I knew before I began the Camino that there was a culture all its own. But I never could’ve understood it before I started on this journey. And even now, on day two, there’s no way I can begin to explain this way of life, the life of a pilgrim. Each pilgrim is traveling the same road, but each pilgrim has their very own journey; they’re all different. Yet the Way connects us all, for we are all on this road, seeking something to satisfy whatever longing we have in our souls.
Today we completed day two of walking and it’s amazing how close everyone has gotten since we arrived in Spain just 5 short days ago. Walking the Camino is especially nice because it gives everyone a chance to talk in smaller groups of maybe two or three, really getting to know each person individually and more personally.
Walking and being surrounded by beautiful flowers, I especially love the Poppy flowers, and mountains in the distance is exactly how I imagined this trip. Somehow it’s even more beautiful than I imagined though, I have noticed that cameras can’t capture the raw beauty of the Spanish countryside that we walk along each day.
One of the most interesting times on the trail today was when the trail split into three paths, each marked with supposed yellow arrows, but some looking a little more fake or makeshift than others. We managed to find the right direction and forged forward, quickly to stumble upon the beautiful Roman bridge.
The atmosphere of today was much different than yesterday, at least for me. Walking I took my time, and stopped to take pictures and really enjoy the outdoors. At the Albergue it is much more relaxing, and I was so pleasantly surprised to find an easel with unlimited paint supplies and canvases. The Albergue is decorated with these paintings that fellow pilgrims have made, which I find to be very special.
Tomorrows going to be another long day, but definitely a fun one at that. I continuously look forward to getting to know the fellow Hokies and other Pilgrims as well as the Spanish culture.
Lea Trageser
Although we have been in Spain for five days now, today marked the beginning of our journey on El Camino. As the Camino runs straight through towns and cities, we began immediately upon stepping out of our hotel in Leon. As with most things, the best part of the Camino is the people. It takes a certain type of person to be a peregrino, just as it takes a certain type of person to be a Hokie. There is an old Spanish proverb that reads: “Dime con quien andas, y te dire quien eres.” Those who are both peregrinos and Hokies are people with whom I am very proud to walk.
But, of course, it is not just us walking the Camino this summer. It took me exactly one hour on the trail to make friends with a kind Londoner on a soul-searching trip across 3 continents by himself. He stuck with us for a few hours. After all, even the peregrinos who begin alone certainly do not remain so for long.
After checking into our first albergue, I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodations (think sleep away camp bunks). The coolest part, though, is the walls. Countless peregrinos have left quotes, messages, and more in almost just as many languages. I left my favorite Mark Twain quote. We even found a few messages from Hokies past. It is so humbling to see how many peregrinos have come before us and so inspiring to look at the remaining blank spaces and imagine the peregrinos to come.
Today, on the first day of the Camino, I realized that the peregrinos bond mostly over blisters. The things that people remember the most are names and blisters. Of the 4 to 5 pilgrims that I spoke to today, the consensus was that most of the peregrinos are friendly no matter their cultural background. A Canadian couple told me of the dinner that they shared with a Korean couple, who didn’t speak a word of English. Together they enjoyed chicken curry with rice and, a Spanish favorite, potatoes. I think that experience speaks of the magic of the Camino. Personally, the day was fairly easy; I expect things to get a rougher as we get sorer. I got two blisters but they’re very small and tomorrow I will be using different shoes in order to see if that help. I’m both looking forward and nervous for what’s to come, but with every peregrino conversation my confidence grows.
Jamie Osorio
When Dr. Hesp asked me to meet her in Bruggers just a couple hours after submitting my application to VT Camino, I never imagined that a couple months later that I would be experiencing what I have in the last 5 days of this program. In these few days I have gained a much greater understanding of the culture, society, and language of Spain and even Latin America as well. As a civil engineering major with additional minors in history, green engineering, and leadership studies, I have been able to expand my global understanding and comprehension in all of these fields in addition to making what I confidently believe to be life-long bonds with the other Hokie peregrinos of our group. I look forward to the next four weeks with friends in this wonderful country.
