Finding My Way

October 11

As many of you know, I do not have much of a sense of direction. In fact, one of my husband Floyd's biggest concerns when I announced that I wanted to walk the Camino was how I would find my way from St. Jean, France to Santiago, Spain. Camino Jim's stories about getting lost, walking many miles in the wrong direction, and having to find a place to sleep in a strange town did not help my cause.

If the truth be known, I have been at the mercy of Bill and Cela who instinctively know whether to go right or left and are quite adept at reading maps. My contribution to the cause has been searching for the yellow arrows and Camino shells that guide the pilgrims in the right direction. Today I was called to task. Not only was the walk to Villafranca del Bierzo one of the longest - 20 plus miles - but we were warned that finding the waymarks required extra vigilance.

So what do those yellow arrows and iconic shells look like and where are they posted along the way? The simple answer is that they take many different forms and can be found just about anywhere.

Some are the typical Camino blue and yellow signs that are very easy to spot.

Others are on stone and found at the entrance of a trail to guide you to a new path.

Many are imbedded in the pavement and ,simply confirm that you are on course.

Several are unique and direct you with a personal touch.

A good number are hidden from plain view and often overlooked.

And every now and then I find one that should be banned from the Camino. Taxi, really?

My search for those arrows and shells fortunately did not distract me from the historical sights, like the 12th century Templar castle and spectacular vistas on the way to Villafranca.

For the next 9 days, I will continue to search for those yellow arrows until I step into Santiago.

~ Buen Camino, Carol ~