk.

Or if they did not.

You could get a vibe.

They might have their head down or even headphones in. They might be trying to keep a really quick pace.

I was content to leave a person to themselves if they only wanted to quickly mumble the trail greeting and keep on:

Buen Camino.

Sometimes a pilgrim would barely utter the words, from either tired or hurried lips.

And we always all four returned the response. Like a chorus, we would say it together or staggered.

Buen Camino! Diane would say.

Buen Camino! Stephanie would say.

Buen Camino! I would say.

Buen Camino! LynEtte would say.

And then LynEtte would find their eyes. She let no one pass without making eye contact and asking them something.

I would turn around and a person who I thought wasn’t wanting to talk would be sharing a piece of their heart with LynEtte.

She would be mesmerized, often in tears.

I loved that she pushed through peoples’ barriers, a gift she has honed through years of raising a child who requires her special brand of perseverance.

It was difficult to get by us without getting some attention from at least one of us. If LynEtte was already talking, Diane would invite in the next pilgrim we saw.

Come and share the road with us for a while.

Sharing Everything

I’ve already mentioned that one of the best places for making friends (and for meeting them again later) was at all the stops along The Way.

We made friends by sharing our food with others at tables.

We had brought too much food in our suitcases and one night Stephanie and I loaded up a bunch of it and took it to an Albergue to share it with others.

At our tables we were quick to stick our forks in each others’ food to share tastes of new foods.

We broke pieces of granola bars and candy and whatever else we had and handed it to anyone who was around.

Diane was putting her essential oils on anyone in pain or in need of a little refreshment.

Band-aids. Moleskin. Extra socks.

What do I have that you need? has always been one of my favorite questions to ask a friend.

And on the Camino, we offered that question to strangers as well as friends.

And it is especially delightful to find someone who is willing to return the question.

Oh you poor thing. You must be starving. Look, here take this bread too.

That’s what the precious gals in this photo said to me after I finished eating their paella, standing up on the street, serving spoon scraping the serving dish to get every last bit.

Oh, dear, here take some wine.

Do I have anything else I can give you?

I wasn’t starving. I mean I was hungry, but really I was just salivating over the paella on this street cafe as we passed by.

We had already determined that we were going to eat pizza around the corner, but I wanted that paella.

And these girls saw it on my face.

My hesitation to pass by.

Look, it’s really good. Like the best paella we’ve ever had. You have to try it. 

Later, LynEtte said,

Y’all I turned around and Alison was eating off of a total stranger’s spoon. 

She fed me the first few bites. And then I took the spoon and finished the rest. And as if that wasn’t enough, I wiped the dish clean with the bread that was left. And then had a glass of wine.

All while standing up, just passing by.

On The Way.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Camino Stories: Make Friends {Live The Way} appeared first on Alison Chino.

In every bakery window in Santiago you can spot a Tarta de Santiago, a light almond cake that has the cross of St James dusted on top with icing sugar. You can buy boxes of these cakes to take home to your family and friends (I did!) but they tasted better right on the street in Santiago de Compostela.

While I’ve been re-living my memories of the days on The Way, I wanted to taste this cake again, so I searched through some recipes and combined several to come up with this one.

If you ever have a friend who is walking the Camino, you should make this cake to welcome them home from their journey! What a fun surprise that would be.

Or make it for your own celebration of coming home from a pilgrimage!

Or just make it because it’s yummy.

Also, the filling can be made on its own without the crust in order to turn this recipe into a gluten free treat!

Recipe below. Enjoy!

PS. If you’re curious to learn more about the food on the Camino de Santiago, come back on Monday. I’ll be sharing all about it!

Tarta de Santiago

Ingredients for Tart Shell

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 stick (4 oz) of cold unsalted butter (cut into pieces)

1 egg

1-2 teaspoons water

a tart pan with a removable bottom

Ingredients for Tart Filling

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups finely ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

zest of 1 lemon

powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

Make the tart shell.

