A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Matthew 8:19-20

Today I finally feel like a pilgrim! After arriving at my first hotel at nearly 2am this morning and a very fitful night’s sleep, I got up and got going as planned. Taxi to the bus station, then a quick breakfast of much needed coffee and a gigantic croissant to keep me going. Fortification was definitely needed before encountering the scrum to get on the direct bus and even then I only managed to get the second to last seat - the poor chap next to me had shoulders wider than the seat space! Thankfully, despite feeling tired and bordering on irritable, I summoned up the charitable thoughts from yesterday and accepted my diminished space with the best grace I could muster.

And now I’m in Sarria. My first taste of Camino hospitality at a lovely hostel has consisted of a roaring fire, a cup of ginger tea and a muffin to round off the gigantic boccadilla that just about dealt with my ravenous hunger! All a big help as I’m feeling a bit disorientated. It’s a long while since I’ve travelled like this - staying somewhere different every night, with no chance to get used to the bed and the locale.

And perhaps that’s also another defining aspect of a pilgrimage: never settling for more than a night or 2 and constantly moving on. Contemplating this is reminding me that I’m, by nature, a settled sort of person. I like familiarity and regularity. I like circular walks: setting out and returning from a spot that I can, even if only temporarily, call home. The next few days will tell whether I can manage the adjustment to constantly moving on, moving on, moving on.

So, for now, it’s enough that tonight I have somewhere to lay my head … and my first stamp on my credencial!