These Holy Bones: Vol. 2-Episode 4: Encountering Your Camino Family

In this fourth episode of season two, I interview Claude from Paris, France. She explains how she was told that her Camino family would consist of the people with whom she began her journey--she would see them all along the way: in albergues, in bars, in restaurants and on the road as she traveled toward Santiago. This is exactly how Claude experienced the coming together of her Camino family. Have a listen and meet Claude on her way across Spain--she has insights to share not only about the Camino, but about life. 

Transcript

These Holy Bones: Vol. 2 Episode 4 - Encountering Your Camino Family

Speaker: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to another episode of These Holy Bones. A podcast about the ancient pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago, where the bones of St. James are interred beneath the high altar. I'm your host, Robert Nerney. This episode is being sponsored by Ocean Magic Surf and Skateboard Superstore in Jupiter, Florida.

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Speaker: Swing by ocean magic and [00:01:00] Jupiter, just minutes from the water, ocean, magic, surf, and skate. Florida's home for all things, surf, skate, and stoke. Check it out. Uh, I'm with Claude from Paris and um. We are in a small town in me and that town is s del Camino. Uh, and like I've said before, I love the me for its, um, its rich earth tones.

Speaker: With the, the wheat and today the beautiful sunflowers, so vibrant and so full of life. So, Claude, can you introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about yourself. Yeah. And then I'll ask you a few questions. Okay. Thank you. 

Speaker 2: I am a woman of, uh, 50 years old. It's my second times on the Camino. I'm working in Paris.

Speaker 2: I'm working in Paris. Um, in an observatory that I look at, uh, the, the, oh, the stars. The stars. 

Speaker: What is your background? 

Speaker 2: Oh, I'm just, uh, um, I have an administrative background and my other life is in politics in [00:02:00] my town. Uh, as a deputy head of the mayor of my town. Oh, 

Speaker: okay. Was that an elected position?

Speaker: Were you elected? Yeah. 

Speaker 2: Oh, excellent. Yes it is. Alright. Yeah. 

Speaker: How many years did you do that? Or do you Oh, 

Speaker 2: um, uh. 18 years. Wow. That's wonderful. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I used to do that. Yeah. 

Speaker: That can be difficult, right? Politics, you, uh, yes. Can be, have to listen to people and 

Speaker 2: Yes. And I think that is one of the reason of my presence on, of the cam, on the Camino, because there is a very human part in it, and I have to go back to silence too.

Speaker 2: You know? 

Speaker: Right. Those are two important. Yeah. It's funny, it's almost a balance, you know, to encounter people and then to balance yourself. You need that solitude. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. So this is your second Camino? Yeah. And your first Camino was last year? Yes. And can you tell us a little bit about that?

Speaker 2: Yeah, it was an incredible experience. I began the camel alone and around three hours later I was with, with a lot of people. I met first. An Australian guy, Craig, that is a friend now. And, uh, ah, we were in an Alberta and we began the road together in the [00:03:00] same Alberta and in the morning we had breakfast together and the woman of the Alberta told us, you know, there is a family on the cameo and people, uh, that are beginning with you as a cameo is your family, and you will meet them.

Speaker 2: At every step of the Camino, then we are going to do a ceremony, you know, something like a little bit, uh, a little bit mystic. Right? Right. And, uh, we met at this time, then we walk alone. And then the first I, I saw in the, in the cameo was Craig that told me, Hey. You are the French girl from Berga. And I said, yes, I do.

Speaker 2: And we spoke together, we worked together and we had a lot of common, our life was very similar. It was doing politic, it was interested in a lot of things. That was, uh, some common point to me and, and we began to walk. And we walked to the end. Wow. Back to the end for [00:04:00] me together. The, at the end of the day, at the end of the first at vu,

Speaker 2: we met, uh, I wanted to be alone. My, my, my purpose was being alone, and then I walk with Craig and it was great, but at the end I told me, okay. It's beginning to be alone. So I'm going take a esa, a beer, and I will stop speaking to people. And then a blonde girl come to me and said, Hey, you're not the French of the Alberga.

Speaker 2: No. I said, yes, it's me. Hey, I'm Hannah as a Swedish woman, and I was in the Berga. Oh yeah, great. Come because Craig is looking at you if I'm looking for you. And he is it. You want to know where you are, come and have a beer with us and we'll be together. And then I met a friend that was poor, that was not at Y [00:05:00] Berger.

Speaker 2: And the day after we met, they met, uh, one guy that was Dutch and that called Rose. And we, we began to be friend, you know, this kind of working friend that, uh. Very strange, very strong relationship, you know? Mm-hmm. Immediately 

Speaker: see. Yes. 

