Caucasus again

Reflections on our Camino journey

Five days after getting home I have to admit that I’m feeling a bit lost and lethargic. The initial excitement of being back is long gone; and for me the structure of going back to work isn’t there either. We’ve seen friends and family which is always wonderful, but there is a void at the moment. The only things trying to fill that void are stiff calf muscles and aching knee joints. Ironically there was virtually none of the latter whilst actually doing the Camino! ☹

So what are we missing? The clear unequivocal purpose of each day isn’t there. The simplicity of “what am I going to wear?” and “what am I going to eat?” from very limited choices has gone? We’re blasted spoilt for choice again – it should feel great, but doesn’t. We miss the early morning starts and beautiful clear sunrises in the vast open space of the Meseta. We’ve got nice light evenings but have slipped into the watching any old crap on telly routine – oh for communal meals and the great conversation and the freshness they brought!

What else have we learnt over the past four weeks? Broadly speaking, most people are kind and considerate. Good deeds happen daily all over the world, but are rarely recognised – our lost Pelegrino Passports, the “Magic Pants” incident, and the locals chasing after Pilgrims in a car to return a lost mobile phone occurrence all demonstrate that. The Walkers/Pilgrims just looked out for each other, and were always prepared to be helpful, supportive and share essential items when needed – especially Compeed plasters!!

Many people go on the Camino to either discover something about themselves, or clear “baggage” in their minds, or to recover from a life trauma. I’m not sure we had or did any of that, but I can see how it works for many people. There was a clear difference after about 12 days of walking – the trip moved from being like a just another holiday, to being an adventure. You get into the rhythm of walking day after day. It really does help clear your headspace. You do think about a whole load of stuff. In a weird way, I felt like I do when I’m decorating the house – my mind just wandered. However, it was a lot more fun than painting walls!!

I even slept well by my really poor standards. Bizarrely, I had lots of dreams (nightmares nearly) about working at Bupa – it’s made me really wonder why that is still revolving in my mind. I’ll mention no names in order to protect the guilty!

So that’s about it. All being well, we’ll be going back to finish it at some point in the next 2 years. It wasn’t transformational for us, but it was nevertheless inspirational, and above all, bloody superb. Anything that really makes you feel like you’re back in your mid 20’s again has to be a good thing!!

Be under no illusions though. In places it’s really tough. Many give up for a variety of good reasons. We were blessed with good health, and almost perfect weather. For the record, we covered just over 500 km (311 miles) and climbed over 20,000 feet.

Practicalities for anyone thinking of doing the Camino or similar walk (in no particular order)

1. Blisters are inevitable for most people. Take loads of Compeeds, and deal with the issue the moment you can start to feel something on your foot.
   
2. Take lightweight walking poles with you, and learn how to use them properly. Many use them all the time, others just use them for going up and down hills. Your knees and backs will be eternally grateful to you using them!!
   
3. Do NOT under-estimate how taxing it is going downhill; especially with a backpack on. Going up is a breeze in comparison.
   
4. Take rest days if you need to. Alternatively, just do a short distances on some days.
   
5. Don’t always stick to the start and finish points described in the guides. These are often more crowded, with accommodation fully booked or hard to come by.
   
6. The best guide book is “A Pilgrim’s guide to the Camino de Santiago – Camino Francés” by John Brieley. But be mindful of note 5 above.
   
7. Go for the Pelegrino’s Menus offered by many places. 4 choices of first course, 4 of second course, and 4 sweets; plus wine usually for between €10 to €15. Bear in mind that often the first course is hugely filling. Aside from great food, they are great social occasions where you’ll meet many interesting people.
   
8. Walk and talk. Don’t be shy. Chat with other pilgrims. The miles just fly by when you do.
   
9. A surprisingly large amount of the Camino follows alongside roads, some of which are pretty busy. The book mentioned in point 6 does offer some “green/rural” alternatives. These are often worth taking, but by their nature tend to go through fewer villages (ie coffee stops, accommodation etc)
   
10. Take some safety pins with you – superb for impromptu washing; especially for pinning wet socks on your backpack to dry whilst walking.
    
11. Get yourself a silicon plug (stop tittering at the back children!). Basin’s and bath’s often don’t have any. And let’s be honest; you know you’re desperate to lay in a warm bath!
    
12. Don’t be afraid to use the baggage transfer services that operate. Just €5 per bag. We did it twice, on particularly long-distance legs of the journey. Worth every cent.
    
13. You will almost certainly pack too much stuff. Don’t be afraid to discard it or send it home. The people at the main Post Office in Pamplona are used to it; and in our experience, very helpful.
    
14. Be mindful that a huge swathe of the area you go through is approximately 3000 feet above sea level (nearly as high as Snowdon). It can get surprisingly cold at night. Don’t be fooled by the “we’re in Spain, therefore it must be warm” thing.
    
15. Don’t expect to lose weight, but you will come back a lot fitter. (Although I lost 5kg – but did have more to lose to begin with)