Pulse flour, sugar and butter in the food processor until the mixture is in crumbs. Mix egg and water together and add to crumbs with food processor running until dough comes together.

Dump out on a floured service and roll out to fit tart pan. Place dough into tart pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Line with parchment, fill with pie weights (or beans) and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights and bake for 5 more minutes.

Set tart shell aside to cool and turn oven down to 350 degrees F.

Mix filling.

Mix eggs and sugar for 5 minutes with a whisk until mixture is light and frothy. Fold in ground almonds, zest and almond extract.

Carefully spoon filling into tart shell and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the mixture has set in the middle and is light brown.

Cool 15 minutes before lifting tart from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

In order to leave the imprint of the Santiago Cross on the tart, print and cut out the cross from a template. (Here’s one) Then place it on the cake when dusting with powdered sugar.

This cake seems to actually improve with age, so you can make it the day before you want to serve it. Brilliant!

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Camino Recipe: Tarta de Santiago appeared first on Alison Chino.

We felt the freedom to stop for anything along the trail that we felt was beautiful. After years of walking trails with the men in my life, being able to stop whenever I feel like it is a luxury and I was thankful that my walking partners were patient with my stops.

What follows is a collection of some of those pauses, mostly for flowers, windows and doors. I have fallen in love with the Spanish countryside and in my limited experience, I cannot imagine that there is a more gorgeous month to walk in Galicia than June!

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Snapshots of The Way: Stunning and Sublime appeared first on Alison Chino.

While walking along The Way, every night we needed somewhere to sleep.

A place to lay our heads and rest our weary bones.

Sometimes it was a cabin on a farm, set back from the farmer’s vineyard and vegetable garden.

And then he would feed us from his farm.

Sometimes it was a room with a sunset view of the village.

And I would hang out my window and feel the last of the sun on my face.

Or watch the sun come up over the countryside.

Sometimes it was a posh hotel.

With a fancy lobby and lovely breakfast.

Sometimes it was a country house.

With a swimming pool.

And a place to sit outside.

Most of our rooms were right on the path.

And all our beds were soft and comfy, and particularly hard to get out of in the mornings.

(But that might have had something to do with the late hours we kept along the Camino.)

We were super grateful for every host that provided us with shelter along The Way!

Because there are so many pilgrims walking, there are many lodging choices. There are hotels and farmhouses (more like B&Bs), which is where we stayed. There are loads of Albergues, hostels with rooms full of bunk beds. Some of these have smaller rooms with fewer beds and some of them are like giant halls with endless rows of bunks. We heard mixed reviews of both the hostels and the food options in the Albergues, but we all agreed that if we go back, we would like to spend at least one night in an Albergue, just for the experience. We also met folks who were old school camping in fields.

Lots of people on The Way just walk as far as they are able each night and then stop whenever they are ready and try to find a bed. I was grateful that all of our accommodations were arranged for us, especially when I heard from some people that they would reach somewhere ready to stop and then discover that it was full and have to walk on until they found a vacancy. Also, I know myself well enough to know that I would stop earlier than I really needed to if I could stop wherever I liked.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read more about the Camino de Santiago. Or consider subscribing to receive stories in your inbox.

The post Snippets of The Way: Pilgrims’ Lodging appeared first on Alison Chino.

I’ve already mentioned that part of how we embraced our theme of Live The Way was that we stopped constantly.

On our third day, we had fewer miles to cover so we just meandered from one stop to the next, and were treated with wonderful surprises all day long.

This is the story of Day 3: Walking from Palas de Rei to Melide.

He rode by on a horse the first day.

We were having lunch, outside in a courtyard lined with rose bushes.

Drinking cold beer and eating spicy potatoes, exchanging tales and laughing.

We waved and called out the greeting of the trail, still new on our tongues, Buen Camino!

Four horses trotted past.

One man, who we would forever refer to as our conquistador, tipped his hat to us with all the grace of a courtly prince.

On our third morning, as we were leaving the town of Palas de Rei, we came upon some horse barns.

