Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
To quote Green Day "I walk a lonely road, the only one I've ever known, Don't know where it goes, But it's home to me, and I walk alone"
To be amongst so many, but to know so few is for me a both a positive and a negative feeling I had whilst walking the Camino.There is no right or wrong answer to what is best in terms of who you walk with as it is totally dependant on what you want and how you feel. As I have written before I love walking alone as it allows me to create that space in my mind to relax, empty my head of thoughts and just absorb what is happening around me. I emphasised the point then and I will say it again that I am not against talking to people, and once the walking day is done, I am more than happy to relax and converse with anyone.
I actually do talk a lot when I’m working as I talk out loud to myself. And I sing and I laugh, but again it is for my benefit. To some that may sound peculiar or sad, but it seems to work for me and during those long slow stages of the walk, it entertains me.
I read about how people have made lifelong friends and that makes me really happy. I have met some wonderful people on my two caminos and I am still in touch with them, delighted to be able to message them as and when needed. I think back to my two caminos so far and considered how I might come across when walking. Language can be a limiting factor in communication and this was particularly evident when I stopped at an albergue in Sigueiro on the Camino Ingles. I was in a dormitory with five others, a group of three and two others, who like me were walking alone. Apart from the common phrases - hello, good bye etc, conversation was limited by language and all we managed were a couple of attempted words from both sides and some gestures. Around 6pm, some headed out for food and indicated for me to join them, which I was hugely appreciative of. However, I declined, as I did not wish to burden them with having to make conversation in such a difficult way. I hope that my rejection of their kind offer did not cause offence as I was genuinely grateful for the invitation.
Another example of this was I met a Spanish lady on the Ingles who kindly offered to take my photo. I thanked her and we started walking together for a few minutes. Again conversation was difficult as she knew as many English words as I knew Spanish words. In the end we moved apart and both continued on our separate way.
The first proper conversation I had on the Camino Ingles was when I was leaving Pontedeume. The night before, at the hostel, I had had a few quick conversations with people, again limited by language, in this case Spanish and German. Before I left Pontedeume, I stopped in the town for breakfast and had a quick conversation with two Danish people before I wished them Buen Camino. Our paths crossed at another coffee break in Ocaminoevida Suseia and we had a longer conversation. It helped that one of them spoke very good English and with a mixture of Danish and English we were able to talk about a wide variety of things. I then met up with them in the evening in Betanzos and had some drinks and a long chat. We then went our separate ways in the morning and our paths did not cross again.
It is this evening time that for me is the most enjoyable aspect. I have had a day of walking, and apart from greetings with fellow pilgrims, I have had little conversation. In the evening, having showered and washed my clothes and sorted my pack out, I feel ready to talk and it is a very pleasant experience to sit with others and learn about their lives, their home and their experiences. During the day I want to focus on very little, just the process of walking, the rhythmic motion of walking accompanied by the tap tap of my walking poles (and yes, they do have rubber tips!). It is that rhythm that helps me to relax and refresh my mind. My job requires me to talk a lot and make decisions; on the Camino I want the time to reflect, refresh, rejuvenate and enjoy peace, both in my mind and around me. I am genuinely not being anti-social or miserable, it is just the way I am.
Photo by Jad Limcaco on Unsplash
Thank you for reading Spotted: By Bert Syview. This post is public so feel free to share it.
The Camino Ingles was my first camino and with a mixture of excitement, enthusiasm and some trepidation, I set off from Ferrol, unsure of what lay ahead. On that first day to Pontedeume I saw very few pilgrims, in fact I only spoke to one couple and that was to ask them to help pull my poncho down over my back and rucksack, as it was flying about in the wind. It was more gestures than words but the objective was achieved and I bid them thank you and a good way. On the second day, other than the Danish pair, I again met very few pilgrims and spoke with even less, my conversations were limited to ordering from bars and cafes. For some this may sound off putting, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Betanzos to Bruma was again absent of any real conversation. I was staying in a hotel in Leira that night and was so exhausted I just wanted some food and a drink and to sleep. On the stage from Bruma to Sigueiro I met the first English person, a young lady from Somerset and we walked together for 15 mins and it was a delight to have an easy conversation. The final stage from Sigueiro to Santiago was walked in torrential rain and, despite passing pilgrims, no one was in the mood to say anything other than Buen Camino.
Arriving in Santiago and having showered, and got warm again, I met up with friends from Argentina and despite language barriers, we enjoyed a memorable evening.
On the Camino Portuguese (I started in Rubiaes) there were considerably more people about and you were never far from a fellow pilgrim. Polite greetings were frequent and, that night, in Tui, I met several people and we enjoyed the evening. Tui to Redondela was a similar experience, with just occasional polite conversation as I walked. At certain points I would deliberately stop and take a break to avoid getting caught up in a group of walkers. In the evening I met up with some Slovakian friends and enjoyed a good meal together. The following day I set off early, again looking to walk quietly and peacefully by myself. As I climbed a steep hill there were several pilgrims on the path and ahead a man selling drinks and food. As I came past him, he was engaged in a conversation with another pilgrim and I detected an Irish accent. I spoke to him and we walked together for 20 minutes. It was enjoyable to have a simple conversation about a place I know well, but again, I made a deliberate stop so our paths could divert. As I write this I am starting to think that the issue is with me and I am intolerant of people! I’m not, I will happily talk, but I crave that peace and solitude that walking the camino can provide.
I really valued the small, brief conversations I have had with people. To me they are verbal photographs of my experiences and my adventures. At Finisterre, a five minute conversation with a lady, stood as we were on the piece of rock jutting out into the Atlantic. She was also alone so we asked each other to take photos of ourselves and exchanged a few words as to what a magical experience it was. I do not know that lady’s name, where she was from or where she went afterwards, but I will always remember that conversation.
As my thoughts turn to this years camino, I have wondered if my behaviour will change. The Camino has become part of me and as I return more and more the place, the people and the journey become so much more familiar. I spoke recently with a friend who expressed an interest in walking a camino and asked my advice. The only thing I said was that if they want my help in planning I am more than happy to assist but my only advice would be to walk it alone.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this
Buen camino
Bert