Finding my Way

Every day I ask myself why am I walking this Camino thing??? Some days, to be honest, I can´t come up with an answer. Other than, this is what I have chosen to do. The Camino, literally translated into English, ´the way´, is different for everyone.

I may have mentioned before that this is a spiritual journey for me. The Camino is a spiritual journey for many, but so far I´ve mostly run into groups of Germans and French who are out for a cheap walking holiday. It´s a very social environment, and I have to check myself every day, every hour, to stay focused on what I am here for.

The first few days of the journey were exciting, joyful, exuberant. Now my feet just hurt. I miss the people I love and know, and I miss my car (for obvious reasons).

One of the great pleasures in traveling for me is sampling the local cuisine. Spain is known for things like wine, paella, and meat dishes. For a vegetarian, though, Spain can be a bit of a culinary wasteland. Most towns along the Camino that have an albergue also have a restaurant or bar serving a ´Menu de Peregrino.´ This consists of three courses - a soup or salad or macaroni, then a meat or egg dish, and then a dessert. And wine or water and bread. Imagine eating this every day, with no variety, no change, no other options. I am desparate for something else.

So put this all together: sore feet, bored palate, and a major city a one-hour bus ride away. Time for a break, a treat, something tasty to eat. Time for luxury. I wasn´t going to bus any of this trip, but my feet broke down in a one-horse town with one bar that doubled as the town restaurant and store. Burgos, on the other hand, has many horses. In Burgos I found a few of the things I cherish and enjoy the most: high thread count sheets in a three-star hotel; my own bathroom with a tub, endless hot water and bubbles; a score of pastelerias (bakeries), and an Italian restaurant (or two). Pure pleasure, pure joy.

A girl can only sleep in a room with 30 other people and eat eggs for dinner so many times!!!

And on a deeper level, I have to remember that the only step that matters is the one I am taking right now. How else am I possibly going to make it to Santiago...