The horses, which had stopped at the barns the night before, were outside being groomed.

LynEtte noticed them first and stopped. Diane soon joined her as the riders waved us into the barnyard to say hello to the horses.

The sun was already high.

We had slept later than planned after a long night of giggles and being scolded for being too loud and then giggling some more.

Last ones down for breakfast, we were already getting such a late start and now only a few steps out of town,

we were stopped for horses.

Oh it’s the horses! Lynette cried when she saw them.

Stephanie stood outside the gate, perhaps tapping her toe just a little, while I took photos of Diane and LynEtte making friends with the horses.

But soon Stephanie was talking to a mother and her daughter who had been walking for almost a month, beginning from St Jean in France, averaging over 25 kilometers a day.

All pauses were like this. Someone would stop for one thing and then someone else would meet someone new or see someone you had met a couple of days before and they would start talking and then something else would happen and pretty soon we were all walking along the trail with different pilgrims, strangers until just a few days prior.

After some coaxing, LynEtte and Diane said goodbye to the horses and thanked the riders for letting us come and see them. We did not share any common language with the horse riders, but the gals’ joy on their faces over the horses was evident to their owners as we said goodbye.

As we continued, we all took turns visiting with the mom and daughter and they walked with us for most of the morning.

Day 3 was our shortest walking day in kilometers (only 13 km) but we might actually have been out on the trail for the longest amount of time on this day.

Because we stopped absolutely everywhere.

The horses were just the beginning.

Our next stop was Casa Domingo, a beautiful restaurant and albergue full of wonderful treasures. Like many stops, it is tastefully decorated with all the signs and symbols of the trail, both traditional and non-traditional. Old discarded boots were hanging outside and seashells in every possible size marked this stop as belonging to the Camino.

We saw more of our friends from the day before, two gals from Ireland and a sweet gentleman who was walking with his mom and sister, all from Columbia. We caught up with each of them, some of them making recommendations as they set off, You must try the little round cookies! And some just sitting down with coffee. And while we sat, we met those who arrived after us, a French couple who had been completing the journey in stages over several years, only they had begun from their home just outside of Paris. They would finish this year.

After setting off from Casa Domingo, we walked and talked along The Way for a while.

And then we stopped again.

The day was growing warm and we were drawn in by a fresh fruit stand outside of a small shop.

LynEtte was already holding sweet cherries when I walked up.

The lady who owned the shop was ushering us inside enthusiastically. She pointed proudly at the different offerings as my eyes adjusted to the cool, dark space. There was a basket full of fresh eggs. More fruit. Chocolate croissants and other pastries.

Sitting on top of an old barrel that was standing in as a display shelf were several large wheels of cheese. She pointed at the cheese and then to a pastry, a cross between a stuffed pizza and a calzone, to indicate that the cheese was in the pastry, an empanada.

Yes, we will have one of those, LynEtte said. And yes, we will have one of those as well, I said and pointed to the cheese wheels.

You’re going to buy that whole wheel of cheese? Lynette asked me.

Um, I’m pretty sure she said she made it here this morning. I want to try it. 

We selected more cherries and a couple of pins for our backpacks and took our purchases to the bar to pay.

Oh, a bar!

Well, yes we will have some glasses of whatever you have in that one tap there. 

We sat outside this little shop, breaking up cheese and pastries and exclaiming with delight over everything.

Oh my goodness THIS CHEESE, Y’ALL! Simple, fresh, creamy.

Can you believe how sweet these cherries are?

We were advertising to everyone that came by. Telling them they had to try. Breaking off pieces of empanada and cheese. By the time we stood up to go, we had that shop about cleaned out.

We would be just about to leave, but then someone else we knew would come along and we would stay to talk to them.

One sweet couple from England, who we saw every day, and enjoyed so much, arrived while we were sitting and were absolutely shocked at both how much we at eaten and at how slow we were moving. They had started from a much earlier point on the trail that day and had not expected to catch up to us.

You ate one of these entire cheeses!?

