Camino Culture

Burgos, Tuesday 10th May 2011

The Camino day starts at about 6 a.m. The early birds have already left, but their departure will be quiet and considerate of those still asleep. In the albergue (really inexpensive overnight accommodation for pilgrims) you may have slept in a room with seven others, or maybe seventy-seven others, most usually in double bunks.

At about six o´clock the stirrings become obvious. Very slowly the sky lightens but it will be an hour or two before the sun rises. The focus at this time is to get up - and get going! Some will make breakfast for themselves at the albergue from provisions they bought the night before. Very rarely a bar might be open in the village offering breakfast before the day´s journey begins. My preference is to hit the road, walk for about an hour (3 or 4 Km.) then stop at a cafe/bar for a light breakfast. Imagine my horror on several of the early days to find nothing open until I´d walked 9 or 10 Km. (quite masochistic!) Wisdom now ensures careful scrutiny of the map on the night before, with provision being made if there is no obvious early eating place.

The Camino is very much an individual, and personal experience. Even if you walk with company, you really walk alone, in the fullness of what´s going on for you. It is an unwritten practice that you do not hold back another, nor do you allow another to slow you down. Each person´s pace is respected, and observed. For me, walking in Spain is akin to driving in Australia - almost everyone passes me!! In passing, a greeting is always exchanged. This might be ¨Hola¨(hello), ¨Buenos Dias¨(Good morning), or ¨Buen Camino¨(good walking). If you meet up with someone you´ve met previously the conversation might be more extensive, but this must not impede progress, either theirs or yours.

Some pilgrims determine the extent of their day´s walk before setting out. My preference is to walk until midday, then progress from village to village as I feel like. That is, wherever I am at or near midday, I´ll take a rest and decide if I want to walk to the next village. When I get there, the process repeats. The end of the day´s walk is determined by whether there is accommodation available. Most villages have an albergue. but I have found some exceptions.

Yesterday I determined, at lunch time, to head for a certain village. The guide book said there was a small but new albergue there. I was hopeful. However, when I got there - and the village itself was tiny - I found no evidence of an albergue (mostly these are well-signed). By this time we were into the siesta hours. Even so, I managed to find two people in this otherwise asleep place. Neither person was very helpful. From what I understood they were telling me to be on my way, there was no albergue here. And so, after resting a while from the strong afternoon sun, I took to the road again. I walkd thirty Km. yesterday - many more than I had intended. But I finished the day extremely happy, if a little sore.

Normally on reaching one´s walk destination for the day, the activity is set - wash the clothes that need washing, and seek out what clothes line space is available (clothes pegs are always at a premium). Get yourself well-showered and relaxed, then there´s social time available before the need to decide on the evening´s meal. Some people do travel in groups. I´ve noticed this especially with Spanish, Italian and some Dutch. The group tends to socialise together. As an individual - and English speaking at that - I find the social interaction is more likely to come from other individuals. The other evening at dinner my table company comprised a lady from USA, a man from Finland, and a young German guy. All spoke English, and we had a fascinating time. We decided that the world would benefit if its leaders undertook a Camino.

Today I´m taking a rest day in Burgos ( most welcome after yesterday´s marathon walk). The weather is pleasant and this city with its medieval history and so many buildings extant is delightful.

The guide book tells me I´m 500 Km from Santiago. My goodness, so much has happened since Roncesvalles, and I´m sure much more will occur before I finish this walk.

¡Buen Camino!