Brussels, Belgium (Pre-Camino)

Synchronicity is a funny thing. We often notice that which we are focused on, however sometimes it feels more significant than that. Sometimes there are moments in life where you can’t help but feel like you must be on the right path.

Our visit to Brussels was just such an experience. We stopped in the Belgian capital for two nights on our way to walk the Via Podiensis, also known as the Camino de Santiago from Le Puy to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France (we will be walking about half the full route). Many months ago I had reserved a room in a hostel near the city center, which turned out to be a lovely place. It also turned out to be in an area called the “Quatre de Saint-Jaques” and was filled with signs of the Camino everywhere. There are Camino paths all across Europe, most of which lead to Santiago de Compestella, and one of those paths leads through Brussels, although I struggled to find information about it while there. Regardless, it felt significant to find ourselves surrounded by symbolism of the Camino as we prepare ourselves for our journey.

Today we take a high speed train to Lyon and then a local train and another bus to Le Puy, travelling for about 7 1/2 hours. If all goes well, we will arrive this afternoon and will begin our walk tomorrow morning!

As far as our time in Brussels, it was interesting to be back. I lived just south of the city 25 years ago as a high school exchange student and this place deeply shaped who I am today. And yet, being here felt so different than my memories. I barely recognized the city and found myself quickly overwhelmed by the crowds. And yet it was also beautiful. Brussels is a very old city, with winding cobblestone streets, ancient churches, and narrow alleyways filled with people and cafés and pungent aromas.

When I lived here 25 years ago, I spent many evenings (and afternoons) at this local, working class dive bar; a place where exchange students from across the country would meet up, drink beer, and try to make sense of being 16-18 year olds living in a foreign country. We went past the same place today and it is now a store or office of some kind; and was closed. However, I could recognize the space where we used to sit around the bar while drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and trying hard to find belonging and meaning in our lives.