香蕉爸爸與葡萄媽媽

「別人眼中的我，原來是這個樣子。
每讀一次就忍不住哭一次，如此濃烈的情緒，真的很難用文字表達出來。
法國老先生說讀完我的朝聖之旅文章後，他覺得應該要寫下關於我的這一篇"Best Memory Of The Way"，貼心的他寫了法文版和英文版，只為了讓我讀懂他想傾訴的情感。
也許這一刻，我能夠告訴你(妳)，他們兩位，便是我獨自遠行一年所得到的珍貴收穫。
附上英文版，法文版的請允許我自己珍藏吧。」

Hello,
  In her blog on the way to Santiago de Compostela, Liao quotes two French people of great age to be grandfathers, Peter and Paco; I am Paco, I will explain how did Liao meet and how did she become the "best memory of the way".
  What is the "best memory" related to an event: this is what you think of first when you remember that event. So, when I think back to the month of walking spent in 2018, on the way to Santiago de Compostela, I immediately remember what I experienced with Liao, our different punctual meetings, our joint walks, our seperations and our reunion.
  With age(I'm a grandfather with 7 grandchildren), I attach more and more importance to memories. On the way, we often walk alone or in silence with another person, this leaves time to think, what we will eat at the next meal, the number of km that remain to be done, but also more philosophical: meaning of life and at my age i think about death, about life after death and I come to think that we continue to live through the good memories that we leave to other people.
  Hence the importance given to memories, one's own and those that we can leave to others. But let's go back to our meeting with Liao.
  My first meeting with her is in my first stage, the second day for Liao, May 8, 2018. Meeting at the Roland fountain, I am alone because with Peter we have walking rhythms close, but slightly offset. This Roland fountain allows you to rest on the climb which is almost 20 km, to fill up with water.
  The first think that strikes me about Liao's outfit is the size of her bag, whick seems very heavy to her. I suggest that she takes a photo with her camera, which also weighs a certain weight. I ask her where she comes from: she is the first Taiwanese woman I have ever met. Having lived in mainland China for 2 years, in Wuhan, I took the photo saying the few words of Chinese that I have left: i, er, san. I then continue my way alone. 

  The second punctual meeting takes place on day 4, on a bridge. Liao is with Hava, the Turkish girl she met on the way. Liao reminds me that we saw each other at the Roland fountain. I continue my way with Peter and Liao continues with Hava, on her side.

  Then, we meet on day 5 at the summit called Alto del Perdon, we descend together, with stones that roll under our feet (The Rolling Stones) then we leave because it detours to see the beautiful Church of Santa Maria de Eunate.

  On day 8, we meet in the kitchen of the cottage, she is in the company of a couple of Koreans.

  Day 13 in the morning, we leave at the same time from the cottage located 10 km after Burgos. A pilgrim had told us that a Taiwanese woman was present in the cottage, but so as not to disturb her, we did not go to see her.
  On day 14, we find ourselves on a bridge, Liao stopped to let pass a group of Spanish who were making too much noise. We then realize that it has been a week since we saw each other for the first time. So we have the same walking pace. On the way, we do not induce meetings, events create them, they impose theselves. One condition is necessary before considering walking with someone: have the same walking pace. Despite her bag weighing more than 20kg, Liao therefore walks at our own pace. We find it very courageous. At the break in Boadilla, we have a drink and Liao starts patting a dog for a long time. We understand that she likes dogs and later we will understand that she likes cats too.
 

 We decide to book the evening in her cottage. Her company is pleasant, she makes an effort to understand my poor English and does not speak too quickly for me to understand her. In the evening, she communicates with Ken Lee, her husband, with her smartphone.
 Day 15, we take the path together, it seems natural to us. With Peter we adopted Liao, it's a bit like walking with one of our daughters.

 The day 16, before Sahagun, we cross the line which symbolizes half of the French way. Over 400 km from Saint Jean Pied de Port including the last 80 km with Liao. In Sahagun, Liao leads us to the Dia% supermarket at the other side of town. We are going to collect the certificate halfway to the Sanctuary of the Pilgrim.

  On day 17, she stopped to take pictures of several cats on a sofa in front of a house. We join a vegetarian cottage.
  On day 18, upon arrival at Leon, Liao chose to go to the hotel. We meet in the City to visit the cathedral, but let's eat separately. It is important in a meeting that everyone feels free to do what they want.
  On day 19 and 20, we don't walk together. On day 19, in Astorga, I buy a necklace with a scallop shell.
  We got used to Liao during the 5 days of walking spent with her. We miss her smile and her energy. How to find it? We walk ahead of her several miles ahead, we can't ask her to do more miles a day. I think about the problem and see only one solution: As we have kept in touch by Facebook, I suggest that I wait for her on day 21 in the morning at Santa Catalina de Somoza, she accepts. That day, Peter leaves alone while I go back until I find Liao. I am very happy to see her, with her pink jacket. During the stage we lay a stone at the Cruz de Hierro, I offer her the necklace to thank her for having found us. We do 33 km during the day and meet Peter at the cottage.
  We walk together on day 22, with lunch on a bench in Ponferrada.

