The Bilbao choir who serenaded us at Gaucelmo sang a beautiful rendition of “Ultreia”, the traditional Camino pilgrim song, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. I find myself singing it now, as I wait in the airport on the long journey home.

I tried to find an English version of the lyrics and then decided it sounds so lovely in French I’ll stick with that.

 

The Cruz de Ferro is a day’s walk from Rabanal and is the place where pilgrims lay a small stone or token representing a burden they carry or to express the intention of their  journey.  Even those who walk the path for non-spiritual reasons are surprised at how emotional this symbolic ritual can be.

Some of the pilgrims who stayed at Gaucelmo showed me the stones they had carried from home.  One young guy, who only a short time earlier had been the life of the tea time party, playing guitar and laughing, quietly showed me his stone, tears streaming down his cheeks. I guess we never know what burdens others carry.

It’s hard to describe the Camino experience and all the emotions it can evoke.  I hope “Ultreia” stays with me for a long time.