Thoughts on Sarria

There have been some questions about joining Leo and I in Sarria, and I want to express my thoughts about that idea here, for easy reference in case others ask in the upcoming year.  Please remember I have never walked the camino, and the information I am sharing is from what I have read in books, or on blogs. And as for my state of mind during the pilgrimage, I can only speculate.



BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Ever since the miracle and discovery of the relics of St James in 900 AD, pilgrims have been travelling to the cathedral in Santiago.  (San -Tiago, or an early version of Saint James)  They walked from all over Europe.  Many of these road converged in the south of France, near the town of St. Jean Pied de Port.   This is the modern starting point for many pilgrims, and is about 500 miles from Santiago.  The road is called the camino frances, and while it is not the only road, it is the most widely traveled and the one with the largest support system.  Other pilgrims travel from Lisbon, Portugal  or from Madrid or Barcelona, or even other paths.

There are many ways to travel.  Some walk with backpacks, some have their packs sent ahead every day, some ride bikes, some take taxis.  To earn a certificate stating you have been on the camino, you only have to walk the last 100 km, or last 70 miles, and you do not have to carry your pack. (more on this later)  There are probably starting points on every road coming into Santiago, spaced out exactly 100 km away.  However, as the camino frances is the most popular route, the town of Sarria is a huge draw for those who cannot walk the entire route from St Jean.  There are all sorts of tour groups that promote the pilgrimage from here, as well as the average vacationer looking for a different type of vacation.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, although that is not the experience Leo and I are looking for.

LOGISTICS

When Leo and I finally purchase our plane tickets, we should have some idea of when we will arrive in St Jean, and when we will begin the journey.  From there, who knows what will happen.  If we follow the guidebook, we will walk for 29 days before we arrive in Sarria.  If we set a date to meet you there, and we are early, then we will wait.  If we are late, will you have the vacation time to wait for us?  I suppose we could catch a taxi to be on time, but I know we will be reluctant.  On the other hand, we may need the break.  After all, the taxi ride BEFORE Sarria does not disqualify us for the certificate.

But I want you to think about this.  Anything could happen to us in the 29 days preceding Sarria.  We could twist an ankle, get tendinitis, break a leg, stop from dehydration or exhaustion.  If we have to abandon our camino, what will be your response?  You are now in Spain, without friends...can you do the camino alone?  (Tens of thousands, even women, do it alone every year.  Can you?)

MIND SET

I am concerned about where my mind will be during the pilgrimage.  My goal is Santiago, as it should be.  However, if I am meeting you in Sarria, then my primary thoughts will be about meeting you on time, and Santiago will become a secondary goal.  However, this pilgrimage is in part, a thanksgiving to God during my 50th birthday.  I am thankful for my friends and family.  So how exciting would it be to gather together and walk the remainder of my journey with some of those friends and family?  And to share the joyous occasion of finally entering the plaza of the cathedral surrounded by those I love?  I am of two minds about this, and will have to give it more thought.

BACKPACKS AND SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

It is my understanding that the refugios, the dorms with the 5-10 euro beds, are available first for the exhausted pilgrims who are carrying their backpacks.  Everyone else has to wait to see if a bed is available after the pilgrims trickle in throughout the day.  And remember, after Sarria, the number of pilgrims multiplies tenfold, making the beds harder to come by.

Are you planning on carrying your pack?  Or are you going to use a service to have it sent forward each day?  You would have the luxury of staying in a nice hotel every night.  However, although Leo and I plan on a few nights in a hotel, scattered throughout our journey, primarily for a night of privacy and a soft bed, we are not going to abandon the refugios and our camino to make you comfortable.  And at dawn when the other pilgrims stir, and we are forced from our hostel, we are not waiting in the town square while you eat a nice breakfast, take a hot shower, etc.

So if you are not carrying your pack, I am guessing each evening we will spend some time together, leave for our different sleeping arrangements, and plan on meeting at the next town around 1:00 the next afternoon.  Until of course, the morning of our arrival to Santiago.

Just something to think about.

THE JOURNEY

I am not trying to dissuade you from coming.  In fact, it may be an amazing journey for you.  I would love to sit in a square and drink some wine with you!  Here is a little information to help with your decision, taken from the Brierley guidebook.

