Day 25

Day 25: Burgos to Rabe de las Calzadas – 13.3 km

As we entered the “moderately” sized town of Rabe (population 190), a man stepped out of an albergue and flagged us down with a cheerful “buenas tardes” and “venga”. Good afternoon. Come.

Within the hour we were seated around a dining table with five other pilgrims who had also elected to stay here because of the hospitality. Some were told of the albergue by passing motorists. One had a guidebook in which this was the only albergue on the whole Camino that received a positive recommendation. Another was simply glad to have companionship, after spending the previous night alone in a room with 50 bunks.

We were from Holland, Denmark, England, Germany, and the U.S.

“Why are you doing the Camino?” became the order of business, during our primero (first) course of noodle soup and pasta salad. We could hear our hostess working on our segundo course (spanish omelet adorned with pimientos) across the hall, next to the bathroom, laundry, and our bunk rooms.

One of the men from Denmark had too much stress in his life from work. He is an intermediary in the field of agriculture, as well as a journalist. And was thoroughly enjoying a month without e-mail. Though stressing a bit about being home in time for Easter with his family.

Keld, the other man from Denmark, is on his third Camino. This time walking the latter half, from Leon to Santiago, with his youngest daughter. We were delighted to find out this old man was a former hippie!

Dirk, from Germany, quit his job in February and decided to walk the Camino before applying for another job. He works in the IT field. His biggest challenge has been to enjoy the journey. Because it is his nature to race to the finish, check Santiago off his “list”, and then feel free to vacation. “But this IS the vacation,” he was working on reminding himself.

Even though my journey has been slow, I completely relate to this need to reach the end goal and then let myself relax.

The woman from Holland is walking simply because she has today. Two years ago she had a brain tumor. And while she is seemingly healthy now, she is more aware than ever that we may not have tomorrow.

Simon, from England, was recently forced to retire from the military where he served as a lieutenant colonel. In essence, he walks because he is bored. And he feels a bit “lame” for it. Meeting along the way people who have “real” reasons for walking. One man he met had literally lost everything. His job. His girlfriend. His home.

I pray that Simon will find his purpose along The Way. As I can surely liken my own journey to his.

Why is it that I walk? To be changed. To encounter Christ in the people I meet. To be open-hearted to whatever experience I am meant to have. To share the journey with you.

Not because I have lost it all. But because I hope to gain more of what the world has to offer. So that I in turn have more to give.

Perhaps not the most exciting of reasons. The most dramatic of stories. But I still came for the same reason that everyone else did. To walk.  

During our second course we dug deeper. Sharing about the relationships we had developed on the Camino. “Saying goodbye is the hardest thing,” one said. “Especially to those first persons you walked with,” said another. 

By the time we finished dessert (yogurt), we were more than friends. We were family. And set off to the bar together for a round of pacheron (the regional liquor) and even deeper conversations that led late into the night.

The time changed while we slept, springing forward, but we still all rose together in the morning to wish each other a good walk. Buen camino!