The Way the End Begins Page #2

---

And I'm not talking about for business.

Nepal. Morocco.

India. Papua New Guinea. Europe.

I gotta go to these places.

I gotta go. I gotta go.

- Captain.

- Mr Avery.

I want to cremate the body.

I'm gonna walk the Camino to Santiago.

Mr Avery, if you pardon me, please,

you are not prepared to go on this trek.

- You have no equipment or...

- I've got Danny's backpack

- and all his stuff.

- But you haven't trained for this walk.

And no disrespect,

you are more than 60 years old.

So it'll take me a bit longer than most.

You will be lucky if you finish

in two months.

Then I'd better get started.

We're leaving in the morning.

"We"?

Both of us.

Okay.

Here we go.

Came to give me

another pep talk, Captain?

I came to wish you buen Camino,

Mr Avery.

And to give you this.

- Is this a good-luck charm?

- Something like that.

You'll know what to do with it

when you get there.

- Get where?

- Cruz de Ferro. It's on the Camino.

You'll be there a month from now.

You can read about it in the guide.

It's a place of much significance.

Mr Avery, do you know why

you are walking the Way?

I suppose I'm doing it for Daniel.

You walk the Way for yourself.

Only for yourself.

Well, then, I guess

I don't have a clue, Captain.

Mr Avery,

I have also lost a child.

I wish you a buen Camino.

Enjoy your pilgrimage. Both of you.

Thank you.

Tom.

This is the way.

Peregrino! Shh!

Sorry.

- Are you American?

- Yes.

Americans are always late.

Well. You speak English.

So do you.

It's my first time in Spain.

You are not only in Spain.

You are in the Basque Country.

We are in Navarra.

Well, is there a room

in the Basque Country in Navarra?

A room? You mean a bed?

A bed, a room, it's all the same.

I'm very tired.

But it's late, so no food.

No more cooking.

No food, but still 15 euros?

- Yes.

- Okay.

Shoes here.

Bathroom there.

You're here.

Welcome to Roncesvalles. Buenas noches.

Pardon me, sir.

Do you have any Grey Poupon?

I followed the same route as you

to a point,

but then I detoured at Valcarlos.

And that's why I got here

a couple of hours before you.

My guidebook didn't say anything

about any detours.

Yeah, but that's because you haven't

got the Dutch guidebook.

- The Dutch guidebook?

- Yep.

Because we Dutch, we're always trying

to find the quickest way

to get to the next party.

Because you know what they say,

"If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much."

- Did the old woman feed you?

- No.

Well, you're lucky.

The meal was as grim as the beds.

Here. Have this.

- No, I can't take your food.

- Yeah, you can.

- Thanks.

- You're welcome.

Pamplona in a couple of days.

Hemingway, running of the bulls,

all that.

- I think I might stay there for...

- Peregrinos!

No drugs here! I know what I smell!

I will call the Guardia Civil!

- Yeah.

- I will call the police!

- Yeah.

- Yeah!

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah!

What did she mean, drugs?

Oh, nothing.

Well, nothing by Dutch standards.

Just a little tobacco booster.

To help with sleep.

- You want some, Tom?

- No. Thank you.

Sure?

I'm sure.

Here.

I also have these options.

Ambien, earplugs.

I know you've got a thing

for Dutch men, senora.

Have you ever walked the Camino, senora?

No, never.

When I was young, I was too busy.

And now that I am older,

I'm too tired.

Buen Camino.

Hey, Tom, we should get a coffee here

before we go.

Just to get our motor running, no?

Yeah, we'll have a quick coffee.

Oh, look! A cheese maker, Tom!

Fresh goat cheese, my man!

Come on, Tom!

You haven't lived until you have

goat cheese from these mountains.

Are you gonna make it, fat man?

Don't you worry about me, old man.

Hey, Tom. When we met in Saint-Jean, you

said nothing about going on pilgrimage.

I wasn't going on pilgrimage.

But here we are.

Yeah.

You said you were on family business?

I am.

But you have all the equipment

for the walk to Santiago.

Yeah.

Tom, that box with the ashes...

My son.

I'm done for the day, Joost.

I'm staying here tonight.

- Here? In this village?

- Yeah.

But Pamplona's a stone's throw away.

My feet are killing me.

I gotta get out of these shoes.

I'm sorry, but not me, man.

- Pamplona beckons!

- Okay.

It's been a pleasure, Tom.

Hey, uh, buen Camino.

Ah!

- I don't speak Spanish.

- We were expecting you.

Expecting me?

- You are a pilgrim, s?

- Yes.

We are always expecting pilgrims.

Come, we have plenty of beds

and your food is still warm.

Hey, the Americans are here!

Bueno, bueno, bueno!

Come. Vamos. Come on.

The truth of the matter

is confused.

No, Charlemagne had other ideas.

To extend his empire.

He crossed the Pyrenees,

but nothing worked out as he intended.

This is Spain!

This is Basque Spain!

He tortured the Basques of Pamplona

and allowed his men to have

a little too much

rest and relaxation with our women.

When the Basque shepherds,

who lived around here,

heard what happened in Pamplona,

they slipped into the woods,

and we, we Basques, killed them.

Sorry, monsieur,

but based on what I have read here,

that is complete crap. D'accord?

You won't find much truth in this book.

Charlemagne. Roland.

Not "Rolan", Roland.

This is part of French history, okay?

No, not Basque!

The French don't want to admit

that the death of Roland

was because of Charlemagne's

un-Christian intentions.

Come on! Allez!

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

- Night.

- Wait a minute. Senor, senor.

I thought it was the Arabs

that killed Roland.

One of the guys said you're Canadian.

Don't spread it around, eh?

So how's it going for you out there

on the road, Boomer?

I'm Tom.

You know, as in "baby boomer".

You got all those horrible signs

of that desperate generation

taking its final breath,

trying to screw the rest of us over

one last time.

Only thing missing from you, Boomer,

is one of those stupid-looking ponytails

and a collection of James Taylor songs

on your iPod.

I like James Taylor,

but I don't have an iPod.

Well, that's pretty amazing. What?

No iPod, no cell phone

or computer to keep you connected?

Isn't it written somewhere

in the Baby Boomer Code Book

that you must own a certain percentage

of anything Steve Jobs makes?

So what is it?

On pilgrimage to change your life?

- Something like that.

- Wait. Don't tell me.

Just getting over a nasty divorce

and she took it all?

Or maybe you're out

to meet some young chicks

and relive your college glory days.

Believe me, I've seen plenty

of that nonsense.

Oh, I got it. You're seeking penance

for screwing over your company retirees

in some stock market scandal.

You sound really angry.

Yeah. Sure. I'm angry.

I gotta quit these

and I'm really, really angry about that.

And when we get

to Santiago de Compostela,

it's all over for you, my little friend.

You're a goner.

The end of the Camino

is the end of my addiction.

Spoken like a true addict.

Spoken like someone who took 10 days

to get this far.

Well, at that pace you should get

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes