We are now 18 kms from Santiago and I cannot believe that this journey will come to a completion tomorrow with our arrival at the Cathedral. It is so hard for me to contemplate what has been accomplished with the long days of walking and the arduous and strenuous effort that has been required to do this every day for now 31 days. My feet are hurting with nearly every step now and it is quite an effort to encourage them to keep going as we are nearly there. We walked about 25 kms today just to get a bit closer and to get to a nice alberque for our last night on the Camino.
Last night we stayed in an ancient building that was a former hospital - must have been quite something back a few hundred hears ago! It was located near a stream and it was a truly beautiful spot deep in the country. At the coffee stops today we began to meet people that we have not seen for days and I expect that when we get to Santiago tomorrow and on Wed at the noon hour mass especially, there will be a lot more people that we have journeyed with.
I am loving the last few footsteps, as tired and sore as I am. I even love the hills now as I am so much stronger and can just keep pushing my legs up the long inclines with a feeling of accomplishment that is wonderful for this old body.
I have not thought much about actually stopping to walk as we will after tomorrow. I suppose my feet will be happy, but the routine that we have set now with early morning rising and on the path by 7 am and then a wonderful stop one hour later for cafe con leche and a tostada (toast) or croissant is simply divine - no other way to put it. It is cold in the morning, but by 11 am we are in our shorts and t shirts so are quite brown from all the days of being outside.
I am thinking that this trip has changed my whole idea of travel and that having done this so cheaply, it gives a whole new perspective on what can be gained from travelling in a simple way.
By walking, you get to see and hear and smell things that you would never do otherwise. For example, we have been walking through eucalyptus forests for the past 2 days and at times stop to beat a few leaves off the high branches so that we can rub them between our fingers for the most intense aroma you can imagine. We have also seen hedges of beautiful flowers that seem like our own florest version of a hydrangea only much much larger and the colors more intense. Such wonderful fall colors everywhere around us now.
There are a lot more people on the path now as we get closer to Santiago, but the die hard pilgrims that we started with are still all around us. They are the ones with the slower steps and the more haggard appearance. We are still stopping a few people to adjust their back packs - unbelievable how people carry their load in such an awful way as they don´t understand the adjustments that can be made to the straps. It is quite a welcoming reception when we meet each other as old friends along the way and inevitable as we meet up in the evenings at the same alberque or bar for dinner. It is quite a party atmosphere
We have promised so many people that we will meet them at the noon hour pilgrim´s mass on Wed, that there is sure to be a great crowd of people there together to celebrate our accomplishment together.
I have been thinking so much about what I am taking away from this trip and it makes me cry to think of just how powerful it has all been for me in a very profound sense. I cry because I was so afraid to come here alone and had to buck up a lot of courage to get myself on the plane and the trains and prepared to be here. Yet I have never been alone or afraid at all along the way - so many people have been around me all the time that I will actually look forward to some time on my own in the coming days! I cry because I thought I needed to still unload myself of the grief of losing Chris and yet what I have gained is an incredible freedom and appreciation for all that I gained from him through my life with him and through living with his dying and now his death. I am leaving Spain feeling that Chris has passed into a more distant spiritual place and that I have been given the gift of access to a very powerful personal life that will be filled with imagination and creativity in ways that I had only dreamed of before. I am so thankful for the friends that I have made, the conversations through those long and arduous days that have helped me to gain such perspectives and to appreciate the precious gift of each day.
I feel like I am finding my dreams once again - those that I had and set aside and those that I had forgotten about for such a long time as other "worldly" pressures became a priority. It will be a challenge for me to go back to my life at home and sort out how I bring the richness of "living in the moment" and for the gifts of each day into some of the material and hurried ways that we normally live our precious lives. So look out it is bound to be interesting for those of you who are waiting with bated breath for me to return!
Such will be the challenge and the opportunity and lucky for me that there are people around me who have done this journey and who will be a great group of contacts for me in the future. I also believe that I have more travel in my future like this and that there is much to be experienced in this way.
Well, the Dutch sisters have arrived so we begin to celebrate a 60th birthday with one of them. The mother and daughter from Austria came with them so we have a great group already here and it seems like there will be more as the afternoon progresses.
I have all of my clothes in the washing machine and I am very excited about that!! I also anticipate that we may get ourselves into a hotel of some sort tomorrow and so may get to sleep in sheets and have real towels in the bathroom. Such simple pleasures that we take for granted in every day life.
