Sunday School Lessons

     No internet yesterday, just a story.  I had walked over 19.5 miles on Saturday, so I thought it might be good to kick back on Sunday and not push.  Walked around 9 miles then turned right thinking I was going to the Virgen de Gaudalupe Alberque.  Well... I kept following signs to the alberque and the bar.  Too late I realized I was actually walking to the next town - within a stones throw of Cirequa (sp?).  So I followed the signs to the bar and asked for the alberque.  They spoke no english, but we communicated and the husband walked me over.  It was lovely - a fairly new place (kind of like a town house) where I believe the family had their apartment, then they had 7 bunk beds in a basement room with a nice window in it.  I was thrilled it was so clean and I had the shower to myself.
    It was about 11:30.  I went through the usual routine of showering, washing clothes and hanging them out.  Then I took my journal outside to the fountain and sat on a bench and wrote for a while.  Lovely afternoon - a few clouds, coolish breeze.  There were some children riding their bikes.  After a while I went to check on my clothes and decided to grab my guide book and check on the options for stopping the next day.  BUT I couldn´t find my guidebook!  Disaster!  While you can walk the whole Camino without a map, I really needd my guidebook as it shows the distance to the next town and tells whether or not there is an alberque, and if it is half-way decent.  My anxiety level began to rise.  And with the anxiety of no guidebook I started feeling anxious about the alberque - would no one else show up since it was a little off the camino?  Would I be completely by myself?
    After looking all around and not finding it, I realized I needed to calm down.  I could go have a wine, but I thought hmmm...  maybe this is one of those moments when I´m suppose to check in with God.  So I went back outside and entered into prayer.  I gave everything up to God, my panic, my anxiety, my concerns.  I tried to listen and be ready if I felt God encouraging me to travel by faith without a book at all.  Or would someone arrive at the alberque who could help me out.  I started to feel reassurance that all would be alright.   I started to feel like I really could trust the intuition that had led me to this alberque at this time and I would be with the right people if anyone else showed up.
   So then I went for my glass of wine.  As I sat outside I looked up to see a couple a little older than me come up.  They were from Sweden.  I told them they were at the right place and they went in and arranged to stay at the alberque.  After they had settled in they returned to the bar and we visited a little.  They told me they had gone to the other alberque, but when they´d asked the lady if they could see the room she yelled at them :¨" This is not a museum".  The lady said she had time though to notice that it was not very clean.  (Actually, today I met some Australians who stayed there.  They described it as a concentration camp, very strict.  That´s probably the only negative description I´ve heard of an alberque so far).  So I HAD chosen the right place.
   After a while I left to take in my laundry.  As I was getting things organized I moved my pillow and thought I saw something on the floor behind the bed.  Guess what?  It was my guidebook.  All that worrying for nothing!  But good lessons and faith deepened.  A good Sunday indeed.
    Today I am staying in Villamayor Del Rio.  Another tiny town about 8 km east of Burgos.  I was delighted to walk into the room and find that Cathy-Jo from MN was there.  I had first heard about her days ago.  My other two roommates are from England.  They are musicians who I have seen in the distance walking.  Merwanna is carrying her harp and Craig is carrying his guitar.  So after I showered I headed outside to do my laundry.  Merwanna was outside in the garden playing her harp.  How lovely and relaxing as I hung my clothes on the line.  I heard from a Finnish woman that they often give concerts in the evening.  I´m hoping they´re in the mood tonight after dinner!
    May the loveliness of good music be with you.  Bueno Camino!

Following the signs

    Both friends who have walked the Camino and books that I read said Keep your boots DRY.  So I had my ¨waterproof¨ boots which have worked great until today.   It was raining as we left Logrono so I put on my poncho.  The rain picked up and by the time I was out of town my pants were drenched.  When I stopped for breakfast I wrung out my socks and put on dry ones.  So much for dry boots.

   So as I was walking in the rain I was thinking about signs.  I think I saw somewhere that there are 500 something kilometers left to Santiago.  That means I´ve traveled at least 200 kilometers - without a map.  It´s amazing to think of walking that distance, just looking for the signs that will continue to lead you forward. 

   The symbol of the Camino is the scallop shell.  The ¨logo¨ has a yellow shell on a blue background.  As you move through villages and towns you just look for the shell on the next building, or in the direction to head.  To further guide the pilgrims there are yellow arrows painted everywhere.  It is amazing how well these two symbols work to guide us.  However, each town and region has their own little twist.  In looking for the signs I´m thinking how well some of the things I´ve learned apply to discerning our way in the bigger pilgrimage of life.

