Simplicity, one of the three treasures of the Tao, is seriously challenged in this transition from pilgrim in Iberia to whatever in Stanhope. .. wandering around for three months, two known Caminos into Santiago plus the final circular route via Fisterra, Muxia, Coruna, Betanzos and the Ingles, resting between in Tavira ... all seemed simplicity, embracing the challenges step by step ... going inside deeply in solitude, practising interbeing for 8 great days ... solitude, it seems, an essential but temporary stage in this human incarnation ... leading to experience of the interconnectedness of everything eventually, then up a level to the joys of sharing time and space with another ... and others at La Espiral of love ... an encounter at the Cathedral, just after writing this, with a Brazilian couple, together more than 40 years, thinking of walking the Way, or part of one ... resisting solitude and opening an idea that couples living together so long may be considered a superorganism ... a so-called individual anyway also a superorganism of cooperating cells and alien entities working symbiotically ... a sense of self, as seen and mentioned before, illusory ...
Patience, the treasure most challenging, is tested as the logistics of boats, connections to the next bed, some days with the K folk, all prove tricky ... equanimity, not named as a treasure, but linked to patience perhaps, is sustained ... though tomorrow is another day ... boat booked, taxi at Portsmouth also ...
Australian family on the Norte at the Pension last night raised questions about authentic pilgrimming ... this time in the context of full Albergues ... bus assisted early arrival seen as cheating ... the numbers on the Ways are picking up now May is under way ... plenty passed going the other way yesterday ... confirming the decision to walk from February ... lots of rain, but plenty of space to stay ... numbers increase every year ... bed spaces increase too as private albergues spot the opportunity, albeit seasonally ...
Which takes us back to the ongoing question of what it is to be a pilgrim ... Simplicity, Patience and Compassion are part of it for sure, and unpacking the details, embedding the lessons, the opportunity ... Compassion, the other treasure, comes into play, perhaps, when invited to judge others on the Ways ... pilgrims, turigrinos, hospitaleros , bar and restaurant folks ... discernment and judgement being closely related, but not the same ... and as observed before, you really can't cheat your own Camino, a part of us knows we will do it better next time the lesson arises ... listening to listen, resisting glib advice, we help each other examine the learning ...
And since there is all day to explore this beautiful city and the Sun is shining, a wanton wander around the peninsula, no longer cutting them off to save time and distance, but embracing their power ... sharing the paths with locals and tourists on Saturday exercise and relaxation ... reaching rather upmarket parts, where resto bar appears less than delighted to see the rucksack ... or maybe the plugging in of the charger to keep communication alive ... as for simplicity, the coffee is over milky and over priced, the decor busy and arty farty ... simplicity gone missing again ... nearby a hungry beggar gratefully accepts a banana, regretfully declines a cake, since he doesn't ingest sugar ...
Strolling back to the ferry port, a vegan restaurant appears in time for wonderful menu del dia ...simplifying the challenges of corpse dodging ... not there is any judgement on chosen diet, of course ... as a "vague 'un" flexibility is the key, especially to surviving along the Caminos. .. Marianne, running the restaurant, previously looked after the pilgrims at the Albergue in Serdio, near San Vicente de la Barquera and loved it .. still has the conch shell ...
Ready for a night and a day afloat. .. sea calm enough for Bay of Biscay ...
I don't really understand this whole concept of judging another person's Camino or deciding what is valid pilgrim behavior and what is not. That's what the pilgrims of New England were obsessed with. Who cares how pilgrims get to where they need to be? Why are we watching and judging someone else's Camino anyway? The Camino is such a deeply spiritual unfolding experience. I'm not sure taking a bus at the end would've changed that. So much of it is about the people you meet and the experiences you have with them. The only rule I found was to be in the present moment. And get 2 stamps per day.
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