The way of the stars

Reflections of an American Pilgrim

1

READING FOR UNIT 2:

Nice to meet you,

pilgrims!

2

As far as the actual journey is concerned,

the Way to St. James (Camino)starts at home

and, if home is where the heart is, it starts there.

Practically, however, it has become the tradition to

start in France in St. Jean Pied de Port or in

Roncesvalles on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees .This

is the beginning of the Camino Frances or the French

Route. But, there are other caminos: the Camino de la

Plata which comes from Granada in the South, the

Camino del Norte which follows the wild northern

coast of Spain and the bay of Cantabria and the

Camino Primitivo, one of the oldest, a detour to the

north from the Camino Frances that was used to evade

the moors who controlled most of Spain to the south.

There is also a camino that rises northward from

Portugal

My goal was to keep both body and mind fit,

to enjoy the changing countrysides of northern Spain,

and reflect in a natural setting. Just before going a

friend called me and mentioned that they wanted to do

an article on the Camino de Santiago for a publication

and asked that I take some notes on my way. I agreed,

and this is a summary of my note taking.

3

Days 1-3: Finding The Rhythm

Day 1

I drive two hours northward from Madrid to

Burgos, a town on the Spanish meseta or mesa that is

known for its constant winds, the bitter cold of its

winters and the quality of its morcilla, a type of blood

sausage that is considered the best in Spain. The

meseta has similarities with the geography you might find

in the southwest of the United States, raised tables of

arid, slightly undulating land. Burgos with its sausage and

spires would be completely alien on any American mesa.

I check into the refuge in the early

afternoon and am helped by a young man. He shows me

to my bunk in a large room which is shared by both men

and women. A healthy snoring rises from some of the

beds, and the air smells of mentholated cream, the kind

used to alleviate the aches of muscles and joints. A

woman whose feet are being attended to by a friend

laughs at the snorers. Despite the laughter and the noise

of people shuffling about and moving their baggage, the

exhausted walkers continue sleeping contentedly and

soundly.

4

After checking in, I visit the 13th century

cathedral for which Burgos. It is the largest in Spain

and is nothing less than spectacular. The cathedral of

Burgos is resplendent, a brilliant, creamy white, its

interior and its ceilings of an extraordinary lightness and

beauty. On the way back I take the time to sit on the

tree-shaded terraces and have a coffee, and watch as

the locals begin to emerge and the cafés become busy as

the afternoon heat subsides. I learn how much the sun

and the heat mark the rhythm of life in northern Spain

and on the camino.

When I come back to the refuge, I find a

crew of six or seven doctors working around a picnic

table in the courtyard. At first I fear the worst, that

someone has had a serious accident or suffered heat

stroke. Then I realize that they are only here to attend

to the sore and blistering feet of the pilgrims. They wear

black uniforms with reflective international orange and

seem a bit overdressed and overly serious for the task at

hand. They appear to be enjoying the opportunity to

listen to the pilgrims who are keen on telling their

stories.

Within minutes I hear French, German,

English and more languages I don't recognize. Few of

the walkers are Spanish. Apparently, some 80% of the

travelers this far out from Santiago are foreigners. The

Spaniards tend to join the camino 100 kilometers before

Santiago, perhaps because they are less disposed to

physical exertion and long journeys. 100 kilometers is the

magic mark since it is the minimum distance for which the

pilgrim can get a certificate for making the pilgrimage.

5

A. Now is your turn to think about the text.

1. Where does St. James Way

start, according to the author?

How many routes to Santiago

does he mention?

1. Which places does the pilgrim describe? Which

adjectives and comparison does he use?

2. Explain the meaning of the following sentence in the

text : “I learn how much the sun and the heat mark the

rhythm of life in northern Spain and on the Camino”.

3. Discuss with your classmates about how you can

communicate with people which does not speak your

same language.

4. In pairs, imagine that you are the author of this diary an

you meet another pilgrim. Write a short dialogue asking

each other about place of origin, job, family, etc. Then

act out the dialogue.

6

READING FOR UNIT 4:

Travel, trouble

7

Day 2

I wake up the next morning not

particularly well rested. It is not easy to rest in a

room with 50 or more pilgrims unless you too are in a

state of utter exhaustion. Ear plugs are advisable for

those who are sensitive to noise. So is patience; there

is a constant opening and shutting of windows by those

who find the room too hot at night and want fresh air,

and those that fear the pernicious effects of drafts.

I conclude that refuges are not for the squeamish.