After the pilgrims mass in Santiago , we all went out to our last lunch together before meeting our familes. Everyone was a little nervous during lunch. Only a couple members of our group had done a homestay before, and we did not know very much about our host families. After lunch, we waited together in front of the cathedral for our families to come pick us up. One by one, people started to arrive. As each new person walked up, I wondered if it was the person I would be living with for the next two weeks. I had decided to live alone, and I knew that my family had three kids, all over the age of 14. When my family finally arrived, I picked up my pack and walked with them to their car. Immediately, I knew that I had nothing to worry about. They were very welcoming and made sure that I had everything I needed. As they showed me my room, the bathroom, and the rest of their apartment, I realized that I had been nervous for nothing and was going to love staying with my Spanish familly for the next two weeks.
Mary Carome
I couldn’t possibly think of a better way to celebrate the completion of the Camino de Santiago than with a permanent reminder of everything I experienced over those 800 km. I got this tattoo in Santiago the Tuesday after we arrived as a ‘trophy’ for what I had just accomplished. This was also important to me because just a week earlier, I had decided to return to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, which is where the Camino Frances formally begins, to walk the first ~500 kilometers (to León) by myself. That made this tattoo not only representative of what I had already done, but what I was going to do. With each passing day this tattoo grew to mean more and more to me. It wasn’t until the day that I arrived in León that one of my friends shared with me what the owner of the albergue we stayed in the previous night had told him: “Your Camino starts when you reach your destination.” It’s what you do after you finish. It’s what stays in your heart when you go b ack to the real world. Every time I look down at my wrist I will be reminded that the Camino has changed me forever and I will remain a Peregrina for the rest of my life.
After sixteen long, but fun days, we finally arrived in Santiago today. The entire trek I was racking my brain for a creative way to celebrate arriving at our final destination. I asked Annie what other groups in the past had done and was shocked to hear that this hadn’t crossed their mind. After going through countless possibilities and being told by several people that entering Santiago naked would probably be inappropriate, I decided we should tie all of packs together so we could both literally and figuratively finish this journey together. As a group of us walked the last five kilometers tied together, singing songs and anticipating our grand finish we realized hiking tied to seven other people is a much slower process than we imagined and as the we approached the city limits of Santiago we unfortunately had to untie ourselves. We continued to brainstorm ideas until Lindley and I finally came to the conclusion that we would crawl, wheelbarrow and I would carry her on my shoulders as we approached the cathedral. Oh and I walked the last kilometer barefoot in the pouring rain. Needless to say a scene was made in front of the cathedral but it just didn’t seem right to just walk to the finish of this amazing sixteen day adventure.
Today is the second to last day of the Camino. We woke up and had a small breakfast of fruit, yogurt, and granola bars before heading out around 8:30. The sky looked dark for the first half of the morning, but we walked about 9 kilometers and stopped for second breakfast before it started to rain. We stopped for a little while under a small café awning because it was pouring. After a few minutes, we decided that the rain was not going to let up and decided to just push foward. We walked for about 90 minutes in the heaviest rain I have ever seen. Despite getting completely soaked through, today was one of the best days of the Camino. We had fun walking through the pouring rain once we accepted the fact that we were not going to stay dry. It felt like were were little kids again, playing in the puddles during a rain storm. After today, I´m almost sad that we arrive in Santiago tommorrow. The Camino has been hard, but it has been the most amazing, fun experience of my life.
Each day on the Camino follows a similar pattern. We wake up early; have a quick breakfast; walk during the morning and early afternoon; and spend the rest of the day recovering or exploring. Although each day presents a new challenge, the days can blend together. For me, the people that we meet in each town are what make each day unique. Almost every person I have talked to loves sharing something about where they come from.
In León, we had trouble finding our hotel after exploring on our own. A man named Santiago saw that we were lost and insisted on showing us the way. He talked to us about living in León for his entire life and showed us his favorite part of the city.
In Astorga, we had only been in town for a few minutes when a man came up to us and began telling us about the Roman ruins we were about to pass. When we told him we had to get to our albergue to meet up with the rest of our group, he immediately offered to show us the way. He spent the entire walk to the albergue telling us about the buildings we passed.
These are just two of the many people we have met in Spain, but both are perfect examples. The people we meet in the small towns and cities of Spain love their homeland and enjoy sharing it with others. Not only are they proud of where they come from, they also know so much about Spain’s history and culture. I have learned more by just talking to people in Spain than I could from reading a textbook.
Hokies hiking the Camino de Santiago 