Gloria A Santiago.

by Michał Szkudlarek (Poland)

I didn't expect to find Spain

The first day of the long waited for. The first day of the trial. The morning is fresh. The sun is not high in the sky yet. In the distance you can hear the swoosh of the Rio Arga. Near the albergue, on the benches, you can see some other people of my kind who have decided to take up the same kind of ‘sacrifice’. ‘Sacrifice?’ – maybe it’s a word that is not to be used in that context. Each of us goes because of his own reasons. Besides, who is going to sacrifice and what is going to be sacrificed? Others who have decided to do what is at the time ahead of me have gained something more valuable and for sure miles more than the effort that was necessary to put. Hope the same will happen to me. The beginning is typical as described in all the pilgrims’ guides which refer to this. You buy the credencial, get the first stamp and off you go. Calle dos de Mayo is a narrow Pamplona’s street similar to many others of this type in the city. Cobbled and squashed together they all add up to the atmosphere. ... 22 km is not short as for the start. The distance plus a heavy rucksack on my back on a hot day simply make themselves felt. In the albergue first things first. Registration at the hospitaleiro, donativo and a stamp in the credencial. Then a warm shower and a washing. The bunk bed given to me doesn’t bother. The hardship of the day makes me immediately fall asleep. In the morning, the next day while preparing for setting off I notice the people who go with me. In the albergue’s kitchen during the breakfast you feel like in the Tower of Babel. Spaniards, my fellow citizens, constitute minority here. One might hear French, Italian, German and obviously English. ... Days go by. Kilometer by kilometer, stage by stage we approach Santiago (Sant Jago = Saint Jacob). Always together. Hakan fully recovers from his ailment. Me and Avram never forget about him whenever any weakness strikes him. Each of us leaves a stone at the Cruz de Ferro. Let it be for the mistakes done in our lives. When reaching Santiago after 29 days (in my case) we are true friends. This is what Camino has made of us. We register at the Oficina del Peregrino. They inform us that next day there will be a special mass for those who complete the route. Of course we decide to go there. In the afternoon, we have a ceremonial dinner in the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos. Each of us realizes that the next day we are going to part, just after the mass. I am taking my coach. Hakan and Avram are going by plane to the USA and Germany respectively. We sit, talk but in the air you can feel the sense of nostalgia. It is a pity that something important is going to finish in our lives. Evening’s sightseeing of Santiago only adds to the atmosphere. We take some pictures in front of the cathedral. We ask a pilgrim who has just reached the square to take a picture of our trio. It will be the most precious memento. The evening in the albergue is the time when we take each others addresses and promise to continue our friendship first by mail and e-mail mainly. At twelve next day we gather with other pilgrims in the cathedral. A lot of people are there on the benches. Some of them are there straight from the route. But it is not a problem. They are happy and we are happy with them. Then the time when the names are read by the priest. Jaime Moreno from Spain – it makes me proud as never before in my life. Hakan Serkan from Turkey…Avram Kravitz from Israel – some people look at each other. They seem to be surprised. There is nothing to be surprised at. But…they have changed their countries of origin. Camino de Santiago really unites. We promised to walk the Camino in 2021, in the holy year once again. ’¡Gloria a Santiago, Patron Insigne!’