Although I was on the Camino only a short time, it was a great experience that has only whet my appetite for more.
If you would like to follow the trail that I'm on, you can access the same map that I'll be using:
http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/Selection/CartePuy01.html
Green dots indicate the route (the GR 65), orange dots indicate the variants. The route goes heads southwest to the Pyrenees mountains and the border with Spain. Click on the "Pyrénées" arrow (on top) for the next map (there are many of them!). Lodging is shown in beige, and gray/red markers show mileage [which is rendered in kilometers (1 kilometer = 0.62 of a mile)].
For a country that has so much history, I was overwhelmed to discover how rural France is. This was exacerbated by walking on a GR (Sentiers de Grande Randonée - long distance hiking trails). This wonderful French system of trails was meant to avoid highways, roads and towns whenever possible. But still, I was in a desolate area. Since there were no other hikers that I saw (they were wise enough to be resting in their warm homes until warmer weather), I thought that if an accident happened, it would be a long time (perhaps spring!) before help came.
Some have questioned why I'm attempting the Camino alone. Well, it's very hard to find someone who wants (is able) to:
• Take three or so months off work/family life to make the Camino;
• Walk 1,000 miles;
• Walk at the same pace as I (might be slower or faster);
• Want to walk the same number of miles as me before calling it quits for the day (I probably want to stop to get food more often, walk fewer miles, and eat longer meals!);
• Put up with me.
Some have asked about the repetitive nature of walking. Well, if I walked the same path to work or school every day, it might be boring (without distractions). But the topography is so varied on the Camino. You just never know what you're going to encounter, or what French food delicacy may be just around the next bend! There is something so human, so healthy to walking. Yesterday, I hiked in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. After the 8-mile hike, I felt so relaxed, so wonderfully tired; it was if I had left all my problems there. Walking has to be the most natural of exercise.
Walking alone also allows one to make this a more meditative journey, as for most of the day the only one to talk to is God. As we begin Lent in just three weeks, I think of Jesus in the desert for 40 days. Many ask why he went there, and for so long. Well, he certainly wanted a quiet place to pray to his Father. It was also a chance to rid himself of the rat race of daily life that enmeshes us all. Also, he knew that the Devil would tempt him there, and Jesus never shied away from confronting evil, knowing how destructive it is. I don't pretend to have as lofty goals as Jesus, but going away to a quiet place to pray is always a good idea. Of course when it comes to the confrontation with the Devil, the Lord will have to get me through that. His strength is the only thing that will get me this experience.
I will be among other pilgrims, who will be walking at the own pace, as well as staying in guesthouses with them. So there will be plenty of interaction with others.
So, God-willing, I return to France on March 15th, to continue the journey. Please pray for me!