    First... you have to be alert.  The first day there were many pilgrims and I had my friend Santiago.  I tried watching to see what he was seeing and he showed me the initial symbols.  But I wasn´t always aware of what he saw.  As I´ve continued to walk I´ve learned the importance of always being alert for the signs.  I think in any discernment process there is the need to be alert to the signs that may be given to us.  We have to pay attention.

   Second...  But sometimes it´s helpful to have company while we discern.  Last Monday my friend Cathy and I consulted a number of times as we looked for the symbols to guide us through the city of Pamplona.  We both learned some skills for how to see the signs that I know I have continued to use on my own.            
    Third...  Enjoy the big signs.  Every so often there a really big yellow arrow on the side of a building, a rock, a marker.  No doubt about what we´re suppose to do.  I remember when I was discerning if I should enter into the training for Spiritual Direction (Tending the Soul in the NY-Troy conference).  I had put it off and put it off then one day an announcement was emailed and I checked the brochure.  As I looked at each of the dates (3 4-day retreats in each of the two year process) I realized I had every single date available.  I knew that wasn´t going to happen often and saw that as a big sign that I needed to register!
    Fourth...  Watch for the subtle little signs.  As I´ve walked the Camino, every so often I´m on a longer stretch and realize I haven´t seen a shell or an arrow in a while.  I start to get a little concerned: did I miss a turn off?  Did everyone else go a different way?  Then I´ll see a little sign.  Usually it is a cairn - someone has stacked rocks on the side of the road.  That doesn´t happen randomly.  I believe it is done very intentionally by pilgrims who have traveled before me.  At least three times I have seen a hillside or large area covered with 20-40 cairns.  At first it is not apparently and then as I focus, there they are.  This morning as I was walking I been following a number of pilgrims for quite a while when I noticed no one was in front of me any more.  I was looking around as I walk, and there it was, the sign that I needed.  There was a metal fence on my side (kind of like a chain link, but more open) and in it there were crosses from twigs.  People had been doing this for some time as the crosses continued as long as the fence.  They were at the top, at the bottom, and everywhere in between.  Again, I had the assurance that many, many had already walked this way.  The sign assured me I was traveling the right path.

   And fifth...  Keep looking ahead.  I had to learn to read music differently when I played handbells as you have to notice when your bell is coming up and be ready.  In watching for the signs on the Camino, sometimes you have to look ahead, and in some cases it means walking out into an intersection or to the next block to see what might be there.  This morning I was leaving town behind a Spanish gentleman.  At one point he continued straight, but it seemed to me that the arrow was pointing diagonally.  So I decided to check it out.  When I crossed diagonally I found the next shell in the pavement marking a diagonal path through a park.  I yelled at my fellow pilgrim and we continued on the path.  We sometimes have to move into the next stage to see the confirmation that we need.

    The rain let up shortly after my breakfast break in Navarette and because there was a nice cloud cover I walked my longest day - 19.5 miles.  So now I shall take a break to let my body recover - I´m not the only one walking hesitantly.

    May God be with you as you look for directional signs in your life.  Bueno Camino!

Some pilgrim friends

   It´s time to introduce you to some of my pilgrim friends.  It´s kind of like traveling with a session of the United Nations.  I think I mentioned I was in Spain for over 24 hours before I heard someone speak English.  That was Rachel and turns out she lives in Northampton - a half hour north of Springfield.  In Zubiri I met a number of others, two who were also at the alburque with me in Arre.  Cathy from Ontario Canada and I traveled together through Pamplona and on Tuesday I walked for a while with Polly.
    In Cirauqui I met Susanna, a 24 year old from England who is teaching Spanish in Valencia and also a young lady from Slovakia.  I saw both of them again the next day, but they were moving on to Los Arcos while I stopped at Vallemayor de Monjardin.  Unless they take a day off I probably won´t see them again.
    I met Mike from Canada along with Helena and John from way up in the NW territory of Canada at the alberque in Z....   a name I never did quite get.  Last night Helena and John showed up at the alberque in Torres del Rey and I just saw Mike here in Logrono.  He told me he had dinner with Polly last night.  If I take a day off I just might reconnect with her.
    Up to today the only other American I´d met was Claudia from North Carolina.  However, today I just met Rita from FL.  I have heard there is a ¨Cathy¨ from Minnesota - but haven´t met her yet.  Mihael, from Hungary showed up at the alberque last night and ended up in the bunk over me again.  And guess what, 90 beds here in Logrono and I just saw him upstairs - for the third night in the bunk over me.
    As I was walking out to the courtyard to do my laundry I saw David and Carmen.  Had not seen them since Zuribi where he was performing acupuncture on her knee and helping another young lady with her knee.  He also worked on a couple of backs that evening.  They´re from France and I envy that they speak French, Spanish and English. 
    It´s an interesting dynamic...  You meet someone, have dinner together, walk a few days, run into people again, and it´s like meeting up with old friends.  I can see that with this being just the first week this Camino community will continue to expand.  Ahhh... wouldn´t it be great if people from all countries could always sit down and share meals together:  We would be much more interested in bread and wine than war!  Well, I hear a bell ringing outside and my curiosity is getting to me.  I´m going to check it out.  Bueno Camino!

