I went to a talk about the Camino this evening with my friend Lydia Bird, at the Lafayette Library. The presenter, Susan Alcorn, and her husband had walked the Camino many times, and have written books on how to hike long distances after 55. The room was packed with at least 50 people over 50. Her slides were juicy with the landscape of Spain: castles on hills, sheep, wide open spaces of the Meseta. By now, I’ve done enough research that I recognized several places that are famous on the Camino: the spot with the fountain of wine for pilgrims, the Cross where you leave a stone and a prayer, several of the sculptures along the Way. Lydia said, “she never said anything about spirituality, or the reason to do the Camino. It was all how to do it.”
Lydia was right. I wondered if the presenter knew why she and her husband did it? Was it too personal? Or was it mostly about the challenge?
We headed back through the tunnel towards Alameda. I wondered, “how would have I given that talk? Why am I drawn to walk the Camino? For me it is definitely a pilgrimage of discovery and faith. This is something I want to explore in more detail.
One Footestep at a Time 