[Gocamino] on basque and socks

[tinuviel]

hello all,

i have recently signed up for this list, it has been wonderful to read about
the holidays in santiago! gracias rosina! and the update on the basque
country is good to hear about. our news doesn't find it important to cover.
when i walked, it seemed to me that 80-90% of the 'spanish' folk i met were
basque. some evenings i would be sitting with 8 or 10 basque for dinner, not
understanding a word but thoroughly enjoying myself! fortunately they knew
spanish, too! euskara is an incredible language and an incredible culture. i
hope to return to basque country and follow up on the invitations i received
to visit.

i walked the camino 1 1/2 yr ago (sept-end oct 2003) from sjpp to santiago
to finisterre to muxia and back to santiago. it was an incredible journey.
by the time i was returning from muxia to santiago, even though las flechas
amarillas were no longer marking the way, your feet would find the way. a
few times my friend and i strayed through a small village, a bit 'lost' but
never far. the folks in galicia, were amazingly kind and gracious, giving us
2 peregrinas gifts of honey and cheese and bread and coffee and pointing the
way. they didn't speak spanish in these places and we couldn't understand
the gallego. approaching santiago from this other side was, well, i don't
even know the words. mystical? it really felt like arriving home, or to an
eternal source.

i wanted to add in my 'socks' experience. socks were the only thing i
brought in abundance. i had those thin liners which i quickly abandoned. i
am like grant and do not like synthetics. i also had a pair of 'smart wool',
having had them recommended by a friend who had walked the camino a few
years previous. they were too bulky/thick? for me. in fact, the only time i
experienced blisters was wearing them. one day and my feet were a mess.
those were quickly left behind! the socks i ended using were thin,soft
cashmere socks. some days i would double them, others, when my feet were
more 'swollen' (they seemed to range depending on my hormonal cycles), i
would wear 1 pair. my feet were wonderfully happy with them. i had maybe 5
pair. they are tiny, taking the space of 2 pair of smartwool socks? in the
meseta, i did end up buying a pair of 50/50 wool synthetic socks (all i
could find, no 100% wool). it had been sleeting and raining for days and i
wanted a dry pair of socks. i ended up giving them away a week or two later
to someone who needed a pair of socks.

the whole dilemna of boots, sandals, shoes... i ended up using a pair of
hiking boots. not something i have ever used before. i hate 'sneakers' and
most things that need tying. i go barefoot as much as possible (i am so
intrigued by the barefoot experience!! does anyone have an email contact for
this person?). the rest of the time, except when the snow is more than 6
inches deep (i live in maine) i wear dansko clogs. i've climbed mountains in
flip flops, barefeet and in clogs. the hiking boots were the most difficult
'mental' acclimation to the camino. i actually came to appeciate them and
even like them by some time in galicia. but if i ever walk again, depending
on the time of year, i am most likely to wear less rugged footwear. my toes
like to breathe and wriggle. i hate wearing socks, in fact, i rarely do
unless the temperature drops below 10 degrees farenheit. so it really comes
down to what you've acclimated your body to, i think. humans are amazingly
varied and adaptable. i remember when we invaded afganistan and looking at
pictures of the northern alliance in the mountains in the winter fighting
with barefeet. our soldiers so wrapped up and protected... what a contrast.

clothing in general was a dilemna for me. i repacked my entire bag the night
before i left. i had read guide books etc saying this & that. it was all
pants and shorts and fancy high tech sports clothing which i do not own. but
i predominantly wear dresses. i realized the guide books i was reading were
written by men. instead, i wore a below the knee flannel jumper style dress
(infinitely layerable) with deep pockets, silk shirt, leggings to walk in.
and a full length nylon dress (dries fast! doesn't take up space) for
changing into after showering. i'm so glad i did that. i think i am the only
person i saw wearing a dress but it is so comfortable and versatile. i was
nervous about it - too much guide book information! but then i thought of
the centuries of women walking the camino and they managed fine in a dress!

wasn't it thoreau who said something like 'don't trust any endeavor for
which you need to buy new clothes?'

so i think, it is best to be true to yourself when packing, when planning.
take all the advice hungrily and happily but ultimately, you know what you
need.


ultreia y suseia
abrazos a todos
tinuviel