Traveling lighter

      Yesterday I walked into Estella thinking I would stay over there.  But I arrived over 2 hours before the alberque opened, so instead I went to the post office and shipped some thing home.  Not a whole lot, but I can see how every little bit makes a difference.  Last Monday I walked with Cathy from Canada (who, but the way, shares the same birthday as I) as we were both looking for a post office.  We were talking about how it seemed like we were cutting back so much as we decided what to take with us, and how now that we´re on the Camino it seems like we have so much!  I thought I was traveling light since I didn´t have a cell phone... only my camera and the GPS my dear husband gave me.  In Arre I left behind an extra bar of soap and broke my bar of face soap in half.  (Unfortunately, the next day I had the chance to do laundry in a machine and accidently through in the half bar of soap.  It may never be the same). 
    So,  I sent back a very little purse (that worked great for my trip to Spain), a neck pillow (that I probably wouldn´t use again until the plane home), extra packets of laundry detergent and, among other things,  my luxury item, peppermint foot cream.  I´d like to think I´m traveling lighter. 
    As I walk the pack feels fine.  It´s when I stop that I realize the toll the weight has had on my back, my feet, my legs.  I wonder what else I might be carrying that doesn´t feel too heavy, but is actually weighing on other parts of me.  Lots of time to think on the Camino.
   Last night I stayed at an alberque hosted by an ecumenical group from the Netherlands.  There were 3 young people serving as our hosts.  We had a lovely dinner looking out from the mountain top setting as a thunderstorm rolled through.  Afterwards they announced a short meditation service at 8:30.  I went.  It was wonderful.  As I sat there they played some beautiful relaxing quiet music.  I could look out the picture window at the church tower rising from the building just below the alberque.  Every so often the young woman shared a short prayer or read a scripture.  It was a lovely time for centering on the core reason for the walking the Camino.  I slept soundly and headed West at 6:30 this morning.  I should make it to Logroño tomorrow.  Beuno Camino!

The beginning

I have time before dinner to check in again.  Thought I´d try to share a little about the beginning of the Camino.  Friday was a long day beginning at the airport, catching the bus to Saria, from there to Pamplona and from there to Roncesvalles.  On the bus I sat with a gentleman I had seen at the bus station, Santiago.   He spoke no English, but was able to tell me he has walked the Camino 3 times before.  I tried to ask why? and he shrugged and said I´m Santiago!  Yes indeed.
   We arrived at Roncesvalles and headed to the monastery where we had our pilgrim passports stamped and were sent to the dorm.  The new ones were filled so we were sent to the old (and I mean old, as in ancient) one.  It must have had about 60-75 bunk beds in it.  I looked around.  There was a father and son, a number of couples, a few groups of men who would be cycling the Camino.  There were many individuals.  We were in a huge stone building and at exactly 10PM the lights went out except for one small light in the corner.  At exactly 6AM the lights came on again and everyone got ready to head out.  We walked for 30 or 40 minutes in the dark (with flashlight), then the sun started lighting out way.
    After about an hour and a half we stopped for coffee.  There I saw a young woman in a Boston Red Sox cap.  I went over and told her ¨go Red Sox¨.  Turns out she´s recently moved back to MA and is living in Northampton.  We met a number of times over the next two days and I gave her my email and phone number so we could connect back in MA.  She was moving at a much faster pace than myself.
    Off again.  After about 13 miles we hit Zubiri and checked into the municipal alberque there.  Another one with huge rooms filled with bunk beds - and the bathrooms were in a separate building.   The next morning we had an early start again.  Up to now it had been nice that Santiago was showing me the way.  He had helped me to get oriented, he showed me the signs for the camino to follow, he pointed out blackberries and rasberries that we ate along the way.   We were walking at a good pace when we arrived a village ready for a break, but it was Sunday and the coffee shop was not open.  I thought we might still sit on a bench a rest a little, but Santiago took right off.  We continued to walk and I decided he wasn´t taking a break, so I say down in a field and rested for a time.  He came back and joined me.  Then off again.  When we reached Arre he showed me a little alberque with a beautiful courtyard.  I had thought I´d get to Pamplona, but my feet were killing me so I finally decided to stay there.  I also started thinking about how to have a conversation with Santiago.
    One of our confirmands wrote in her prayer something like, you are the shepherd, but I don´t want to be a sheep following blindly.  Well, I didn´t want to just continue following Santiago blindly.  When Polly from Australia arrived at the alberque I talked to her about possible translating for me so I could tell Santiago that he needed to go ahead.  She speaks Spanish and French (I had met her in Zuribi), so the plan was made.  But as it happened, all of us in the women´s dorm slept in (to 7AM) on Monday and Santiago had left long before we got started.  It´s interesting how things work out.  I am so thankful to him for his help as I got started.  He was a kind and gentle soul and I know he is probably helping others where ever he is now.  But on Monday, I began my Camino.  Bueno Camino!

