Tag: spain

A Different Kind of Pilgrimage

Those Hokas featured so prominently in the last post, way back in April? Didn’t even bring them. Still have and wear and love them, but there wasn’t a need this time around. We did not walk for a week or more. We had someone drive us 6 or 7 miles out from our Santiago de Compostela hotel in the cold, dark pre-dawn and simply walked back to the cathedral over the course of a couple of hours. And that was enough. What changed?

As those posts back in April conveyed, we were fully immersed in prep for our Camino. But the hope of being able to work through some physical obstacles was not fulfilled, and we shifted the planning to a different kind of pilgrimage. Plenty of walking, to be sure: our most prolific day was over 25,000 steps, with several days of 20k+ over the course of the two weeks in Spain. But the kind of exertion that covering over 100km in under a week demanded was not something we were going to be able to sustain; as a result, we were left with the spiritual dimension of the voyage, which was as fulfilling (albeit in a different way) than an arbitrary amount of kilometers walked over the course of a set period. Along the way, we discovered beautiful cultures, new (to us) and amazing foods, and a historical, Catholic Church-based tour de force that was more satisfying than I ever dreamed it could be; mind you, I harbor some fairly lofty dreams!

In the coming posts, I’ll share my impressions and experiences in the major stops along the way: Madrid, El Escorial, Tolédo, San Sebastián, Loiola, Burgos, Léon, Santiago de Compostela, and Salamanca. Some for a matter of hours, others for a couple of days. Madrid, where our journey began and ended, quite unexpectedly captured our hearts, minds, and spirit for 6 glorious nights and the days in between. The country had us wondering, then questioning, and ultimately seriously contemplating: why, and then later, why not? As in: why would we leave everything behind – jobs, family, friends, all of it – in favor of a new place, particularly THIS new place? Well, that one was pretty simple. We simply fell in love, and love conquers all, right? The more vexing one was the why NOT? Because there is no single, logical reason / deterrent that could not be overcome by the simple act of our saying “yes” to Spain and then figuring it out, if only for a season (be it a month, a spring or fall, or longer). Not forever. Ok, PROBABLY not forever.

Why not, indeed?

Why Camino Gear Shouldn’t Matter (But Might)

I’m not above motivating myself with YouTube. Photography, cameras, travel. Laptops, iPads, phones. Mediterranean diet, exercise, health. People are really good at YouTube, and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that they’ve likely done some research, personally used the thing, and at the very least, are passionate enough about it to have immersed themselves and arrived at a decently-formed conclusion that they are sharing with the world. Which saves the rest of us countless hours and money, thanks to the relentlessly competitive landscape in which YouTubers exist and ply their craft.

When it comes to Camino prep, what kind of person are you? Are you after the camaraderie? The spiritual? The physical? The foreign? Did you see a movie or read a book or article that nudged you into seeking out more info? Is it the shoes, the poles, the backpacks? The escape? Because it seems to hold something for everyone, no doubt a large chunk of its appeal.

The thing is, pilgrims have been making the journey to Santiago de Compostela for over a thousand years. They did it with their own versions of footwear, packs, walking sticks; their own motivations, including religious obligation as a far bigger player than it is for today’s pilgrims, but also with many of the same ancillary benefits of camaraderie and the excitement of traveling to foreign lands. There would have been more dangers to the journey, more hardships, far less ease and convenience. Still, they came. Month after month, year after year, century after century.

As I watch videos, talk to people at REI, order shoes, and endlessly ponder such life-altering questions as Hokas or Brooks, hiking boots or trail runners, is a 30 liter backpack enough for the 7–9 day trek, and all of the other things that probably don’t really matter all that much, I don’t regret any of it. I’m also getting myself in shape with what I’m eating and drinking and have dramatically increased the physical conditioning routine, and would absolutely not be doing that to this extent if not for the continuous contemplation / obsession with all things Camino. To each their own.

Should the gear matter? Not really. The pilgrimage can be done regardless, as it has since long before any of our present versions of shoes and packs existed. But for me, it all serves as motivation, for the mindset as well as the physical prep. And if you must know, despite the mix of negative and positive reviews on the Goat Speed 6, that’s what I believe I have settled on. And fortunately, the color that I love is apparently not loved by all, hence marked down substantially at REI. Can’t wait to break them in on a local Audubon trail about 20 minutes away.

Buen Camino!