My first contact with a pilgrim is with a

pale, sincere-looking American woman from Oakland

who lives, coincidentally, right across the hill from

where my sister lives. As the Spanish say, el mundo

es un pañuelo (the world is as small as a

handkerchief). She is in her late 20's wears a long-

sleeved shirt and a broad rimmed hat, a bit like that

of St. James, to protect her skin. She started walking

in St. Jean Pied de Port and is doing the camino in

segments. This is her second year walking. Each year

she walks the distance she can in her scant 10 days of

American vacation. She then flies home, works for

another year, and comes back and continues where she

left off the year before. She is at the end of this

year's journey, just 600 kilometers shy of

Santiago. Another two to three years and she expects

to make it but, tomorrow she flies back to Oakland.

8

The day starts sharing the same footpath

with the pilgrims and I have the opportunity to

observe some of their idiosyncrasies. I pass one man

shielding himself from the blazing sun with a large

black umbrella, balancing, seemingly, on a tightrope, a

bit like a clown in a circus act. Many pilgrims break the

most basic rules of hiking. They walk dangling heavy

items in plastic bags in their hands, straining arms and

shoulders. Others carry weight that would strain a

mule. Some wear heavy, stiff-soled boots designed for

mountain climbing and others wear flip-flops designed

for the beach. Each will clearly pay for their choice of

footwear at the end of the day.

I continue in search of a place to rest and

have a cup of coffee, and begin to realize that

cycling in Spain is not like cycling in other parts of

Europe where villages are close and where one can

expect to find frequent and inviting cafés. I go many

kilometers before I arrive in Castrogeriz. On the

ridge overlooking the town are the ruins of an

impressive fortification that may have had Visigoth

origins. I find a bar there to have my coffee.

9

As in most Spanish bars, the locals are watching football on television. A woman in a wheelchair is having a coffee at the counter. She makes twitchy, uncontrolled movements, signals to me and we begin to talk. It turns out that she has done (walked would not be the right word) the camino five times, each time along a different route. Each time, it takes her over one month to cover the 900 kilometers from her home in France. I ask her if she has someone helping her on her journey. No, she responds, she does it on her own. I am surprised at how this is possible. In response, she demonstrates that she is able to stand on her legs-somewhat-by holding onto the bar with one hand and drinking her coffee with the other.

The men from the bar join the conversation and begin to argue about where I should stay tonight, Frómista or Carrión de los Condes. One advocates one village, while the other advocates the other saying that the inhabitants of the first are unfriendly. On the last leg of today's journey, I stop in a village to get water from a fountain and to wet my shirt. A monk, dressed in a long black frock that must burn under the midday sun sits down at a bench in the shade across from me. He reads and says nothing. He sees me and shouts "que tengasbuen camino" which translates as "may your passage be good", or "have a safe walk", or maybe just "happy trails". And, so I learn the typical greeting of the pilgrim. This cheery wish is oddly motivating coming from a man who can hardly walk himself.

10

A. Now is your turn to think about the text.

1. Which places does he describe

during his second day?

1. What kind of people does he find on his way? Who

does he meet on the bar? What happens there?

2. Which means of transport does the pilgrim use to get

to St. James? How do you know?

3. Discuss with your classmates about the means of

transport you prefer to complete the route. Give

reasons.

4. In pairs, imagine that you are in your local town and

you meet a couple of pilgrims who want to eat

something and then have a cofee. Give them some

advices about the places (take into account quality,

price, location, etc.) and show them the way.

11

READING FOR UNIT 9:

An e-mail from mum

and dad

12

Day 3

"This is nothing but cheap, low-cost tourism" says José Manuel the sacristan of the refuge in Carrion de los Reyes. The camino, especially during the summer months when tourism is at its height, has turned into a race from one refuge to another. People rise at four or five in the morning, in part to escape the midday heat, but also because they worry that there may not be enough room at the next refuge when their day of walking ends. People compete and compare notes on how many kilometers they walk in a day.

Absent a complete change of plans, he suggests that I spend my next night in Bercianosdel Camino Real where he assures me I will have the true pilgrim's experience. I go to a café for my breakfast, think over what I have seen to date and decide to trust the sacristan's judgment. The café has a computer with an internet connection in the corner. As much as limping is omnipresent on the camino, so is the internet. People are maintaining contact, sometimes working, never entirely disconnected, never entirely focused on or aware of what is around them.

13

Some kilometers later, my legs find their

rhythm and I observe the countryside as it passes.

The character of the small towns changes. Closed gas

stations remind me of parts of the American southwest.