More later...........from the pilgrim
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Almost at the End
We are now stopped at a wonderful place in the country just a short 38 kms from Santiago. This old structure used to be a hospital and it is located near a river and has a wonderful set up for the bunk beds, showers and laundry which are the essentials for the pilgrim. We are paying 3e for the night here. We walked about 26 kms today to get here and boy it seems like the final stages of a serious marathon for me at this stage of the trip.
Yesterday and today, I am sure that Alvina has put her many books into my back pack when I was not looking and my boots feel like they have been soaked in lead. Everything is so heavy and I just keep telling myself - one foot in front of the other. However, we plod along, stopping a lot now and trying to keep up with the leaders (Kirsten and Barb). Clare stays behind with Alvina and me and so we trudge along at a more slow and steady pace arriving, but later than the hares in the lead!.
The countryside has not been as super inspiring as it was a few days ago, however when I do look around, it is still wonderful country side, full of such beauty, rolling hills, women leading the cows out to pasture in the morning and of course the early morning sky a blanket of stars with the new moon ready to show itself.
We walk and walk and it seems that our life has been nothing but that forever. Alvina feels like she has found herself now with the walking and does not want to stop so she will accompany Kirsten to Finestere after we complete our rituals in Santiago. We are too short on time to even consider this and I would need a few days of rest before my feet would toloerate the conversation I am sure. For Barb, there may be a bus trip to jump into the ocean on Thursday and for Clare, not sure yet.
However, we have only 3 days left together after today and this seems impossible. We have been bonded together on this common mission for weeks and have done nothing else but plan the day, do the day and then recover from the day with a lot of wine and laughter at the end of it.
We have been lucky to get into great accomodation every night and so have enjoyed smaller rooms and less intrusion of snoring pilgrims. we are making good friends and there is a roving community of us now that meets at the stops and in the evenings. It is like nothing else on earth this Camino experience. So many people with a common goal and similar intentions of getting something greater than the ordinary out of this journey.
We will be in Santiago by Tuesday afternoon and plan to attend the noon hour mass on Wed with some of the people we have met along the way. We are hoping that they will swing the big botefumero which is the very large container that was used to spread incense over the less than fragrant pilgrims in early days. It is used infrequently now, but you can pay for it to be done if you choose. We are hoping that the groups of pilgrim tourists that are now on the path will take care of this when we get to mass on Wed. There have not been as many pilgrim tourists as I had expected since Sarria. These are groups that do the journey with e guide, a bus that waits for them in case they are too tired to walk and also has a cold lunch on board and best of all, they stay in hotels every night. They carry day packs so they are springing ahead of us now on the trail as we are slowing down with our fatique and heavier load. However, as we say, everyone does the Camino in their own way and so we much be generous and support each person who chooses their own way.
Well, once again we have the honour of being seated in a dark corner of the bar with the TV sports channel blaring above our head and the smoke from the patrons choking our lungs, It is time for wine and a rest, to read and write in the late afternoon as is our custom. We are showered and laundered and settled in for the evening now and will look forward to shorter walks in the next two days as there will be less than 20 kms per day to walk which is a sublime treat after the past few weeks.
Stay tuned...........the apostle is waiting for us in Santiago!
Maggee
Yesterday and today, I am sure that Alvina has put her many books into my back pack when I was not looking and my boots feel like they have been soaked in lead. Everything is so heavy and I just keep telling myself - one foot in front of the other. However, we plod along, stopping a lot now and trying to keep up with the leaders (Kirsten and Barb). Clare stays behind with Alvina and me and so we trudge along at a more slow and steady pace arriving, but later than the hares in the lead!.
The countryside has not been as super inspiring as it was a few days ago, however when I do look around, it is still wonderful country side, full of such beauty, rolling hills, women leading the cows out to pasture in the morning and of course the early morning sky a blanket of stars with the new moon ready to show itself.
We walk and walk and it seems that our life has been nothing but that forever. Alvina feels like she has found herself now with the walking and does not want to stop so she will accompany Kirsten to Finestere after we complete our rituals in Santiago. We are too short on time to even consider this and I would need a few days of rest before my feet would toloerate the conversation I am sure. For Barb, there may be a bus trip to jump into the ocean on Thursday and for Clare, not sure yet.
