Nothing’s nicer than lying on the beach with a friend on one’s side. But promise is a promise, so I had to return to Santiago to meet a friend from Slovenia, Polona. She told me she wanted to walk a part of the path before I left. I offered to meet her in Santiago and go forth together until we reach Finisterre. This Path is perfect for someone who’d love to experience this odyssey but lacks time for other paths. It’s a walk in a park, mostly flat and not one ascent worth mentioning. At the end, though, a spectacular sunset and a wonderful beach awaits. I promised to walk to the end of the world with her if my legs are still game. That’s what I also promised to Camilla when we had to leave her in the middle of the trip, Simon and I, since her knee swelled, and the doctor told her to take five and make less kilometers per day. We left her behind because Simon was on a schedule and I didn’t feel like chilling. She had to go solo, but you already know that you’re never really alone on the Path. You meet new people or stumble upon the familiar ones in no time.
I admit: when I arrived at Santiago for the first time this year, my adrenaline went down, and I didn’t feel like walking. Most of my fellow sufferers already left. They are, after all the cherry on top and what makes this trip so special. When you lose your faith in people El Camino restores it.
Travelling in twos. For some people a living nightmare they wish to forget ASAP, for others a life-affirming experience. How you categorize such a trip depends on who your plus one is and how in sync your expectations and habits are. We don’t know who we’re dealing with when we share a comfort zone, but such trips bring out the worst and the best in people.
As said, Urša was my company at the beginning of the Path, all the way to Guernica (a bit further from San Sebastian). That Jazz festival gave me a blister, which isn’t that bad considering I’m not really a fan of the genre. A phenomenal night that wrapped up in a museum of whisky. It was the bar of the town, if not Earth. No need for history, just enjoy the four walls teeming with bottles of whisky, the funky music and interesting characters around you. There’s also a piano and a synth! Hurrah! All you need to know is a raging headache next morning. So much greatness in one place. A lively town that begs to be visited again, but with a suitcase of beautiful attire.
Urša and her sarcasm were fun, and she didn’t hold back. The beginning of the path was brutal, and the level of difficulty was set to DIE, MOTHERFUCKERS! She didn’t recreate much before embarking on this trip, so kudos to her for surviving it sardonically. So much sarcasm, so much laughter. Try walking uphill and simultaneously picking up your lungs and laughing uncontrollably. And she wouldn’t stop talking! She hated cyclists because we had to dodge them, but I think it’s even harder for them. No way I’m ever cycling on the Northern path. It’s borderline suicidal for a klutz like me. My soul cried when we arrived at our first albergo, when she started wiping the bedframe and plastic sheet with sanitary wipes. Good thing she didn’t go the entire path with me, imagine the amount of wipes. Granted, the albergo was disgusting and the caretaker was a dick, which is a bad start. When Urša learned the rules of the game are sleep time at 10 PM, she also cried inside a bit. When she arrived at Bilbao where her flight was next day, she sent me a pic of her gorgeous room and herself in a lovely cocktail dress – suitable for the town she was in. According to her smile, she was fine.
Polona is tidy and amiable with a beautiful smile and a buttload of optimism. She seems sophisticated and a tad emotional. She also never listens. I told her exactly what she needed for the trip when she packed and used snickers were the first thing on the list. Naturally, that went in and out of her ears. Had she listened to me, there would be no pain and tantrums that lead to friction. She was richer for a blister on Day Two. And if you know your little toe tends to act up and push itself underneath the neighboring toe, you have to prepare for that and equip yourself with a silicone toe separator. Alternatively, you can stick a piece of toilet paper in there. She’s not antagonistic and she’s quick in making new friends, but she is also quickly offended. She sometimes takes things too negatively. I haven’t travelled much, but I travelled enough to tell you that it solo or with someone else is something completely different. Everything is something else to each of us. Conflicts arise when two different energies hang out and figuring things out is art. But, as always, sincerity proved to be a positive thing. You need sincere communication when resolving disputes. I don’t mean the hurtful sincerity, but the one that reveals all your feelings and thoughts.
I feared both instances of socializing since they are both my customers. I’ve been seeing them three times per week for one hour for months. That’s a lot; I don’t see my friends that much – but not enough for me to assess the potential problems. You don’t know how a person functions in the middle of Spanish nowhere, what they are capable of, how they adapt or react in a given situation. Compatibility and energy are big issues. You ask yourself: what the hell did I get myself into this time? Do you even know how many things can go wrong? Expect the unexpected. Female company is like a roulette, unpredictable. I know I’m a difficult and stubborn person and not easy to hang out with. I can’t fake emotions, I can’t keep my mouth shut and I can fuck you all the way to Sunday if something isn’t right.
Of course, in both cases, there was friction. We are only humans and we all bleed. The best mediator was music and all in all, I had a really good time with them, despite a few “blisters”.
The moral of this story is that going solo is the wisest idea. You have to spend some time alone with yourself. You figure out and discover things, you learn a lot. The Path itself offers you a colorful palette of people. You join those that attract you with their energy, and kindly ignore the rest.