Ups & Downs on the Camino

    I´ve found internet access in the bar at Monjardin (mountain garden), and the view from here is spectacular.  There have been many spectacular views over the past few days, but a climb up a mountain was required for each.  This one was relative easy compared with two days ago.  But now I´m settled into the Alberque in this tiny village, my laundry is done, my feet are still moving, and finally I can write.
    Too much to tell in one blog so I´ll start with last night at Cirauqui, a town that I entered on one level, then proceeded up, up, up, to the Alberque on the upper level.  To give you an idea of the incline, I had an apple in my pack, but as I was putting things in it just outside the Alberque this morning, the apple dropped out.  It immediately rolled to the edge of the plaza (we were right across from the church).  I saw (and heard) it turn and continue down the street.  I knew it might go for a while, but I looked for it as I walked out of town.  Four downhill streets later I still hadn´t seen it.  I figure it took about 5 minutes for it to roll all the way to the entrance to the village at the bottom.  I´m sure there´s a metaphor in this, everything that happens on the Camino seems to be a metaphor, but it hasn´t come to me yet.
    But let me mention my great appreciation for the elderly women of Spain.  I´ve noticed them since the beginning, out walking with canes, hair done, dressed lovely.  I´ve seen many in wheel chair with a companion either walking them or sitting with them out in the sun.  In Cirauqui there was a funeral at the church at 6:30 last night to celebrate the lives of 3 elderly women who had recently died.  Our dinner time was changed out of respect for the families.  The mercato and other shops did not open at 6:00 as usual due to the funeral.  At 6:00 the church bells started ringing.  (They were very loud - remember, I´m staying right beside the church on the other side of a small plaza).  People started coming out and walking towards the church.  At 6:15 the bells rang again and more people started moving towards the church.  As I walked around I saw women in the 80´s and 90´s slowly making their way up the steeply inclined streets (so steep I used the steps on the side of the streets).  Steadily and surely they walked.  I figured if they could live in a village where walking up steep inclines was a daily task, I could probably continue making the climbs necessary for the Camino.  They are beautiful, strong women.
    But I have found that just about everyone I have met has been lovely.  Spain is a beautiful country with very gracious people who have helped me through questions, directions, meal orders and more. 
   That´s all for now.  It´s 4:00 and time to ¨check in ¨to the Alberque.  I do miss everyone, but I am loving my walk on the Camino.  Bueno Camino!

Technical difficulties

   I couldn´t get to this page, first because I couldn´t figure out how to do the @ sign (it´s different on this computer), then they asked a security question.  Wanted my phone number that ended in ¨84¨.  I didn´t know a number that ended in 84 until I realized today that´s my cell phone! So at last I´m connected.
   Great flight to Madrid (before the hurricane) - I´m thinking of all of you in MA and south on the coast.  Arrived at 7:10AM with a couple of hours of sleep.  After I got my bags I was concerned about going through the baggage exit.  There´s no admittance after you go through, but I still needed an ATM and an information desk.  The desk in the baggage area would not open until 9:00AM.  I finally decided I´d have to step out and try to ask the people I see, so I asked the security guard who said there were 2 info desks outside the door.  Opened the door and the first thing I saw was the ATM.  Good reminder to ask people for help, and go through closed doors.
   I met Santiago on the bus to Roncesvalles.  He doesn´t speak English, but this morning I knew he was asking if I wanted to walk with him.  We left at 6:20AM (lights came on in the dorm at 6AM promptly (off at 10PM).  Walked by flashlight for the first 45 minutes then found there was just enough light from dawn to see without it.  We stopped at 7AM for croissant and tea, and again at 9 for cafe and trail mix.  Made it to Zubiri  (think I´ve mispelled) by 12:30.  Beautiful day - absolutely gorgeous walk.  12 miles down, and 778 to go!  To Pamplona tomorrow.