Businesses and employment must be leaving this region

too. What I see seems a bit out of step with modern

Europe. Buildings, originally built from clay mixed with

straw, now crumble into ruin.

After a few hours I arrive at the refuge of

Bercianos del Camino Real suggested by the sacristan

in Carrion de los Condes. The buildings are made of mud

and straw and many have fallen into such a state of

disrepair that their complete destruction is imminent.

The refuge is quite rustic as well. As I arrive, I notice

that there are sparrows flying in and out the front door.

I guess that we'll be staying with them tonight.

I am welcomed by a group of bright-eyed

Augustinian nuns. They explain how they organize their

day and ask whether I want to participate in a communal

dinner. I agree. The evening begins with introductions

from the pilgrims. It reminds me a bit of a warm-up to a

business meeting but, it works. Everyone is now familiar

with everyone else, and soon a guitar gets passed around

and people begin to sing. A bearded young man from

Canada contributes some folk songs in a thick and

impenetrable Quebec accent. Some Germans sing

Beethoven's Ode to Joy and a Brazilian woman sings a

song of what I imagine to be lost love. 14

It is here in Bercianos that I begin to get a

feeling for what type of people go on pilgrimage.

There is an East German family from Dresden. The

husband is unemployed. The wife maintains the family;

she runs a company that provides assisted living services

to old people.

The wife is particularly interested in how old

people are taken care of in the United States and in

Spain. She likes the treatment of the elderly here. They

are more likely to be taken care of by friends and family

at home, and those in the villages continue living much as

they did when they were working and younger. Since

there is no need for cars in small towns, they walk to the

corner grocery store to purchase their necessities, and

stop by a friend's house to chat, or perhaps at the

corner bar for a game of dominoes. The very modest

state pensions are usually enough to cover basic needs.

Christian, a man in his early 50's has walked

2,400 kilometers in 75 days from his home in

Hiltenfingen Germany. In that time he has grown a red-

grey beard and lost some weight. He hardly speaks

Spanish and his English, which could have been useful, is

not strong either. In the absence of conversation and

distractions, he has written the lyrics to a Gregorian

chant in his head, which he sings, with a complete lack of

self-consciousness, for the rest of us in the makeshift

chapel of the refuge. The distance from his home and the

solitude of Christian's walk are clear to all even if we do

not understand German. The orange evening light

backlights Christian as he sings and it is a serene and

beautiful moment.

15

That evening it becomes clear to me that

the camino is a simple and useful metaphor for life:

a linear passage where we meet people, see places and

have experiences, a passage that leads to a finality.

For those who find it difficult to imagine a final

reward, the compensation must be found on the

journey. This is what all pilgrims emphasize on the

camino, and it is in keeping with the modern philosophy

of living in the present and for the day.

We prepare dinner together. The Brazilian

woman and I cook the lentils. The Canadians help with

the salad. We all pitch in to make a fruit macedonia.

The Brazilian woman adds caramelized sugar, red wine

and cinnamon, which gives the macedonia a tropical

touch that is welcomed by the rest of the travelers. I

sit down last at the table and Mercedes, one of the

nuns, offers to fill my glass with red wine. I accept,

and offer to do the same for her.

The dinner table conversation turns to the

question of whether it is better to do the camino

alone or in company. Two people take opposed sides

of the argument but, I get the impression that despite

what appear to be irreconcilable positions, both are

lonesome travelers in need of others to help them

make some sense of this journey. Other hands help

clean up after dinner, and some hands do nothing at all.

It is a wonderful harmonious evening spent in good

company.16

A. Now is your turn to think about the text.

1. What does José Manuel critisize about pilgrimage?

2. How did each person contribute to the dinner?

3. What strikes the german woman about old people in

Spain? Discuss with your classmates about the kind

of family relationships we have here and those in

other coutries that you know.

4. In pairs, imagine that you are on an Internet café on

the way and you get an e-mail from your parents

giving you some advices:

Answer your parents telling them about the rules that you

must follow when doing the way

From: mumanddad@msn.com

To: myson@msn.com

Dear son/daugther:

How are you doing? We hope that you are meeting

lots of new people and enjoying your trip.

Remember to be respectful at the refugees and to

be kind to everyone during the way.

You should also listen very carefully to your

teacher and to the elder people that will tell

you what you must and mustn’t do.

Write soon,

Mum and dad

17

READING FOR UNIT 12:

We are artists!

18

Days 4: Pushing Hard -- Perhaps Too Hard

By the time I wake up, just after dawn, most

of the others are gone and on their way. Christian, the

singing German is dressed and packing his backpack when he

stops, puts his head in his hands and breaks down in tears. He

has reached his limit. He cannot believe that he has lost his

strength so close-a mere 400 kilometers-to his goal. I try to

console him, remind him that he has done more than what

most would have the courage to imagine, and suggest that he

take a rest for a day or two. I adjust the saddle bags on my

bicycle and ready myself to leave.

I hasten to get on the road. The sparrows fly in

and out of the front door of the refuge in the orange

morning light. It is time to move on despite the wonderful

evening and the beautiful sunsets in this place. It takes me

many kilometers before I find the calm of the road again.

What a difference a little distance makes. The

refuge where I stay tonight has only four beds to the room,

a genuine luxury. I share a room with an agreeable Danish

fellow, a tree surgeon turned wood sculptor. He is in his early

50s, powerfully built with blond hair and muscular forearms.

I had observed him making sketches in a notebook after

dinner.

We are both rather pleased with our diary

though it really is as minimal as it can get. You begin to

appreciate very simple things on the Camino like a little bit

more privacy at night. We also agree that human perceptions

are relative. We can feel happy or sad depending on if we

sleep a bit better tonight, whether the day is sunny or grey,

if we're well-hydrated or hungry, or not

19

Day 5

I start off the day with some straight

stretches and some thoughts on geography. Long

straight stretches, of which there are many, especially

behind Leon, are conducive to reflection. The rhythm of

the legs becomes monotonous. It's difficult to go much

faster or much slower. The landscape, whether it is rows

of corn, tilled land or dried scrub also tends to be

monotonous. I practice putting on a bit of Chap Stick

while pedaling, take my helmet off and put it back on and

eat trail mix with one hand. But, how often can you do

that? So, I think.

The hills are a different matter altogether.

The rhythm of the legs may be the same, but the pain in

your legs and lungs keeps your mind off of anything but

the next few hundred meters and the hope of a long

descent. There are two passes that you need to cross

before entering Galicia. The first in the Montes de Leon

culminates in the Cruz de Ferro (or the iron cross) and

the second in the Monte do Fedo at the O Cebreiro. Both

passes are marked by picturesque stone villages. The

descents are steep and pure elation. With the added

weight of the saddle bags, the bicycle easily accelerates

to 60 km/hour and more.

Later I find out that more than one pilgrim

has died on this descent. The elation that I felt upon

the descent evaporates when I realize how dangerous it

was and how foolish I had been. Like food and water, the

geography too has its magical effect on the spirit.

20

When I reach the Cruz de Ferro, I take some pictures of the rocks which people have carried to the top of the hill and placed in a mound. Tradition says that the pilgrim should bring a rock from home and leave it at the Cruz de Ferro, thus relieving himself of a burden. The pile of stones is several meters high, though some of the stones are far too large to have been carried there by people. Some of the smaller ones have the names of individuals scratched into them. Other people have tacked pictures, notes and bright colored pieces of cloth to the cross like the prayer flags you might find in the Himalayas.

A laminated bit of paper catches my eye among the rubble. These are pictures of R.J., an adolescent boy, and a letter from his mother. The mother does not explain how the boy died, but she has advice for the reader on how to love your children. The note is heart-rending. At the bottom of her letter is an address in Reno, Nevada. I wonder what moved this person from half way across the globe to make the journey all the way to Spain, and I wonder if it helped to relieve her of her burden. I take down her address and decide to write her a post card to tell her that I will heed her advice. Perhaps it will make her feel better.

21

A. Now is your turn to think about the text

1. What does the Danish pilgrim do for a living? What

do you think is the author’s job? Why?

2. What is the first monument that he finds after Montes

de León? Do you know other significative buildings on

the Way?

3. Why does he define O Cebreiro

as a picturesque stone village.

1. What happens to him when he was descending? In

pairs, discuss about the importance of being fit before

starting the way the dangers of inexperience.

2. Write a short note that to post at Cruz the Ferro

explaining your motivations for doing St. James Way.

22

READING FOR UNIT 13:

Unhappy meal

23

Day 6

Just after Ponferrada I pause to get water from a fountain .Later in the afternoon, I climb the second mountain pass into the province of Galicia, known for its green rolling hills, its foggy mornings and cooler Atlantic weather. It is famous for its food, which stands out not for its sophistication but the quality of its ingredients.. The mountain ranges to the east protected it from invasion and isolated it from the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. I stop to ask for instructions and find that the language here is also different, quite similar to Portuguese.

