Have you ever thought about walking the 1000 year old pilgrim paths, eighthundred + kilometres, from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain?

I am thinking about it, right now…

This summer we met many pilgrims on our Spanish journey, and what we learned from them, was peace of mind and reflecting thoughts of life… What am I doing here and where am I going – and Why? Pain of course…but as we happened to meet so many different pilgrims, we realized how many different reasons there are for their pilgrimage and the ultimate joy and satisfaction when arriving in Santiago. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walk one of these routes every year, and in a couple of posts I will try to convey something of what we learned about why they choose to go through this 800 – kilometre ordeal.

On our way to Astorga and the great cathedral, we stayed at this pilgrim albergue – our first one. At the entrance we were welcomed by Evilio, and immediately he set the mood: Contemplative and calm – Total Harmony.

Already the paw here told me something…

The stairs to our room…

…simple and clean

I loved the window sill – massive stone

Arya was only 14 months, but they were a radar pair, she and Evilio

Every morning we were awakened by the sound of the pilgims’ sticks. The earlier you are up, the earlier you will be at your goal for the day. First to the albergue gets a bed.

The Camino was just outside our window. And every evening there were new pilgrims lodging – and hopefully telling their story. Some did not want to talk much though. According to the old tradition, you should not talk during your journey. You should stay concentrated on your inner qualities.

Late in the evening, these two friends would come walking after a tour on the Camino. The yellow stone is the mark.

Keep your window open…