Camino Francés - Love is the Answer
The Camino as a Journey of Transformation: An insight into personal experiences, the magic of the path, and the realization that love is the answer.
Johanna's Report on the Camino de Santiago
How did this happen? / Why?
I had known for a long time that I wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago. Little by little, that idea turned into a concrete plan. And I knew: I wanted to do it after graduating from high school. To this day, I don’t know why I first had that idea. I didn’t read Hape Kerkeling’s book until I was in the planning stages.
Even though I don’t know exactly how I ended up on the Camino de Santiago, I know exactly why I was so determined to walk it: I wanted to find God. I wanted to know where He was; I wanted to meet Him. That’s why I was determined to walk alone—not with a tour group, not with friends, and not even with my mother. I suppose I was afraid I might overlook some sign if I did. And besides, I wanted to have to interact with strangers.
Preparations
Most of my preparations involved running errands (new hiking boots, a spare pair of hiking sandals, etc.). I already had a lot of the things I needed.
The travel guide I bought was really important.
To prepare, I had already read up on it beforehand and roughly mapped out the stages (really just a rough outline, since I had no idea how many kilometers I could walk in a day).
I also had a pilgrim's passport sent to me.
Then all that was left was to plan my trip there and back: The trip there was easy—my parents were on vacation in France and drove me to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. I hadn’t planned the return trip in advance because I didn’t know exactly how long it would take. I wanted to wait until I got to Santiago to book my flight back.
I really didn't do much else before that.
Everyday life
My daily routine on the Camino de Santiago was basically always the same, but still different every day.
In the morning, I quickly packed my things, had a light breakfast, and set off. And then I walked and walked (taking several short breaks along the way).
By noon, I had reached the next town where I planned to stay. Once there, I usually had lunch first, then took a shower (sometimes in the opposite order), and then took a nap.
In the afternoon, I explored the town or city and visited churches and other places.
In the evening, we had dinner, and after chatting (sometimes briefly, sometimes at length) with our dinner companions, we went to bed to sleep again.
The Search for God/Conclusion
“We can seek God with our minds, but we can only find Him with our hearts.”
I have found God in my heart. God is love. When we give love and receive love, we encounter God. When we help one another and show love for our neighbors, we encounter God. He is in our hearts. Some encounters may be more intense than others, and some we may not even notice, but God is always there. I had a personal, intense encounter with God here on the Way when I was shown love for my neighbor (see diary, Day 15). I have encountered God many times before; I just didn’t recognize it at the time. The Camino de Santiago was meant to help me recognize exactly that, and it fulfilled my wish.
What I’ve also learned is that nothing happens without a reason. It’s God’s will. Even bad things have a purpose. You can learn from them, or perhaps they’ll protect you from other bad things—even if you don’t understand it at first.
Even when you can't see the point or the situation seems hopeless, God is always there.
The Camino de Santiago will definitely see me again someday!!
How the Camino Changed Me
The biggest change—one that only I can notice or feel—is certainly that I see God. That I realize He is present in my daily life. That I know He is there. And that I know He was there before, too, in the same situations; I just didn’t recognize Him.
Maybe I’ve become even more positive than I was before. I know that bad things happen, but I also know that God doesn’t leave us to face them alone.
My recommendations for the route:
– No cell phone, but a (small) camera for taking pictures
– Keeping a journal (I like to look back and read about everything that’s happened to me)
– take the time to hike and don’t try to cover the trail in record time
The Way of St. James – Johanna's Diary
Note: This is the original diary I kept every day while walking the Camino de Santiago. I’ve edited some parts for brevity. There may be spelling and grammar errors. Enjoy reading!
Day 1: July 13
Hello it’s me!
I walked about 30 km today in just over 7 hours. I’ve never had shoulder pain like this before. If I knew how, I’d love to take some of the extra stuff out of my backpack. Now I’m looking forward to sleeping like a log!
I once read that only 15% of pilgrims who start in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port actually make it to Santiago. I bet the other 85% give up after the first stage. If I weren’t completely crazy, I’d do the same right now. But I want to continue tomorrow morning with my new “friends.” To be honest, I don’t even know their names yet. They, on the other hand, know mine and have made sure it’s been called out through the mountains a few times already today.
My friends are a 46-year-old Frenchman, his son, and his son’s best friend (both 14). This morning, after a tearful goodbye to my family, we set off on our hike. Shortly after, I ran into the Frenchmen, and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met (namely the 46-year-old) asked me if I wanted to hike with them. After several kilometers in what was at times pouring rain, we arrived at a bar in Huntto. There, I was treated to a Coke and handed two sandwiches. At that point, I thought to myself: “If it goes any higher from here: then YAY.” It went further uphill. They say that on the Camino de Santiago you reach your physical limits; today, on the first day, I already felt like I had reached my limits and long since surpassed them.
We were over 2,000 meters high. Surrounded by mountains, and it kept raining. The three of them will be my companions again tomorrow. At the monastery (where we spent the night), after Mass, we had the best meal you could probably get for €10: Water and red wine (as much as you want), bread and soup (as much as you want), pasta, then a plate with three pork steaks and fries, and yogurt for dessert. Delicious!
Then brush your teeth and off to bed.
Day 2: July 14
Hello it’s me!
