In 2019, when James and I first started planning our Camino, I read an article in the Australian Friends of the Camino newsletter. It was by an Australian, James, about walking the Camino with his 11 year old son Leo.
As James and I were due to walk in 2020 (the year that shall not be mentioned) and James would be 13, I found James’s contact details and sent him an email. Would he be willing to have a chat about what it’s like to walk the Camino with a “child”? He replied promptly, “sure, give me a call.”
We ended up chatting for some time about the logistics and what the experience is like for both the child and the parent. James gave me great insight. He and Leo wrote a great blog about their experience which can be found here – https://leocamino.home.blog
A few days ago I was running into some people we’d met on the way and they kept saying that there was another Australian father and son on the Camino. In my mind I thought, “surely it couldn’t be Leo and James?”
This morning as Mikael, Mads, James and I were leaving Carrion, I saw two people on the side of the road. As we got closer, their faces looked familiar. I approached, “James? Leo?”
They looked at me in surprise, “do we know you?”
“My name’s Grant, we spoke about 3 years ago.”
“Of course,” James replied.
There followed a lovely morning as we all chatted and walked about 17km in an almost straight line along an old Roman road.
It had rained overnight and more was forecast. The maximum temperature was to be 9 degrees. Mikael, Mads, James and I enjoyed a good breakfast of eggs and ham with espresso coffee. Outside it looked cold and we needed this breakfast to get us going.
As we left Carrion I called mum and dad to receive some good news that dad’s cancer treatment is working effectively. It was lovely to see their smiling faces.
Then my best mate Peter called from Australia. It always great to hear his voice.
Then I spoke to Claire who I’m missing terribly.
As I hung up, I looked up to see that the bloody Roman road just kept on going!
James and Leo gave us some great tips for the days ahead, especially getting into and out of Leon, our next big city. They also gave us some tips on where to shop should any of our gear fail, something that is getting more important as I look down at my 3 year old shoes starting to fall apart.
It was nice to see James and Leo chatting for the few hours into Calzadilla de la Cueza. There we all stopped for a cold lunch.
James and Leo had booked in a village 9km further on. The Danes, James and I decided to get a bed here in Calzadilla. We said our farewells. I hope we cross paths again between here and Santiago. Camino magic!
Staying in Calzadilla means a good run into Sahagun, a small city that the guidebook has pilgrims passing through. We will stay there tomorrow night. It may mean a longer day somewhere between here and Leon.
For now, the 4 of us have the albergue to ourselves. We’ve spread our gear out all over the place to air and dry.
After a rest, I walk across the street to a tiny little shop. It is full of great delights. The lady greets me warmly and suggests that I attend her restaurant for dinner. I buy a few things then head back to the albergue.
When it comes time for dinner, I suggest we try the restaurant. It is tiny, but we can see that the lady from the shop is the cook. James orders pasta and lemon chicken, Mikael, Mads and I order the ribs. All I can say is, what a dinner. The food was wonderfully cooked.
They say that an army marches on its stomach. The same goes for pilgrims. If we have a good meal, we’re happy and can walk for hours. A bad meal really darkens our mood.
Manny joins us, as does an Austrian pilgrim who has walked from Fromista (perhaps because the food was so bad in that town).
The barman shouts us a round of a local spirit. It is strong, though appreciated by all.
We are happy and laugh and tell stories. Such joy can be found in these special moments.
As the sun sets, it is raining again.
But, the birds sing a sweet song to farewell the day and we are hopeful that the rain will stay away tomorrow. It has been quite a day on the Camino.
The Long Camino 