It feels like summertime here in Burgos. Locals are strolling through the plaza licking ice cream under the 70 degree sunshine. Dalmatians and Greyhounds are chasing each other along the riverbank with cheerful kids in their trail.
I walked into Burgos on the 17th which was a deceiving walk. We set out in the morning just on the other side of the hill from Burgos, so by a few kilometers in we topped the mountain and could see the city even though it would still be another 20 k until we reached the door of our hostel. I was walking with Aiden Taylor that morning and we ran into two English men on our way up the hill that we had started chatting with the night before. Paul and Grey are in their late sixties, tackling the Camino together for two weeks at a time every year. They walk keeping the mood light, joking with each other and not taking anything too seriously. I mentioned my independent project for class being on meditation and they were excited to tell me that they both practice it. On our walk down they let me prod for meditation conversation which turned into philosophy and questions like “What is the point of life?” and “What do you believe happens after you die?” Grey reasoned with me saying that if I didn’t want to know things like what day I would die or how my whole life would play out, why would I want to know what happens after we die or what the point of living is? He talked about how there is wisdom in living with uncertainty; the past and the future are irrelevant to enjoying the present moment and meditation helps us focus on this more easily. I barely noticed the landscape change as I asked them the same questions that I had asked Christians and Catholics in the previous days. Again, what a spectacular classroom this camino is. There is plenty of wisdom at our fingertips if we know how to look for it.
Again, take your time. If, as you say, the Camino is a good classroom and Grey & friend were good teachers, what did you learn? Be specific. Be careful. Be generous with details.