Today I walked about 21 km in about 7 hours (with lots of breaks). I’m currently sitting on my loft bed in an 8-person dorm, where I’m the only woman far and wide. I already took my three Frenchmen into my heart after the second day. By the way, the 46-year-old’s son is named Elliot. The first name I could remember.
My shoulder pain is excruciating, and I have the biggest blister ever on my left foot. Once again, we didn't notice a thing of that "intense" sun that's supposed to be shining along the way...
Quite the opposite: pouring rain.
We crossed the Pyrenees again today, which meant lots of ups and downs. But we were able to take plenty of long breaks because we set off so early this morning. At 6 a.m., we were woken up by loud shouts at the pilgrim hostel. Breakfast was at 7 a.m., and we set off right after that. By the way: it was still dark outside.
Our first stop was at a bar for a glass of cold Coke. I wanted to treat the four of us to drinks today, but my “pilgrim dad” (that’s what I’m going to call the 46-year-old from now on) wouldn’t let me.
At some point, we took a belated breakfast break. At “Bar Juan,” we got a Coke and half a baguette with salami (delicious). My pilgrim dad picked up the tab again. While we were walking, the pain in my shoulders became unbearable at times. Surprisingly, my feet were holding up. Today we met more pilgrims than yesterday, including several Germans. Even the second day is pure torture. But the second day also brings the first side effects. I’ve already been thinking. About what exactly… I don’t really know. You can’t say “Good night” any better than Elliot’s best friend: From his bed, he just whispered “jo-ana?” in his French accent; when I looked at him and asked “Yes?”, he beamed at me and said “Good night” while waving.
May God hear your words: Good night!
Day 3: July 15
Hello it’s me!
I ran about 22 km today in roughly 6 hours. I really got a nice tan, because the sun finally came out today! Luckily, it wasn’t too hot either. Actually, it was perfect. Actually. If it weren’t for the pain in my shoulders. It even makes me forget about the blisters on my feet. Those blisters have just led me to decide that I’ll run in my sandals tomorrow.
By the way, here’s some new info about my companions: my pilgrim dad’s name is Francois, and Elliot’s friend is Julien. We walked together again today and had a lot of fun. Francois once again proved how helpful he is today by making several pilgrims’ pain more bearable. This man is truly a phenomenon. By the way, starting tomorrow, the phenomenon and I will be continuing on our own, because Elliot and Julien were picked up by Elliot’s mom today.
Earlier, at François’s suggestion, Julien and I swapped backpacks. François thought my shoulder pain was caused by my backpack being too big for me. So now I have Julien’s backpack. It feels like heaven on earth, and I’m infinitely grateful to him. Today’s pilgrim hostel in Pamplona is huge, but clean, beautiful, and modern.
Francois knows that I am searching for God, and he pointed out the following to me: He said today that God is actually everywhere people help one another. And that is also the reason for his willingness to help. He said that people help because of God. Even though the word didn’t come up in his English explanation, I knew he meant charity.
I cried for the first time today. I have no idea why.
Day 4: June 16
Hello it’s me!
Today I ran 24 km (it felt like much more, but that's okay) in about 6 1/2 hours.
My feet are burning and my left leg hurts like crazy. I can barely move it anymore. That’s why I had to take so many “breaks” today. I had to part ways with François today because his feet just couldn’t take it anymore. After getting up at 6 a.m. this morning following a very short night (it was incredibly loud), he already said he had to stop. Then he decided to give it a try after all, so we had a quick breakfast and set off.
It was very hot today, and you could tell just by looking at all the pilgrims that the heat wasn’t exactly making the hike any easier. About halfway through, Francois couldn’t go on anymore. As a farewell, he gave me some ointment, gave me his contact information, and tried to explain to me for the hundredth time what could happen if I got involved with the wrong people.
So I went on by myself.
The sandals I wore instead of my hiking boots worked wonders. If it weren't for the pain in my left leg, walking might have been really easy for me. When I'm in Cologne, the first thing I'll do is thank the saleswoman who talked me into buying the sandals.
But now: NACHTI!
Day 5: July 17
Hello it’s me!
I managed a full 7.1 km. And it was really torture today with my leg. I wonder when this pain is finally going to go away. Plus, it was pretty hot again today.
Because I took breaks after what felt like every 100 meters, I mostly ended up walking alone. There’s practically nothing in this town where I am right now. You can actually see the whole village in two minutes because it’s so small. When I got here, I treated myself to an ice cream at the only “store” I’ve seen here. Now I’m lying in my bed at the hostel. Hope the pain is gone by tomorrow.
Day 6: July 18
Hello it’s me!
Of course, the pain in my left leg hasn't gone away. But I kept running anyway.
In Viana, I had breakfast in the small village square and walked through town. Most of the shops were still closed, and the hostel certainly was; my tour of the town was also over, so after a moment’s hesitation (because of my leg), I decided to keep walking on to Logroño. 10 km isn’t much, but with my leg, it is.
To take my mind off the pain, I sang along to the entire latest Helene Fischer album from start to finish while I was running.
Luckily, the route was relatively flat. I finally arrived in Logroño, and after a nap and a shower, I went to see the cathedral and explore the city. I went to the pharmacy for my thigh, and they tried to sell me Voltaren again, but that didn’t help. The woman then gave me a spray. Hopefully that helps! I like Logroño. It has a beautiful downtown with lovely shopping arcades.
