The GOOD Memories

 I realized today that I have complained a lot in the past few years about changes on the Camino and how almost always, there was at least one, maybe two people in my group who pulled me down.

HOWEVER... there have been SO many wonderful people in my groups or on the Camino!  Here are just a few that stand out.

2006. Our very first Camino and what a time we had in Azofra where we met Edeltraut and Enrique!  He was from Segovia and she was from Germany. We all stayed at the OLD parochial that night and there was a wine festival going on. My GOSH we had fun! We walked on and off with them for kilometers. Eventually Enrique fell in love and took off on a Camino romance!

Edeltraut (middle) was a kick! She was the first person we met using trekking poles. You could hear her coming 1/2 mile away, click click clicking and laughing loud! 

Several years later, while walking out of Ponferrada, we heard that laugh and that click click click and there she was again!

On our 2009 Camino, we were literally dying of thirst when we heard a man calling to us from a nearby field. He asked if we were thirsty and invited us into his home where he served us chilled homemade gazpacho. His name was Antonio and he reminded me of Zorba the Greek! He kept his motorcycle in his house.

My first group Caminos were in 2012. 
Several people in those groups stood out for me and we became friends.

Father Jeffrey was one. I hear he'll be on the Camino again in September when I'm walking and I sure hope to meet up with him while there!

 Eileen Ciluffo was so sweet!
She and I are still Facebook friends.
She is hugging Anita, who was also a joy!

Patricia Moak became a friend for many years.

She unfriended me after the last election.

I felt it was such a shame to let politics get in the way of friendship,

but I love her and valued her friendship for years.

She went on to walk several Caminos on her own.

We met Angela in Oregon. She walked with Joe and in Forest Park and picked our brains because she was going on the Camino. She went SUPER light, with a tiny pack and had a great time. Then in 2012 on our Camino from Lourdes and down the Aragones Route, we ran into her gain. She was hospitalera at Arres! It was so fun to see her again!

In 2012, I had an Aussie name Theresa in one of my groups.

That gal made me laugh so hard!
She kept in touch for a few years and sent me a lovely merino teeshirt from Australia. She had the most interesting pack that she wore both in front and in back!

I had a wonderful group in 2014!

The entire group was a joy to walk with!
They had a rough start in SJPP
fighting 70 kph winds to get to Orisson.

Barbara said "Enough!" after a day or two of that weather.
She ended up bussing much of the way and meeting us all at our destination, often with dinner cooked!

I took most of the group by taxi to Roncesvalles the second day because there was wind, rain, and snow!

Two of the women, Pat and Chantal, wanted to walk.
So Joe too them over the pass, while the rest of us waited by the fire at La Posada. I guess it was a pretty intense walk as the snow began falling at the summit.

The next morning I met these two,

who had started late and gotten caught on the mountain,

huddled under a bush when the snow started and their 
phone flashlights failed! I heard from them a few years later. They'd gotten married after their Camino experience.

Paul and Pat were always smiling and I was so excited when they signed up to be in Joe's group 10 years later.

In 2015, Joe took a group. 

He said they were great and had a wonderful time!
I'll see if he has photos.

That year, I stayed home to care for my brother until he passed away.

In 2016, I walked from Malaga to Cordoba, popped up to the Camino Madrid, then picked up my group in Pamplona.
Again, 

the whole group was a joy to walk with!

That was before the new owners took over Gite Compostelle.
The old owner, Pierre, always threw us a party on the night before we took off!

In 2018 I had another fun group of ladies!

There were lots of laughs on this trip.

There's always that 'one' . . . lol!

In June 2018 I walked a "Slow Camino" from Sarria to Santiago with these two pilgrims!  They were so much fun and are still in touch.

Carol and Diane

We made it to Santiago!

In 2019 I took a break to walk alone.

In 2020, Joe and I tried to finish the VDLP,
but our trip was aborted due to Covid.
Those were the years I discovered I had breast cancer, 

had a double mastectomy,

and moved my mother in with me.
It was quite a ride!

I cared for my mother until she passed away March 2022,

and left for the Camino in April. 
I was exhausted.
It was Holy Year and Joe and I spent a week in Logroño and then a week in Manresa. We were there for Holy Week and the 500th anniversary of Ignatius Loyola arriving in Manresa. 
I picked up my group in Pamplona.

The two that stood out for me this trip were Nic (far right, stooping) and Marcia (far left top). Those two were so delightful, so positive, and Nic kept me laughing when I felt like crying. 

I realized I had left far too soon after my mother's death.

I was exhausted.

It seemed this was the year things changed,

and tourists, rather than pilgrims, flooded the Camino.

May 2024 was my last Camino.

MOST of the people in this group were delightful  . . .

Yesterday I listened to a podcast.
Rebekah of Moratinos was the guest.
She spoke of The Ten Commandments of the Camino.

Wonderful podcast.
Every person planning the Camino should listen to it 

in my opinion.

Here is a link if you're interested:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-96-rebekah-scotts-ten-commandments/id1067605198?i=1000714519168

One of the best things she said was 

"The Camino doesn't owe you anything!"
I loved that!

'THE CAMINO DOES NOT OWE YOU ANYTHING!"

At any rate, time heals our soul

and I've been healing.

I've been spending time looking for the positive

in the years I've taken groups.

I've been thinking about the people who were so sweet,

so grateful, so funny, such a joy!

There were SO many!

And now I'm planning a long contemplative walk 

all by myself to think it all over.

I've signed up for the Ignatian Prayer app, 

and will try to walk in silence as much as possible.

I have a lot to think about.

I'll walk the whole route alone, 

from SJPP to Santiago,

taking a full two months.
I've booked a minimum of lodgings,

and I may cancel some of those if it doesn't look busy.

I'm really looking forward to it.

As far as groups go,

I might like to do a few more "Slow Caminos," 

and only take 2-3 pilgrims.

I really enjoyed the one with Carol and Diane.

We'll see.

Until then, I'm doing my best to spend more time remembering the fun, 

the laughter, and the joy.

And for those who pained me,

I'm burning incense, whispering their names and sending them off into the wind with a blessing.

It helps a lot.

See you on the trail.

Love,

Annie