INNER BEAUTY
Have you read some of Paulo Coelhos bestselling books? Maybe you have read his "The Pilgrimage", about the famous 800 km long walk in Spain, "The Camino de Santiago de Compostela". My beautiful friend Monica Oien is a Norwegian journalist, published writer and TV producer. A couple of years ago she did
something really interesting. She not only took the soul searching journey "The Camino de Santiago de Compostela". She also convinced Paulo Coelho (whom she didn´t know by then) to join her. It took her over a year to convince him.
Exclusively for us she tells
more about this exciting journey with Paulo Coelho, and gives some valuble tips and
insights for this walk, that over 80 000 people from all over the world take every year.
INNER-OUTER BEAUTY (IOB): Monica, you took the walk, The Santiago de Campostela Camino, a few years ago, when was that?
Well, I didn´t actually walk
the entire Camino in a row because I was working and filming with Paulo Coelho on the way, which meant we also went by car. I was
there twice though, passing through the whole Camino in 2006. The first time I was there with Paulo was in September 2006, for a week. A month later I went back and did another TV serie from the Camino, called "På kjærlighetens vei". I brought three well known Norwegians, and walked with them from the beginning to the end, ending up in Santiago the Compostela. Unfortunalety, even on this trip, we had to go by car as well sometimes. We had to use a production car, after all we were filming and making the stories.
IOB: So, your company for one of the trips was no less than famous author Paulo Coelho. How is it that you two made this trip together?
I was very anxious to do two
things: Walk the Camino and meet and interview Paulo Coelho. I was on the phone
and e-mailing him for at least a year in advanced, and then he surrendered and
we spent a week together. It was very inspiring. He had already taken the
journey 20 years before, and he was very determined to keep that as a
once-in-a-lifetime experience, which meant we went through the camino partly by
car, and some long passages by foot. He showed many of his favourite places,
restaurants and hostals. He really explained to me why and how many people do
this journey. He even showed me his wifes painting that she had hidden below the
soil surface - she put them there for a time to give them energy from mother
nature before she would expose and sell them.
IOB: Where did you stay during the trip? Can you recommend something to our readers?
We mostly slept at the
auberges, the hostals for the pilgrims.They are very cheap, you sleep in a
room with many beds. But, you are so tired after all the walking that it really
doesnt matter where you sleep.
Although I have to recommend Paulos favourite
hotel, Relaix & Chateux in Puente de la Reina, el Peregrino. I have never
had such a great pate in my whole life before. It is just great food and wines
there, and the athmosphere... it´s really worth a touch of luxury in between
your soul searching and hard walk:) hotelelperegrino.com
IOB: Did you have any "spiritual" experiences during the walk, which is said to be expected by many?
Many people do have spiritual
experiences. I had my reason to do the journey, write the script and make the TV
programs. I dedicated them to my brother who had passed away one year
before.
IOB: What can one expect when taking this walk?
It all depends on how you do
it. My script and my idea was soul searching. It was an existential journey
where I allowed myself and my guests to reflect upon life in the past,
present and the future. Ask yourself; how has my life been SO
FAR (past)- have I been honest, happy, focused, did I make the right choices.
After passing
1/3 of the journey the next focus would be: How is my life NOW (present)? What
am I urging for, where am I, where do I feel home, how is my relationship to my
familiy, kids, friends? Is God near? Do I love what I am doing, my job?
On the
last third part of the journey its time to move to THE FUTURE and reflect upon
the rest of your life. How many years do I have left in worklife? What are my
values? To move on, is there anyone I need to forgive? Am I bitter? How can I
make my life meaningful?
IOB: Are there any other books about this walk that you recommend?
"The Camino" written by
Shirley Maclaine.
IOB: Anything else you think we should know...?
Think about the
800 kilometer long journey as a symbol of life from birth to death. Bring a
little stone and lay down when you come to Cruz del ferro - the highest top on
the Camino, and place it there as a symbol of something you would like to let
go, something you would forgive, or simply as a memory of someone you love. Turn
your face towards Santiago and leave your sorrow, anger or pain behind you and
look towards your more conscious future, which is the rest of your life. Ask
questions as you walk, talk with people and don´t be afraid to use the same
clothes and smell like a vagabond, just surrender. You will, probably for the
first time in your grown up life feel that you eat beacuse you are hungry, you
drink beause you are thirsty, and you sleep because you are exhausted from all
the walking.
“Body and Soul need new challenges”
Paulo Coelho, "The Pilgrimage"
Find Monica Oien on:
Planetmonica.tv
http://www.facebook.com/oienmonica
http://twitter.com/#!/planetmonica
{Thank you photographer Hallgrim Haug and TV2 Norge for all photos.