By the way, my roommates are two funny guys from Bulgaria!
Good night!
Day 7: July 19
Hello it’s me!
I ran 12.4 km today despite my leg... I'm actually wondering how I managed it.
Today’s route was really beautiful; it took us down a wide tree-lined avenue through a park and forest and past a large lake. I ran part of the way with a Dutch guy today and spent a long stretch of the route with an English guy who lives in Frankfurt, so he spoke German well. At some point we split up because my leg couldn’t keep up with him. The drinking fountains along the way are absolutely GOLDEN when it’s hot!
At some point, I came to a wooden hut where Marcelino was sitting. He was mentioned in my guidebook, and he signed it right then and there. So he sits there all day, chatting with the pilgrims, handing out stamps, and giving away little snacks. A real attraction. Right next to Marcelino was a young Italian guy who treated me as if I were the girl he’d been searching for his whole life and had finally found. I thought he was funny. Unfortunately, we couldn’t really understand each other… Too bad… otherwise we probably would have become the new dream couple. ;)
Once we arrived in Navarette, we headed to the hostel run by Michael, a German guy who hosts guests here. It’s really nice here!
That’s where I met Werner. His story is incredible: He set out from Stuttgart in April, walked all the way to Santiago, and is currently on his way back—on his 101st (!!) stage!
Other than that, there are two nice girls from Italy here who are also in my room! Their names are Alessandra and Elena, and they took me into the “city.” There are also two guys in our room, and none of us knows where they’re from. Elena’s interested in the one with the long hair. We were just discussing the best way for her to approach him. Elena asked them straight up if they wanted to have dinner with us. And they said “yes”!
By the way, as we now know, those two are from Denmark. It was one of the most fun evenings we’ve had so far on the Camino.
The hostel had great food, delicious wine, and friendly people. The two Danes, Alessandra, Elena, and I were sitting next to two Americans, Werner, and three other Germans. Everyone shared stories about their country and culture.
Day 8: July 20
Hello it’s me!
I ran 17.3 km today despite my leg. Aside from the pain (which is either getting slightly better or something I’m slowly getting used to), things went surprisingly well today. I did take a lot of short breaks again, but I kept up a pretty brisk pace. Maybe that was also because there was no sun today! I was able to leave my hat in my backpack the whole day! It was still hot, but less so than usual.
Once I got here, my feet were still killing me, of course. I like Najera. It’s a small town with lots of big sports facilities and a river with several pretty little bridges. My afternoon nap was pretty long, and I’m going to turn in early tonight, too. I’m totally exhausted.
Good night!
Day 9: July 21
Hello it’s me!
I hiked 22.8 km today. The pain was back in full force today. But did I mention that my shoulder pain is 100% gone and I don’t feel a thing from my blisters anymore? Walking could be really relaxing.
Today involved a lot of uphill and downhill walking. It was a really tough stage! But I ran into the Italian guy again. We tried talking to each other again, but we just couldn’t understand each other. Then I met Johanna (hehe) from near Frankfurt and a friend of hers from Austria. A few days earlier, they had read an entry in a church guestbook from a Johanna from Cologne and thought it was really funny to meet me now. Another funny thing that happened today was this:
A group of female hikers from Spain really had a blast today; they sang and joked around the whole way. When they came across a huge patch of straw next to our dirt road, they flopped down into it and invited every pilgrim who passed by to take a break in the straw too. At one point, there were easily 20 of us pilgrims lying around in the straw. Then we all shouted “straw” in our own languages, and everyone threw straw into the air. There were people from Spain, France, Korea, and Germany. It was a fun break.
Then we moved on. There was a moment today on the way when there was nothing I wanted more than a cold Kölsch!
Unfortunately, there’s absolutely no way to get that here. The hostel today is similar to the one from the first night—it’s huge and can accommodate about 210 people. Of course, I also visited the famous church here in Santo Domingo with the rooster inside.
Day 10: July 22
Hello it`s me!
My feet are in the worst pain they've ever been in. I ran 23 km today. I've found a rhythm that lets me run despite the pain in my thighs. It's working out okay.
I really like the hostel here: the beds are comfortable, and the bathrooms smell like iced tea. There’s even a pool, but once again the sun isn’t out, and it’s actually colder than warm. I did a lot of thinking again while hiking today. You get thoughts here that could never arise in everyday life. That’s incredibly great. “Everyday life” here actually looks like this: getting up, hiking, sleeping, showering, eating, and sleeping again.
I'm going to do that too!
Day 11: July 23
Hello it’s me!
After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided to finally take a proper break for 1 or maybe even 2 days to give my thigh a chance to “heal.” So I took the bus for a short stretch today and am now in Burgos. Beautiful cathedral!!! At least from the outside…the interior isn’t anything to write home about. And hopefully things will go better tomorrow.
I currently have exactly 110 mosquito bites! Mostly on my arms. They're basically covered in them. I think that's a personal record! But now it's time to sleep...
Day 12: July 24
Hello it’s me!
I ran 22.1 km today. And lo and behold! My leg doesn't hurt anymore!!! Okay…maybe just a little, but I'll overlook that.
The sun is back, too! And how! And the mosquito bites are still there, too. And how! They itch like crazy. But other than that, everything's fine.
