A few days ago I went through Sarria. Many people begin the Camino there as you must walk at least 100km to qualify for a Compostela and it is about 118-120km from Santiago. The guidebook warns that it might be tempting to pass judgement on these new walkers. Oh, he was so right.
So as I sat in a town today eating lunch I noticed all the walkers going by with just day packs. That means they are either on a tour and the bus will drop off there packs at the next lodging for the evening, or they have paid a service to send their packs ahead. I look out and think, "Yeah you´re walking easily along... try it with a pa... oh right, no judgement."
I´m walking along enjoying the quiet of the path when I hear lots of voices. Another group with day packs, all excited, walking along and passing me, "Please, this isn´t another tourist attractions - I´m on a pilgrim... oh, no judgement."
I´m seeing new walkers with packs -- "They probably just started in Sarria, maybe back in Leon... either way... again I remember, no judgement" It is very easy to judge others and note how they have taken the easy way - but I really don´t know that, do I?
So I finally talk with one of the new faces - a young lady all in black including a jacket (how hard a walk could she be having if she still has on her jac... - no judgement). I ask her where she´s from. She answers Bogata Columbia. Well, this isn´t just a day trip. We talk a little more. She does massage therapy, acupuncture and other alternative healing methods. She was going to be in Santiago (she spoke english well, but I didn´t understand exactly why she was going there), so she decided she would take an extra week of vacation and walk from Sarria. Her name is Carmen. It´s really hard to pass judgement on someone when you talk with them a short while. I liked Carmen. I understood why she was taking this opportunity to experience what she could of the Camino. Perhaps she will come back another time and walk more.
Closely related to judgement is pride. Someone passed me and asked where I started from. I said Roncesvalles and the response was Ahhh! You could see my status rising in his eyes. But claiming the pride of how far I walked seemed to be a judgement on his short walk. As I finish this walk into Santiago I hope I can take personal satisfaction in knowing I have done well on my Camino, but not boast. And may I look at each Peregrino as someone who is walking the Camino for their own reasons. And who am I to judge?
Bueno Camino!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
More Walking in Darkness
When I left this morning the stars were shinging once again - what a difference! Instead of feeling claustrophobia from the blackness it felt as if the stars were the doorways to the universe. So as I walked this morning I thought about my other senses, how I use them while walking in the dark.
There are smells. So many lovely smells from the plants and trees growing on the side of the path. Garden smells, herb smells... But because there is so much farming in the area there is also the lovely smell of manure - a sign that I am approaching one of the small dairy farms along the way, the stable in the middle of a village, or the corn field that has apparently now been fertilized in preparation for next year´s planting.
This morning I noticed how the temperature of the air continued to change from time to time, the way many lakes in New England have cold spots and warm spots. When I first left the air was chilly, but I took one turn and it was as though heat had been stored in this place throughout the night and it was now emitted from the brush along the road. A little farther and it was colder once again.
And I hear the breeze. One sound if there are trees nearby - the rustle tells me about the trees. Or if it picks up more like a wind there´s the soft roar in my ears. Every so often I will also hear water and know that there is a little mountain stream or possibly a fountain nearby. Sometimes I also hear other pilgrims. This is a nice sound as it confirms for me that I haven´t missed a turn - others are on the path also. In fact, the other morning I walked by two pilgrims having breakfast outside of a bar. Just beyond them I heard a whistle. I went back and they told me that the bartender had pointed them in the other direction to catch the Camino. I went back to the turn and with more searching with my flashlight I found the yellow arrow. I was thankful for there help.
Other sounds include roosters crowing, cows mooing, dogs barking (many dogs barking), sometimes a lone cat´s meow. A couple of times I´ve heard owls. Bianca who I met a few nights ago said she heard the howling of a wolf one morning - I haven´t heard that yet, and that´s okay!
I will miss the sounds, smells, sensations of walking in the dark on the Camino. The time leading up to sunset approaches a certain reverence and the sunrise itself is the beginning of worship. May the sun rise on a good day for you. Bueno Camino!
There are smells. So many lovely smells from the plants and trees growing on the side of the path. Garden smells, herb smells... But because there is so much farming in the area there is also the lovely smell of manure - a sign that I am approaching one of the small dairy farms along the way, the stable in the middle of a village, or the corn field that has apparently now been fertilized in preparation for next year´s planting.
This morning I noticed how the temperature of the air continued to change from time to time, the way many lakes in New England have cold spots and warm spots. When I first left the air was chilly, but I took one turn and it was as though heat had been stored in this place throughout the night and it was now emitted from the brush along the road. A little farther and it was colder once again.
And I hear the breeze. One sound if there are trees nearby - the rustle tells me about the trees. Or if it picks up more like a wind there´s the soft roar in my ears. Every so often I will also hear water and know that there is a little mountain stream or possibly a fountain nearby. Sometimes I also hear other pilgrims. This is a nice sound as it confirms for me that I haven´t missed a turn - others are on the path also. In fact, the other morning I walked by two pilgrims having breakfast outside of a bar. Just beyond them I heard a whistle. I went back and they told me that the bartender had pointed them in the other direction to catch the Camino. I went back to the turn and with more searching with my flashlight I found the yellow arrow. I was thankful for there help.
Other sounds include roosters crowing, cows mooing, dogs barking (many dogs barking), sometimes a lone cat´s meow. A couple of times I´ve heard owls. Bianca who I met a few nights ago said she heard the howling of a wolf one morning - I haven´t heard that yet, and that´s okay!
I will miss the sounds, smells, sensations of walking in the dark on the Camino. The time leading up to sunset approaches a certain reverence and the sunrise itself is the beginning of worship. May the sun rise on a good day for you. Bueno Camino!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Walking in Darkness
I left the alberque about 6:45 this morning. It was the darkest morning yet. I was very thankful that I had purchased a new flashlight yesterday in Sarria to replace the one I dropped and broke. The darkness is interesting. I used my flashlight at first to see where I was walking and to follow the yellow arrows. Then on the Meseta with its endless horizon I found all the stars, the Milky Way and the full moon. The brightness of the full moon combined with the white stone of the path made it possible to follow my way with no flashlight (except when paths intersected and I needed to find arrows.
But the moon has been waning over the past 10 days or so. A couple of days ago it was just a sliver in the morning sky. No more moon to guide. And this morning there was cloud cover - no stars, simply pitch black as I stepped out of the light surrounding the alberque. My flashlight on, I noticed a few things. First, I could see nothing beyond the two feet in front of the circle made by my light. I really had no idea what was ahead... and I didn´t really like that.
Secondly, I couldn´t tell if the path was inclining up or down by my eyesight. I could tell be the sensation of walking on it. Now this was okay, I couldn´t glance ahead and see if it was going to be straight up for a long time, short time, or however it might change.
Thirdly, I was very glad to have my little flashlight. When I turned it off so I could check and see if there might be a star somewhere in the sky, I could see nothing... nothing! I was so glad to have that light.
But the night doesn´t last forever. The first light finally came. That´s the light that allowed me to make out the dark form of trees against the sky. But the path itself was still dark. Then the earth rolled a little more towards the sun and I found that I could see the path when it wasn´t covered by limbs of trees. When it was, it disappeared once more. The earth rolled a little more and at last... I could make out the path even when under the trees and more importantly, I could see the dark mounds of manure (lots of cows in this area) enough to avoid them. That´s when I turned my flashlight off.
No wonder there are so many references to the "light of God" in scripture. The darkness isn´t bad, its just...dark. Nothing can be distinguished from something else and even after letting eyes adjust, things are still just different shades of dark. But with light, even the soft light of the moon, forms start to appear and with the light of the sun we can distinguish objects from one another and see colors. The light helps us to live together.
Yes, the sun came up this morning on a cloudy day on the Camino. It´s been raining lightly all morning so I´m going to try to push forward a little more and take advantage of the coolness. May the light of God shine throughout your day, rain or shine! Bueno Camino!
