Finding the New ‘Way’

 

Day 38 - Larrasoano

     Today has provided us a range of emotions.  The huge hostel with all the people was unsettling from what we have become accustomed to.  Everyone seemed to be in a rush to get on the trail.  Our ears weren’t used to hearing so much English!  To top the morning off Esther had her prized hair clip snatched from the bathroom ledge.  It seems pretty inconsequential, but when you are 30 miles from a store and your only means of transportation is your feet, it becomes a bigger issue.

     Once on the trail, we were surrounded by pilgrims,.  some rushing to pass, others slower and needed to be passed.  Our quiet Camino felt more like a Disneyland line.  But we reminded ourselves to embrace the change and learn from it.  It wasn’t long before we started connecting with others, which was very easy when there are so many people and most speaking English or able to.  We did notice many Spanish speakers with small packs. Like the French, it is common to take a week’s vacation and walk a portion of the Camino.

   The scenery was not as spectacular as yesterday, but we took notice of the change of architecture.  It is still Basque Country but the colors of the buildings changed from uniform white and red to a range of colors.  The hillside no longer sported farms but forests.  The trail is usually wider and most of the time well maintained.

    By late morning we had visited with a variety of people from the UK, Korea, Australia and of course the US.  Remember, we only met four Americans in the previous 36 days.  As we conversed with new people, and learned their stories, we began to embrace this new Camino.  We had a nice dinner, and were able to have a wonderful conversation with a young lady from China and a New Jersey man who recently lost his wife to cancer.  Tonight we are sharing a bunk room with a 78 year old woman from New Hampshire, an 81 year old man from Korea, a French man and a young man from Korea.  And we are starting to embrace our new Camino!  Tomorrow we should be able to find a hair clip in Pamplona.!

Bon Chemin —-> Buen Camino