On the way up to the O Cebreiro, I pass two men on bicycles who are unusual both for their age and their enthusiasm. Later that day, we meet at the refuge in Triacastela. They are talkative types. One is 74 years old, the other not far behind. Far from being worn out by crossing the consecutive passes into Galicia, they carry on a lively conversation with the other inhabitants and make a special effort to entertain the ladies.

Before calling it a day, I speak with two women from Quebec. They have been walking for five weeks. Among the many people I met on the Camino, they were best able to articulate what the Camino meant to them. Back home in Quebec, they have a comfortable "bourgeoise" existence that they haven't missed for a moment despite their aching bones.

24

They describe how they have lost all sense of time on this journey; They feel completely in the present, and they feel good about it. As far as the "why" is concerened, "quelque chose t'amene au chemin", something brings you to the camino. Something about the camino is in you before you even start.

At night, I am surprised that the older more fragile partner snores loudly. No one can sleep and the other inhabitants of the refuge start making cluck-clucking sounds to get her to quiet down but without success. The Spaniards are direct and, aided by their colorful language, the air soon fills with obscenities. Nothing helps, and eventually everyone does get to sleep.

25

Day 7: The Way Not To Travel

Moncho is indignant about how some people

do the camino .He lists the things that people bring

that should best be left at home: video cameras,

heavy duty mountain boots, shoes for free climbing,

makeup, volumes of summer reading. He knows. He has

done this six times before. But, this year he will be

cutting it short. His father is dieing of lung cancer and

he doesn't want to spend too much time away from

home.

Jakobo an Italian fellow stumbles in late

in the afternoon with a band of red burned across

his thighs. He is in serious pain. "I come from Sicily

but I didn't think it would be so hot in Galicia". It's

not hot but, the sun is intense under the bright blue

skies once the morning mist has burned off. Jakobo

was born on July 25, the day of St. James 40 years

ago. He says that his christening after St. James was

a coincidence, as is the likelihood that he will arrive in

Santiago on his 40th birthday on the day of St. James.

He is rather pleased with the series of coincidences.

26

Day 8: Coming Into Santiago

So much for the trip.

As I cover the last kilometers, I look closely at people's faces to see if I can discern a feeling. Is it exaltation or exhaustion? No doubt; it's exhaustion, but as we come into Santiago things change and a sense of satisfaction and happiness begins to creep into the walkers.

Santiago, after days of sometimes austere

countryside, is overwhelming. It is not difficult to

imagine how pilgrims must have felt hundreds of years

ago after months of walking in conditions much wilder

than today's. It must have been equivalent to landing

on a wonderful alien planet. There is eye-candy

everywhere. The architecture is playful, unusual or

inviting wherever you look. The spires of the cathedral

look vaguely foreign to me, a bit like the lost temples

of Angkor Wat, but more likely the influence of the

Mayans or Aztecs via the conquistadors.

I walk through the city with some of the

friends I've made and find it hard to stop smiling.

Everything seems so wonderful and clear, and I begin

to wonder if I am not perhaps suffering from a very

serious endorphin surge.

27

The last few steps of the trip are to the

pilgrims' office. There you can get your pilgrim's

license stamped and receive a certificate. As I wait in

line to get mine, I read some lines painted on the wall.

The hymn to the pilgrim ends with something to the

effect that the traveler, now that he has journeyed to

Santiago and seen its marvels, can die in peace. I am

not sure if I would go so far. However, it is certain

that the camino is peculiarly conducive to unhooking

from life’s distractions and to encouraging us to live

fully and simply in the present.

My friend for whom I made these notes

asks me: "What? Where's the romance?" This is not

what she had expected. But, there is plenty that is

romantic, and there is certainly the potential for

romance. I saw people making friends, couples walking

and talking together and many moments of harmony

between people. Not quite within sight of Santiago, a

couple walk hand in hand, wordless. Perhaps they've

had an argument but, I doubt it. I guess that they

have said everything they need to say.

28

A. Now is your turn to think about the text

1. How does the author describe Galicia? And its food?

2. How does he define the Spanish language? And the

Galician one?

3. What strikes Jacobo, the Italian pilgrim, about Galician

weather? What is he celebrating the 25th of July?

4. In pairs, discuss about how you will feel and what you

will do when you arrive to Santiago.

5. Imagine that you arrive to Santiago with some foreign

people and you have lunch together. The waiter will give

them some advices about what to try. Invent a short

dialogue and act it out.

29