However, we have only 3 days left together after today and this seems impossible. We have been bonded together on this common mission for weeks and have done nothing else but plan the day, do the day and then recover from the day with a lot of wine and laughter at the end of it.
We have been lucky to get into great accomodation every night and so have enjoyed smaller rooms and less intrusion of snoring pilgrims. we are making good friends and there is a roving community of us now that meets at the stops and in the evenings. It is like nothing else on earth this Camino experience. So many people with a common goal and similar intentions of getting something greater than the ordinary out of this journey.
We will be in Santiago by Tuesday afternoon and plan to attend the noon hour mass on Wed with some of the people we have met along the way. We are hoping that they will swing the big botefumero which is the very large container that was used to spread incense over the less than fragrant pilgrims in early days. It is used infrequently now, but you can pay for it to be done if you choose. We are hoping that the groups of pilgrim tourists that are now on the path will take care of this when we get to mass on Wed. There have not been as many pilgrim tourists as I had expected since Sarria. These are groups that do the journey with e guide, a bus that waits for them in case they are too tired to walk and also has a cold lunch on board and best of all, they stay in hotels every night. They carry day packs so they are springing ahead of us now on the trail as we are slowing down with our fatique and heavier load. However, as we say, everyone does the Camino in their own way and so we much be generous and support each person who chooses their own way.
Well, once again we have the honour of being seated in a dark corner of the bar with the TV sports channel blaring above our head and the smoke from the patrons choking our lungs, It is time for wine and a rest, to read and write in the late afternoon as is our custom. We are showered and laundered and settled in for the evening now and will look forward to shorter walks in the next two days as there will be less than 20 kms per day to walk which is a sublime treat after the past few weeks.
Stay tuned...........the apostle is waiting for us in Santiago!
Maggee
Friday, September 26, 2008
Treasuring the Moments
I am getting such wonderful messages from people who read this site and it means such a lot to have this kind of relatedness even through the internet. We are now in Portomarin and a short 90 kms from Santiago. We are not counting down necessarily, but with the markers along the way notifying us of every .5 km we pass, it is hard not to be aware that time is quickly running out for us.
Today we actually slept in and did not leave until 7 am which was a treat from the usual. it is much darker for much longer so we thought we needed to be able to enjoy the wonderful environment in the day light instead of the dark. While we did leave in the dark, it was exceptionally beautiful all morning. We are cold in these mornings as the air is sharp and clear and so we need our hats and gloves. However with some of the early morning climbs that we get ourselves into, we are too soon sweating and warmed up.
We laugh a lot and stop to notice the beauty around us. I find that I am taking a lot more pictures just because I am wanting to capture the experience of these days that are quickly running out. We are quite a group, with our Danish leader Kirsten, out in front, our conversationalist Barb not far behind, even with her shorter legs, she is a powerful follower for Kirsten. Then comes our poet and philospher, Alvina, who we treasure for her wit and her commentary at every stop. We have met Clare who was a student of Alvina when she was in Grade 6 and she is a wonderful complement to our group. Clare and I have been walking together near the end of the group, as I have quite a chore to get my stiff ankle warmed up to the challenge of the day as we begin our walks. Clare and I love to stop and just absorb the atmosphere along the way and I have been giving her some tips, courtesy of my late husband Chris, on photography as we snap picture after picture.
Today we walked through many farm yards it seemed. We had to stop a few times to let the cows and their dogs go before us so that we were not trampled and Kirsten and Barb were at one point caught in the middle of the process. We also saw some beautiful views across the valleys as the sun rose and the mist hugged the trees and the hills below so that you could only see the tops of the trees poking through the clouds below us.
We are excited about actually being able to complete this incredible journey and looking forward in some ways to returning to what is familiar in our ordinary lives at home. However, there is something very poignant about stopping the walking, that we are all a bit trepidatious about, as it has become a way of life for us now as has the friendship that we so treasure in each day that we share together. I see now why people come back to do this journey over and over again. And we have met several of these people along the way. One couple we met a few days ago were on their way back from Santiago, having walked for abour 53 days, now going back to the start point in France. Many people love to walk so much that they start from home somewhere in Europe and just keep going and it becomes a way of life. The simplicity of it all is very attractive. We had a conversation at a cafe stop this morning with a few people we have met along the way and it was about all of those things that seem so important in our life as possesions that are waiting at home for us and what it will be like to once again return to the things that seemed to define who we really are - not so after an adventure like this.