But the moon has been waning over the past 10 days or so. A couple of days ago it was just a sliver in the morning sky. No more moon to guide. And this morning there was cloud cover - no stars, simply pitch black as I stepped out of the light surrounding the alberque. My flashlight on, I noticed a few things. First, I could see nothing beyond the two feet in front of the circle made by my light. I really had no idea what was ahead... and I didn´t really like that.
Secondly, I couldn´t tell if the path was inclining up or down by my eyesight. I could tell be the sensation of walking on it. Now this was okay, I couldn´t glance ahead and see if it was going to be straight up for a long time, short time, or however it might change.
Thirdly, I was very glad to have my little flashlight. When I turned it off so I could check and see if there might be a star somewhere in the sky, I could see nothing... nothing! I was so glad to have that light.
But the night doesn´t last forever. The first light finally came. That´s the light that allowed me to make out the dark form of trees against the sky. But the path itself was still dark. Then the earth rolled a little more towards the sun and I found that I could see the path when it wasn´t covered by limbs of trees. When it was, it disappeared once more. The earth rolled a little more and at last... I could make out the path even when under the trees and more importantly, I could see the dark mounds of manure (lots of cows in this area) enough to avoid them. That´s when I turned my flashlight off.
No wonder there are so many references to the "light of God" in scripture. The darkness isn´t bad, its just...dark. Nothing can be distinguished from something else and even after letting eyes adjust, things are still just different shades of dark. But with light, even the soft light of the moon, forms start to appear and with the light of the sun we can distinguish objects from one another and see colors. The light helps us to live together.
Yes, the sun came up this morning on a cloudy day on the Camino. It´s been raining lightly all morning so I´m going to try to push forward a little more and take advantage of the coolness. May the light of God shine throughout your day, rain or shine! Bueno Camino!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Two Mountains
This past weekend I had the opportunity to climb two mountains... and had two very different experiences. I thought the first mountain on Saturday would be the easier one and would prepare me for the larger O´Cebreiro on Sunday. I couldn´t have been more wrong. Yes, the first one was not as high, but the climb was a huge challenge for me.
I´ve been thinking about these two mountains. How could two experiences be so different? One difference certainly had to do with expectations. The first was the middle of three options: we could walk along the highway (and would still have to climb), we could take option 2, climbing one mountain and enjoying the beautiful views, or we could take option 3, climbing... I think, 2 mountains before heading to O´Cebrieiro (I did not even consider this one). But because the mountain did not look to bad, and because the guidebook said it would be challenging, but come on, you´ve walked this far - you can do it, and because I wanted to see the views.
So I made it to Triacastle and stopped for breakfast, then headed up the mountain around 10AM. I should have had an inkling of what was to come when I turned onton the street leading to the mountain - it went straight up! And up. Then turned to a gravel path, and continued to go up. Yes the views were wonderful, whenever I finally found a level place I could stand. But the path just seemed to go up and up. Every so often there would be a short level area and I´d think, yes! now I can enjoy this. But it would be shortlived as we would turn a corner and go up yet again.
But be careful what you wish for. At every turn I hoped we would start down, and finally we did. And the descent was cruel. It went down in the same way we went up. I think I mentioned this is my last blog, but it really felt like we were going to descend right into hell. By the time I reached the little town at the bottom I was done in. And by the time I reached the Alberque a couple more towns over I was having doubts about even climbing O´Cebreiro. Thank goodness for the angel of a hostess named Joanna. She is from Holland and has been to Brazil a number of times so she is volunteering at "Do Brazil" an alberque sponsored by the confraternity of Santiago of Brazil. I mentioned to her my long day and my concern about O´Cebreiro. She told me she had hiked the mountain I just came down from and it is much harder the O´Cebreiro. Oh? Please tell me more.
She drew me a picture. She showed that I would walk about 4 or 5 km on level ground (that was good as it is always dark when I start). Then I would have a very serious upward climb to La Faba, the first town. But that was only one-third of the way. Then I would have to continue to climb, but it would not be so intense, with some level places, really steep short places, then long, slow climbs on to the second village. Then the climb would continue, but at the slow steady incline. I hoped she was right.
And she was! The walk on Sunday was grueling on that first incline, but over all it was delightful. I reached O´Cebreiro about noon and realized I still had energy to walk on. The landscape, though was also changing. While climbing I left the region of Castilla Y Leon and entered Galacia. I was constantly hearing water as small mountain streams gushed by or water dripped right out of the mountain to the side of me. I would come up to amazing vistas looking out over fields of many shades of green. The air started to feel cooler and as we reached the peak there was a very cool breeze blowing. But it was sunny and gorgeous and invigorating.
We all have our ups and downs, but all mountains are not the same. I continue to walk up and down as I move through the mountains of Galicia. More about this region and its Celtic influence. I´d add pictures, but there´s no adaptor here. Hey - I´m glad I finally found internet!
May your mountains be manageable and bring about wonderful things! Bueno Camino!
I´ve been thinking about these two mountains. How could two experiences be so different? One difference certainly had to do with expectations. The first was the middle of three options: we could walk along the highway (and would still have to climb), we could take option 2, climbing one mountain and enjoying the beautiful views, or we could take option 3, climbing... I think, 2 mountains before heading to O´Cebrieiro (I did not even consider this one). But because the mountain did not look to bad, and because the guidebook said it would be challenging, but come on, you´ve walked this far - you can do it, and because I wanted to see the views.
So I made it to Triacastle and stopped for breakfast, then headed up the mountain around 10AM. I should have had an inkling of what was to come when I turned onton the street leading to the mountain - it went straight up! And up. Then turned to a gravel path, and continued to go up. Yes the views were wonderful, whenever I finally found a level place I could stand. But the path just seemed to go up and up. Every so often there would be a short level area and I´d think, yes! now I can enjoy this. But it would be shortlived as we would turn a corner and go up yet again.
 |
| I didn't need the arrow to tell me I needed to keep going up! |
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| Yes, there is always a great view sooner or later! |
She drew me a picture. She showed that I would walk about 4 or 5 km on level ground (that was good as it is always dark when I start). Then I would have a very serious upward climb to La Faba, the first town. But that was only one-third of the way. Then I would have to continue to climb, but it would not be so intense, with some level places, really steep short places, then long, slow climbs on to the second village. Then the climb would continue, but at the slow steady incline. I hoped she was right.
And she was! The walk on Sunday was grueling on that first incline, but over all it was delightful. I reached O´Cebreiro about noon and realized I still had energy to walk on. The landscape, though was also changing. While climbing I left the region of Castilla Y Leon and entered Galacia. I was constantly hearing water as small mountain streams gushed by or water dripped right out of the mountain to the side of me. I would come up to amazing vistas looking out over fields of many shades of green. The air started to feel cooler and as we reached the peak there was a very cool breeze blowing. But it was sunny and gorgeous and invigorating.
We all have our ups and downs, but all mountains are not the same. I continue to walk up and down as I move through the mountains of Galicia. More about this region and its Celtic influence. I´d add pictures, but there´s no adaptor here. Hey - I´m glad I finally found internet!
May your mountains be manageable and bring about wonderful things! Bueno Camino!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Harvests and High Places
Yesterday I was thinking about harvests. It was a lovely walking day - about 16 miles, mostly flat. That was great as there was a long tedious, rocky descent the day before. All during the day I saw signs of harvest. The grapes that I have been seeing in the vineyard all along are now being picked. Tractor after tractor pulling trailers full of grapes went by yesterday. I walked by a couple of bodegas where they are taking the grapes to start the process of making wine.
As I walked I saw a man with a wheelbarrow picking apples, then a woman picking beans. There were gardens with ripe peppers, tomatoes and many fields of melons. It is that time of year and it made me think of Trinity UMC and our theme for this year, the scripture verse: "I am the vine and you are the branches." We started with Vacation Bible Camp focusing on the fruits of the spirit and next year´s mission trip through the Society of St Andrew will have the harvest as it´s theme. As I walked I was thinking about what I will harvest from my time on the Camino. It is getting to that point - right now it looks like I will reach Santiago de Compostela next Sunday or Monday. Time to reflect on what this journey has meant for me. I´ll share some of my reflections later this week.
