REFLECTING ABOUT
CAMINO DE SANTIAGO, SPAIN
by Rosa Beato
How did you
get started as Sol y Canto? How long have you been with Las Comadres
Boston Network?
I am originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. My mom was
an actress and singer raised in NYC of Puerto Rican descent and my dad was
an actor from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I went to Bryn
Mawr College in the Philadelphia area and moved to Boston after graduating
and stayed because of the arts, culture, and progressive
community that I resonated with. I joined Las Comadres in 2005. I met this
wonderful group of Latina women gathering in their homes and was immediately
welcomed! I felt I'd found a home away from home right away and went to as many
gatherings as possible for years, particularly before I had my kids. I also
hosted many a Comadrazo in my garden during the summer and loved being the
hostess! Las Comadres Para Las Américas has been a beautiful support system in
my life.
My husband, Brian and I founded our Latin band Sol y Canto in Cambridge, MA where we currently still live, in 1994 after ending a previous Latin band that lasted 10 years (Flor de Caña). We knew we didn't want to stop making music and wanted to sing about the things that matter to us. We perform as a duo, trio or quintet around the U.S and in Puerto Rico. We describe Sol y Canto as "Latin roots music with a social conscience" and our repertoire ranges from heartfelt lullabies dedicated to our one-time baby twins, to songs expressing our hopes for a better world, to driving dance rhythms about how to combat solitude by connecting with friends. We adore singing for Las Comadres' annual bilingual holiday sing-along online every year. Something Comadre Nora launched during the pandemic!
Let’s talk about your trip to Camino de Santiago, Spain. What made you take this trip to Camino De Santiago?
The Camino de
Santiago is an extensive network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching
across Europe and coming together at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in
Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. We had the idea of
going to the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage to Northern Spain, well before
the pandemic when we saw the movie "The Way" with Martin Sheen which
takes place in the Camino de Santiago. We were supposed to go in May 2020 and
due to the pandemic ended up going in October 2021.
What did you
do to prepare for this trip?
My husband Brian and I trained throughout 2019-20 by
walking 2-14 miles every weekend. Just before the trip, we would take two walks
a week. One early on a weekday for 2-3 miles and a longer one on the weekend.
We always walked on nature trails throughout the greater Boston and New England
region, no matter what the weather, and learned how to adapt to all types of
climates. We fell in love with it and it is still a sacred ritual for us.
Which route did you take? How many nights?
We took the "Camino Francés" (the French
Way) which is the most popular. It starts from France, but to walk from France
you must walk for about a month. We could only take a total of three weeks of
vacation, so we flew into Madrid, spent time with friends before and after the
trip, and walked on the Camino for two weeks with our backpacks through the
beautiful mountainous regions of Castilla y León and Galicia in Northern Spain.
We walked a total of 160 miles and stayed in simple but comfortable lodgings, rural
homes, hostels, and small inns along the way. We didn't camp. Most people
don't. We stopped to eat in wonderful cafes and small restaurants that dot the
way on the Camino Francés, which is very set up for the Camino
"pilgrims" as walkers are called who take on this walk. It took us 2
weeks to get to Santiago de Compostela, a beautiful ancient city where all the
paths from different countries come together! After seeing so few people on the
Camino, it was a bit overwhelming to arrive and see throngs of people, to be
honest. We enjoyed our two-day stay at the end of our journey and had some
excellent meals in that regal city with an amazing church.
What was
your least favorite route?
There
were many ascents and descents. On the
second day I recall a particularly arduous ascent after a serious descent that
was very challenging for our bodies, our knees in particular. Plus, it was
a long day - longer than we should have taken on. We planned our own trip by
looking at maps and “guesstimating” how we'd do. We learned the hard way and
the rest of the trip went great. Because the long descents are the hardest on
the knees there are some pilgrims that skip it - and are taken by car to the
next town - others who do it. I'm glad I did it, but I would have liked a
lighter walking day to feel less inclined to hurry to get to my lodging before
it got dark.
