I have been reflecting on our time in spain, walking the camino and although I did enjoy the simple act of walking each day, for me the highlight of the camino really was the people that we met along the way - I am reminded of a maori proverb...
He aha te mea nui ote ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! It is people! It is people!
For me the camino was all about the people - they became like family, the shared journey and experiences broke down barriers, you came to know them well and could recognise them from a distance by their clothing, their way of walking. It was always a delight to see them again at the end of each day and if you hadn't seen them for a few days - the reunions then could get very noisy - so many hugs and kisses..... here is a small sample of those we met along the way.....
He aha te mea nui ote ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! It is people! It is people!
For me the camino was all about the people - they became like family, the shared journey and experiences broke down barriers, you came to know them well and could recognise them from a distance by their clothing, their way of walking. It was always a delight to see them again at the end of each day and if you hadn't seen them for a few days - the reunions then could get very noisy - so many hugs and kisses..... here is a small sample of those we met along the way.....
Barbara - a German lady but now again living in Nambibia where she had been brought up - Barbara travelled with us to St Jean Pied de port by taxi and walked with us the very first day - Barbara gave me her walking pole at the end of this day - I really came to rely on that pole, we were sad that we never got to see Barbara again.
Juliana & Christina from Brazil - Juliana was a speech therapist and Christina an architect - these two were so caring & loving - they continually encouraged me
Johan - from Sweden, a doctor working in the prison system -Johan was so relaxed in his walking and I really enjoyed talking with him, he was always the last to bed and the last to get up - he celebrated his 50th birthday while on camino.
Dean - a kiwi lad living in London - Dean had biked to St Jean from Paris leaving his bike outside the goodwill shop in St Jean - Blair used to call him, 'the Eta ripples man' because he always got through - often arriving at the alburgues very late at night - he was a bit of a adventurer - staying overnight in a shephards/pilgrim shelter (cave) the first night over the Pyrennes, he had his own little cooker, but was very cold. Dean had got his gear all second hand and his shorts held together with borrowed safety pins did make the distance. Dean had 'other commitments' such as tickets to a music concert in London, a holiday with his sister travelling on her OE - which he struggled with - should I stay or should I go-in the end he chose to stay and complete the camino Michael (Scotland) & Olivia (Mexico) currently living and working in London. Olivia was another encourager and so graciously interpreted for us many times and helped me especially get medical supplies when I needed it. Michael, so tall, he was steady and considerate - I loved watching him and Olivia walking downhill holding hands.
Johan - from Sweden, a doctor working in the prison system -Johan was so relaxed in his walking and I really enjoyed talking with him, he was always the last to bed and the last to get up - he celebrated his 50th birthday while on camino.
Dean - a kiwi lad living in London - Dean had biked to St Jean from Paris leaving his bike outside the goodwill shop in St Jean - Blair used to call him, 'the Eta ripples man' because he always got through - often arriving at the alburgues very late at night - he was a bit of a adventurer - staying overnight in a shephards/pilgrim shelter (cave) the first night over the Pyrennes, he had his own little cooker, but was very cold. Dean had got his gear all second hand and his shorts held together with borrowed safety pins did make the distance. Dean had 'other commitments' such as tickets to a music concert in London, a holiday with his sister travelling on her OE - which he struggled with - should I stay or should I go-in the end he chose to stay and complete the camino Michael (Scotland) & Olivia (Mexico) currently living and working in London. Olivia was another encourager and so graciously interpreted for us many times and helped me especially get medical supplies when I needed it. Michael, so tall, he was steady and considerate - I loved watching him and Olivia walking downhill holding hands.
Hosea-Maria - spanish but living in Germany - retired early from Mercedes (quality control) as both his parents had died young - and he didn't want that to happen to him. Hosea Maria was very presise keeping us informed exactly how many kilometres we had done...
Natsumi - from Japan - fluent in English, Portuguese (had been an exchange studen in Brazil), and Spanish - Natsumi carried a very large pack, she was very sweet, everyone enjoyed walking and talking with her.
Sally a teacher of vision impaired children from London and her partner Roland a pilot with Cathay Pacific who lives in Hong Kong - talking to Sally took my mind of a difficult uphill stage one day. Sally was also a stitcher working on a very complicated pattern she had designed
DJ - who I've mentioned before from Korea called me Mama and told Jeremy he wasn't just saying that he really meant it - singing to me a Korean love song was very special
Gille - from France a 'beautiful' man who spoke no English and us who spoke no French - showed me you don't need words to communicate or really understand someone
Brian - a business consultant from Australia - Not sure how we got on to the subject of some of my past but Brian honoured me by listening to 'my story' his sensitivity amazed me
Gille - from France a 'beautiful' man who spoke no English and us who spoke no French - showed me you don't need words to communicate or really understand someone
Brian - a business consultant from Australia - Not sure how we got on to the subject of some of my past but Brian honoured me by listening to 'my story' his sensitivity amazed me
Erik from Switzerland - kindly shouted us several meals
Elke - a therpaist for IHC children from Germany - great sense of humour - we had been calling her Erika for about a week before she corrected us! Elke is going send her daughters on a camino for their birthdays.
Elke - a therpaist for IHC children from Germany - great sense of humour - we had been calling her Erika for about a week before she corrected us! Elke is going send her daughters on a camino for their birthdays.
Anna from Barcelona - who had recently lost her job -was taking her camino slowly so she could find our more about her country's history - she loved to share her country and language with us and took us for pinchas in Logrono. Yum
Luke - from Belgium a lecturer in theology - in particular Galatians, Luke seemed shy but had such a quiet strength about him -
Torsten - a university student from Berlin - I have mentioned many times in my blogs, his sense of humour and enquiring mind really kept me going some days - he made me laugh a lot which was a huge gift considering we were walking 38 km some days
Bernard & Collette who had literally walked out their front door in Belgium
Mr & Mrs 0 from Korea - sweet and gentle people -Mr O walked back down a very steep hill to carry a young womans pack up for her
The Italian who said he was a Templer Knight and was carrying a cape and sword which made for a very heavy pack
Fred a hand occupational therapist from Canada
Majory and Melissa also from Canada a 75 grandmother walking with her grandaugther
Janic a German student was quite worried about me one day stopping whenever I stopped
Isabelle from Spain - between jobs and because of a 'boy'
Sven from Denmark - really enjoying meeting new friends and walked the 'first day' of the Danish documentary
Mark from Germany who helped set me straight - he overheard me having a little moan that we had taken the 6km longer option by telling me we were going exactly the right way because it was far more beautiful
Eduardao - from Brazil - wowrking as a Sociology lecturer in England - 5th Camino researching the reasons of modern day pilgramages and Annie from Germany who met Eduardo on a previous camino - they see each other every 3 wks.
Sasha from Germany - enjoying the gastrinomical delights of northern spain
Tom & Derval from Ireland - not long married - had honeymooned in NZ - they were a lot of fun
Linda from Canada very kind & caring
Ernst from Austrial travelling with his sister and a friend - he entertained us one night gy singing folk songs from Africa.
A Danish film crew - will be filmed in Denmark at Christmas - Michael the presenter always looked great - he was even walking in a tie
and there are were very many more people and stories.....
