Notes from the Camino 2023

The Camino challenges, surprises, amuses, annoys, and ultimately heals. The Camino give you what you need. Especially if we heed the signs along the way, literal and metaphorical, and sometimes they are both.

The Camino always delivers, and faithfully it did again this past April. Hollye Jacobs and I lead two groups this year, during back-to-back weeks in April, walking more or less the same route, beginning in Pamplona,

and on to Burgos, Astorga,  Leon, a new-to-us-this-year lovely spot just outside Santiago, and finally on to Santiago de Compostela. With our Spanish guide and lovely person Marieta Pardo, we walk some of the most beautiful stages and shuttle in between. 

Apart from our beautiful walks in beautiful places – so interesting how the landscape changes each day – we have both meaningful conversations and frivolous chats.

We are silly and serious. We listen. We hold each other and are held in return. We set intentions for our journey. Some of us pray, some of us ponder, some of us just try to be present. Some of us, no, I think each of us in some way is transformed.

And not unimportantly, we eat and drink well. We stay in beautiful places. We fluff up (a bit) for dinner. For me it is deeply gratifying to shepherd our flock of old friends and new, to embrace our spirituality however we define it, and to witness how our fellow pilgrims allow their spirits to hear what calls them. It is a privilege and a joy. 

If any of this resonates with you, honor it. Join us or any group that feels right for you and make the journey. If you want to be posted about my trips, retreats and workshops on the Camino and elsewhere, subscribe here, and follow on Instagram  here. 🙂 

Translation below: “All that you have you have desired or feared before.”

The sign above was at the top of the (looong) hill below.

And this profound observation was penned at the very bottom of the sign on which the above quote appeared. There were a few NC babes on our last walk, (including moi, if I may say so). The Camino sees you coming…:)