As Europe begins to open its borders and Pilgrims once again walk the Camino masked and physically distanced of course, I’m curious what the experience will be like.
The Camino, by its nature, is for most people a highly social event. Will the smiles of joy be hidden away behind masks? Will the laughter or the familiar greeting of Buen Camino be muffled beyond recognition?
Albergue life, always a close quarter activity will certainly become very much less so. Communal kitchens and meals, are they for the time being a thing of the past? Will the new fragrance of the Camino become the scent of hand sanitizer?
There’s a lot of physical contact on the Way, handshakes and hugs most notably and for those of faith, how will the Mass and communion experience change? Will the very nature of the Camino as we knew it pre-Covid-19 be forever changed?
What about the weary and probably wary Spaniards, the hosts for all Pilgrims, how will they fare? Understandably, I expect that most interactions will be a bit distant, certainly physically. Will there be resentment towards the possibly infected visitors? I hope not but I guess I can understand their fear and caution. And how does one even begin to understand what must be a shocked populous of Santo Domingo de la Calzada? With great care, I hope.
Finally, how will the 2020 Pilgrims act? Will they be responsible, careful, thoughtful, sensitive, and respectful? We all owe it to the people of Spain and those along the ancient Way to be all that and to tread softly.
I don’t have answers to any of these questions, I don’t think anyone does. Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela this year and quite possibly next is going to require more than physical stamina.
The entire world is being impacted by Covid-19. We’ve all endured stay at home, social isolation, illness and far too many deaths. Some have dealt with it better than others and are receiving a small reward in the form of an intermission between the first wave and the inevitable second. Here in the U.S., not so much so we just pretend that all is good and our President creates some other controversy to distract.
The difference between Spain and the rest of Europe and specifically the Camino in northern Spain is that unlike other places, the world in not marching through your towns every day. So, I believe that we all owe them our best. We do in the best of times too.
I believe that most people who are drawn to the Camino are big hearted, thoughtful, helpful, sensitive, and generous (however they can be). I hope that as the Camino once again hosts people from Europe first and then the rest of the world, we all amplify those good traits when dealing with everyone but most especially the people whose lives we have or will walk through each day.
Finally, whatever it may be currently, the Camino lives first in our hearts I believe and we as humans have been adapting from the beginning. Enjoy the experience, whatever it happens to be. Enjoy the outdoors and your physically distanced Camino family. And, be kind every day.
These next couple of years will be very telling for us all, I hope as we look back one day, it somehow becomes a shining moment in our history as people and how we treated one another during these trying times.
Be safe and, Buen Camino.
Also posted on the Casa Ivar blog.