Day 1:  Sarria to Portomarin  14 miles   Quiet country roads and natural pathways.  Good shade from the sun or shelter from the rain.  You will pass many small hamlets, but few other facilities.  Bring provisions.

Day 2: Portomarin to Palas de Rei  16 miles  Varied terrain with a steep climb, followed with some gentle up and downs.

Day 3:  Palas de Rei to Ribadiso  16 miles  Crossing 6 river valleys, and at least half on pathways through woodland.

Day 4:  Ribadiso to O Pedrouzo  14 miles  Good shade on natural pathways, but the camino becomes ever more crowded with pilgrims.  Santiago is near!

Day 5:  O Pedrouzo to Santiago 13 miles  Dense eucalyptus gives way to throngs of pilgrims entering the city.  Literally bus loads of tourists walk these few remaining steps.  Be prepared for large crowds.

WHAT NEXT

We will spend at least a day in Santiago to obtain our certificate.  If you have walked from Sarria, you will also obtain a certificate from the pilgrim's office.  I would also like to attend mass in the cathedral.  From there, Leo and I do not know.  We are tempted to continue walking three more days to the coast of Spain, often called the "end of the earth".

Then again, our plane will probably leave from Madrid, and we never did see the Prado museum. It just depends on how long the journey took, if we have spare time.  And it will also depend on whether or not you have decided to join us.

Please feel free to correct me if I have any incorrect information.  I am still learning.  The journey begins in 11 months, although the journey actually begins when the decision is made to go on pilgrimage.  We have plenty of time to work out the details.

Sponsor a Pilgrim!

I have been looking at the cost of this journey, and while on the surface it seems relatively inexpensive, it is going to be costly.  First of all, Leo and I will not be working or paid for six weeks.  Secondly, even though the cost of a bed in an albergue or refugio is only 10-15 euro...translate that to the American dollar, multiply it by 40 nights, and then double it for two people.

And then there is the cost of food for forty days as well.  

I have come up with the idea of having you help me, by sponsoring my trip.  So send me money.  Now.

Ha!

I have spoken before of the Cruce de Ferro, the Iron Cross, which is a place pilgrims leave a stone to signify the unloading of a burden.  Some people also use the symbolism as a prayer request.  After much thought and prayer, I know exactly the burden I plan to leave during my journey.

I am also willing to carry a burden for you.

I am going to order some small lightweight lava stones to carry in my backpack.  For a donation, I will carry one for you.  You can tell me your prayer request or keep it secret, it really is between you and God.  Here is how it will work:   although most of the beds are sold for a set cost, there are churches and hostals along the way that ask for a donation.  That is when I will use your money, when the benefit will be paid forward.  I believe some of the churches also provide pilgrim's meals, and I will use your money there as well.  I think it is a win/win/win solution.  I earn a little money for the trip, which I will give to a church in exchange for food or shelter (a pilgrim's two basic needs), and you will symbolically share your burden with another.  

When I spend the money earmarked as yours, I will write down the name of the church and the village, and if you wish, I can leave your stone there.  I will also document with photos, so that you will see where and how your donation was spent.

And as I need to start adding weight to the backpack now, I can begin carrying your prayer requests as soon as the stones arrive in the mail.

I will let you decide how much your burden is worth, but would ask for a minimum of $20, as I think this will be enough to pay for one bed for one night.

Ultreya

Ultreya.

It is a Spanish word, translating more or less to Forward.  As in, keep moving forward.  Pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago de Campostella are rumored to say this in encouragement to other pilgrims.  This is a sweet practice, along with saying Buen Camino to those who you pass along the way.  I am excited to hear these words for the first time along the trail, spoken by others who have heard the calling.

But as quaint as these phrases are for a pilgrimage, they are also good phrases to use for friends and family, and also strangers along the path of our everyday lives.  When you see someone who is tired, who is bent from the burden of miles and years and loss, remind them to keep moving forward, and give them the blessing of a good path.  And maybe a smile.

Ultreya, my friends.



Why do I deal with the dry dust in my mouth, 
the mud on my aching feet, 
the lashing rain and the glaring sun on my skin? 
Because of the beautiful towns? 
Because of the churches? 
Because of the food? 
Because of the wine? 
No. Because I was summoned
                                      poem written in German and discovered by Hape Kerkeling
                                      during his camino journey