We are also dealing with unexpected challenges however. A few days ago, I noticed bites on my arms and legs and after the second day when they were worse, I realized that I had better deal with this as the bed bug situation is always a fear for us pilgrims. I have never dealth with this personally, but have many times as a nurse seem such infestations. So I arrived at the next alberque (afraid that I would be aksed to leave if the hospitalero figured out whay I was doing) and put everything that was cloth into the washing machine and threw out a lot of other things from my pack. Luckily I had a plastic liner in my back pack so that went into the garbage and as I treated myself with the best antiseptic technique I could, I hoped to erradicate the invaders. It seemed to work for me but yesterday one of my companions asked me about the bites and sure enough there she was covered in the same thing, so again we were into the serious washing process. I have decided that with one more incident of this, we will purchase a giant size bug spray and go for a major decontamination process as a group. We have all decided that as soon as we get home, the clothes and the back pack will be treated like a major source of contamination and be placed in the garage or immediately the washing machine to avoid taking whatever we have picked up into our homes. Such is the trial of a traveller and we are just taking this in our stride along with the benefits of what we gather along the way.
We are healthy and strong and feeling quite powerful in being able to complete this journey without incident. We are careful along the way with the traffic along the roads we travel and are now feeling very accomplished about what we have been up to for these long 29 days and 690 kms!!
Tomorrow, Barb and Alvina will wait here for the post office to open so Alvina can collect her mail!! ( who writes letter anymore and I am learning so much from her) and then we will meet up at the end of the day. We were separated for few hours today as we went at different speeds and so for Clare and I to come into the town and find Kirsten sitting at the bottom of the steps leading into the place was such a welcome. Such is the experience of great friendship and caring friends.
As Alvina has quoted to us a few days ago:
Walk behind me, but I may not lead you
Walk in front of me, but I may not follow you
So walk beside me and be my friend.
We are learning so much in these days of travel. From Alvina to her friends who are following us along this site, we say that we are laughing together so much that our energy flows over to other people and we are knonw now as the Happy Pilgrims to other people that we meet.
Dirk, our German friend that we continue to pass along the way, stopped beside Clare and me as we were sitting on a stone wall eating sandwiches and watching the cows and he said that without the power lines and the wind mills along the way, you could almost see the people of ancient times coming out of the woods to greet us.
What a trip this is and how lucky we are to have had the courage and the interest to venture this way and how this will change out lives as we complete the journey in the coming days!!
Tomorrow we head into the Eucalytus forests and will be charged with the aromomatic flavours of what we find there.
Buen Camino..............Maggee
Today we actually slept in and did not leave until 7 am which was a treat from the usual. it is much darker for much longer so we thought we needed to be able to enjoy the wonderful environment in the day light instead of the dark. While we did leave in the dark, it was exceptionally beautiful all morning. We are cold in these mornings as the air is sharp and clear and so we need our hats and gloves. However with some of the early morning climbs that we get ourselves into, we are too soon sweating and warmed up.
We laugh a lot and stop to notice the beauty around us. I find that I am taking a lot more pictures just because I am wanting to capture the experience of these days that are quickly running out. We are quite a group, with our Danish leader Kirsten, out in front, our conversationalist Barb not far behind, even with her shorter legs, she is a powerful follower for Kirsten. Then comes our poet and philospher, Alvina, who we treasure for her wit and her commentary at every stop. We have met Clare who was a student of Alvina when she was in Grade 6 and she is a wonderful complement to our group. Clare and I have been walking together near the end of the group, as I have quite a chore to get my stiff ankle warmed up to the challenge of the day as we begin our walks. Clare and I love to stop and just absorb the atmosphere along the way and I have been giving her some tips, courtesy of my late husband Chris, on photography as we snap picture after picture.
Today we walked through many farm yards it seemed. We had to stop a few times to let the cows and their dogs go before us so that we were not trampled and Kirsten and Barb were at one point caught in the middle of the process. We also saw some beautiful views across the valleys as the sun rose and the mist hugged the trees and the hills below so that you could only see the tops of the trees poking through the clouds below us.