Well, we shared some of it. It was really good!

The wife told us that she had been watching for us and her husband had said that they would surely hear us before they saw us.

Of course he was right.

Next a group of school children came walking up the road. They had been walking a bit of the Camino as a field trip and were clearly ready for their mini-pilgrimage to come to an end.  There was a bus in the distance that must have been theirs and when they all caught sight of the bus they started running and laughing.

The lady who owned the shop, who had been so friendly when we had arrived, was beginning to tire as we stayed on and on, and I started to wonder if we were interfering with her siesta by staying for so long. Most of the shops close up from about 2-5pm in Galicia, and indeed in many parts of Spain.

Also, we were making the day drag on so and even though we only had a little ways to go until our stop for the night, we did need to get moving eventually.

But then the horses came trotting up the lane.

We cheered when we saw them, and our red-scarved conquistador was at the rear.

When he reached us he paused just in front of our table, then he directed his horse to prance around in a circle, spinning as we clapped and laughed. When he was facing us again, he pulled the reigns and the horse reared up on his hind legs and did a little dance, and all the while the rider was swinging his hat behind him. We applauded and squealed like children as he bowed from the waist, lifted his hat once more to us and then rode away.

We sat a few more minutes, enraptured as the clip clops of his horse faded away down the trail.

Amazing.

And precious.

If we were in any doubt at this point about whether or not we were keeping good enough time along the Camino, well,

all doubts were dispelled.

Every stop.

Every conversation.

Every hour along The Way

happened just as it as supposed to, perfectly timed.

Even ordained.

We finally left our sweet shop hostess in peace and carried on towards Melide, stopping at a medieval bridge just a little before the town, and to say a quick hello at two places where we saw friends having drinks.

But by and by we reached the town, and we found a church, as in two days we had developed a custom of stopping in at a church at the end of the day to sit for a minute and to give thanks for all we had experienced, as well as get our Pilgrims’ passports stamped. But the church was locked, so we sat down on the pavement outside and prayed together.

We were grateful for so many sweet minutes in the day.

On the way to our hotel we found another friend having drinks and stopped again. And then the shops in Melide started to open back up which distracted us from getting to our hotel.

When we finally made it to our hotel, we were so glad for a shower and a little rest before going out for dinner. We had a simple, but lovely meal.

No one was very hungry because you know, we had eaten all day long.

We figured we would have a quiet night, maybe not stay up quite so late.

It had been such a full day of Living The Way.

We had on our pajamas and were doing a bit of stretching and rubbing oils on our legs and feet, a nightly routine that Diane and I carried over from the Coast to Coast, when we heard singing.

It was in the distance, but it was loud.

We stopped to listen.

It was getting closer.

We all went to the window and leaned out to see a group of about thirty ladies coming down the street singing.

When they stopped just below us and began filing into our hotel, we decided it would not be an early night after all.

We all changed out of our pajamas and went back downstairs.

The ladies were all in the bar, still singing, but also taking turns ordering drinks.

The somewhat frazzled bartender was walking around taking their orders and trying to close off some of the doors so that maybe the hotel guests would not be awakened by the party that had just arrived. Several of the ladies had ordered coffee, but then had him coming around with some kind of liqueur that he was pouring into all their coffees.

We sat down at a table across from them and for the first couple of songs we just watched in awe as they sang in unison. Then a gal started to translate for us and explain some of the songs. She also told us that the ladies were on a bus tour from the north of Spain, and they were also going along the Camino to Santiago. But not walking. They were riding a bus and having a party all along the way.

Before the night was over, we were all singing with them and exchanging stories with hand motions about the Camino.

When we said goodbye, they laughed and made a motion of driving by and waving at us and laughing. That’s what they would do tomorrow if they saw us walking. Haha! We kissed cheeks all around and said goodnight.

As I fell asleep each night on the Camino, I felt so full of the experiences of each day that I could not imagine that the following one could be as great. But then the next day would come and it would be full of its own wonders.

