Is there anyone who hasn’t thought of this song with regard to the Camino? Or the oldie by the Mama and the Papas (500 Miles)? That one is a but sadder and more lonesome, but I’m Gonna Be was in my head a bunch. You know, “I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more.” Remember that one?
It’s pretty catchy. 🙂
Continue reading “The Camino through song: I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”
I noticed that I’ve been having a hard time getting motivated to write. I don’t know where to start because so much happened for me on the Camino. So much in me has changed. What they say about spiritual seeking is true: it’s hard to find words to describe the experience.
However, music is a transcendent medium for me and I’ve been compiling a list of songs that were on my mind while I walked.
So I’m letting them start the conversation — with the song that ran through my mind almost every day: Finlandia. The Indigo Girls did an a capella version of it early in their career which I performed in a quartet at the celebration of life ceremony of a local friend.
That’s me (with the red backpack), bawling in front of the Cathedral in Santiago. Photo taken by the lovely Don Mac Lellan.
I´m in Finisterre!! We arrived yesterday after a looooong walk (26km) and pretty late — 6ish — my latest arrival of the whole Camino, I think.
Still have the cold and cough. I´m doing really well otherwise. I´m astonished, baffled, proud and stunned that I´ve walked all the way to the coast of Spain. It´s beautiful. The sun even came out yesterday and seems to be making a showing this morning. Meg and I are headed to the lighthouse this afternoon to walk around, but it´s otherwise a rest day. Tomorrow, she heads to Muxia (up the coast) and I remain here until I head back to Santiago the day before I fly.
I can´t believe I´m coming home already. In some ways it´s flown by and in others (rainy days especially) it has seemed so slow.
Doing great today. So happy to have a day off and the albergue I´m in lets you stay all day. We all decided to stay here another night then we all go our separate ways tomorrow.
I think I´m meeting a Czech friend for lunch today and then I´m going back to St James´ grave to pray for everyone. nteresting thing to note: St James is represented 3 ways in Spain — as the apostle, as a pilgrim, and as the moorslayer who aided catholics in reclaiming Spain from the Muslims in the 1100s. The latter incarnation usually shows him horseback with a whip or sword, trampling screaming Arabs. Nice, huh?
I´m here! The last 4km was a breeze and I couldn´t stop crying when I reached the cathedral, I was so relieved, astonished, overjoyed… Plus the guys I´m walking with are such sweeties, there were hugs all around and more weeping — and I mean the guys.
I wish I had words for how I´m feeling today (besides tired). I´m sure you´ll hear more soon, but I wanted you to know that I´m here safely, proudly, and joyfully.
Just a quick celebratory email to say that i´m at the albergue in Monte del Gozo, on a hill overlooking Santiago de Compostella — my desitination for the last 6 weeks.
I couldn´t stop weeping with reliev and happiness when I caught sight of the city as I crested the hill. I think that is why they call it the Mount of Joy.
Today, we walked about 34.4km (you do the math), my longest walk ever in about 10.5 hours, which included stops for food and beer. 🙂 I am so proud of myself. I am so happy. I am really astonished that I made it so far on my own two feet.
Tomorrow morning we´ll walk the remaining 4km to the Cathedral for Mass and we´re hoping that the botafumiero (look it up) will be in use on a Sunday. Then I´ll be in Santiago until Monday or Tuesday when I´ll begin walking the 100km to Finisterre on the Atlantic ocean.
I am thinking of you… I will say a prayer for you tomorrow at Saint James´ grave… and I hope you know how grateful I am for you and all of your support before, during, and after this incredible trip. I love you so, so much.
xoxo
Jen
I´m in Palas del Rei and have a mission to get to Santiago for the 12pm Mass. It will be a push, but I think I can do it. Sunday is the botafumiero day. I am walking with two amercan guys in their 60s (both optometrists and old friends from college) and a german IT guy. They´re super nice and funny. They´re actually the first guys I´ve walked with the whole trip.
I´m in Astorga and laid up with a cold/ear thing. So where do I go? Not an albergue, that´s for sure. I´m in a 4-star hotel overlooking the city. Top floor. It´s gorgeous.
The walk is going well and I´m loving the change of scenery from the flatness of the meseta to the hills of Astorga. I will take a rest day tomorrow (at the hotel, of course) and then head into the mountains the day after. No sense in pushing and compromising my health.
Anyway, I´ve thought of Dad´s offer to drive the Camino a few times with love, so the snazzy hotel was my compromise. 🙂
Sending love from Spain,
Jen
Jen's Journey - Camino de Santiago 2013, 2016, & 2019 