Whispers from the Camino—Day 9

September 13 Day 9 Logrono to Ventosa 18.6 km.

Leaving Logrono

What a mindless day this was. I had enjoyed the security of having booked a room early in the day the day before. Before I even embarked on this day’s walk I called ahead to an albergue in Ventosa. Not only did it relieve some anxiety, but Ventosa was less than twenty kilometers away meaning that I could take a leisurely pace given the short distance and the security of having a room ahead of time.

For a long time my mind wandered around the question of where I belong. It wasn’t so much a question fueled by some deeper angst as much as it was a question of what I should do, where I should land, and how I would serve as I came out the other side of this pilgrimage. I really enjoyed being in Spain, but it was clear to me that I didn’t belong here. The people were wonderful, the landscape mesmerizing and the Camino magical.

But as I walked my heart and soul kept reinforcing that I am a product of the American West. I didn’t know where I was supposed to end up, but I was pretty sure it would have to be in a place where the rugged geographical landscape of the mountains matched my inner psychological ruggedness.

Navarrete

At one point I sat down and simply started crunching some numbers. I still had 587 kilometers to go and I divided that by 20 kilometers and 22 kilometers and 25 kilometers predicting about when I would arrive in Santiago. I don’t think it was tiredness and boredom that was driving my little mathematical exercise. I still had about two weeks to plan in Southern England and I wanted to make sure that I had time to explore the pilgrimage infrastructure of England and still get back to the States before my medical insurance lapsed on November 1.

I didn’t really set a goal of reaching Santiago by October 11, but that day would also be my sister’s 62nd birthday and it tickled me to think about calling her that day from the cathedral in Santiago. It would require me to walk about 24 kilometers per day which was just slightly more ambitious than the pace I had already been walking at about 22.5 kilometers per day. I didn’t set it as a goal, but I liked the possibility floating around in my mind.

Memorial sites scattered along the trail

Interestingly enough, the more casual pace finally seemed to open up my creativity. I had bought a ukulele for the trip and strapped it to the back of my pack. But I had only played it a couple of times. As I walked I started thinking about the experience of the pilgrimage and how I might capture it in song. One line kept coming back to me, “Won’t you be my pilgrim friend?” I had no idea where the song would go, but the idea of inviting others to be my pilgrim friend and promising to do the same seemed true to my experience. I had already met dozens of people, some for a brief conversation and others for a full day or more. Something about the Camino breaks through the usual posturing between strangers. Out here on the trail, friendship seemed to form after the first hello.

The albergue in Ventosa

I arrived in Ventosa, settled into my six-person room, and did my wash and hung it out to dry. Finally, with a full afternoon to myself I grabbed my ukulele and found a couple of benches situated nearly a block away from the albergues and where other pilgrims were gathering. I started playing. The chords came easily. The progression from one to another seemed natural and for over an hour I experimented with a song that was beginning to write itself.

I didn’t realize it, but the sound had carried further than I had expected. If I needed any more encouragement this was it. A handful of pilgrims asked as I walked by, “Are we going to get to hear more. That was beautiful.”

Nice way to end the day.