I Can’t Tell You Why

CAMINO FRANCÉS – Day 9: Thursday 17 April 2025 – AZOFRA to BELORADO (38 [+3] kilometres)

I was up early today and, notwithstanding my long walk yesterday, I followed up with another 8.5 hours of walking on the Camino Francés; together these two days have put me a full day ahead of my schedule. The reason for this madness lies in the tales that I have heard of the Easter Sunday festival in Burgos, and my desire to be there to witness the events in three days’ time. With this day in hand I should now make it to Burgos on Saturday afternoon, and the new plan will have the added benefit of two nights (and, more particularly, a Rest Day) in the city. At least that is the current idea, as I rest up in the pleasant town of Belorado tonight.

I have had a quick count up of the number of different nationalities I have met to date on the Camino walk – of those that I have had some meaningful contact with (at least to the extent of finding out their country of origin). I think the number stands at twenty, and counting. The most represented country (other than Spain) seems to be the US, with the others from the Americas being from Canada and Chile. As far as Europe is concerned, as well as British and Irish, I have walked and talked with folk from Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia and Romania, whilst representing the rest of the world I have met with trekkers from Australia, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. The Camino is truly international!

Possibly the most asked question on the trail, aside from name, nationality and destination is: ‘Why are you doing the Camino’? I have to confess that my preparations for the trek did not extend to a full analysis of this matter, and initially I was stuck for an answer to this obvious question, mumbling platitudes about ‘challenge’ or ‘experience’. Nine days into the journey now, and I can see that this walk, a pilgrimage, is so very different to my other long treks; I think perhaps that I have been goal-driven previously, concentrating on the destination rather than necessarily taking in the journey for its own sake, and tending to focus on the practical rather than the spiritual side of the walk. There are of course good people walking the Camino for all manner of reasons but, in distilling the consensus, the main purpose seems to be to find both physical space and ‘head space’ away from the rigours and woes of everyday life, be it global politics and suffering or the trials of everyday living. Of course there is a religious, principally (but not exclusively) Christian, motivation for many pilgrims, but the overriding sense seems to be a desire to reconnect with traditional ways, with the world of our forebears, and with this beautiful land. Walking literally keeps the soul grounded; the churches and icons along the way provide tradition and a strong link with the past; whilst the camaraderie of all those enjoying the journey gives a human togetherness that is difficult to find anywhere else on our busy planet. Perhaps I have just answered my own question.

The question of why one walks the Camino is entirely personal, but there can be no doubt in the beauty of the culture and landscape in these parts. I am turning in early tonight after two hard days of walking, but feeling energised nonetheless by my day’s exertions.

The song ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’ that I have used as my Blog heading today is a 1979 recording by Eagles, from their sixth studio album ‘The Long Run’. Written by the group’s Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Timothy B Schmit, the lead vocals on the number are handled by Schmit, who had been recruited to replace founding member Randy Meisner on bass guitar and vocals (primarily the high harmonies), after the latter quit the band in 1977.