Old school wood sign on the camino
I am having a time, mostly good, reading the markers and signs on the camino to Santiago de Compostela. In the last post, Part 1: Reading the Signs, revealed the challenges that I face even with a somewhat well-marked camino path. The camino Mozárabe is not as popular as those in northern Spain or in Portugal. The markings, however, are improving as the pilgrimage associations in the autonomous communities of Andalusia, Extremadura, and Castile and Leon address these and other issues.
There she stood, frightened, yet brave, not letting go her hold on what she meant to do, even when things seemed to be most against her.
– Elizabeth Gaskell
Time to read the signs inside
The camino continually provides me with answers to life questions that had me tangled into knots of confusion, uncertainty, insecurity, loss, and grief. Images and memories flash before my eyes… it could not be the heat, could it?
Is it the thundering sky and the dark clouds that follow me on the trail? Is it the sheet of rain that appears to blanket me while the rest of the landscape is covered by the rays of the sun?
Which storm has priority – the one on the inside or on the outside?
This posted map card is a colorful and informative marker that shows each town in relation to each other.
I continue to gain clarity and solace on the path.
Everything moves
Pilgrims on the camino are always in motion. We walk with purpose to reach our short-term destination which is the next town and a place to stay. We devote our time to showering, eating, washing clothes and socks, and attending to our feet and injuries. After sleeping for what seems like only a few hours, we are again required to leave the place to make way for the arrival of another group of pilgrims.
After all, cleaning and disinfecting cannot take place with all of us underfoot. And we hope that the same was done for us.
Pilgrims are not the only ones in motion however. The phenomenon that we know as the camino is in motion too. All of us are traveling on a path that may or may not satisfy our expectations. I have met and walked with a few dear camino friends who walk the trail in order to recreate or capture a feeling generated from past pilgrimages. They walk to remember or to forget “real” life. May they find the solace that they seek.
People return to the trail in search of a place or people who can help them restore memories. Many set themselves up to be disappointed. Time passes and things change on the camino as they do in life. The camino itself teaches us to savor the moment, stay flexible, and to appreciate whatever we find.
I believe that.
Finding The Way
These signs make me happy to see them. They serve as reminders that, for now, I am not lost and that I am on the right path.
It is reassuring evidence that at least one human was here… the person who drew an arrow or placed a marker for pilgrims yet to come.
Here is an elaborate marker with a yellow arrow and seals of the community and the pilgrim’s association.
Like the yellow arrows, a shell carved in stone is a permanent marker pointing to Santiago.
Luckily the arrow on the short wall was pointing down. I caught a “good’un”.
A Sign to stop along the way
To care for myself is my mantra on the camino. I try to take care of my feet and drink a lot of water. After drinking all that water, it is time to find a cafe for a bit of food and a visit to el baño. It ain’t easy being a girl out here! I try to show courtesy and buy something, usually my limón drink, so that I can get another sello or stamp for my credential. Very creative stamps get a cheer from me.
A cafe or any old port in the storm (or sun) that welcomes pilgrims with good food, hydrating drinks, el baño, and a little rest is all we need before continuing on the trail.
Other signs
Once you reach the ridge after climbing a steep mountain, a town or village suddenly appears in the distance. You hope that it is a good marker.
At this point, all I hope for is a bit of respite for me and my feet.
Moving Mountains
Mountains, obviously, are not in motion. They interact with the wind and clouds to influence seasonal weather patterns in sometimes unexpected ways.
Pilgrim or not, we pay attention to those signs and markers.
(video)
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Speaking of things being in motion:
My new YouTube channel – Noire Pilgrim By Shirley J – features mini videos, snippets, and shorts from my pilgrimage on the camino. –
Please take some time and enjoy the videos.
And let me know what you think.
Gracias!
Moving fear and doubt from my mind…. on the Way to Santiago de Compostela.
Baadaye and Buen Camino
Shirley J ♥️
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This and several posts this summer will chronicle my pilgrimage in Spain where I am walking the 1400 kilometer-long camino Mozárabe, now on the Via de la Plata, northward to Santiago de Compostela. Read my announcement here.
