What can I say about this, to sum it all up. Experiences unfortunately can´t be wrapped up in neat little packages and shared so easily. I say unfortunately because how amazing would it be to be able to give the gift of experience so easily!? But actually, these are things that are only rich and meaningful because you have to work for them, because you have to put one foot in front of the other and ¨keep walking¨ as so many signs on the Camino helpfully suggested. Sometimes the steps are easy and carefree, sometimes they are painful and replete with bodily suffering. But mostly, they are light in the way that your soul feels bouyant when it knows it´s on the right path and all the Universe seems to be propelling you forward. That´s a bit of a grandiose statement, but sometimes, at my best moments, I felt just that way.
The four days further it took to walk to Finisterre, were some of the most beautiful, most peaceful days. Starting out from Santiago, it was strange to find myself walking away from the Cathedral, following the little yellow arrows pointing a different direction. The Camino Finisterre is technically a seperate Camino which ends, unquely, not in Santiago but at the furthest western point of continental Europe. There is a lighthouse there and then, there is Ocean. Standing there at the edge I imagined I would be staring out to sea contemplating the belief that it was in fact the end, before the ¨discovery¨ of the America´s. Instead I was staring out at a massive bank of fog rolling in obscuring the sea, and contemplating the end of my own journey. The fog came in quickly and wrapped us up in quiet and seemed to say sternly; ¨THINK!¨
For me, certain signs appeared frequently that became signals telling me if I was going rightly, and symbolism was everywhere, everywhere. The way I grew up and the teachers I have had in my life have also instilled in me a certain predisposition toward looking at things abstractly and seeing them as symbols in addition to whatever ¨real¨ properties they may possess. You cannot do this all the time of course, because if you look at a dog and see only a symbol... well you might get bitten. But if you can see the dog and the symbol then a whole new layer of experience opens up and one which provides ample fodder for contemplation. Fortunately, the Camino provides also ample time for contemplation, an excellent combination! I cannot even begin to estimate how much time I´ve spent in the last 7 weeks contemplating the number 3, for example... what it means? I don´t know yet but I´m thinking still. I could launch into a full on analysis of the various associations I have with this number but I think there are only a few reading this who would find that interesting, so I´ll spare you all my esoteric ramblings and save these thoughts for perhaps another venue.
Where am I? Barcelona. It´s raining in Barcelona. For 37 days of walking every day, it did not rain. Until the moment when I walked to the point that I could walk no futher (or I would plunge into the rocky and cold Atlantic ocean), there was sun and warmth. 15 minutes later, there was fog. Que Suerte! Lucky indeed to have such fine and wonderful weather for walking. The hardest part about walking the Camino was to have to stop walking at the end. But I am in Barcelona, I did not walk here. To walk back to Barcelona would have taken probably another 45 or 50 days, time I sadly did not have at my disposal. I walked to Finisterre and then I had to get on a bus, oh what a horrible thing that was. I have never in my life had problems with motion sickness, but those three hours from Finisterre back to Santiago I wanted to die. Perhaps that was my little death at the end, so that I could be reborn? I´m sure it was beautiful, winding along the coast through lovely little fishing towns then back through forests and over some mountains... but I wouldn´t know, I spent the time curled into fetal position shoved in the corner trying to breath steadily with my eyes glued shut. Then suddenly, we were back in Santiago reliving the experience of walking in as Pilgrims. Pilgrims no more. The end.
Onward...
I have more to say about my travels but I´m being terribly anti-social with my host, Tatianna in Barcelona, an absolutely fantastic person I met a few years ago while travelling in Nicaragua, some if you may have followed me then as well?
More to come. Cheerio!
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