The Kings of Leon.
During the spring of 2009 as I was some weeks into my 'first' Camino de Santiago, I came upon a crew of film makers, waiting at the entrance to the town of Sahagun. A camera man asked me if I had seen a guy with a horse carriage along the road, and I replied that yes he was still some way behind me. I had no idea then, that they were doing a documentary of the Camino, and that I would soon meet several of the characters featured in their project.
Two days later, when I was preparing to leave the village of El Burgo Ranero, I again spied the crew, we shared coffee at the local bar. Unbeknown to me then, I also met several others, whom they were following along the path to Santiago de Compostela.
My Camino was proving to be a somewhat challenging physical and mental ordeal, as I trekked the way of pilgrims across Spain, and it was no small surprise when I arrived one evening into the village of Reliegos, tired weary and desperate for some company. Who would have believed that I should meet Kings at the very next Albergue, and that they would share their table with a lowly traveller ?
A woman, well used to walking a seasoned traveller, Uschi, gave me a very friendly invitation to share the food the wine and the company of these 'Kingly' pilgrims. I was overwhelmed by the love and care that they displayed towards me as they proffered their Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh like gifts.
Over the next few days I met Hanns a great doctor, Paul (The cat) a great story teller, Carina a sharer of secrets, who like me were all walking their own Caminos' in search of answers to inner truths. These four became affectionately known to me as the 'Kings of Leon'. The photo at the top, includes three of them, and maybe you see why they earned the title.
Never the less, during the next few weeks and since, they became dear friends. I met and shared other great times with many other pilgrims too, as my poetry shall describe, and finished the Camino when I arrived at Cabo de Finestere, with my then walking partner, Cristina.
Somehow, even after all of this, it took me a long time to understand, just what had happened to me over that six weeks of pilgrimage. I couldn't go back to 'Normal' life, the journey had opened up to me new and challenging routes of endeavour. It was later, after a request from a dear friend Kiyomi, to help her with a dissertation, (She was using the Camino de Santaigo for her masters) that I really began to understand the true meaning of the Camino, and more importantly, 'My Camino'. she had come up with a set of questions that made me stop and really think about just what it had meant to me.
Later I would come to meet Lydia briefly, and was introduced to the
idea of the Camino Documentary.
Watching the trailer she and her team had produced, several times, soon put me back on the Camino and reminded me of the rare privilege it had been to have experienced it first hand. The people who I had known and loved were there explaining their journeys and the idea of the Camino on camera, and I couldn't help but shed a few reflective tears.
I only hope that you could know this incredible joy, from the experience we all shared. A personal journey, yet a shared one too. We were not created to be loners, but something wonderful happens, during this walk, when you come to know yourself.
You may think its just me being a dreamer, and you are possibly correct to a degree. But what if you aren't? What if there is more, much more that you can truly know? What if this unique opportunity slips you by and you spend the rest of your life, without real passion, having known nothing of this love?
Don't wait, please.
Watch the trailer, discover the Camino Documentary and what it reveals.!!!
Lydia's Website, The Camino Documentary.
I wish Lydia and her team a whole world of success and hope that the complete documentary is soon on your screens. Like us all, sharing is key to her projects final success, why not see in what ways you can support her and her team and me, to share this wonderful knowledge.
Big hugs,
Peaceful Warrior.
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