One thing I´ve noticed is that we go back and forth from good days of walking to difficult days. I mentioned the steep descent into Molinesca that was so difficult. There was also a day when I was walking the Via Romana over large rocks, in full sun, no shade on the path. The flies and gnats were so bad that for a mile or so I tucked my white handkerchief into my hat and had it fall over my face. I was able to make out the road pretty well, but pulled it up every so often just to make sure I hadn´t wandered. Yesterday was a lovely, easy walk. Today I went up a mountain. I thought it was a small mountain, but this thing just kept going and going. And going and going... and going. I have to admit, the vistas were beautiful. I even enjoyed some of the walking across the more level areas at the top. But then the descent started. It wasn´t as rocky as going into Molinesca, but it was much steeper at times - and it went on and on. I was heading into the town of Trabadelo, but as I went down, down, down, I still couldn´t see the town. There were very few of us on this option (many apparently took the route that followed the road). I saw 4 other people. I was by myself for the entire descent. And I finally decided that I must be descending right into hell. This was confirmed as I continued downward and the banks of ground on one side soared up into the air about a story and a half. It really felt like I was about to go completely underground when I finally turned a corner and there was the fountain in Trabadelo. I finally found a shady bench in town, collapsed and ate my cheese and apple, changed my socks, and headed out of town.
The reward at this point was a lovely (fairly flat) walk back and forth over the Rio Valcarce. It was lovely, shady, and truly renewed my soul. Today was a good preparation for O´Cebreiro tomorrow. The guide book says allow 3 hours for the climb, but the hostess at the alberque assures me that while 1/3 is pretty steep the rest is more gentle -- and the descent is much better than todays! I sure hope she is right.
As I reach the peak of O´Cebriero I will enter into Galicia, the last of the regions covered by the Camino. Tomorrow... a new mountain, a new region, a new day. Bueno Camino!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Walking with a Frenchman
Yesterday after I posted I walked out into the courtyard of the alberque and who do I see but Danielle! She´s a Frenchwoman who speaks very little English, but is delightful. I met her at an alberque the third night of the Camino and have not seen her since. We had a wonderful reunion. She also let me know that she had Polly´s information so I love that she was able to help me to connect to Polly - even if we do not see one another again on the Camino.
So today I headed out about 7AM. Orion in the sky, Venus, I turn around every so often and watch another amazing sunrise. The walking was easy in the coolness (luckily not as cold as the two nights before). Stopped at the first town, then headed to the next. I had now completed about 5 miles when a young Frenchman asked me if I knew the time. I told him I didn´t and he noted that he had just posted a letter and it said 9:30 pickup so he wondered if it would go today. Then he shrugged and said that it didn´t matter anyway - he´s on the Camino.
We walked together the next 5 miles to Rabbinal and he talked the entire time. He was very cute. He told me he had started the Camino in Lourdes France and walked the Camino Avillia(sp?) which wasn´t very crowded, then it joined the Camino Frances. He´s been walking for 4 weeks. I asked him why he was walking the Camino and he told me, "Well, that is a very long story... I will try to tell you." And the story began.
Reason number 1. For Adventure. He loves the idea of adventure and so he has decided to just go whereever whenever. He said "Sometimes it says the Camino is there... so I go there instead... a little adventure." He said that if he doesn´t eat for 24 hours he´ll survive. There will be a village with a market at some point. If he has to sleep outside, that´s okay. He likes sleeping under the stars. He also said he enjoys seeing new places. Plus he noted that he only knew a little Spanish, could not put together sentences, but he asks people words and is now speaking Spanish quite well. Everyone who walked by who was Spanish seemed to converse easily with him. He noted that many French do not bother to speak spanish, but since he is in their country he thinks it is nicer to speak their language, or at least try.
He also noted that he has his cell phone, but put a message on it to not leave a message unless it is an emergency. He checks every 4 days or so in case something has happened with his family. He told them, to not expect him to call. He did not bring a camera, instead if he sees something of real interest he is taking the time to draw it. He said something like drawing is not efficient, but I´m on the Camino and it is not about an efficient journey. He intends to take the time he needs to record his journey by drawing.
Reason Number 2. To step back and take time. He had heard about the Camino before. Then his grandparent died a few years ago and one of his uncles suggested the family walk the Camino de Puy (in France) one week each summer. He went last year and really liked having that time set aside. He added that he was a "Chief" at Boy Scout camp this past year and the training was at a monastery where they had time for training, but also for prayer and personal time. He really liked that. And he was at a place where he had time to do this "stepping" back.
He talked about liking one aspect of the job he has had in Paris the last couple of years. So he left his job and when he returns he wants to return to the aspect he liked. He spent some time in the Monastery thinking about his work and got some clarity about what to do, so he thought, perhaps the Camino would also help bring some clarity.
Reason number 3. Hopes to reconnect to God. He said he was raised in a Catholic family that is very involved with the church, but as he turned 21, 22 he started questioning and not taking it as seriously. Now at 25 he feels very strongly that it is important to have God rather than for each of us to believe we are in total control of our lives. I asked him about how he would describe God. He thinks of God as a loving parent, someone who guides, but does not get upset if you go another way. God is always there.
In between the lines he explained and told stories that were great - like his mother has 9 brothers and sisters and each has 6-7 kids so he has over 50 cousins. He made reference to a number of family meetings. He talked about his grandfather who cared for acres of forests (he felt he should care for God´s creation), and now after his grandfather´s death how others in the family are stepping in to care for the land.
So as we reached Rabbinal we parted as I stopped to eat my lunch. We exchanged names. his in Marc. I told him how much I enjoyed visiting with him and he said something like... "Yes, I know I really talked a lot." But it was delightful, Marc. May God be with you on your Camino. Bueno Camino!
So today I headed out about 7AM. Orion in the sky, Venus, I turn around every so often and watch another amazing sunrise. The walking was easy in the coolness (luckily not as cold as the two nights before). Stopped at the first town, then headed to the next. I had now completed about 5 miles when a young Frenchman asked me if I knew the time. I told him I didn´t and he noted that he had just posted a letter and it said 9:30 pickup so he wondered if it would go today. Then he shrugged and said that it didn´t matter anyway - he´s on the Camino.
We walked together the next 5 miles to Rabbinal and he talked the entire time. He was very cute. He told me he had started the Camino in Lourdes France and walked the Camino Avillia(sp?) which wasn´t very crowded, then it joined the Camino Frances. He´s been walking for 4 weeks. I asked him why he was walking the Camino and he told me, "Well, that is a very long story... I will try to tell you." And the story began.
Reason number 1. For Adventure. He loves the idea of adventure and so he has decided to just go whereever whenever. He said "Sometimes it says the Camino is there... so I go there instead... a little adventure." He said that if he doesn´t eat for 24 hours he´ll survive. There will be a village with a market at some point. If he has to sleep outside, that´s okay. He likes sleeping under the stars. He also said he enjoys seeing new places. Plus he noted that he only knew a little Spanish, could not put together sentences, but he asks people words and is now speaking Spanish quite well. Everyone who walked by who was Spanish seemed to converse easily with him. He noted that many French do not bother to speak spanish, but since he is in their country he thinks it is nicer to speak their language, or at least try.
He also noted that he has his cell phone, but put a message on it to not leave a message unless it is an emergency. He checks every 4 days or so in case something has happened with his family. He told them, to not expect him to call. He did not bring a camera, instead if he sees something of real interest he is taking the time to draw it. He said something like drawing is not efficient, but I´m on the Camino and it is not about an efficient journey. He intends to take the time he needs to record his journey by drawing.
Reason Number 2. To step back and take time. He had heard about the Camino before. Then his grandparent died a few years ago and one of his uncles suggested the family walk the Camino de Puy (in France) one week each summer. He went last year and really liked having that time set aside. He added that he was a "Chief" at Boy Scout camp this past year and the training was at a monastery where they had time for training, but also for prayer and personal time. He really liked that. And he was at a place where he had time to do this "stepping" back.
