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Call Me Pablo!

LET’S TURN BACK!!

Gergő is really worried about Andi and all the pain she’s going through, “We should go to a hospital and get help.” Andi appreciates his support but doesn’t want a doctor. There are no broken bones and no infection. Her only problem is that it really hurts to walk and she can’t take it any longer. It’s clear that our long, punishing hikes make it impossible for her toes to heal. Andi, not wanting to ruin our adventure, insists she’ll return to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port where she’ll wait for us to return to collect the car.

[ From left to right: István, Csaba, Gábor, Gergő & Andi ]

There’s no way Gergő will let her go off by herself and states he’ll go with her. Gábor reminds everyone that we’d all agreed to stick together. Csaba thinks it would be better for us all to stay here until Andi is well enough to continue. Andi says she doesn’t care about completing the camino and this really upsets Csaba who feels she’ll regret giving up.

How do you know when you’ve had enough? What are your views on giving-up? Do you believe that “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”? Or do you subscribe to the old adage “If at first you don’t succeed... give up”? What techniques do you use to spur yourself on - even in times of adversity?

This discussion goes on for a long time as we examine all the possible options. I can see we’re physically and emotionally tired and suggest we get some sleep and make decisions in the morning.

We all sleep fitfully except for Andi who wakes refreshed and in much better spirits. She decides she can continue the camino but only if we agree to take it easy. We must start earlier in the day to avoid walking in the midday sun and we’ll hike much shorter distances each day. This means the camino will take us longer but we know it’s not a race. Gergő offers to carry Andi’s backpack as well as his own. I can see this will place a heavy burden on his shoulders - literally. I offer to share this with him. We agree that he’ll take the backpack for half of the time and I’ll take it for the other half.

WANTED - EARPLUGS!

We change the pace of our camino, tackling much shorter distances. After a relatively short trek, we arrive in Nájera which is not the most beautiful town on the camino but the people at the refugio are very welcoming. Unfortunately, I get a bed near a man who snores all night! I lie there in the dark trying to get to sleep but my mind is wide awake and wants to play philosophy games...

I keep asking myself if perfection is possible? Can we ever reach perfection in our life - or will there always be something to get in the way of total happiness? A blister, a bloody toe, rain when sun was expected, a steep mountain, a deep valley? A bad exam result, a lost coin? A war here, a war there? A birth here, a death there? Will there always be something causing mayhem and regret? And why does life have to be like this? Would never-ending perfection be boring?

How do you react to István’s thoughts?

SANTO DOMINGO AND FREE PIZZA

The next day, early again, we're on the way, going through Azofra and Ciruenya. It's a sweltering day and we tackle the roller-coaster hills by keeping a steady pace. Just before arriving in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, one of the most pleasant places on the route so far, we notice a milestone showing that there are 'only' 550 kilometres left to travel. Only?! ONLY!!?? We all end up on the ground in hysterical laughter!

This camino is not how I’d imagined it would be. It’s certainly not a perfect trip but the truth is I’m enjoying the experience. I’m changing. I’m growing. Isn’t there an old American song called “Who could ask for anything more”?

We find the auberge where the hospitalera greets us and shows us the way up to our room which is very nice with an ambience of friendliness - single beds, not bunks, and not more than 10 in a room. Great! And what's more, the lady tells us there are pizzas in the fridge - left behind by previous pilgrims. We can eat as much as we want, all for free! Fantastico!

Andi, Csaba and Gergő choose to relax while Gábor and I go to the cathedral. The cathedral is interesting and there's a museum with very evocative religious art that we both find fascinating. The most dramatic of the paintings are of martyrs dying for their faith. Gábor reminds me that he had intended to make sketches all along the camino but has drawn very little. I had planned to keep a detailed journal but, similarly, haven’t done so. Gábor tells me not to worry - he’s sure we’ll remember this summer for a long time to come.

JUST CALL ME PABLO!

In the evening, several pilgrims come together for dinner and we enjoy chatting with our fellow travellers. Gábor gets an SMS text message that he's been admitted to the University of Fine Arts in Budapest. He already has a degree in Pharmacology but wants to study art. He’s a fine painter, so there's reason for celebrating. He tells us to call him Mr. Picasso from now on!

BREAKING BREAD WITH JESUS

Next day we travel on to Castilla y León which welcomes us with a tourist information booth and a very good bakery, the Panadería Jesús. I’ve never met anyone called Jesús and as he has his oven in his shop we go in to enjoy the fragrant smell of yeasty bread baking. The loaves are delicious and worth waiting for!

During the following days, the mountainous landscape challenges us to keep going. We pass through many villages and towns. Belorado is a little shabby, with visible traces of poverty and the decline of rural areas but the people there are friendly and generous.

Along the way, someone has been creative and painted a cartoon on a wall. It’s not only funny but accurate too. You walk but all the time your subconscious is dreaming of home. But we are not at home and realise that there are times in life when all you can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other in order to move forward - in very small steps - hoping that all these small steps will eventually get you somewhere you want to be.

What is the point of being here if you are thinking of home? Do you know what István means by “staying in the moment”?

So as each day passes, we get closer to our goal - completing the camino and arriving in Santiago de Compostela. It surely will be a wonderful and magical moment. But I’m not trying to anticipate that. I’m trying to stay in the moment.

Part 4 continues...

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Call Me Pablo! | Meeting More Magyars | Pride Before A Fall

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