Meeting Interesting People on the Spanish Camino - The best Part of Our Journey

Walking the Camino was a fantastic experience! Being outdoor and walking everyday was marvelous, though not a piece of cake for city slickers like us. We learned that a few did die on the way ( from heart attacks to accidents)  I was so nervous and worried about our safety during the trip that I burst into tears at the sent off ceremony in Irun when the hospitalero offered her pilgrims's blessings before our departure.

We learned a lot throughout our walking trip as we encountered something new each day. There were many new and exciting experiences for us:

We saw many interesting buildings on our way

- the old buildings, the spectacular scenery, the delicious food, the never ending mountainous trails, the scorching sun, the lack of water on our first day,  the panicky feeling of getting lost on a mountain when darkness fell, sleeping on a mattress in a school gymnasium when there was no bed in the hostels, my husband getting sick on the third day of the Camino and the doctor telling us to end our trip immediately ( We did not. Instead, my husband took the medication prescribed and a few days off to rest until he got better )

Besides walking, there were other means of transportation employed by the pilgrims. There were pilgrims hiking, biking, on tricycles, double bicycles ( we saw a family of four with two bicycles connected together carrying the whole family), people riding on horses, mini vans  carrying pilgrims' supplies while the seniors were walking, and taxis' doing the same thing for others who were too tired to carry their knapsacks.

( Anyone walking on the Camino was called a pilgrim, therefore qualified for the Pilgrims' Daily Dinner Specials at the local restaurants.)  There were people riding bikes, tricycles, , and yes, horses! Pets were not allowed to sleep in the hostels; they were kept outside the buildings overnight while their owners taking their rest indoor. 

We stayed mostly in the hostels during our Camino trip. Some days, when there were no beds in the hostels, we enjoyed our stay in some private alburges and paid just a few Euros for each of us.

Seniors volunteered to cook and feed the pilgrims

The hospitaleros were mostly volunteers who had walked the Camino themselves and dedicated their time to serve the pilgrims in the hostels.

Of all the hostels we stayed during our Camino trips, there were two alburges which really stood out for me. The one in Ponferrada and the one in  Burgos.

Meeting people & having great conversations with them was the best!

The most interesting part of the Camino was meeting many interesting people from across all over the world with the majority of whom from Spain, France, Italy and Germany. A few fellow pilgrims I remembered really well were:

- Steve, a teacher, and his sister from the U.S. who invited us to join their group of pilgrims composed of Italians and people from other countries for  dinner. We had one of the most interesting conversations ever!

Wheeling their pet while walking on the Camino!

- a  German couple who started walking straight from their own house in Germany, all the way to Spain with their beloved pet carried on a wheel barrel! Everywhere they went, they drew attention and provided picture taking opportunities for others. When asked why they were wheeling their dog around to which they replied, " It was so much walking for the dog that the bottoms of his feet were bleeding."  Very considerate pet owners indeed!

- a Japanese young man with a suitcase on wheels and a small cooking pot travelling solo for a year around the world!

Meeting people while waiting for our beds outside a hostel

- a Norwegian professor who slept on our top bunk waking up half naked in the morning and talking non stop to my bemused husband not sure on where to focus his eyes.

- a French woman who started talking to us from across the table in a local diner and we had another great exchange 

- a very friendly conversation with a father and son team from Italy while waiting for a bed at a hostel 

Lots of fun visiting places in Santiago, Spain

- Kaston, from Germany, was so competitive that he told us he literally had to overtake everyone in his way by walking a whooping 30-40 kms a day!!!  
( When we reached our destination at the Cathedral in San Diego, he asked if he could share an apartment with us for a couple of days. We did and ended up visiting the city together and getting to know him better.)

One scenario I remembered vividly was a Spanish gentleman trying to initiate a conversation with me while I was alone in a courtyard of a hostel writing my journal after dinner. He did not know a word of English wheras I was totally ignorant of Spanish. He displayed his friendly gestures by offering me an ice cream followed by a beautiful single stem flower; he made a few attempts to converse with me but all to no avail.

Reaching our destination - Santiago, Spain

I was kicking myself for not knowing some Spanish phrases or having my Spanish book with me. ( I have since taken some Spanish courses! )


We were very proud of pushing our limits and attempting the Camino entirely on our own! It was exhilarating getting our goals accomplished and upon the completion of our trip, we felt as if we could do anything in the world!

I celebrated my big 50 birthday while one the Camino and it was the most memorable birthday dinner we ever had!

R.T.
Toronto
Reminiscing our Camino trip in Spain

P.S. While I was reminiscing what I did on my 50 years old birthday,  CNN reported that Michelle Obama just turned 50. What a coincidence!