I just had a conversation with a German girl that really got me thinking. She’s already had a personal encounter with God and just told me about it. I won’t go into detail about that here, though. Suffice it to say: she encountered God when she was going through a really tough time and was completely desperate. Maybe I won’t encounter God here on this journey at all, because I’m doing well. Definitely something to think about. I’m still hoping for a personal encounter, but now I’d at least have a plausible explanation if it doesn’t happen…
Tonight I had dinner with a nice older couple from Canada (Bryan and Martha) and a 17-year-old girl from Colombia. We had an incredible amount of fun. Bryan walked the path last year for the same reason I did. He found God in his heart. The girl is walking the path to find herself. When I told her that I want to find God, she said, “Maybe that’s the same thing…”
Another conversation that really got me thinking. Today I learned a lot about the search for God. We’ll continue tomorrow.
Good night!
Day 13: July 25
Hello it’s me!
Ahh! I ran 32.3 km today! And right now, nothing even hurts. Right after the run, my feet and shoulders were a little sore, but everything feels great right now.
I set off on my own at 6 a.m. I wasn't alone for long, though, because Marianne soon caught up with me. She's the young German woman who slept in the bed below mine last night and with whom I had a nice chat yesterday. She's my new friend now!
We walked together all day today, took breaks and ate together, and now we're lying side by side in the new hostel. Without her, I definitely wouldn't have walked this far today.
We talked all day and had a really good time. I like her! By the way, she’s 27 and a very positive person. I don’t think we were really looking for each other, but luckily we found each other.
I think today was the hottest day so far on the Camino. Mainly because there wasn’t a single tree in sight to provide any shade most of the time. That’s why it was all the more satisfying when we could buy cold drinks somewhere or find a fountain. I’ve gotten even more mosquito bites. And the old ones have gotten even bigger. But I’m okay.
GOOD NIGHT
Day 14: July 26
Hello it’s me!
I ran 29 km today! Even though we ran so much yesterday, and even though it was scorching hot again today!
The stretch from Burgos to León (as I was told today) is the worst part of the entire route! You walk for an incredibly long time (several kilometers) without seeing a single tree to provide shade. Marianne and I set off around 7 a.m. today (even though the alarm went off at 5:30 a.m.). We walked a lot today with Emma (24) from Paris. We’re sure to run into her again tomorrow. She’s totally nice and talkative. What Marianne and I noticed today: there are far fewer pilgrims on the road since yesterday, and that could very well be (as Emma said) because many are skipping the stretch between Burgos and León. Not us!
Marianne and I get along really well, and right now we're lying next to each other in the hostel, which only has two other pilgrims besides us. It's still unbearably hot. We're about to pop one of my blisters. Okay, Marianne is popping it. By the way, I really don’t feel any pain at all! I think my body has gotten used to hiking! Everything’s fine!
Good night
Day 15: July 27
Hello it’s me!
First things first: I encountered God in a very special way today!!
All in all, today was a really, really crazy day, and Marianne and I are totally exhausted (it’s only 8:30 p.m.). Because of all the chaos going on here today, we didn’t have time for a nap. That’s why today’s post will be shorter, even though there’s way too much to “tell.”
Just to start with: I'm lying here in bed right now, wearing clothes, not a single piece of which belongs to me.
But first things first: After getting up, Marianne and I went for a run, and even in the morning you could tell it was going to be another very hot day.
Otherwise, the hike was just like always: we both had a blast. Marianne loves to tell stories, and I love listening to her, because with every story from her life, she wants to share something with me that will help me on my own journey. I’ve already learned so much from her.
Today we had THE (as they say) toughest stretch of the Camino ahead of us, because it runs for a full 18 km across the Meseta, without a single village, water fountain, or patch of shade.
Then all hell broke loose at the hostel :)
We met Verena (in her late 50s) from Austria there and chatted with her. Everything seemed perfectly normal at first, but we soon realized that this woman wasn't exactly your average person :)
Marianne suspected that my bites—which were only on my arms and feet—weren't actually mosquito bites, but rather what are known as "bedbugs."
We were just using Marianne's phone to look up what bedbugs actually are when Verena overheard us.
Marianne and I had already planned to throw all my stuff, including my sleeping bag, in the washing machine so that, if there were still bedbugs, we could get rid of them. However, we thought it was more likely that the bed bugs were only in one bed and that I didn’t have any in my belongings, since I hadn’t gotten any new bites in the past 4–5 days.
Well, in any case, Verena noticed the bedbugs, and from that point on, it was too late. After taking a look at my feet, she was 100% sure it was from bedbugs and said I had to wash all my stuff (in the washing machine), otherwise I’d spread it around and other pilgrims would get bedbugs too. Marianne explained to her that the bedbugs were already
are long gone because there haven't been any new bites, and that we still wanted to throw everything in the washing machine right away, but there's already another load in there.
Verena freaked out and demanded—almost angrily—to know why I hadn’t told the staff at the hostel as soon as I noticed the bites, since they would know what to do. Marianne and I tried several times to explain to her that I had never heard of bedbugs in my life and thought they were mosquito bites. She didn’t get it at all, and she also refused to understand that the washing machine was running at that very moment.