Speaker 2: And then that was my first Camino and I stopped 10 days after in Burgos.

Speaker 2: And this year I began in Burgos. 

Speaker: Oh, very good. So this year, um, is your plan to go to Santiago?  

Speaker 2: I will stop somewhere like Leon or maybe further, I don't know. Oh, that's good. Two or three days further and I will come back to Leon. 

Speaker: Oh, excellent. Okay. And you'll come back next year maybe? Yes. Okay. So yeah, Leon, I love Leone.

Speaker: Yes. The beautiful, I don't know, Leon. Yeah, it's beautiful cathedral. Beautiful. Oh yeah. Oh yes. Very nice. It very, um, it's just a great space, you know? Mm-hmm. I love gothic cathedrals. Yes. I've experienced the same. I was on the communal last year and, um, I met a, uh. A group of gentlemen, but they weren't together, you know?

Speaker: Yeah. We kind of, like you said, you, you kind of bond Mm. And become a Camino family. And that we had, uh, it was a very, it was a great [00:06:00] Camino. And, um, you know, some days you'd walk alone and then some days you'd be among, you know, your Camino family. So that's something that truly happens. Yeah. You know, really.

Speaker: And yeah. And people care about you. They care that, you know, your feet are. Are still working and that you've, you know what I mean? Yes, I 

Speaker 2: know. I, I know what you mean really. And you know what is funny? It's because you meet people every time. And even if you are in a big city. It's, there is something strange because you, you are in the same burger without telling to each other.

Speaker 2: We're going there you are going to the same restaurant or bar. Right. And you, you, you spend your time to meet people everywhere. The same people. Yeah. And there is something very, very strange around that. You know, definitely something magical around that I think magical or even like. 

Speaker: You know, providential, you know, maybe God once you meet certain people.

Speaker: Yes. That's a word. Yeah. Because I think God, God honors the fact that you're spending time, you know, away from your life. Yes. I mean, it's your life, but away from your Yes. Yes. And that, um, you know, I think that, that he gives you those gifts, you know? 

Speaker 2: Yes. Really. And that, that's a part of the, of the game.

Speaker 2: You have to, to put your luggage, you know, at the door of the [00:07:00] Camino and, and be just. Something like naked. Yeah. To, to be in. No, I love 

Speaker: that. That's true. I like that. Yeah. I like that analogy. Um, 'cause you do, if you, if you check your bags at the door, you're better off. Yeah. And if you just be open to, uh, to what comes 

Speaker 2: Yes.

Speaker 2: You know? Definitely. Yeah. 

Speaker: And there'll be people that you walk with and then some people, and then you'll walk with them again. And some people just one time. Yeah. And that's all right. 

Speaker 2: Yes, that's true. 

Speaker: Right. And it's like life because you do meet people in your life and they might be in your life for a while, and then, and then they leave.

Speaker: And it's, so this is a little bit more intense. Yes. Because it happens. Yes. Because it's shorter. It's 

Speaker 2: shorter. And And the relationship are Yes. Are really, really strong. They're strong. Something by the heart, around the heart, you know? 

Speaker: Right. And you're bonding because you're doing the same thing and yeah.

Speaker: Yes, I agree. I love that. Um, is it at all spiritual for you or, I mean, you said it's per, you like the fact that, you know, it's, uh, it's about people. 

Speaker 2: It's first, it's about people. It's not something like spiritual. I, I'm not, I am Catholic and, but I don't go to church and, you know, but 

Speaker: So Paris, you, I will like, yeah.

Speaker: Notre Dame. Notre Dame is that. Yes. Have you been there? Oh yeah. Of course, of course. Yeah. It's beautiful, right? Yes. It's beautiful. I've never been. 

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. Uh, you've never been? No. Oh, you have to go. Yes. Yes. And, uh, it's, it's rebuilt after they're done the fire. Right? They finished rebuilt. It's quite finished.

Speaker 2: There is some, some details to finish, but, uh, it's [00:08:00] okay. Right now you can go. 

Speaker: Thank goodness. 

Speaker 2: Uh, then I don't, I. I forgot what I was saying. You're saying that it's not really spiritual, but No. Yeah, but there is, there is a di dimension, a spiritual dimension. Right. It'll be a, it'll be a lie to, to say that it's, there is nothing but where, where it is.

Speaker 2: I don't know. And I think for me it's, it's really hide it on the relationship, on the, on the way to say hello to people to, you know, yes, this magical there is, there is a mix of everything that. Uh, that is spiritual. Even if you don't look, uh, look for something spiritual or if you don't go to the mess. No, not mess in in English.