As I processed the events of each day, I was always more than satisfied that we had taken Marcela’s words to heart.

Live The Way.

And I would wake up the next day with my heart all open and ready for whatever would happen next.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

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The post Camino Stories: Stop Often {Live The Way} appeared first on Alison Chino.

Ringing bells

call pilgrims to the Cathedral

in Santiago de Compostela.

From east, west, north, south

the doors are open and the people pour in.

The church fills

more bodies than seats.

Folks wander

and wonder

looking up

and spinning around

taking photos

taking it all in.

People start settling

against columns and along walls.

The closest seats are reserved for those who have walked to be here.

We have just arrived in Santiago.

We will begin walking tomorrow.

Backwards, we have come to the mass that you are meant to attend upon finishing.

It is not the first time I have done something the wrong way,

and it certainly will not be the last.

We find a place to stand, awkward between a post and the sides of long pews.

We each have a place to lean.

We grow quiet.

I watch faces and guess which ones have walked the longest

or fought the hardest battles

to arrive here today.

Some eyes are shining and others are very, very tired.

Some have come in with the dust on their feet.

Others arrived yesterday, and have cleaned up before coming to church.

Soon there is music and procession and the signs of everything beginning

and then

One small, lonely nun,

cheerful and bright,

speaks out strongly from the nave

words we do not understand.

She sings a line.

Though it is in Spanish, I know it is worship.

She stops.

She smiles and motions

and then the whole cathedral echoes the line.

The sound fills the cavernous heights.

She sings another line, pauses and then again, the people echo.

Oh, we are repeating, we slowly understand.

We stumble to join in,

echoing sounds and syllables

like children

learning to speak.

The lines stretch and grow and fill

not just the church,

but also our hearts.

Prayers follow

in every language.

Men in robes who have come from all over the world take their turns offering prayers.

I hear a prayer in American English, midwestern I think.

Then these same men take cords together and release the famous thurible,

the Botafumeiro,

literally “smoke expeller”in Galician,

the local language in this part of Spain.

Together, the red-robed tiraboleiros send the censor swinging

higher and higher

And they are singing

higher and higher.

Smoke swirls through the air, released from the censor by the motion.

The smells and the sounds

find their way to every far corner of these hallowed halls.

Behind the nave and the swinging thurible,

the remains of Saint James are preserved in a shrine.

The tomb of the saint has called pilgrims to Santiago since the Early Middle Ages.

Each one of them has carried a burden, a story or an offering on the long walk.

A week later,

we enter the church again.

This time

with the dust of the Camino still clinging to our feet and faces.

The day’s Pilgrims’ Mass long over,

the afternoon sun low in the sky,

we walk the quiet cathedral

and join the small queue

to pass by the remains of Saint James.

Like many before us,

we silently ascend narrow stairs

to embrace and kiss

a statue of Saint James.

The apostle

was martyred for following Jesus

almost two thousand years ago.

We are four loud American girls, but we are silent as we leave.

We lay down the last of our own relics on the fountain outside the cathedral.

I walk away with the memory of Saint James and his beloved Jesus and these words.

Come to me,

all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you

and learn from me,

for I am gentle

and humble of heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

Rest for your souls.

A word about the Pilgrims’ Mass: The mass in Santiago de Compostela happens every day at noon. We were fairly certain that we would not reach Santiago by noon on our final day of walking so we decided to attend when we first arrived in Santiago, before taking the train to begin our walk in Sarria. We discovered later that we were fortuitous in attending a mass where the Botofumeiro was present, as it is not used for all services. The censor is the largest in the world, crafted by a goldsmith over one hundred years ago. The services for which it is used change throughout the year, so it is worth researching in order to attend a mass where you will be certain to see it.  The mass fills up quickly, so arrive early if you would like a seat.

Our journey along The Camino de Santiago was made possible by Macs Adventure, who found us the most wonderful places to sleep and made our giant suitcases magically appear in our rooms each night. 

The post Snippets of the Way: Pilgrims’ Mass appeared first on Alison Chino.