He talked about liking one aspect of the job he has had in Paris the last couple of years. So he left his job and when he returns he wants to return to the aspect he liked. He spent some time in the Monastery thinking about his work and got some clarity about what to do, so he thought, perhaps the Camino would also help bring some clarity.
Reason number 3. Hopes to reconnect to God. He said he was raised in a Catholic family that is very involved with the church, but as he turned 21, 22 he started questioning and not taking it as seriously. Now at 25 he feels very strongly that it is important to have God rather than for each of us to believe we are in total control of our lives. I asked him about how he would describe God. He thinks of God as a loving parent, someone who guides, but does not get upset if you go another way. God is always there.
In between the lines he explained and told stories that were great - like his mother has 9 brothers and sisters and each has 6-7 kids so he has over 50 cousins. He made reference to a number of family meetings. He talked about his grandfather who cared for acres of forests (he felt he should care for God´s creation), and now after his grandfather´s death how others in the family are stepping in to care for the land.
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| Marc stops to help another French peregrino |
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| One of many interesting cairns on the Camino |
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| A Sheep dog earns a cool reward |
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| A shepherd waits for the dogs to lead the sheep to him. |
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The temptations of half way - and I found the USB!
The walk was lovely, except people kept passing me. It started bothering me. I think that now I´m over the half way mark I´m more conscious of just how much time I have left. In the evening I go through possible scenarios for day to day to see when I might get to Santiago. In my sermon before I left I talked about my granddaughter continuously asking "How many more hours" as we traveled to Maine for clergy camp. Now I´m asking, "How many more days to Santiago." Time to get back into the journey.
But it was hard. Maybe I´m not walking fast enough and that´s why everyone passes me. Maybe I´m not walking far enough each day (10 to 16 miles on average). And now we´re going into the mountains, so it will take longer to walk each mile. As I thought about this I found myself tempted with judging those who walked by me "He is walking way to fast... he should slow down and enjoy the camino... she´s rushing just like in real life". And on and on. Time to stop judging how others walk and pay attention to my own walking.
About 9:00 I stopped and spread my poncho on the ground and enjoyed a breakfast of cheese and bread. Traveled a little further and I saw a little place that my hostess last night told me about. She said to watch for a guy about 8km away who would have coffee, juice, tea and a place to take a break - all for donations. He also had a stamp (sello) for my pilgrim passport. And there he was greeting everyone with a smile and an invitation to rest. (picture next time)
Time to continue on. I got a bocadillo (sandwich), changed my socks, and was ready to walk. But I had not gone far when my left foot started really bothering me. I had expected a cool afternoon like the last couple of days (by the way, the morning has been freezing!), but it warmed up. Not as hot as the meseta, but enough to mess with my feet. I finally hobbled into Murias de Rechivaldo and got a bed at the lovely alberque (pictures of it also - next time). Now I´m recovered and I can see the Camino path right outside my door to the right. I´ll start earlier in the morning, I´ll make it to Rabanal (in the mountains) and beyond I hope. And I´ll look for a computer that has a USB so I can add some pictures next time. Back to the journey, back to the Camino. Bueno Camino!
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| Finally - the alberque! |
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| The courtyard of the alberque |
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The universe stays in balance
So this morning Maria from England and I are waiting for the 7:50 bus to Leon. We have made the decision to walk so we can enjoy Leon since we are not staying an extra day. And we are talking about how we are working on the inner voices that say we should feel guilty. The hospitalero told us we did not have to go to the bus station, the bus would stop for us at this plaza. We saw the 7:50AM bus coming into the plaza, the driver saw us, and the bus continued over the bridge toward Leon. So we walked to the bus station (plan B) and took the 9:05 bus (kind of 9:25). Only 1,30€for the lovely 25 minute ride to Leon.
When I got out at the bus station, my feet thanked me and all was well again. So I started walking towards the old part of the city where I would find the Monastery Alberque. All was great until I got into the old city - think Boston with even narrower streets, going in all directions. I wandered for 45 minutes. I asked an older man how to get to the Plaza Santa Maria and he helped me walk part way where another older man helped me to walk the rest of the way. Only thing is they helped me to get to Plaza Santa Isadora on the other side of the old town. But all was well again when Barbara and Carl for Germany called my name. They were on the way to get a replacement battery for her watch so I stopped and ate breakfast at the plaza and when they returned they walked me to the alberque. Wonderful people on the Camino!
But then... I waited for almost an hour as the line crept very slowly to check into the alberque. While there Joyce from Virginia arrived - I haven´t seen her in a week. We visited for a while. I found myself praying for patience as I could not understand how it could take so long to check in each person (write their name, country, age and where they started the camino). Perhaps this was pennace for taking the bus? Or just the universe staying in balance?
But finally, I left my boots in the hall, put my sleeping bag on the upper bunk (they told me they´re saving the lower bunks for the older women - how could I argue with that?), and headed into Leon. We had a thunderstorm last night and the air today is absolutely wonderful - sunny, little breeze, not the hot afternoon that we´ve been having this past week.
First I walked by the Plaza Mayor where they were having a Saturday market. There were loads of vendors with fruits, vegetables, garlic, you name it. Also many apparel vendors: boots hanging up, clothing, tons of underwear, scarves and more. I wish I could have videotaped the plaza as it was packed with people, lots of sounds, smells, movement.
Later, as I sat at a square Joyce walked up and we got started talking. She helped a couple of Canadians find their hostal on the map, then we helped another English speaking person with a question, then we headed down the street. First stop, Gelato. Mine was Trufa (even I knew it was truffle) and it was delicious. We continued to walk, made it to a grocery store and picked up food supplies for the walk tomorrow. Mostly we just enjoyed walking in this beautiful city with plazas, fountains, trees, parks. It was lovely.
It was also interesting to be in a large city on a Saturday. People were out from about 10AM on this morning... markets in other plazas also, bars and cafes open, people everywhere. Then about 2PM things started to slow down, shops closed, people disappeared and the siesta time began. Around 6PM tonight people will start coming out again.
I went to the Cathedral for only a short time as it closed at 1PM for a wedding. But the windows were absolutely incredible. I think I read there are 125 stained glass windows and I believe it. In fact there are so many that it has collapse twice, once in the 17th century and once in the 19th. I will return this evening - I want to drink in the light still more. I believe the designer did bring a little bit of heaven right into the cathedral and it was such a delight after the darkness of most of the romanesque cathedrals along the way.
I´m taking today as my sabbath and will go to the pilgrim mass at this monastery at 7PM tonight before dinner. Tomorrow I must walk. May your sabbath, however you take it, renew your spirit. Bueno Camino!
When I got out at the bus station, my feet thanked me and all was well again. So I started walking towards the old part of the city where I would find the Monastery Alberque. All was great until I got into the old city - think Boston with even narrower streets, going in all directions. I wandered for 45 minutes. I asked an older man how to get to the Plaza Santa Maria and he helped me walk part way where another older man helped me to walk the rest of the way. Only thing is they helped me to get to Plaza Santa Isadora on the other side of the old town. But all was well again when Barbara and Carl for Germany called my name. They were on the way to get a replacement battery for her watch so I stopped and ate breakfast at the plaza and when they returned they walked me to the alberque. Wonderful people on the Camino!
But then... I waited for almost an hour as the line crept very slowly to check into the alberque. While there Joyce from Virginia arrived - I haven´t seen her in a week. We visited for a while. I found myself praying for patience as I could not understand how it could take so long to check in each person (write their name, country, age and where they started the camino). Perhaps this was pennace for taking the bus? Or just the universe staying in balance?
But finally, I left my boots in the hall, put my sleeping bag on the upper bunk (they told me they´re saving the lower bunks for the older women - how could I argue with that?), and headed into Leon. We had a thunderstorm last night and the air today is absolutely wonderful - sunny, little breeze, not the hot afternoon that we´ve been having this past week.
