Are you up for the task?

Sunrise Surprise

Breakfast Tortill

 "Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks."

― Phillips Brooks

In the last week or so I have done things I would have never thought possible. I am not a strong or sporting person, so it amazes me that I have been able to walk the distances I have on difficult mountain trails and roads. 

The quote above was appropriate for my day and I share it with you in hope that may be encouraged in completing your personal Camino.

I promised some comments on the mechanics of this amazing experience, which has its own culture and standards. There are exceptions to what I write here, but this is a typical day for me.

You are sleeping in a room on bunk beds with between 8 and 50 other people. Lights out and silence at 10pm, doors locked. If you were out on the town and didn't get back, too bad.  You are not getting in.

At about 5am some people start getting up and heading out to get an early start. While most are very quiet, I am aware of movement in the dark as they slip out. I have been getting up at about 6am and get my stuff together, go downstairs to put on my shoes that are always left outside the living area. There may be some coffee or toast, but that is usually later after the early walkers are long gone. I try to have an apple to enjoy as I head out in the dark at about 6:30 and follow the Way.  The sun is to your back and at about 7:15 there is good sky light. Seeing the sun come up each day is wonderful.

Eventually I get to a bar, a small restaurant that will offer coffee and tortillas (omelets) and pastries, maybe more. This is sacred ground, my friends. If we had these places in the US fast food stores would have no lines. I am going to miss this for sure.

So we are now an hour or two onto the day's walk and the air is warming, time for sun screen and sun glasses, putting the fleece in the pack and putting in some serious miles.  Each town I enter presents itself on a unique way, and each one has an array of things to see and hear. Too many things, in fact. I find myself standing in awe of the architecture and layout of the streets, how serious people take their responsibility to make their property beautiful with plantings and objects of art.

Look at the grapes hanging over the entrance to a small house.

Eventually it is time to eat lunch, which I have skipped several days in favor of an orange or apple or a bag of nuts. When I do get lunch it is usually a bocadilla, a simple sandwich on a local bread with one or two ingredients, my favorite being chorizo. But I have had ham or one containing the tortilla I mentioned as a breakfast dish.

Then more walking, trying to arrive about 1 or 2 pm to get a bed. There are record numbers of people doing this Camino at this time and I have been told the same thing Joseph and Mary heard: sorry, no more room at the Inn. But so far I've been able to find something indoors.  Many are sleeping on the ground, even outside.  I have started going to little towns not featured so much in guide books and find them very special.

So you get a bed assigned (begging for a lower bunk) and take your soap, towel and some clean clothes to the shower, use your bar of soap for hair and body, then hand wash your garments with that same bar of soap. So this is the second important bar in the day of the pilgrim.

Hang up your clothes in the sun - you did bring clothes pins, right? Then join the other pilgrims in conversation, usually ones you know and new ones to meet. A dozen languages being spoken, much gesturing, laughter and learning. I have met pilgrims from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Ireland, Korea and more. We somehow manage to eat, wash, sleep and enjoy meals together.

Time for a funny story: I became friends with Alberto, an Italian with philosophical level English skills. We had deep conversation and shared some travel. After our dinner on a local outdoor place with a woman from Holland and a man from Germany they left and two other Italians sat at our table. Remember that 10 pm deadline to get back to our bed? Almost missed it!  

Anyway the other two were not really English speakers, but I understood the general drift from their body language and enjoyed our time together. We agreed to meet in the morning to walk together.  

The next morning while walking they began singing English language popular songs (Yellow Submarine was one favorite) and after all three men had sung in beautiful voice they insisted I sing. Those who know me know that I am now in trouble.

 I don't sing. So after a minute of thinking I selected a religious song: Janis Joplin's "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz...." And I got acceptable reviews. You had to be there.

Anyway, that's the bones of a pilgrim's day. Wake, walk, wash, eat, sleep, repeat. Enjoy. Did I mention that I have never smiled so much in my life? And I think others are doing it to, even the ones with sore feet. 

Next time I plan to share a story about a 77 year old woman I walked with the other day, be sure to join me for this amazing story of one pilgrim on the Way.