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Already
around Christmas I could feel something pulling at me
I got the Camino fever
and knew that I had to go again. I managed to get vacation for 4 weeks on end
and added a couple of flex-days to it, so that it was 4½ weeks in all. I had
no idea of which Camino to walk
I looked at many. First I was convinced that
I would walk from Le Puy to Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port
but as time went on I
began looking at the Camino del Norte. I was in two minds
which Camino
should I walk?
.and only 6-7 weeks before departure did I finally decide on
the Camino del Norte.
After
the first few days it was very clear that this journey would be completely
different from the Camino Frances
already on the third night the Italian
girl Carluccia and I had to beg for accommodation in a church, as there were
no refuges within reach. The refuges are very far apart
but we managed to
find a place to sleep every night. And getting stamps for the pilgrims
passport was no problem either.
The
Camino del Norte is very very tough
but the scenery is absolutely beautiful
the few days we walked by the sea were fantastic
to smell the sea
see
the waves be thrown against the raw cliffs
the fragrance of eucalyptus
almost with each step you take
and then there are the days when you fight
against the traffic on the long asphalt roads
The many many climbs that take
the breath out of you
and the absence of pilgrims reinforces the quietness
However, I often missed the fellow-feeling among pilgrims
to sit in the
evening and share the adventures of the day with other pilgrims.
I walked
this journey in a holy year
when more pilgrims than usual walk this route
and yet I met only about 20 other pilgrims. I learned a lot more Spanish
but
I am far from being able to speak in long sentences
and often the answers to
the questions I ask still come as a surprise
I have to guess what has been
said.
I have
met many angels on this trip
local people who are willing to talk and help.
Carluccia and I were often offered a lift if only for just a few kilometres
. but we chose to walk
which was the reason we were there. I have slept
with both snails and mice
. and other insects
.The refuges are not clean
some have no bathroom facilities
There are places on this route that are so
beautiful that I would do it all over again
just to see these places again.
- The
Camino del Norte is definitely worth a walk of 4 weeks.
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