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| Plaza Mayor market |
Later, as I sat at a square Joyce walked up and we got started talking. She helped a couple of Canadians find their hostal on the map, then we helped another English speaking person with a question, then we headed down the street. First stop, Gelato. Mine was Trufa (even I knew it was truffle) and it was delicious. We continued to walk, made it to a grocery store and picked up food supplies for the walk tomorrow. Mostly we just enjoyed walking in this beautiful city with plazas, fountains, trees, parks. It was lovely.
It was also interesting to be in a large city on a Saturday. People were out from about 10AM on this morning... markets in other plazas also, bars and cafes open, people everywhere. Then about 2PM things started to slow down, shops closed, people disappeared and the siesta time began. Around 6PM tonight people will start coming out again.
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| The main road into the old part of town |
I´m taking today as my sabbath and will go to the pilgrim mass at this monastery at 7PM tonight before dinner. Tomorrow I must walk. May your sabbath, however you take it, renew your spirit. Bueno Camino!
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| One of the many plazas and fountains |
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Big Day
So today was the day I´ve been awaiting with a little dread - it was a 15.2 mile walk on the original Roman road (which means lots of rocks). There is no shade along the way, no villages to stop in, no fountains, nothing, just a day of walking. But I was ready for it. Last night at dinner we heard the weather report and there was a dwindling possibility of rain - so we all hoped for a cloud covered day.
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| The Roman road less traveled |
This morning I was walking by about 6:45AM and I could see the moon, but also
a number of clouds in the sky - yeah! There was a beautiful sunrise thanks to the clouds surrounding the sun. (picture later, no usb adapter at this computer). But around 8:00AM I started to notice that there was nothing but rain ahead. I could see the rain shower directly ahead, but to the left was a very, very dark rain... I kept my eye on it. I started thinking about how we see trouble ahead. Sometimes due to the choices we´ve made (did my easy day yesterday mean I´d be caught in a thunderstorm today). Sometimes we see trouble and we try to avoid it - but when you have 15 miles to walk, you just keep walking straight towards the rain. There´s no way I was going to add any miles.
Funny thing about trouble, as you continue towards it, sometimes you find it isn´t trouble at all. I watched as this huge rainstorm continued to move in front of me from west to east. At one point the sun broke out behind me - ahh, look for a rainbow. Within a couple of minutes I saw the beginning color taking form. I continued to watch this live slide show unfold as the color intensified, then changed, then arced downward, and finally there was a small part of a think rainbow with vivid colors. It continued to show for quite a while.
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| Oh yeah - miles to go! |
So I kept walking, very thankful that the sun was covered more often than not. Finally about 11:30 I came to the turn to start the final walk into Mansillia de los Muela. I thought I could see the town way in the distance... My impulsive brain said "yes! You´re almost there." My reasonable brain said, "Don´t get too excited, you have miles to go." So I have my goal in sight, but just had to keep on walking. I was thinking about vision and goals that we set for ourselves as I walked. We see where we want to go, but sometimes we give up before we get there -- does it always take longer than we thought it would? I remember watching a video of the poet David Whyte and he talked about a woman who told him that she knew what she wanted to do in her life, but she took a job that was of only some interest and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed. Yes, we do have to stay on the path towards our goals if we are going to get there. And sometimes those paths go on a long time.
I stopped and ate my apple. Changed my socks for the 4th time (didn´t want to take a chance on my feet on this long day), then thought I´d be heading into town. But the road went on and on and on. At 12:45 I finally made it around the bend, only to see that what I´d thought was the town was actually a little suburb and the town was now another couple miles to the left. The pathway narrowed and was surround by thistles and thorny bushes. It looked like it had hardly been used (there´s something called a sendra, a gravel path that parallels the highway that apparently most of the pilgrims had used.) So I plodded on. Finally I could see the church steeple and after going through the underpass under the hwy and through the medieval gate into town (the last one in Spain if I understand correctly), I arrived. My goal was reached, but I have to tell you it was not easy today. Something for me to consider as I look at what my goals might be for my 70th, 80th and 90th decades of life.
So stay on the path... Bueno Camino!Thursday, September 15, 2011
Calzadilla de los Hermanillos
Last night I indulged. After walking all the way across Sahagun to the monastery I found that they no longer have just "beds" but only single or double rooms. So for about $30 I got a single room. When the door was opened I almost cried - it was such a beautiful sight. Typical of Catholic retreat centers, it was a tiny room with a desk to the left of the door, then a small twin bed on the right under a window that opened to the terrace. But to the left was a door to a bathroom, almost as large as the room and there was a BATHTUB in it! I took a nice long bath and my feet greatly enjoyed soaking for a while.
This morning I did not leave until 7AM as I found that the monastery has outdoors that had a padlock on them until that time. But I still had a chance to walk in the cool of the night air as the sun was rising behind me. It was a short day as tomorrow I have a 16 mile walk with no stops in between - it´s all or nothing! Today I began walking on the Via Romana, an extensive road built by the Romans and still in amazing condition. I can only imagine the labor that was involved as the heavy rock foundation did not come from this area.
Around 10:30 I arrived in Calzadilla de los Hermanillos and since the alberque would not open until 1PM I headed back to the cafe I passed. I met up with Maria of England who I've met a couple of times recently and we had coffee and a chance to get to know each other better. After a while Russell, a woman from Australia came by. She´d been waiting for the bus for an hour and decided to see if the host at the cafe would call her a taxi (they did) so she could head to Mansilla to meet her two friends. I had met all of them as we crossed in Castilla y Leon last week and we've been passing one another along the way. But Russell had blisters form that got more and more serious and she had to have a doctor look at them a few days ago. She´s traveling by bus and will do so to Leon. She said they are healing and she hopes to walk once more after Leon.
She told us about this little community after we said we were staying here. They had stayed here last night and she talked about the lovely meal they were served at the cafe. And as happens in the villages across Spain in the evening people all came out and she said that a lady took her arm and invited her to see her garden. She noted that there are parks and little plazas with benches all over the town. I went exploring this afternoon and she´s right.
This morning I did not leave until 7AM as I found that the monastery has outdoors that had a padlock on them until that time. But I still had a chance to walk in the cool of the night air as the sun was rising behind me. It was a short day as tomorrow I have a 16 mile walk with no stops in between - it´s all or nothing! Today I began walking on the Via Romana, an extensive road built by the Romans and still in amazing condition. I can only imagine the labor that was involved as the heavy rock foundation did not come from this area.
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| This is Barbara from Germany waiting at the cross in front of the alberque |
She told us about this little community after we said we were staying here. They had stayed here last night and she talked about the lovely meal they were served at the cafe. And as happens in the villages across Spain in the evening people all came out and she said that a lady took her arm and invited her to see her garden. She noted that there are parks and little plazas with benches all over the town. I went exploring this afternoon and she´s right.
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| The alberque (bed & breakfast) and cafe where I´m using the internet. Notice the solar panel on the roof. |
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| The quiet streets at siesta time. Only an American or peregrino would be out this time of day! |
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| This is in a little park and it shows how the Romans built their roads. The road bed to the right looks like what I walked on this morning. |
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| Other side of the park with aquaduct and the church in the back. |
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| What a lovely place to hang laundry. |
The Wind of God and a Celtic Blessing
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| View from the Camino |
I thought of one of my favorite introits at church, Blow, Blow, Wind of God (I think that´s the name - it was sung this summer I know). So I sang that to myself as I walked, with the wind of God surrounding me.
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| scarecrows in a vineyard |
The Meseta is an interesting part of the Camino. I have found it to be beautiful, but there is something about being able to see long distances that can really mess with my mind. I saw Sahagun over an hour before I finally reached it. I sometimes feel like an ant, but I know from watching ants that even they cover a large area because they keep moving. So I keep moving at whatever pace I can keep. And I shall remember that God is with me on this pilgrimage, whether the wind blows or not.