  On day 23, after Villafranca del Bierzo, two routes are available to us: one by the valley and one by the mountain. We vote: Liao and Peter vote for the mountain road. We double up with two Japanese guys from a Kurosawa film.
  Day 24, we enter Galicia, the province which includes the city of Santiago de Compostela, we take the everning meal in a round restaurant with a straw roof. Liao enjoys the scallop pie.

  On day 25, we continue to walk together. Day 25, after lunch, we say goodbye in Sarria. Why say goodbye if we are good together? Along the way, the longer you walk with a loved one, the more difficult the separation. The deeper the relationship is, the more difficult it is to separate.
  If we make the road from Sarria to Saint Jacques with Liao, about 100 km, at the finish, 2 difficult test we will wait: the end of the path and the separation. Separating at Sarria allows us to dissociate the end of the path of separation. It also allows Liao to find her friend, Hava. When we spilt up, we had 10 days of walking and very good things together. I already know that Liao is my "best memory of the way".

  On day 26, 27, 28 with Peter we eat miles. Almost 40 km on day 28.
  The day 29, Peter and I arrive in Santiago, early in the morning, recover the compostela, the document proving that we made the 800 km on foot. We go to mass at noon with the giant censer that crosses the cathedral transept: the botafumero. Liao and Hava slept 25 km before Sain Jacques. I foresee their arrival at the end of the mass, around 1 p.m.
  I go to a street, next to the cathedral where the path goes. I see dozens of pilgrims passing by happy to arrive in Santiago. I despair of seeing them arrive, I tell myself that they have already passed during mass or that they have taken another path, when suddenly I see Hava and not far behind Liao. I didn't think I was so moved to see Liao again. When we left in Sarria, I hoped to be able to see her again in Saint Jacques, but it could happen a lot in 4 days. So everything went well and she is there.
  We will eat together at midday with Hava, then in the evening, with Peter, at the famous Casa Manolo. We then say goodbye serenely, the separation in Sarria prepared us for this farewell. I know that I will keep the memory of those days spent walking together, the memory of Liao, her smile, her attention to others, her love of animals, her energy to carry her bag and to take long steps while taking photos.

  The next day, Peter and I leave by bus to Fisterra, Liao stays in Santiago. Then Peter and I return to France, Liao continues her journey in Europe.
  When I leave the Way of Santiago de compostela in June 2018, I know in 10 years, in 20 years, when I will no longer be physically in this world, on an island, thousands of kilometers away, in the China Sea, the memory of these km spent together will remain in the memory of the Taiwanese woman I met in 2018 on the way: Liao. This prospect reassures me and will help me leaves this world in peace.
  I did not know then that I would know thanks to Liao another happiness: that of discovering, 32 times, in Facebook, the publication of each of her days on the way, with a link to her blog with photos and text in Chinese including I got a translation sometimes uncertain in Google translate.
Thank you again, Liao, for accompanying us on the way for taking the time to create this blog.

《Complements》

  I left in the morning on May 8, 2018 from Saint Jean Pied de Port with Peter. We are friends since the university, studied together for 3 years, in Lille, in the North of France, near Belgium.   We have had different geographical and professional backgrounds but, at the end of our career, we both found ourselves in Brittany in Rennes, in the West of France. We had a common plan for retirement: to make the way to Santiago de Compostela. In 2017, we made the way together between Le Puy en Velay and Saint Jean Pied de Port, 750 km. We have close walking rhythms, which is necessary to make such a great distance together. So my wife did not wish to accompany us because she feels that her pace is too different from ours, perhaps also that spending 7 hours a day walkng and sleeping in dormitories hardly to her. 
  On a stage on the way to Santiago de Compostela, there are about a hundred people who walk every day. But spread over 25 km, this is little. It happens that you are alone for several km. If you see a pilgrim in front of you at 500 meters, it may take you an hour to get to his side and there, naturally, you talk to yourself. We share the same path, the same climatic conditions, the same climbs, the same landscapes, we have a lot to talk about. Unlike the crowd in a city that creates anonymity, the few people on the way will create contact. The encounter can be brief, if one does not go at the same speed, if one wants to stop, if one does not take the same path. But this contact will be deeper with people who have the same pace of walking. It will be even deeper if we find a person on several steps. But it is important not to force a meeting, to always be free from each other.
  That's what happened to me and Peter with Liao.
  In 2019, with Peter we made the Portuguese way, between Lisbon and Santiago de Compostela. We met 2 French people with whom we sympathized and whom we see again in France.
  In 2020, We planned to make the Northern Way, in Spain, along the coast, from San Sebastian, departure on April 9. We had informed Liao. But the coronavirus arrived, the path was closed.
  I also wanted to thank Liao's  husband, Ken Lee who supported Liao remotely on the way. It is perhaps in this support that Liao found the strength, at the end of the stages, to carry her bag of more than 20 kilos.