Soto de Luiña (Spain) | Why I Needed to Slow Down - Day 110

Jean Pierre (left) and Timo (right) leave the Albergue ahead of me this morning. They walk faster than me, so I watch them walk out of sight in the morning darkness.

Day 25 takes me from Muros de Nalón to Soto de Luiña. The stage is short today, around 16 km (10 mi), and is a series of rolling climbs, the steepest of which is before I arrive in Soto de Luiña. 

I screwed up last night and forgot to make a reservation for my pack before 8 pm. I thought of it at 757 pm, which was not enough time. Fortunately, the stage is short this morning, and I don't mind carrying my pack. As I walk out the door in my dry shoes, I notice my heels are tender this morning. The shoe change has been fantastic, but my heels need some time to adjust.

I pass most of the morning in solitude and love being off the pavement. I spend the morning reflecting on why the Camino is slowing me down. If there is a reason, I don't understand it. I hope it will reveal itself soon. In the meantime, I can use the time to get accustomed to my new shoes and take the stress off my left knee ligaments. It is getting better every day. I just need to be patient.

Late in the morning, I catch up with Jean Pierre and Timo. Jean Pierre and I start chatting. "Tu es Catholic? [You are Catholic]" he asks. No, I was born Catholic, but I don't consider myself Catholic. "Tu n'êtes pas un pèlerin [You are not a pilgrim]," he says. "Le chemin n'est pas spirituelle. Si tu veux ça, va fumer du haschisch [The Camino is not a spiritual journey. If that is what you are looking for, go smoke hashisch]," he continues. I laugh. 

Jean Pierre has an interesting way of "guiding" pilgrims on the Camino. Unfortunately, it consists primarily of an inflexible approach and appears rather judgemental. He's right. I am not an official Pilgrim because I am not Catholic. I did not choose the Camino as a spiritual quest. Neither of his assumptions bother me. I am struggling with Jean Pierre because he made a series of value-laden statements regarding my intentions and purpose for walking the Camino without first exploring if his assumptions were correct.

For me, the Camino is neither a religious nor a spiritual quest. I have spent a long time exploring these questions before starting the Camino. I am firmly grounded in my spirituality, or would not be here. Accordingly, I disagree with Jean Pierre. People can explore their spirituality anywhere they choose. If someone decides that the Camino is a spiritual journey for them, why deny them that experience?  

I decided to walk the Camino for four reasons: 1) I love walking coastlines and feel great doing it; 2) I wanted to experience Spanish culture, and slow travel best for that; 3) I wanted to push myself physically. I have never walked continuously this far or this long; and 4) This is an opportunity to live simply and implement changes in my life that I spent years working through. In short, every day, the Camino allows me to leave my "treadmill life" further behind and live in a way that enriches my life and those around me. This is why I chose to walk the Camino and believe why it has been such a rich experience so far. 

When we encounter Timo on the trail, who is watching a giant yellow slug, Jean Pierre continues. I stop, admire the slug, and start a conversation with Timo. We spend the rest of the morning walking together. When we approach Soto de Luiña, Timo asks me a question that puts everything in perspective for me. "If I wanted to get into the natural resources field, how would I do that?" he says. Then I think, this is why the Camino slowed me down. Timo needs my help. We spend the next hour discussing his interests and exploring different facets of the natural resources field. Timo is only 19 years old, but I can see the gears turning in his head. His enthusiasm grows through his curiosity as we build on and exchange ideas.

"I've had some crazy dreams lately. Ever since I quit smoking pot," Timo says. I tell him, Carl Jung, a psychologist, anthropologist, and philosopher, believed that if we write down our dreams, we can begin to identify patterns that help us remember important things in our lives. These important things can help us find our way once we start listening and recognizing patterns. It is like listening to our subconscious. So we continue walking while exploring all sorts of topics and ways to unlock opportunities. 

Finally, we reach Soto de Luiña. I have a reservation at a Donitivo (Donation Only) Albergue, where Timo is also staying. However, I am considering moving on to the next town. We stop, and I open my laptop to check with Correos (Postal Service). They do not service the Albergue I wanted to stay at. If I stay here, I can share more conversations with Timo. So, I close my laptop, and we walk to the Albergue together.

Once we arrive and get checked in, the host tells us to toss the clothes we are wearing into a hamper. She will wash them for free. Our host has walked the Camino on four occasions. She and her husband, who live in Madrid, finally opened this Albergue in March. In their first year, they hosted 1,180 Peregrinos. It feels fantastic to be at a place that understands the Peregrino experience. Below, the 11 Peregrinos gather for dinner. Dinner consists of a hot vegetable lentil stew and pasta salad. It tastes amazing!

I wanted to experience smaller Albergues, which was impossible when traveling with the others. For the last two days, I have stayed at two very lovely Albergues with only a handful of Peregrinos. Another reason why the Camino slowed me down. I have enjoyed the experience with the hosts tremendously. 

The Camino Del Norte is different from other Caminos. For example, on the Camino Del Norte, the stages are long, and frequently there are only Albergues at the start and end points. This can create a feeling of a "bed race" as Peregrinos feel rushed to find a bed in the next town. By comparison, I have heard that on the Camino Frances, there are Albergues every 3-5 km (2-4 mi), which eliminates this problem. However, the Camino Del Norte is the only Camino where you cross four Spanish regions and walk along the ocean. This affords me the opportunity to immerse myself in Spanish culture. On the Frances, Peregrinos immerse themselves not in Spanish but in Peregrino culture.