I have also walked many Camino’s, and I genuinely approached each as a pilgrimage. I have also walked several non-pilgrimage trails - Italy and England coast to coast and Stevenson in France, and they are quite different experiences. My first Camino was a life changing experience but France was special. I titled my stories about the Le Puy route “Walking the Magical Mystery Tour in France.” They were all hard work and gave me remarkable friendships and experiences.
The gites are generally run by sympa hosts who have walked. You can have a genuine connection with them as real people. In Spain and Portugal, it’s tourism. In France, it’s a calling.
Robert, the detail about the hosts having walked is what explains the rest. Somebody who has arrived soaked at 6pm runs a house differently from somebody who has only ever received guests.
The demi-pension table is where it shows, since you are fed by a person who knows exactly what the day cost you. Did you find the same on the Stevenson, or does it belong to the pilgrim routes in particular?
And it doesn’t help that ‘contemplatio’ makes English speakers think of the word ‘contemplation,’ which adds to the confusion between ‘meditatio’ and ‘contemplatio’…
Yes, and while they are similar, or even the same for many practical purposes, it can be useful to distinguish between them when seeking to deepen into our own spiritual practices. Thanks, Yolanda.
Sorry, I should’ve been more clear: I find that often, when people think of contemplation, they think of…well, thinking. Which, as you pointed out, is more like meditatio, since contemplatio is more about just being.
I have also walked many Camino’s, and I genuinely approached each as a pilgrimage. I have also walked several non-pilgrimage trails - Italy and England coast to coast and Stevenson in France, and they are quite different experiences. My first Camino was a life changing experience but France was special. I titled my stories about the Le Puy route “Walking the Magical Mystery Tour in France.” They were all hard work and gave me remarkable friendships and experiences.
Thanks for sharing this, Robert. Given the many you have walked, what makes walking in France special for you in a different way?
The gites are generally run by sympa hosts who have walked. You can have a genuine connection with them as real people. In Spain and Portugal, it’s tourism. In France, it’s a calling.
Robert, the detail about the hosts having walked is what explains the rest. Somebody who has arrived soaked at 6pm runs a house differently from somebody who has only ever received guests.
The demi-pension table is where it shows, since you are fed by a person who knows exactly what the day cost you. Did you find the same on the Stevenson, or does it belong to the pilgrim routes in particular?
Loved this.
And it doesn’t help that ‘contemplatio’ makes English speakers think of the word ‘contemplation,’ which adds to the confusion between ‘meditatio’ and ‘contemplatio’…
Yes, and while they are similar, or even the same for many practical purposes, it can be useful to distinguish between them when seeking to deepen into our own spiritual practices. Thanks, Yolanda.
Sorry, I should’ve been more clear: I find that often, when people think of contemplation, they think of…well, thinking. Which, as you pointed out, is more like meditatio, since contemplatio is more about just being.
Yes, perhaps even related to a knowledge economy, where any time “thinking” is paused, there is fear of somehow falling behind.