the last night in santiago
the city of santiago is beautiful, but it seems a different city than the one i left just a few days ago. when i left, it was a city of triumph, celebration, shared joy and lots and lots of hugs. it is now a city where i shop, where i buy things other than the food i will eat for the next day, even heavy things that will weigh alot in my pack. i buy things based on beauty rather than weight. it is a city where i no longer know 1 in 10 people, but still can recognize pilgrims, but in a general way rather knowing who they are.
as i walk to meet catalina and alex for dinner, i see a family of a mother and two young boys perched on their doorstep. one is intently playing his game boy. the other is just as intent, but with his mother. she is pressing his nose down with one of his fingers while, deep in concentration, he is reaching his tongue to try and touch the tip of his nose with the tip of his tongue. i smile at such a perfect moment, such a typical moment, one of thousands - millions - in a child´s life. it has nothing to do with walking, being a pilgrim. it is not even specific to santiago, but could be happening anywhere.
after i meet catalina in the cathedral square (alex joined us a few minutes later) , we are walking to a park where they assure me there is a great view of the cathedral, and it is the best place to see it at night when it is all lit up. we walk through a small square with a fountain (where the internet camera is) and we can hear loud singing before we get there. there is at least one local team there having some sort of rally. it involves singing loudly, then rushing up to someone they know and dragging them to the fountain and throw them in. loud cheers accompany all of this, and even the police who are there laugh along with everyone else. life is going on all over, and our pilgrim status has changed. when alex joined us, fresh from a shower, we all hugged and catalina told him he smelled good. no longer a pilgrim! as we saw so many people we didn´t know hugging and congratulating each other we realized our time had passed. no one was greeting us that way, and we weren´t throwing our arms around anyone either. it was their time now, just as it will be other pilgrims´time in the coming days, weeks, months, years. we were now rested, clean, and not limping or experiencing any pain at all. we are able to get up from a table and walk away quickly and smoothly, without those first lilttle hobble-steps so characteristic of a pilgrim who has walked all day long.
after sitting and talking with the beautiful cathedral lit up in the background we went in search of our favorite dessert-tarta de queso. it is misleading to describe it as cheesecake, but that is it´s closest cousin, shall we say. it is a rich and smooth delight, with a soft taste of cream that is not overly sweet, but insanely good. they are walking me to my hotel where i am staying with carrie who ate with other friends tonight. as we walk through the tunnel on the side of the cathedral, we are going backwards from our camino journey of last week. as we came out of the tunnel, and were along the side of the cathedral i looked up. there was a huge flock of seagulls flying over the towers. they were lit by the lights of the cathedral, from below, which made their wings look even more white against the black of the sky, and the beautiful cathedral was the foreground. we all stopped and stared in silence, struck by the beauty, our eyes tracing their lazy arcs, hearing an infrequent ´caw´ as the birds themselves seemed to honor the sacredness of the moment. the moon, a perfect half moon, watched quietly from the side, a still point of light anchoring the birds gliding by. yet again, my eyes filled with tears. how fortunate i have been! how graced! how divinely led, and how beautifully my soul has been fed! and it continues. it continues as i return to america, to my home, my husband, my friends, family...you! it was a wonderful end to my camino, with nature, beauty, and friends . how excited it am to continue this camino with you now. WE get to see the beauty eveywhere. WE get to see the pilgrim in all. WE get to throw our arms around each other when we see each other next! and you can be sure that´s what i will do when i see you!
til then-
peace and blessings-
a
as i walk to meet catalina and alex for dinner, i see a family of a mother and two young boys perched on their doorstep. one is intently playing his game boy. the other is just as intent, but with his mother. she is pressing his nose down with one of his fingers while, deep in concentration, he is reaching his tongue to try and touch the tip of his nose with the tip of his tongue. i smile at such a perfect moment, such a typical moment, one of thousands - millions - in a child´s life. it has nothing to do with walking, being a pilgrim. it is not even specific to santiago, but could be happening anywhere.
after i meet catalina in the cathedral square (alex joined us a few minutes later) , we are walking to a park where they assure me there is a great view of the cathedral, and it is the best place to see it at night when it is all lit up. we walk through a small square with a fountain (where the internet camera is) and we can hear loud singing before we get there. there is at least one local team there having some sort of rally. it involves singing loudly, then rushing up to someone they know and dragging them to the fountain and throw them in. loud cheers accompany all of this, and even the police who are there laugh along with everyone else. life is going on all over, and our pilgrim status has changed. when alex joined us, fresh from a shower, we all hugged and catalina told him he smelled good. no longer a pilgrim! as we saw so many people we didn´t know hugging and congratulating each other we realized our time had passed. no one was greeting us that way, and we weren´t throwing our arms around anyone either. it was their time now, just as it will be other pilgrims´time in the coming days, weeks, months, years. we were now rested, clean, and not limping or experiencing any pain at all. we are able to get up from a table and walk away quickly and smoothly, without those first lilttle hobble-steps so characteristic of a pilgrim who has walked all day long.
after sitting and talking with the beautiful cathedral lit up in the background we went in search of our favorite dessert-tarta de queso. it is misleading to describe it as cheesecake, but that is it´s closest cousin, shall we say. it is a rich and smooth delight, with a soft taste of cream that is not overly sweet, but insanely good. they are walking me to my hotel where i am staying with carrie who ate with other friends tonight. as we walk through the tunnel on the side of the cathedral, we are going backwards from our camino journey of last week. as we came out of the tunnel, and were along the side of the cathedral i looked up. there was a huge flock of seagulls flying over the towers. they were lit by the lights of the cathedral, from below, which made their wings look even more white against the black of the sky, and the beautiful cathedral was the foreground. we all stopped and stared in silence, struck by the beauty, our eyes tracing their lazy arcs, hearing an infrequent ´caw´ as the birds themselves seemed to honor the sacredness of the moment. the moon, a perfect half moon, watched quietly from the side, a still point of light anchoring the birds gliding by. yet again, my eyes filled with tears. how fortunate i have been! how graced! how divinely led, and how beautifully my soul has been fed! and it continues. it continues as i return to america, to my home, my husband, my friends, family...you! it was a wonderful end to my camino, with nature, beauty, and friends . how excited it am to continue this camino with you now. WE get to see the beauty eveywhere. WE get to see the pilgrim in all. WE get to throw our arms around each other when we see each other next! and you can be sure that´s what i will do when i see you!
til then-
peace and blessings-
a
About a week ago we watched "The Game,'' a late 90's movie with Michael Douglas. He's a man who has everything but is close to no one, and his brother as a present gives him a round in a "game'' that turns into an increasingly elaborate plot against him. At the end, before it's revealed as a big charade, he realizes he can't trust anyone -- and therefore has to value the few people that truly care about him -- his brother, his ex-wife. As I read your posts it struck me that what he went through was an anti-camino, since what you've gone through is a struggle that opened up your heart to the world at large as well as to those you know are in your corner. Different kind of movie!
Hope to see you soon,
John
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Annie, I am savoring these last couple of posts, letting your thoughts drift over mine ... feeling happy, knowing you are on your way, home this time.
Thanks again, for all you have shared, along the way. Love, big hugs, El
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