Marianne and I were chilling in the hostel garden when Verena suddenly got up and went over to the hostel manager. They were talking about somethingSpanishand this Verena kept pointing at me the whole time. Here’s what actually happened: Verena told the hostess that I had bedbugs and really made a big deal out of it. She literally acted like I had some kind of contagious disease or something like that :)
All my belongings (including my shoes, rain jacket, and sleeping bag) were sprayed with some kind of chemical, left to soak for two hours, and then thrown into the washing machine. The rest of my belongings (the items) were also sprayed, as was my bed. My backpack was completely emptied and sprayed, then stuffed into a black trash bag and placed in the sun so the heat would build up inside and kill the supposed bedbugs. The incredibly nice hospitalero lady did all of this. And not because she believed the bedbugs were still there, but really just to calm down that fury of a woman, Verena. She didn’t understand Verena’s fuss either. Well…
Since I had washed absolutely EVERYTHING I owned, I naturally had nothing left to wear. Marianne gave me one of her T-shirts, but all her pants were still wet from the wash, so I couldn’t take any of those. The lady at the hospitalero station then gave me a pair of pants from the lost and found. I, Johanna, would have just put the pants on as is, of course, but the lady was kind enough to wash and disinfect them thoroughly herself.
So I had something to wear again. I actually found the whole thing pretty funny. After our dinner, my laundry at the hostel was still far from done. The female host was relieved by her colleague, who was now in charge of the laundry. A very nice young man (Marianne and I christened him “Enrique”). We apologized to the lady once again for all the trouble, but she just said it was no trouble at all and said goodbye to both of us with a kiss on the right, a kiss on the left, and a hug. Once she was gone, I said to Marianne, “Wow, how incredibly nice is this woman?” And Marianne said to me, “Johanna, maybe that was an encounter with God.” And I knew Marianne was right. :)
All my things were supposed to dry overnight, and I was given a blanket.
NIGHT!
Day 16: July 28
Hello it’s me!
Marianne and I got up at 5:00 a.m. today and hiked 23.6 km. My clothes dried overnight and are cleaner than ever :)
It was incredibly hot today. We had breakfast at our first stop in the first village. At the next village, Marianne and I lay down in the shade under a tree on the lawn and slept for about half an hour. We were both incredibly tired because we hadn’t been able to take a nap yesterday—Verena had been so stressed out about the bedbugs. When we arrived, we checked into a large hostel. It was located in an attic and was a bit different from the others.
It was so incredibly hot that Marianne and I decided to sleep without sleeping bags.
Good night
Day 17: July 29
Hello it’s me!
Man, Marianne and I are totally exhausted!
Last night was the worst so far on the trip. We’ve never slept so little! It was impossible to sleep at that hostel. It was incredibly hot all night, and the air in the whole room was so stuffy. Exhausted, we finally set off. At first, we were still in surprisingly good spirits and had a lot of fun again. We’ve said many times before that it was probably a sign from God that we found each other. I’m incredibly happy about that and totally grateful. We’re totally on the same wavelength. She just said she would have loved to have me as a little sister. :)
And in the restaurant, she just told the woman that I'm like a sister to her.
Well, anyway, the walk was still pleasant at the beginning. Later on, it just got worse and worse! My leg started hurting again, and Marianne’s legs were hurting too because of her sun allergy. It really became torture toward the end. And on top of that, we were so tired. And of course, the sun was beating down on us too.
We arrived at the hostel relatively early and are even treating ourselves to a double room today. That’s partly because we wanted to go to sleep right after we arrived, and partly because we want to go to bed early tonight so we can get up at 3 or 4 a.m. We actually want to go hiking at night. We’re both really excited and looking forward to it. So: Arrived at the hostel, double room, showered, bought lunch at the supermarket, ate here on the lawn, then slept, then chilled out, did laundry, went back to the supermarket to get food for tomorrow, then to the restaurant, and now getting the bed ready and then SLEEP!
Day 18: July 30
Hello it’s me!
We ran 25 km today. And we got up at 4:00 a.m. this morning!
At first, we were really walking in total darkness. It was pretty funny, but also a little scary. But we were looking out for each other. We had to be really careful not to miss the yellow arrows in the dark. Luckily, we both had flashlights. What was absolutely beautiful: the starry sky. Eventually, of course, it got light and the sun came out. But we didn’t end up in the midday heat (that was the plan), because by 12:00 p.m. we were already at the hostel. Then we basically just chilled out all day and went to the supermarket and stuff.
The not-so-great news: The bedbugs are back!
And both of us, too! Marianne’s arms are covered, and my legs are! Plus, there are an unbelievable number of ants at today’s hostel—they’re crawling all over us the whole time and have already bitten Marianne. It’s really getting on our nerves! Marianne and I have already realized: Everyone warns you in advance about blisters and the like, but in reality, you end up with completely different problems :)
I do have blisters, but I don’t even notice them. And everyone here on the Camino has different aches and pains. But for everyone, the pain is just a tiny, tiny part compared to all the wonderful things here. All the experiences and so on. As Hape Kerkeling once wrote: “This path is hard and wonderful.” We just finished eating and chatted with a nice family from England and a woman from France. Now we’re having our last evening together, unfortunately, because Marianne is finishing the Camino tomorrow in León and flying back home for work. She wants to come back someday and walk the rest of the way. I already know that I’m going to miss her terribly. I feel like I’ve known her forever and that I know her entire life story, and she knows mine. We’ll definitely stay in touch. Just like sisters.