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| The arch is from the ruins of a former monastery in Sahagun |
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
I´m amazed at the body´s ability to recover. Yesterday as I hobbled into the Monastery of Santa Clara I thought I might never walk again, but after a shower and a short rest I walked into town (hobbling at first), and then once again enjoying walking. Last night I didn´t sleep really well, had a sinus headache and with it are concerns that I might get a sinus infection. But in spite of that, during the sleep that I did get my body rejuvenated. This morning my feet were no longer protesting and I was able to walk 12 miles.
As I left Carrion de los Condes I fell into step with a German gentleman I had met yesterday, Dirk. We had a great conversation as we walked. He is from East Germany and told me he was originally with a ballet troupe, but then he was got interested in directing the ballets, went from their into photographs but he wanted the story also. So now he makes film documentaries. He was explaining to me that most of the younger generation has left East Germany for West Germany and now there are a majority of older persons. He made a documentary about this expressing the stories of the older people who miss their families and indeed, miss an entire generation. They used theater, dance, and put it all together in a film. His mother was one of the dancers.
He said he also left for about 20 years. His home was in a mining area and it was gutted and ugly. He left and at one point was living in Sydney Australia when his father turned 70. He realized his parents would not be around for ever and decided to return home and be near them. So now he has coffee each morning with his father before he heads to work. He talked quite a bit about the importance of inter-generational contact and that being one of the things he is enjoying about the Camino. It´s true. There is Richard from Australia who is 80 and Fabienne from Switzerland who is 19 and everything in between. Actually I briefly saw a family from France and they had their 16 year old son and 11 year old daughter with them. Last Sunday I was at mass in Boadilla and just sitting there after church when in walked Leif and Karin, an older couple from Sweden who I had not seen since sharing breakfast with them and then they were off to find a dentist (he had broken off his front tooth). It was so wonderful to see them as they greeted me with hugs. Yes, the inter-generational relationships are important.
Today the computer is about 10 feet from my bed, so I´ll try to upload some more pictures. May you have a good conversation with someone older or younger than you today. Bueno Camino!
Monday, September 12, 2011
A long day
I left Boadillo early this morning, before 6AM so I could walk in the cool air. I had an added bonus as the full moon had not set and the light from it was enough to guide my walking. It was lovely. Made it to Fromist and had breakfast and also got to see Katarine just as she was getting on the bus. Sheś probably in her late 20ś and hurt her knee. She thought she had pushed too hard earlier on the Camino. Sheś from Germany and was only staying 10 days anyway, but it was sad to see her boarding the bus. She´ĺl return to Borgas and stay a couple of days then head back to Germany.
We had an alternate route along a river which I took. So glad as it had some shade whereas the main path had none. It was welcome on the beautiful sunny day. Up ahead as pilgrims entered the town of Villaveico I could see they were stopping next to a white car. Sometimes townspeople sell cold drinks so thatś what I was expecting. Instead, as I approached there was an older gentleman standing there with a basket of small hard candies. He offered me one and I gladly accepted.
Then he pulled out a stamp. We get our credentials stamped at each alberque and also churches and other locations so I thought that was what he wanted. But instead he took my hand and stamped it as he smiled and spoke to me in Spanish. I could only say gracias as I knew he had done something special for my spirit.
On the other side of this small town was a bar located in a tree lined square with tables and chairs and a playground. A young lady took my order for a nestea which she poured on ice with orange slices in it. Then she handed me a saucer with four little tiny cookies on it. Another gift. That certain helped as I prepared to walk the last 8 km. But I fizzled with 2 still to go.
When I reached Carrion de los Condes and saw the monastery of Santa Clara (the poor Clares) I was greatly relieved. I don´t think I could have taken another step. I am thankful for the small blessings of this day.
Just a note - I would love to add pictures but Iḿ usually using the internet in a bar and I have 20 minutes to a euro with others usually waiting. If I find an alberque with internet I WILL try to get some pictures up. Someone sent directions - thank you, Kim! So patience please. In the meantime, Beuno Camino!
We had an alternate route along a river which I took. So glad as it had some shade whereas the main path had none. It was welcome on the beautiful sunny day. Up ahead as pilgrims entered the town of Villaveico I could see they were stopping next to a white car. Sometimes townspeople sell cold drinks so thatś what I was expecting. Instead, as I approached there was an older gentleman standing there with a basket of small hard candies. He offered me one and I gladly accepted.
Then he pulled out a stamp. We get our credentials stamped at each alberque and also churches and other locations so I thought that was what he wanted. But instead he took my hand and stamped it as he smiled and spoke to me in Spanish. I could only say gracias as I knew he had done something special for my spirit.
On the other side of this small town was a bar located in a tree lined square with tables and chairs and a playground. A young lady took my order for a nestea which she poured on ice with orange slices in it. Then she handed me a saucer with four little tiny cookies on it. Another gift. That certain helped as I prepared to walk the last 8 km. But I fizzled with 2 still to go.
When I reached Carrion de los Condes and saw the monastery of Santa Clara (the poor Clares) I was greatly relieved. I don´t think I could have taken another step. I am thankful for the small blessings of this day.
Just a note - I would love to add pictures but Iḿ usually using the internet in a bar and I have 20 minutes to a euro with others usually waiting. If I find an alberque with internet I WILL try to get some pictures up. Someone sent directions - thank you, Kim! So patience please. In the meantime, Beuno Camino!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering then continuing onward
Last night 3 lovely Italians hosted the alberque sponsored by the Confraternity of Italy: the Hospital de San Nicolas in Intero del Castillo. This small place was a 13th century chapel converted by the Confraternity - again with no electricity, but thanks to a solar panel there was some hot water. We heard the bell ring three times and thought it was for dinner. One of the hosts came out with a short peregrino cape draped over her shoulders. She beckoned us to come in.
As we entered we found the 3 hosts in the small chapel on one end and we gathered there each taking our seat. They then came to each of us, asked out first name, then as one poured water over our foot and the other dried it the third pronounced a pilgrim blessing for us. It was a profound experience of community in this tiny chapel space. Ten minutes later we sat down to a simple dinner of spaghetti (with a wonderful spice), the tomatoes, cucmbers and tuna along with spices in olive oil. Dessert was a real treat of mixed fresh fruits.
Today I set out after breakfast, dawn was breaking but I did not have to leave so early... I knew I would walk only a short way (just over 6 miles). But there was a chill in the air as clouds covered the morning sun along with a strong headwind. It seemed fitting for this 10th anniversary of 9/11. It was a slow walk, good for remembering that day. My 9/11 is permanently entwined with my flight to Houston that day. We went down in Nashville around 9:30 and I traveled by car with a wonderful woman who was lawyer from Houston. We arrived in Houston about 1:00AM on the 12th... my mom flinging open the door to give me a big hug and my dad waking up to smile at me and say,"Cathy, you made it."
During the week I had many conversations with my dad, the last I would have. The next time I saw him in January he was semi-conscious and could do little more than say my name. He died on April 11, the 7 month anniversary of 9/11. So this morning as I walked I remembered my dad with great love and affection. He and my mom were a good fit - there first date was in Casper WY and it started with him giving my mom $100 and telling her not to give it back to him until the end of the night. Then he took her to the bars he frequented and did a little gambling. Mom faithfully held on to the money and did not give it back to him at the end of the evening. When he called the next day she assured him that she had the money and they saw each other again. I remember mom saying that her mother was a little skeptical when she said she was going to marry Jim Willis, but mom saw the good in him. In their marriage dad knew how to make my mom laugh and mom knew how to manage their finances so that their needs were met.
During one of our convesations that week in Houston my dad noted that he regretted not spending more time with my brother and I as kids. He worked for Phillips Petroleum and often got home late or had to leave in the middle of the night to take care of problems. But I remembered him as as the father who spent much of one summer building a stand alone "tree house" for my brother and I (since we had no large trees in our yard) where we loved to play and sometimes sleep. I remember her making a kite for us during our school lunch break and flying it with us. I remember our two week vacations taken faithfully every year where he loved to point out to us historical sites, show us new places, and always, we visited relatives and got to spend time with our cousins spread all over. I assured him I did not feel neglected. In fact I had thought of him last week when my Camino path was suddenly blocked by a herd of sheep. My dad took me with him for one work day where we traveled to wells throughout Kansas. At one point our road was blocked by pigs. I remember my dad laughing as we waited for all these pigs to pass. At the end of the day we stopped at a drive-in and I got a root beer float while my dad radioed mom to let her know we were almost home.