We are excited about actually being able to complete this incredible journey and looking forward in some ways to returning to what is familiar in our ordinary lives at home. However, there is something very poignant about stopping the walking, that we are all a bit trepidatious about, as it has become a way of life for us now as has the friendship that we so treasure in each day that we share together. I see now why people come back to do this journey over and over again. And we have met several of these people along the way. One couple we met a few days ago were on their way back from Santiago, having walked for abour 53 days, now going back to the start point in France. Many people love to walk so much that they start from home somewhere in Europe and just keep going and it becomes a way of life. The simplicity of it all is very attractive. We had a conversation at a cafe stop this morning with a few people we have met along the way and it was about all of those things that seem so important in our life as possesions that are waiting at home for us and what it will be like to once again return to the things that seemed to define who we really are - not so after an adventure like this.
We are also dealing with unexpected challenges however. A few days ago, I noticed bites on my arms and legs and after the second day when they were worse, I realized that I had better deal with this as the bed bug situation is always a fear for us pilgrims. I have never dealth with this personally, but have many times as a nurse seem such infestations. So I arrived at the next alberque (afraid that I would be aksed to leave if the hospitalero figured out whay I was doing) and put everything that was cloth into the washing machine and threw out a lot of other things from my pack. Luckily I had a plastic liner in my back pack so that went into the garbage and as I treated myself with the best antiseptic technique I could, I hoped to erradicate the invaders. It seemed to work for me but yesterday one of my companions asked me about the bites and sure enough there she was covered in the same thing, so again we were into the serious washing process. I have decided that with one more incident of this, we will purchase a giant size bug spray and go for a major decontamination process as a group. We have all decided that as soon as we get home, the clothes and the back pack will be treated like a major source of contamination and be placed in the garage or immediately the washing machine to avoid taking whatever we have picked up into our homes. Such is the trial of a traveller and we are just taking this in our stride along with the benefits of what we gather along the way.
We are healthy and strong and feeling quite powerful in being able to complete this journey without incident. We are careful along the way with the traffic along the roads we travel and are now feeling very accomplished about what we have been up to for these long 29 days and 690 kms!!
Tomorrow, Barb and Alvina will wait here for the post office to open so Alvina can collect her mail!! ( who writes letter anymore and I am learning so much from her) and then we will meet up at the end of the day. We were separated for few hours today as we went at different speeds and so for Clare and I to come into the town and find Kirsten sitting at the bottom of the steps leading into the place was such a welcome. Such is the experience of great friendship and caring friends.
As Alvina has quoted to us a few days ago:
Walk behind me, but I may not lead you
Walk in front of me, but I may not follow you
So walk beside me and be my friend.
We are learning so much in these days of travel. From Alvina to her friends who are following us along this site, we say that we are laughing together so much that our energy flows over to other people and we are knonw now as the Happy Pilgrims to other people that we meet.
Dirk, our German friend that we continue to pass along the way, stopped beside Clare and me as we were sitting on a stone wall eating sandwiches and watching the cows and he said that without the power lines and the wind mills along the way, you could almost see the people of ancient times coming out of the woods to greet us.
What a trip this is and how lucky we are to have had the courage and the interest to venture this way and how this will change out lives as we complete the journey in the coming days!!
Tomorrow we head into the Eucalytus forests and will be charged with the aromomatic flavours of what we find there.
Buen Camino..............Maggee
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Oh What a Beautiful Morning!
We sleep well after a wonderful dinner prepared by Carlos our host hospitalero and the person in charge of everying at the alberque in Ruitalen. It is a very authentic place which soon fills with pilgrims preparing for the next days climb to O Cebreiro which is the most documented part of the Camino. We sleep in a wonderul 5 bed room again with the bunk beds crowded closely together, but since we are all friends it is a wonderful feeling of family and togetherness. Through the night when I am awake I can hear the sounds of the bells in the far fields that are attached to the cows and it is such an other worldly exèrienc that I can harldy make sense of it from a deep sleep.
We are awakened at promtly 0630 am. We have been told not to move until then as it is against the rules, which is fine with us. We soon hear the pretty loud sounds of an operatic version of Ave Maria and Alvina comments that we are surely in Paradise. Opera accompanies us through the morning rituals of prepaing to leave and prior to that we share breakfast at a common table. We are uplifted to say the least.
Last evening this common meal was a wonderful experience as all of the pilgrims shared the meal together which was garlic soup, a very interesting salad and then spagetti carbonara accompanied by copious amounts of vino tinto which we are getting accustomed to. Following this wonderful meal, we were entertained by the host and cook and an older pilgrim who sang to us in Spanish and it was a very fun and lively evening.
Now this morning we are all a little nervous. Much has been written about the day ahead and the climb from where we are up to O Cebreiro. It is a steep path which goes about 700 meters and projected to be straight up over about 8 kms. We leave by 0730 which is late for us and wander through the cold clear morning to little villages and the sleeping homes that lay before us. It is a surreal experience once again as we walk and prepare to ascend this hill, looking for the turn off into the woods. Soon it is there and we walk along a wooded path down into the valley and then gradually up and onto a steep stone pathway. It is pretty steep and takes some adjustment until I find my breath and rythym and even then it take something to carry on as if this is normal walking for me. We climb like this for about an hour and eventualy, the tough walks that have been the history of the past few weeks, begin to pay off and the climb becomes very enjoyable. Soon we are leaving the forest and the stone path and to my surprise there are villages along the way.
We are walking into the high mountain meadows now. Since the gods of weather have smiled on us today, it is a most magnificent morning and with the brilliant blue sky and the morning sun. It is hard not to stop at every turn to just gaze off into the surrounding hills and views across the valleys. We are walking and stopping and so enjoying the whole experience - not at all what I thought it would be for sure and because I am feeling so strong it is a joy to be just walking like this. The silence and the smells and the views are undescribable and we just continue to walk in silence knowing that we will at some point reach the top, but that we are fully capable of achieving this day which has been written about so many times as the most difficult day of the Camino. I think it very often rains along this way, so we are blessed with the fine weather and the clear views.
We eventually come out at the town of Cebreiro just in front of the church and the cross at the top of the path. I am so surprised and as well, dissappointed that the climb is over that I actually suggest that we go down and do it again - can you believe it!
I feel exhilarated in a way I have not felt before, for the achievement, for the wellness I feel and for the simple joy of being in such a beautiful place. We spend some time in the little pilgrim church, lighting candles and wandering around to enjoy the peace and then into the bar for cafe con leche and a treat of pastry.
The rest of the day passes with the same pleasure as we walk along roads and pathways that cause you to stop and hold your breath at every turn as the views and the feeling of silence and reverence is so special in this place.
We arrive at an alberque in a little place that seems to be in the middle of the barn yard. While it is a wonderful place to stay, we are tired and as is our custom now, drink wine in the afternoon after the chores are done and wait for dinner.
There is another wonderful surprise waiting for us at dinner. We have been at common tables in the past few weeks, with maybe 20 people, but this one holds at least 45 and of every language. the meal is simple. but so tasty and nutritious. Actually through the dinner and after wards, people just begin to sing and soon we have a concert. the French fellows get up and sing wonderful songs, an Italian sings like a super star and an Irish fellow sings so beautifully it makes you want to fall in love again.
too soon it is over and we are once again heading for bed - into the top bunk for me and preparing for an early departure once again.
We are now in Sarria which is only 113 kms from Santiago and it is so hard to believe that we are less than 5 days away from completing this awesome journey. We have walked a total of 675 kms to date!! My feet will carry me there I know that now, I just need to take care to stop and rest some. My right ankle which is simply tired from the constant exercise it gets, is slow to get going in the morning and so I hobble along for the first few kms and then I am find. The ibuprofen continues to provide relief and the wine at the end of the day of course is also a boost to the system.
This morning as we departed our small village, actually hardly that really, just a cluster of houses, it was very dark as it was only 0620. This is a good time as there are few others on the path and it is a special time for meditation and reflection. I have to tell you that as I write this I am still affected by the experience of this morning.
I was walking with Clare who is a new companion and as we went along, the others had gone ahead. We stopped for a few minutes and turned off our head lamps and just stood, looking up and listening. It was completely dark and the sky was a blanket of stars and the silence was like nothing I have heard before - not even a bird sound or a breath of wind, only the dark shadows of the trees and the outline of the distant hills. As we stood there in this complete cathedral of silence and powerful energy, this came to my mind
I am in the presence of God and it is around me all the time and if I only stop and listen, it is right there for me to feel, appreciate and be energized by.
Now I am not turning into some ritualistic mystic or a religious fanatic, only becoming deelpy aware of all that I do not take time to notice that is right there in front of me, if only I take the moment to see, taste and hear it.
Later, Clare gave me this quote that she had from a friend and here it is.
--------Be still and know that I am God.-----------
a new and profound experience that will always be a part of my life, but more so because of this Camino and my days of walking and reflecting along the way.
Well, I do not know what lies ahead in my life for me as a result of all that I have experienced along my way of the camino de santiago. I do know that is changing me deeply and I cannot even imagine what it will be like to board an airplane in one weeks time to begin my journey home again.
Until then, we have 5 days of walking through the beauty of what is know as Galacia and the weather promises to be sunny. It is raining everywhere else in Spain at the moment, so we are truly blessed.
My wish to you who read and walk with me is peace and a light and loving heart.
Maggee
We are awakened at promtly 0630 am. We have been told not to move until then as it is against the rules, which is fine with us. We soon hear the pretty loud sounds of an operatic version of Ave Maria and Alvina comments that we are surely in Paradise. Opera accompanies us through the morning rituals of prepaing to leave and prior to that we share breakfast at a common table. We are uplifted to say the least.
Last evening this common meal was a wonderful experience as all of the pilgrims shared the meal together which was garlic soup, a very interesting salad and then spagetti carbonara accompanied by copious amounts of vino tinto which we are getting accustomed to. Following this wonderful meal, we were entertained by the host and cook and an older pilgrim who sang to us in Spanish and it was a very fun and lively evening.
Now this morning we are all a little nervous. Much has been written about the day ahead and the climb from where we are up to O Cebreiro. It is a steep path which goes about 700 meters and projected to be straight up over about 8 kms. We leave by 0730 which is late for us and wander through the cold clear morning to little villages and the sleeping homes that lay before us. It is a surreal experience once again as we walk and prepare to ascend this hill, looking for the turn off into the woods. Soon it is there and we walk along a wooded path down into the valley and then gradually up and onto a steep stone pathway. It is pretty steep and takes some adjustment until I find my breath and rythym and even then it take something to carry on as if this is normal walking for me. We climb like this for about an hour and eventualy, the tough walks that have been the history of the past few weeks, begin to pay off and the climb becomes very enjoyable. Soon we are leaving the forest and the stone path and to my surprise there are villages along the way.
We are walking into the high mountain meadows now. Since the gods of weather have smiled on us today, it is a most magnificent morning and with the brilliant blue sky and the morning sun. It is hard not to stop at every turn to just gaze off into the surrounding hills and views across the valleys. We are walking and stopping and so enjoying the whole experience - not at all what I thought it would be for sure and because I am feeling so strong it is a joy to be just walking like this. The silence and the smells and the views are undescribable and we just continue to walk in silence knowing that we will at some point reach the top, but that we are fully capable of achieving this day which has been written about so many times as the most difficult day of the Camino. I think it very often rains along this way, so we are blessed with the fine weather and the clear views.
We eventually come out at the town of Cebreiro just in front of the church and the cross at the top of the path. I am so surprised and as well, dissappointed that the climb is over that I actually suggest that we go down and do it again - can you believe it!
I feel exhilarated in a way I have not felt before, for the achievement, for the wellness I feel and for the simple joy of being in such a beautiful place. We spend some time in the little pilgrim church, lighting candles and wandering around to enjoy the peace and then into the bar for cafe con leche and a treat of pastry.
The rest of the day passes with the same pleasure as we walk along roads and pathways that cause you to stop and hold your breath at every turn as the views and the feeling of silence and reverence is so special in this place.
We arrive at an alberque in a little place that seems to be in the middle of the barn yard. While it is a wonderful place to stay, we are tired and as is our custom now, drink wine in the afternoon after the chores are done and wait for dinner.
There is another wonderful surprise waiting for us at dinner. We have been at common tables in the past few weeks, with maybe 20 people, but this one holds at least 45 and of every language. the meal is simple. but so tasty and nutritious. Actually through the dinner and after wards, people just begin to sing and soon we have a concert. the French fellows get up and sing wonderful songs, an Italian sings like a super star and an Irish fellow sings so beautifully it makes you want to fall in love again.
too soon it is over and we are once again heading for bed - into the top bunk for me and preparing for an early departure once again.
We are now in Sarria which is only 113 kms from Santiago and it is so hard to believe that we are less than 5 days away from completing this awesome journey. We have walked a total of 675 kms to date!! My feet will carry me there I know that now, I just need to take care to stop and rest some. My right ankle which is simply tired from the constant exercise it gets, is slow to get going in the morning and so I hobble along for the first few kms and then I am find. The ibuprofen continues to provide relief and the wine at the end of the day of course is also a boost to the system.