Now we're going to relax in the garden for a bit and look up some information about bed bugs. Then we'll go to sleep.
Good night!
Day 19: July 31
Hello it’s me!
All in all, today was a sad day because Marianne is gone now. But before that, a lot happened to us again:
We slept in a little bit today because we only had 10 km left to walk to Leon. Those were the last 10 km that Marianne and I walked together. I already miss her so much. I mean, we were together 24 hours a day for a whole week. You really start to feel like something’s missing all of a sudden.
When we arrived in León today, the first thing we did was look for a hostel where I could stay the night—one that had that anti-bedbug spray and was willing to treat all our belongings to get rid of the bedbugs. After getting “turned away” at the first two hostels, we treated ourselves to a proper breakfast. It was a real luxury meal with churros and chocolate. We forgot all about our bedbugs for half an hour :) At the third hostel—we could hardly believe it—they actually wanted to help us! Yay! Not only did they want to, but they could. I got my room for the night, and there Marianne and I completely unpacked our backpacks and took everything out. We were already familiar with the procedure :)
The nice man then sprayed all our stuff and backpacks, and everything went into big black trash bags. He said that as soon as the cleaner had taken effect, he’d put it in the washing machine and then in the dryer, so that everything would be ready in time for Marianne’s departure. Luckily, we got there around noon and the hostel was still empty, so no one noticed the “nuisance” :)
A cleaning lady kindly gave us two towels, so we were able to take turns showering and get rid of the bedbugs. After that, we lay in the room and had to wait. I actually thought it was pretty funny. I don’t think I’d gotten any new bites, but Marianne had been hit just as hard as I had a few days earlier. On the other hand, I had some kind of rash in the crooks of my arms that had us both stumped. The good news was that Marianne’s leg rash (probably a sun allergy) had cleared up. So there we were, lying there wrapped in towels :)
Before long, there was a knock at the door, and the man returned with our cleaned clothes.
Once she was dressed, Marianne packed her backpack. I left my things at the hostel, and then we set off to explore León. After sightseeing and a quick snack, the time had unfortunately come: We were standing at the bus station and had to say “goodbye.” Marianne took the bus to Madrid and flew from there to Germany. I started crying again on the Camino, only this time I knew exactly why: because Marianne was leaving. I found that really sad, and so did she. But we would visit each other and see each other again, we sisters at heart. So Marianne drove off. Afterward, I walked through León, looked at the cathedral, and did some shopping. Then, back at the hostel, I wrote postcards. By the way, on my postcards I wrote that I’d already walked 490 km, had completed over half the journey, and had encountered God. So my wish to find God has already come true. Everything I wanted. Actually, I could go home already, but of course I’m going to walk the rest of the way now too!
Day 20: August 1
Hello it’s me!
I set a personal best today and ran 33.2 km! Ahh! When I got back to the hostel, my feet hurt more than ever before.
Things are looking up again. The rash on the insides of my elbows has cleared up thanks to the cortisone cream Marianne gave me.
But I ended up with blisters. :)
Otherwise, everything's fine. The hostel is absolutely lovely. Of course, I really miss Marianne, and it felt weird hiking without her today. Now, after such a tiring day, I'm going to get some sleep. Good night
Day 21: August 2
Hello it’s me!
I “only” walked 18 km today. But I really wanted to stay in Astorga because I’d heard the town was so beautiful, and my first impression confirmed that.
I didn't get going until 8:00 this morning.
I ended up at a big hostel, but everything is great and the rooms only have 10 beds.
They were offering “foot treatments” here at the hostel today. Students from the local university are doing their internships here at the hostel. So my blisters on my feet were treated thoroughly. Now I have these big white bandages all over them. But the student was pretty satisfied with how I’d been treating the blisters so far. I’m supposed to take the bandages off tomorrow. Let’s see what good it did. Astorga is really beautiful and has a great downtown area.
Now it's off to bed!
Day 22: August 3
Hello it’s me!
I hiked 26.6 km today. And today we were heading uphill again—and not just a little. Foncebadon is a small village right in the middle of a mountain. It’s a bit strange here. You get the impression that the place consists entirely of pilgrim hostels. Hape Kerkeling called it a “ghost town.”
My blisters don't hurt, just like they didn't before yesterday's treatment, but I still think it was a good idea to have an expert take a look at them.
Even though I've made new friends along the way, I still miss Marianne so much!
Especially since right now a woman is stuffing all her clothes into a big black trash bag... that smells like bedbugs! Hey! And I thought Marianne and I were the only ones who could get those critters :)
Tomorrow we're heading to the highest point on the entire Camino! Adios!
Day 23: August 4
Hello it’s me!
I ran 28 km today. My feet really hurt today because we ran down an endless number of steep hills. It was really hard on my knees, too.
When we set off this morning, Foncebadon truly lived up to its reputation as a “ghost town.” It was still pitch black and incredibly foggy. You could only see about 10 meters ahead. And it was cold! Actually, it was cold all day today! And it even rained. By the way, today we went to Cruz de Ferro, where every pilgrim can leave a stone. Of course, I did that too. My backpack is now a few grams lighter :)
Starting at Cruz de Ferro, I walked a bit with Alex today. We met today. We had a nice chat, and what I found extremely interesting is that Alex isn’t walking the Camino for God; in fact, he doesn’t really know why he’s walking it at all. He just felt the urge and was, so to speak, called to do it. He is a believer, but used to be more—let’s say—“on a spiritual journey” and, so to speak, lost sight of God. And as I said, he isn’t walking the Camino for God. BUT: Along the way, he has grown closer to God again and rediscovered his faith (which, actually, has always been there). Very exciting! The hostel today is huge, and I just came from the pilgrims’ Mass. One of the monks said something incredibly profound: He asked us how many kilometers the Camino is long and, therefore, how many kilometers we have to find Jesus. Everyone said that the Camino is about 800 km long. And then the monk said: The real Camino isn’t even a meter long. Because it goes from the head (mind) to the heart. Then he added that we should ask ourselves: “Who am I?” and “Who is Jesus?”. The answer is: “We are Jesus.” Words to ponder…
Good night!
Day 24: August 5
Hello it’s me!
I ran 25 km today in a whopping 5 hours! Including breaks! And uphill! I don't know why I was moving so fast today :)
My “hostel” today is an old monastery that’s huge—you really have to be careful not to get lost! I’m sharing a double room with a Spanish woman who snores UNBELIEVABLY LOUDLY, as I just discovered during my afternoon nap. I think the village here is pretty nice, and everything feels so personal. The only pain I have today is in my legs when I go down the stairs. Everything’s fine. Tomorrow I’ll tackle the dangerous truck route, but there’s also supposed to be an alternative route, the so-called “Camino Duro,” which is said to be particularly tough and super steep. I still haven’t decided which way to go. I’ll just decide on the spot.
Time to sleep now.
Day 25: August 6
Hello it’s me!
AHHH! I think today was the day I sweated the most!
I’d even go so far as to say I don’t know which was more exhausting: the Pyrenees or today. I walked the “Camino Duro” today. “Duro” means “hard.” That’s a total understatement. It was really bad. But I’ll continue writing tomorrow, because I’ve had a few—actually, quite a few—glasses of wine.
So, the next day is here and I can keep writing. By the way, I polished off those glasses of wine with Pascal yesterday. I met him a few days ago—a nice Belgian guy, 35, who teaches religion and French. But first, about the hike: as I said, it was incredibly tough. I was completely exhausted yesterday.
That’s when I first thought to myself, “What the hell am I doing here?”
After the fair, Pascal and I cooked some pasta, ate it, and drank quite a bit of wine :)
We really had a lot of fun.
We really talked about everything under the sun (in English, of course). We talked about love, alcohol, and life, and we had a really good time.
At some point, Alex and another friend (who was celebrating his birthday) joined us, and we drank even more wine. Eventually, we went to bed :)
Day 26: August 7
Hello it’s me!
Today the trail kept getting just as steep, and I feel like today was the hottest day EVER! The worst part is: with every step you take uphill, you know you’ll have to take that same step back downhill. And that’s just as bad!
Here’s a thought that came to me while I was out running today: People sometimes say, “There are good days and there are bad days.” But from now on, I don’t think that’s true. Because on every day that could be bad, you’re alive. And every day you’re alive is a good day! :)
Pascal is staying at the same hostel as me again today, and now he only calls me “Sweety” :) He’s such a blast and super funny! Good night!
27. Date: August 8
Hello it’s me!
Today I “only” walked 20 km. My leg pain is back, but I’m still feeling fine. Once again, there was no sun today, and we basically walked through fog the whole time. The time flew by pretty quickly. You can really tell that I’m getting closer and closer to Santiago. There are so many pilgrims on the road now—way more than in the weeks before. If everything goes well, I’ll reach Santiago in just 5 days… I can’t believe it. Sarria isn’t that pretty, though—luckily, the hostel is.
I'm sure I'll sleep well here :)
Day 28: August 9
Hello it’s me!
I walked 22 km today. My body told me I could have walked even more, but I decided to stick to my plan for now. Luckily, because I really like Portomarin! One of the prettiest little towns so far. With a beautiful lake, a lovely bridge, a charming little church, and quaint alleys. I like the hostel, too. I’m about to have dinner with my new French friend. He invited me over at lunchtime to cook for me. We just went grocery shopping.
Let's see what kind of meal the Frenchman comes up with now. The wine, the wine…
I'll continue writing tomorrow….
So here’s the thing: the French guy figured he might as well show me how to cook. We brought along a 20-year-old Korean guy—who lives in the U.S. and speaks perfect English—and the three of us cooked together. It was really fun. Afterward, we enjoyed our meal with some delicious wine and great conversation.
It was definitely a nice evening. The Frenchman (28 years old) told me about his encounter with God on the Camino. A truly beautiful story: One day while walking the Camino, the Frenchman decided to make bouquets of flowers. Just like that. To beautify the path and as a gift for other pilgrims. So, while walking, he tied together small bouquets and placed them along the path. A local saw him doing this without him noticing. Later, when he reached his destination village—which happened to be the local man’s hometown—checked into the hostel, and was walking through the village, he ran into the local man. The local said to him, “Ah, you’re the pilgrim who made the bouquets—you must be a good person! Come on!” And he invited the Frenchman to his home. He introduced him to his wife and son and treated him to a proper feast. He picked out the best wine for him and laid out a huge spread. It turned out to be a really nice evening.
When the Frenchman, completely overwhelmed by the hospitality, returned to the inn, the local man showed up and gave him a gift. A simple little horse woven from straw. Nothing special, but now something very special to the Frenchman. He told me that this horse is now one of the most precious things he owns. The Frenchman was close to tears, because he had no idea what was happening to him. After all, he had only made bouquets of flowers. The fascinating thing about the story: The Frenchman can’tSpanish, the local can ONLYSpanish, but even so, the Frenchman says he understood every word.
I really loved that story, especially because the Frenchman linked his encounter with the local man to God. Afterward, he told me that God is always with us when we experience and show kindness and love, and when we’re nice to one another. Wow! And that I would find God there. I told him that I had already found God right there, because Francois had said the same thing. Stories like that are really great!
Our meal was great, too, and after we ate together and did the dishes, we went to bed.
Day 29: August 10
Hello it’s me!
I walked about 25 km today. My leg pain was actually unbearable after kilometer 22, but I made it anyway :) There are huge crowds on the trails now, and the hostels are getting more and more crowded. Luckily, I still managed to get a spot. I’d already been to three that were all full, even though I was one of the first ones there. Maybe I’ll have to make a reservation tomorrow. Today it was incredibly windy and, because of that, freezing cold at times! Unbelievable! While walking, I met Antonio from Los Angeles, and we walked together for quite a while.
Once we arrived in town, we headed straight to the little church. It was really SMALL. There, you could take home verses in your own language, and I found the perfect one that fits everything I’ve learned here about God—and especially where I found Him: “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” (1 John 4:16).
Tomorrow is going to be pretty exhausting again.
Well, time for bed now. Good night!
Day 30: August 11
Hello it’s me!
I walked farther than planned today. A total of 30.1 km. So I’ll have to walk a little less tomorrow. I’ll be in Santiago the day after tomorrow! And what feels like 1,000 other pilgrims with me. It’s so crowded. It was pretty windy again this morning, but the sun eventually came out. When I changed my pants, it was at some run-down bus stop in the middle of the forest (no idea why there’s a bus stop there…). Anyway, the plastic walls of that bus stop were completely covered in graffiti and drawings by pilgrims. Just as I was putting my shoes back on, my gaze fell on four words. It said: “Love is the answer.” To which question, it didn’t say. But I knew it anyway. To my question: Who is God?
I'm absolutely certain that this was meant to happen—that I'd change my pants at this very stop and see this exact sign. Just thinking about it makes my feet hurt half as much :)
Good night
Day 31: August 12
Hello it’s me!
I hiked 19.6 km today. As I mentioned yesterday, that’s a bit less than usual. I took it pretty easy because, according to my travel planner, most hostels don’t open until 12:00 or 1:00 p.m. So I set out really early. After a very pleasant night, I was out of bed as early as 5:30 a.m. By 6:00 a.m., I was already at a so-called “churreria.” That’s where they make churros. Sooo delicious.
So that, along with some orange juice, was my breakfast today. Then I set off on my run. It was really pleasant today. When I got here, most of the hostels were still closed. One—the one I’m staying at now—was already open, and I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s one of the best hostels on the entire route. Totally clean, nice people, everything’s laid-back, good beds (you could pick your own), two floors, a terrace, and the shower is a dream! Best shower so far! And I’m sure I’ll sleep well in this bed tonight…and then tomorrow, one last hike. And then I’ll really have made it.
Wow! Good night!
Day 32: August 13
Hello it’s me!
AHHHH! I'm here!
Limping along but over the moon, I actually reached my destination this morning around 11 a.m. After 800 km, I’ve made it to Santiago! BOOM!
I set out on July 13 and arrived on August 13. I’ve been hiking for exactly one month now. 32 days, to be precise. Time has flown by sooo fast. WOW. The walk today went pretty well. Until I reached the point where there were exactly 7 km left to Santiago. That’s when the leg pain came back in full force. And it stayed with me all the way to Santiago (hence the “limping”). But I’m back on my feet again now :)
When I saw the cathedral, I knew for sure that I had reached my destination. Yay! Of course, I wasn’t alone… it felt like a thousand other people were standing in the cathedral square. It was really crowded! And that was just in the city center! Then I went to grab something to eat. I wasn’t worried about finding a bed because I figured there would be plenty of hostels here. That was a small mistake. In the end, I think I got the very last bed :) It was definitely the last one at my hostel :) I just took a quick shower at the hostel and then headed back into downtown! I think you could almost walk around here for days :) I picked up my certificates at the pilgrim’s office and, of course, visited the cathedral. It’s definitely more beautiful on the inside than on the outside. Then you had to get in line again to see the tomb of St. James the Apostle. I did that and was even allowed to put my arms around the statue of St. James behind the main altar from behind. Then I went down a staircase to St. James’s actual tomb. That was the REAL destination of the Camino de Santiago. At the tourist office, I asked how I might eventually get back to Cologne :)
We'll see—it'll work out. First, I'm heading to Fisterra to watch the sunrise and sunset. And, of course, to attend a pilgrims' mass. But my “travel diary” ends here.
Also ADIOS!