So today I remember my dad, and I remember the many lives lost on 9/11. I remember the destruction that can be caused by being so rigid with our beliefs we cannot tolerate others. But I will continue looking for the goodness in all. I will continue walking with people whose language I do not speak yet we can still walk with one another. I continue onward with great hope. With 9/11 terrorists sought to instill fear, but the Camino instills only a sense of community and great safety. Blessings be with you this day in your own remembering, and may hope be your companion this week. Bueno Camino!
As we entered we found the 3 hosts in the small chapel on one end and we gathered there each taking our seat. They then came to each of us, asked out first name, then as one poured water over our foot and the other dried it the third pronounced a pilgrim blessing for us. It was a profound experience of community in this tiny chapel space. Ten minutes later we sat down to a simple dinner of spaghetti (with a wonderful spice), the tomatoes, cucmbers and tuna along with spices in olive oil. Dessert was a real treat of mixed fresh fruits.
Today I set out after breakfast, dawn was breaking but I did not have to leave so early... I knew I would walk only a short way (just over 6 miles). But there was a chill in the air as clouds covered the morning sun along with a strong headwind. It seemed fitting for this 10th anniversary of 9/11. It was a slow walk, good for remembering that day. My 9/11 is permanently entwined with my flight to Houston that day. We went down in Nashville around 9:30 and I traveled by car with a wonderful woman who was lawyer from Houston. We arrived in Houston about 1:00AM on the 12th... my mom flinging open the door to give me a big hug and my dad waking up to smile at me and say,"Cathy, you made it."
During the week I had many conversations with my dad, the last I would have. The next time I saw him in January he was semi-conscious and could do little more than say my name. He died on April 11, the 7 month anniversary of 9/11. So this morning as I walked I remembered my dad with great love and affection. He and my mom were a good fit - there first date was in Casper WY and it started with him giving my mom $100 and telling her not to give it back to him until the end of the night. Then he took her to the bars he frequented and did a little gambling. Mom faithfully held on to the money and did not give it back to him at the end of the evening. When he called the next day she assured him that she had the money and they saw each other again. I remember mom saying that her mother was a little skeptical when she said she was going to marry Jim Willis, but mom saw the good in him. In their marriage dad knew how to make my mom laugh and mom knew how to manage their finances so that their needs were met.
During one of our convesations that week in Houston my dad noted that he regretted not spending more time with my brother and I as kids. He worked for Phillips Petroleum and often got home late or had to leave in the middle of the night to take care of problems. But I remembered him as as the father who spent much of one summer building a stand alone "tree house" for my brother and I (since we had no large trees in our yard) where we loved to play and sometimes sleep. I remember her making a kite for us during our school lunch break and flying it with us. I remember our two week vacations taken faithfully every year where he loved to point out to us historical sites, show us new places, and always, we visited relatives and got to spend time with our cousins spread all over. I assured him I did not feel neglected. In fact I had thought of him last week when my Camino path was suddenly blocked by a herd of sheep. My dad took me with him for one work day where we traveled to wells throughout Kansas. At one point our road was blocked by pigs. I remember my dad laughing as we waited for all these pigs to pass. At the end of the day we stopped at a drive-in and I got a root beer float while my dad radioed mom to let her know we were almost home.
So today I remember my dad, and I remember the many lives lost on 9/11. I remember the destruction that can be caused by being so rigid with our beliefs we cannot tolerate others. But I will continue looking for the goodness in all. I will continue walking with people whose language I do not speak yet we can still walk with one another. I continue onward with great hope. With 9/11 terrorists sought to instill fear, but the Camino instills only a sense of community and great safety. Blessings be with you this day in your own remembering, and may hope be your companion this week. Bueno Camino!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Shooting Stars and Hospitality
I had the most amazing day yesterday (Sept 9). But first I must preface it with Sept. 8th. On that day I left Burgos. Burgos is a lovely city - an amazing park all along the river (sure beats I-91 along the CT river in Springfield). But it is harder walking in the city for some reason. And as we left we passed warehouses, then a quarry which was very noisy. Just beyond that there was machinery working on building a large highway (I have some fears about the Camino as I see "progress"). Then on to a walk on glaring white rock as the day got hotter. There were field of harvest hay around us, just short stalks of straw left in the ground. A few had been plowed and the soil was full of good size white rocks. So around 1:00 when I arrived in Hornillos I was ready to stop. So was everyone else, and they must have been faster than I. The 36 bed alberque was already full and the 1st overflow building also. So the couple before me and myself followed the lady over to the gymnasium where cots had been set up around the outside walls. The gymnasium was HUGE! Very, very high ceiling. Soccer nets at each end. Flies everywhere. I hesitated a moment, but thought, no, I need to just take what is offered. I was grateful for a place to sleep and started looking for blessings.
The first was the bathroom - newly renovated with the first shower I´ve taken that had a whole room to itself. It was spotless! The next was meeting the young lady who took the bed next to mine. Ann Marie is from England. She was going to walk for one week, but then she was laid off from her job (said she didn´t care for her boss anyway), so she decided to walk from Burgos to Santiago. Unemployed she´s on a low budget walk. She was delightful to talk with - more about her later.
The town of Hornillos seemed to not have a single tree and of the 3 benches lining the short road through town only one was in shade. So most of the 60 plus peregrinos took a siesta. I found the gym depressing so I followed the shade around the church pillars and did very little (except walking to the tiny market to get a few food supplies for the next day. In the evening people did come out and I met Walter from Austria as we shared tapas at the bar. I was pretty sure they were going to be on overload for dinner so Walter and I both had the same idea. After dinner I visited the church which had opened and stayed in its cool sanctuary for quite a while. Then in the shade on the steps outside I had a lovely conversation with Bente from Denmark. She too decided to celebrate her 60th birthday on the Camino - but she´s actually turning 60 later this week. She had already walked from Leon to Santiago, so this time she walked started in St Jean de Pied and will end in Leon. Sonn Fabienne from Switzerland joined us. She´s 19 and has just ended her formal education so she is taking her sabbatical year (seems to be assumed all students will take one year off before going on to university). She decided to walk the Camino though her mother was concerned about her safety. She convinced her to let her walk for a month starting from Burgos. She continued to tell us about some of the majors she is considering - they are quite diverse. As the sun set we headed to our respective sleeping areas and I found that the tiny matress surrounded me like a cocoon and I slept soundly until 5:15AM
At that point I awoke refreshed and ready to go. I thought I would start early and beat the heat that would come with the day. As I walked from the dark gym into the dark alley I was stunned by a sky absolutely packed with stars I had never seen. Orion was right in front of me complete with shield - something I do not get to see in the Springfield sky. Then the day was set as I saw a shooting star across the sky. I walked down the alley past the church and back onto the road through town. Still looking up I saw another shooting star. And just beyond town as I set my pace on the Camino path I saw still another. It doesn´t get much better than this I thought! So I walked, sometimes hearing the conversation of the German gentleman in front of me who is walking with his mother (who is probably in her 70s). It was a lovely quiet walk and since the path is so flat in this area I could walk without a flashlight, surrounded by a sky of stars.
Soon there was first light, then a little more and by the time I had climbed the path up the hillside I could look back and see the first red glow of the coming day. I had to continually turn around to watch this beautiful sunrise. As I walked I was passed by other pilgrims (on occasion I pass someone - but not often. I met a few new pilgrims such as Benton from Ireland. He told me he went there from Scotland years ago and stayed. But then I came around a corner to see the ruins of the Monastery of San Anton. It was run by an order started in France that traces its history back to the St. Anthony of Egypt. The ruins were of a towering cathedral type building with arched windows open to the blue sky beyond. And over the Camino there was St Anthony´s arch with two little nooks in it where bread would be left for the peregrinos passing by. I walked inside the ruins and knew immediately that I was going to stay over there even though it was only 10:30 in the morning. I sat for quite a while then met Alvaro, the hospitalero (volunteer host) and asked him when the alberque opened. He warned me that there was no electricity or hot water and when I said that was okay he took me to a small room connected to the main area where there were 6 bunkbeds. I chose my place and changed to my sandals.