Would you do it again?
Absolutely! We already went back once, though only for
five days the following June, with friends, this time from Santiago de
Compostela to the coast (Finisterre, Spain) - "Finis -terre - end of the earth, to see the coast! My
dream is to go back and do the Camino with my twins who are now 27. So far, they are not too interested in that
walk but open to other adventures. That is my wish - that we go as a family. I
suspect I may go with other friends before that happens.
What is
challenging?
You must be in good enough physical shape to be
prepared for those climbs and descents. Though, on the other hand, we saw
people who were significantly older than me who were walking alongside us at
times. We decided to carry our backpacks, but many people pay a small fee for a
van to take their backpacks to the next lodging and simply carry a daypack. A
lot of organized trips are like this. That is friendlier for the older, less
able-bodied walkers. We used walking poles which made the walk more
manageable, and it reduces the impact on the knees. We love them and use
them now every time we walk!
What lessons
do you take away from this journey?
I learned that carrying a backpack with a total of two
sets of clothes and a few other things is ALL you need to be happy! Who knew?
What a simple discovery. We were able to wash our dirty laundry at every stop
easily (there are plentiful washing machines in the lodgings). So amazing how
much stuff we carry around in our lives that we don't need at all. I loved the
simplicity of having only one goal every day: to walk and be in the present. I
loved being in nature in a beautiful country where the locals are so kind to
the pilgrims and where I was sharing an adventure with everyone else who was
walking. We pilgrims always wished one another "Buen Camino" (good path) whenever we walked by one another.
People from all over the world do this walk - some for religious or spiritual
reasons, and some for adventure - and we all feel this deep connection simply
by sharing the Camino.
For Brian and me, one of the things that made it very special is that we shared our music. Since it was still during the pandemic, we chose not to stay in hostels where (younger) people tend to stay to save money and sleep in bunk beds. When we stayed in a hostel, we got a private room (only once). We always had our own private room everywhere we stayed. I worried that we'd never meet anyone this way, so I proposed to him that we go to the breakfast room where we were staying and sing one of Brian's songs called "Buen Camino". We simply got up and made an announcement that we wanted to dedicate this song to all the pilgrims present (in English since that's the common language for international travelers). Not surprisingly, people then approached us to meet us. We made so many wonderful friends that way! In fact, a fellow pilgrim filmed us singing "Buen Camino" on the Camino. Brian played a small travel guitar that fit in his backpack that came in handy daily. Watch the YouTube Video.
The biggest lesson learned from this journey is that for me walking is a spiritual practice. I discovered something I already knew but felt more deeply on the Camino: nature is a part of my spirituality. Walking in silence is a gift. Even though I went with Brian, we frequently walked at a different pace, and he would be ahead. Sometimes I walked with other pilgrims and had a fantastic time hearing their Camino stories. But mostly I walked alone, hearing my footsteps. This solitude gave me lots of time to think, to really listen to the birds and sounds of nature, to sing to myself, to reflect on my life, to fully embody the walk and to feel so much gratitude for making the commitment and then to carry out this dream we had for years. Our bodies were strong to carry us through on foot in good weather and rainy and cold weather at times. We LOVED the Camino and look forward to returning. We also love Spain, the food and wines! Spaniards are so welcoming; they know how to treat their guests. The country’s infrastructure is topnotch, traveler friendly and it's economical.
There have
been some conversations about Las Comadres possibly making this journey to
Camino de Santiago. I know I would love to do it too.
I think that's a GREAT idea! It's a very bonding experience! And very doable if you plan it right. Brian and I got good at planning. A lot of people just hire a company that organizes it for your group and that works well too if you're into that. We wanted total freedom.
This article is part of the Fall issue of the Comadres Connect Newsletter.
Copyright @2023 Las Comadres Para Las Americas
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