Speaker 2: It's not mess. Mass. Mass to the celebration of the mess. Yeah. Yes, mass. Yes. Uh, it happens something. 

Speaker: Right. 

Speaker 2: Even if you, you drink too much ESA at the end of the day, or I don't know. You, you partying or Yeah. 

Speaker: Right. No. It's the human condition. But there 

Speaker 2: is something, you know, no, there's something beautiful about, 

Speaker: about all of it.

Speaker: Yes. About the 

Speaker 2: group, about the humanity and Right. The way to meet people and to go to through people and have to look after and and so on. Yeah. 

Speaker: Right. That's beautiful. Are you carrying a [00:09:00] pack? 

Speaker 2: Yeah. 

Speaker: And how heavy is it? 

Speaker 2: Oh, something like last year it was much, much heavier than, than now I had, yes, but this year it's something like six kilo.

Speaker 2: Okay. Yes. Alright. Six. Six, maybe seven. That's good. Seven max. But I, I think it's six because I took the The minimum of the minimum of the minimum. That's the best. Yeah. Yes. I can never 

Speaker: seem to do that. This is my 10th communal. I'm still a mess. Yeah. Because you think like, oh, you, you're an expert. No, I'm not.

Speaker: I don't know what I'm doing. 

Speaker 2: Yes. And you have all your technical material then. Yeah, but 

Speaker: my, my friend is carrying this though. Yeah. Really? Oh, because this is like five nine. Oh. Um, so if you had to, um, tell someone, or what are you, the three most important things to put in your pack? 

Speaker 2: Uh, to put my, into your, to bring, ah, to bring, um.

Speaker 2: Clothes. Shoes. 

Speaker: Shoes. 

Speaker 2: Not too much clothes. Two T-shirts too short. That's good. Um. And three, three pair of socks because three is a good number for the socks. It's really important. And of course, shoes, good shoes, really good shoes. Yeah. And some, some, so some way to, for the blisters. You know, ah, see, yes.

Speaker 2: That's 

Speaker: What do you use? What do you use for blisters? Compete or No, no, no. Just 

Speaker 2: classical blisters and, and swim. And that's all you know. 

Speaker: Okay. Now, in the morning, before you go, do you, um, put anything on your feet like Vaseline or cream or, 

Speaker 2: yeah. Like [00:10:00] nuke? Uh, yes. That's nuke. That's a cream. Okay. To, uh, to avoid, uh, the friction.

Speaker 2: Yeah. 

Speaker: Okay. That's good. That's all. Every morning you do that. Yeah. Now, do you stop along the way and reapply or no? No, no. Once. Yes. Okay. Once 

Speaker 2: in the morning and after, if the road is, is, um, is the day is a long day with a lot of kilometers, I put my shoes away when I, when I eat in the, you know, in for lunch The day.

Speaker 2: Yes, yes. For lunch. Thank you. And after I, uh, I, uh, I put I, yes. Oh, so you took them? Yeah. 

Speaker: Okay. But you don't switch to sandals or anything? Nope. Okay. So I've never walked in sandals. No, no, no, no. Okay. I don't, 

Speaker 2: I don't have sandals. 

Speaker: I have these, I have these, 

Speaker 2: but for, 

Speaker: for after, yeah. Okay. Very good. So, uh, um, would you recommend the Camino to someone?

Speaker: Of course, yes. Okay. And how, what would you say to them? 

Speaker 2: I would say if you want to, to live something that you will never live in another place. That, in the Camino that, that the, some you, you can understand what happens on the Camino. When you have met the Camino and to discover to, to, to, to see, to feel the Camino, you have to go [00:11:00] because it's a very beautiful experience and that's the only place to live this experience.

Speaker: Okay. Would you ever say it's a vacation?

Speaker 2: Yeah, it's something like a vacation, but it's, it's more than that. It's more than that. It's, yeah, 

Speaker: I think too, yeah, it's, it's a road because I have people that say, oh, you went on vacation. I'm like, well, I don't think so. 

Speaker 2: No, no. You take the road to, to come back to you. Oh, that's nice. That's, that's awesome.

Speaker 2: And to go to, to other people. Wow. And inside and outside and you know there is Oh, I love that. That's it. And it's not vacation. It's something much deeper. No, yeah, 

Speaker: yeah. I agree. Much deeper. 

Speaker 2: Yeah. 

Speaker: Alright. Uh, that's awesome. Thank you so much. 

Speaker: Thank you and Buen Camino!

Speaker 2: Buen Camino!