The ruins were constantly visited by peregrinos. At one point Fabienne arrived, limping. She said she had a year old ankle injury and had brought her brace, but had not expected it to flair up so quickly. So she hoped to call a taxi to take her to Castojerez (only 5 km away). She went to talk with Alvaro, but he said he would just take her there. While they were talking a doctor and his wife, a nurse, came in and they checked her ankle, made some recommendations and gave her two pain pills. Then I was appointed (with a 5 minute training) as hospitalero until Alvaro returned. As I was sitting in the main area - open to the outside who should arrive but Santiago. I thought he was days ahead of me by now. We had a
lovely reunion, talked in our awkward sign language, wished each other Bueno Camino and he was off again. It was so good to be able to see him again and thank him for his help.
lovely reunion, talked in our awkward sign language, wished each other Bueno Camino and he was off again. It was so good to be able to see him again and thank him for his help.
So Alvaro was back. As I walked back outside I saw Ann Marie in a corner of the ruins busily working on a watercolor of one section. She had a a pad of paper, a large box of watercolors and a number of brushes with large handles. She said she was trying to paint each day and showed me her work. She was doing a lovely job. Alvaro had already talked to me about lunch (to be served about 2:30) so when Ann Marie talked about wanting to stay I told her I was staying over and lunch would be served. She decided to stay. Later as we ate our garlic soup and drank wine Nicola from Germany arrived and joined us and just as we were finishing Sabina, also from Germany, arrived. Both stayed for the night. We enjoyed the time and the day seemed to unfold in just the way each of us needed. The harried worker at the alberque in Hornillos did her best, but there was little room for hospitality. At the ruins of a monastery we found endless hospitality. May you find hospitality when you need it and offer it to all you meet. It can help each of us through the day. Bueno Camino!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
End of the day
Well... the Cathedral in Burgos is amazing. Just looking at it from the outside was pretty awesome. Í spent another hour and a half inside. I just finished dinner and people are pouring into the streets of Burgos the same way the do in cities in Italy. The evening is young, children are rested and now playing and eating ice cream. I love the social aspect of these streets.
Today though, I´ve been thinking about my friend Lucy from Trinity. When Lucy heard I was going on the Camino she came up to me so excited. She and her husband had visited this area of Spain (I imagine the cathedral in Burgos was among the sights) and she knew all about the Camino. She was all for my walking it and wanted to know everything about how I was preparing.
Later, when I let everyone know about my blog she was the first to tell me she had gone to it and would be following me everyday. And I knew she would. Lucy always did what she said she would. But she died the Saturday before I left for Spain, and it was a great loss to me (as a companion to me on this journey) and to our church.
You see, Lucy was one of those strong women in the church who was a provided leadership. If Lucy said she would do something - it would be done. For 15 -20 years I have heard talk (and for a while I tried to get this done) about getting signs up on the major street leading to the church. We always ran into glitches. When I heard Lucy was taking care of it, I knew it would be done. She worked tirelessly to take care of details that kept Trinity going. I was so looking forward to sharing with her about Spain upon my return. But perhaps in a another sense she is truly with me on this journey. On the days when I don´t think I´ll make it any farther, I can think of Lucy saying "oh you can do it, Cathy".
Tomorrow I begin the Meseta, a wilderness like part of the Camino that will go on for about 7 days until I arrive in Leon. It is pretty much very exposed, no shade, miles upon miles with not much change in landscape except for some inclines up onto the mesas and back down. At the church in San Juan de Ortega there was a whole intaglio with demons in each panel. I do wonder what the demons will be that might emerge in the Meseta. Keep me in your prayers.
And also, would you keep Maria in your prayers. She is a young woman I met from Korea day before yesterday. She had stopped on a shaded bench. She told me she was a nurse, but had quit to take care of both of her parents who had cancer. They had gotten to be to much for her to care for them. I´m not sure how, but she told me her father said for her to walk the Camino and take as much time as she needed. She was a small woman, but her pack was huge. I didn´t tell her it was too heavy, she´ll find that out for herself. I have a feeling she will be needing to let go of some other things also. Please hold her in your prayers.
On to the Meseta! May the experience of the wilderness be no less powerful than the other experiences of the Camino. Bueno Camino!
Today though, I´ve been thinking about my friend Lucy from Trinity. When Lucy heard I was going on the Camino she came up to me so excited. She and her husband had visited this area of Spain (I imagine the cathedral in Burgos was among the sights) and she knew all about the Camino. She was all for my walking it and wanted to know everything about how I was preparing.
Later, when I let everyone know about my blog she was the first to tell me she had gone to it and would be following me everyday. And I knew she would. Lucy always did what she said she would. But she died the Saturday before I left for Spain, and it was a great loss to me (as a companion to me on this journey) and to our church.
You see, Lucy was one of those strong women in the church who was a provided leadership. If Lucy said she would do something - it would be done. For 15 -20 years I have heard talk (and for a while I tried to get this done) about getting signs up on the major street leading to the church. We always ran into glitches. When I heard Lucy was taking care of it, I knew it would be done. She worked tirelessly to take care of details that kept Trinity going. I was so looking forward to sharing with her about Spain upon my return. But perhaps in a another sense she is truly with me on this journey. On the days when I don´t think I´ll make it any farther, I can think of Lucy saying "oh you can do it, Cathy".
Tomorrow I begin the Meseta, a wilderness like part of the Camino that will go on for about 7 days until I arrive in Leon. It is pretty much very exposed, no shade, miles upon miles with not much change in landscape except for some inclines up onto the mesas and back down. At the church in San Juan de Ortega there was a whole intaglio with demons in each panel. I do wonder what the demons will be that might emerge in the Meseta. Keep me in your prayers.
And also, would you keep Maria in your prayers. She is a young woman I met from Korea day before yesterday. She had stopped on a shaded bench. She told me she was a nurse, but had quit to take care of both of her parents who had cancer. They had gotten to be to much for her to care for them. I´m not sure how, but she told me her father said for her to walk the Camino and take as much time as she needed. She was a small woman, but her pack was huge. I didn´t tell her it was too heavy, she´ll find that out for herself. I have a feeling she will be needing to let go of some other things also. Please hold her in your prayers.
On to the Meseta! May the experience of the wilderness be no less powerful than the other experiences of the Camino. Bueno Camino!
Arrival in Borgos!
Today I arrived in Borgus. Tina, from Finland, and I decided to go as far as the last suburb before Burgos, then take the bus in. We were joined by Mihael of Hungary and Ananda and Herman of South Africa. It was a great idea as it meant the last 5 kilometers going through the edges of the city were eliminated and instead we experience the wonderful bus service in Burgos right to the old city.
Besides, my feet were killing me. I´d done another 19.5plus day yesterday. I wasn´t as tired as the first time, but it still took it´s toll on me. For instance, as I stepped out of the shower (fully clothed thank goodness) I realized I was in the men´s room. Goodness! It´s so hard to tell sometimes. Today I´m staying at the Divina Pastora, a hostel above the chapel La Capilla de la Divina Pastora. They have mass tonight at 6:00. Earlier, just after my arrival, the hospitalero (volunteer host) was serenading us on the guitar. It was lovely, though I was a little surprised when he started to play The House of the Rising Sun.
The walk earlier today was beautiful - through large forests of oak and then pine. That opened up to rolling fields and at one point I could count 10 different wind turbine installations on the higher rises that seem to have a constant breeze. I took some pictures and if I can figure out how to get them onto this blog I will do so. The instructions are all in spanish and my first attempt was not very successful. But I´ll try again.
Off to explore Burgos. More later... Bueno Camino!
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