Talking the walk: A non-believer's journey along the Camino de Santiago

On the flight to Singapore I finished Nancy Louise Frey’s book Pilgrim Stories: On and off the road to Santiago (1998, University of California Press), which I mentioned in the previous post. Nancy and her partner Jose are our Camino guides and I am looking forward to finding out how the Camino experience has changed since she conducted her research in the 1990s and whether the influx of non-Christian and non-religious travellers and tourists has diminished the Camino experience for “traditional” pilgrims. I am also curious about Nancy’s personal perceptions about the authenticity of people who she guides with car assistance back-up and who stay in upmarket hotels rather than the traditional pilgrim refuges, where pilgrims often sleep in dormitory style accommodation.

I am also very interested in how she transitioned from an being an academic who planned, conducted and wrote up her research under pressure from the “publish or perish” imperative in academia to running Camino walking tours. Her experiences are personally relevant as my post-PhD academic career seems to be getting further out of reach and I am becoming increasingly disillusioned with the academic establishment. It might be time for me to think about other options. Talking to someone who has successfully changed careers post-PhD rather than successful and aspiring academics, might be encouraging and give me some ideas. Maybe there can be a good non-academic post-PhD life after all!

After an eight hour lay over in Singapore we flew to Istanbul & I managed to sleep most of the way. A quick change of planes and we were on our way to Madrid. Once the clouds lifted we followed the coastline, flying from Montenegro and Croatia, across the Adriatic Sea to Italy and then across the Mediterranean to Sardinia and Corsica and then onto Spain. It was easy to imagine Odysseus being lured by the Sirens on the way home and Jason and the Argonauts seeking the Golden Fleece.

After flying for far too many hours and eating at least eight huge meals, (including four breakfasts!!!), I felt like the Michelin man and it was good to land in Madrid. I estimated we spent at least 30 hours confined in either planes or terminals without going outside, except to be bussed to the plane in Istanbul. Fresh air was, well, a breath of fresh air!

After checking into the hotel we caught up with Jane and Michael for lunch (more food and wine!). On the way out of their building we stopped to look at a vintage car on display in the foyer and were lucky enough to be invited to look at a remarkable private collection of vintage cars and motorbikes and photos of Madrid dating back to pre-WW2 years. The cars, including a couple of Model T Fords and a Hispano Suiza had been restored and were in working condition. The very passionate lady who showed us around races the 1915 Model T Ford.

We managed to stay awake long enough to meet Jane and Michael for delicious tapas on the rooftop of their hotel & then we crashed for the night! Today we had a rushed tour of Madrid & then met Jane and Michael for a wonderful lunch at Botin Restaurant, established in 1725. I can see we are going to have to walk particularly hard on the Camino to make up for all the food and wine we are going to consume! In a few hours we are going on a Tapas tour, so more food and wine. Then tomorrow, early, we catch the train to San Sebastián.

So why have I decided to write a blog? The idea came to me early one morning when I was trying to reconcile how I, an avowed atheist, came to be preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago which has such powerful religious & spiritual meanings for so many Christians. Not only is walking the Camino a very Christian undertaking, historically, the Catholic Church held strong control over the Camino determining  which pilgrims were worthy enough to receive their Compostela (certificate) when they finished in Santiago de Compostela. It doesn’t sound like somewhere I would have expected to find myself!

The Camino de Santiago was an important Christian pilgrimage even before the 9^th century when pilgrims walked to Santiago De Compostela to have their sins forgiven and to prove their piety. However, the significance of the region dates back to Pagan times when the Celts lived in the region & erected stone monoliths, which I am looking forward to seeing. Rather than being a single path to Santiago de Compestela, the Camino is a network of ancient routes, originating in different parts of Europe, all heading to Santiago de Compestela and the tomb of St James (http://santiago-compostela.net/ ). We are walking the “French way”, and will start near the French border in Roncesvalles (http://www.caminodesantiago.com.au/history/ ).

The trip came about when we were invited by good friends, Jane & Michael, to join them and four other friends to walk the Camino. Jane & Michael decided to walk the Camino after Michael gave Jane, who is an enthusiastic & wonderful cook, a cookbook focusing on the food along the Camino. Long walks in between eating delicious food & drinking Spanish wine sounded like a great holiday to us! At the time I confess, I was only vaguely aware of the Camino & thought it was just one of several popular multi-day treks through spectacular countryside in Europe.

It wasn’t until I read Fabia Tory’s book, A book of not forgetting (2016), about her journey along the Camino that I realised that walking the Camino is a serious and spiritual undertaking for many people who regard it as a pilgrimage for spiritual enlightenment, growth, comfort and forgiveness rather than just a holiday. Fabia described working through her grief, visiting churches and lighting candles for her husband after his long illness and death. She walked the entire 600km, carried all her belongings in a small daypack, spent frugally, stayed in the small pensións in the villages along the way and made friends with other pilgrims from all over the world. It was her way of coming to terms with the loss of her husband and facing her future without him.

In contrast, we are walking for leisure and adventure, to appreciate the history, for the physical challenge, the food and wine and to spend time with our friends. The sections of the Camino that we are walking have been pre-selected by our guides, we and our luggage will be bussed between them and we are staying in good hotels with private bathrooms. Compared to Fabia’s journey, we will be tourists rather than pilgrims.

This concept of authenticity and defining the ‘real’ pilgrim were key themes in Nancy Louise Frey’s book Pilgrim Stories: On and off the road to Santiago (1998, University of California Press). Pilgrims she interviewed contemplated whether people who walked were more authentic than those who cycled or rode livestock. Car- or bus-assisted pilgrims (such as us) were near the bottom of the list, just above those who drove the entire way. Some commented that authentic pilgrims also sought spiritual and religious enlightenment and transformation and feel a sense of renewal.

Clearly, as a non-Christian on a group tour with bus assistance, I do not fit any definition of a pilgrim and nor do I identify as a one. So, what started out as an eleven-day trek focused on enjoying good food, wine and company has become even more interesting. While I don’t think a the other six members of our party have strong religious motivations, the other seven members of our tour group might be very devout. As an inauthentic pilgrim, traveling along a traditional Christian pilgrimage, I may have to keep my thoughts to myself!

However, the Camino isn’t only about religion & spirituality. I’m looking forward to gorgeous landscapes, interesting architecture, related to the fascinating history of the area. I am especially looking forward to the food and wine and to having good times with friends and I am particularly excited about taking 1000sof photos, a few of which I will share with you. There are exciting and interesting times ahead! I hope you will join us in our journey. I promise I will not be too introspective and I hope I can share our enjoyment and the wonder of our walk along the Camino de Santiago with you.

Janice XXX

Welcome to my blog!! Over the next four weeks, John & I will be traveling around Spain. After flying into Madrid and traveling to Pamplona, we are walking 161km over eleven days along selected parts of the Camino de Santiago pilgrims trail with On foot in Spain. Then we have nine more days to travel independently before heading home to Grasstree Beach (or GTB). I will be sharing our progress, anecdotes, pictures and maybe some reflection and I welcome your comments.