This morning as we departed our small village, actually hardly that really, just a cluster of houses, it was very dark as it was only 0620. This is a good time as there are few others on the path and it is a special time for meditation and reflection. I have to tell you that as I write this I am still affected by the experience of this morning.
I was walking with Clare who is a new companion and as we went along, the others had gone ahead. We stopped for a few minutes and turned off our head lamps and just stood, looking up and listening. It was completely dark and the sky was a blanket of stars and the silence was like nothing I have heard before - not even a bird sound or a breath of wind, only the dark shadows of the trees and the outline of the distant hills. As we stood there in this complete cathedral of silence and powerful energy, this came to my mind
I am in the presence of God and it is around me all the time and if I only stop and listen, it is right there for me to feel, appreciate and be energized by.
Now I am not turning into some ritualistic mystic or a religious fanatic, only becoming deelpy aware of all that I do not take time to notice that is right there in front of me, if only I take the moment to see, taste and hear it.
Later, Clare gave me this quote that she had from a friend and here it is.
--------Be still and know that I am God.-----------
a new and profound experience that will always be a part of my life, but more so because of this Camino and my days of walking and reflecting along the way.
Well, I do not know what lies ahead in my life for me as a result of all that I have experienced along my way of the camino de santiago. I do know that is changing me deeply and I cannot even imagine what it will be like to board an airplane in one weeks time to begin my journey home again.
Until then, we have 5 days of walking through the beauty of what is know as Galacia and the weather promises to be sunny. It is raining everywhere else in Spain at the moment, so we are truly blessed.
My wish to you who read and walk with me is peace and a light and loving heart.
Maggee
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Hills are Alive
We walk in the early morning darkness once more only this time are thankful that the rain of yesterday has stopped and while the sky is clouded over, it is dry and peaceful and damp in the woods that we walk into. Last night two people arrived quite late at the alberque and there was no place for them. I think they were accomodated somewhere, but it was not nice to see young people with no where to go so late at night and in the rain. this morning we passed a bus shelter on the side of the road and could see the outline of someone sleeping on the bench there. It pays to be early at the alberque I think.
We are walking up and down the hills in the dark, with our lights flashing to find the yellow arrows that guide us all along these many kms. We are careful with the footsteps as the rain has left puddles, but still the walk is dark, quiet and beautiful. It takes 2 hours to come to the first ancient town and our well earned cafe con leche. this is Villafranca which is a wonderful place and so historical. We have a lovely cafe and some toast with jam and sit for awhile before heading off.
It is hard to find the recommended route out of town as we want to trek high up into the hills this morning as the alternate way to the next town. We are directed by the locals who are very helpful and quite friendly and find ourselve on a steep incline that is more like a never ending stair case to heaven or so it seems. the climb lasts a long time and as we get higher we realize that we are alone and into the hills and green surroundings. We also see that we are soon at eye level with the clouds above the nearby hills. Soon the sun comes out and we are blessed with warmth and a wonderful view across the rolling mountains and the towns below. We walk for about 3 hours up and down the hills seeing no one and hearing only the sounds of nature as we walk. We are solitary and do not talk to each other and eventually separate so that we are not even in sight of each other. This is quite an experience to be walking in solitude in wsuch beauty and only one,s thoughts for company and yet feeling totally safe and in the right place.
My feet seem better today. I thought last night as I lay in bed that I am giving the impression of an ibuprofen high pilgrim wandering the hills of Spain and singing psalms long forgotten by the younger generation. Not so actually and it is something that I also see in the people around me - that is the singing and the chanting of prayers especially in the early morning. It is a very sacred experience to walk like this.
We have a wonderful day today, walking 26 km to arrive at the recommended alberque which is pretty close to the start of tomorrow.s climb. We wanted to be here as we are not sure what it will be like to get a bed for tomorrow and how far we will have to walk. In the morning we face the last of the mountain climbs and while it is about 1200 meters I believe, it is steep and will take about 3 hours to complete. At the top we will walk on and see how far we feel like travelling and stop when it seems right. this is the climb to OCebreiro which is well written about and so we are looking forward to the views and the experience.
We are deep in the country now and as we sit on the stoop to drink our wine a guy on a horse passes by which breaks the background music of bells ringing on the animals. It is quite wonderful to be so removed from the rest of the world I can tell you.
I am feeling as though this has been the never ending journey. Although I know it will end at some point, the effect and the experience of what I have had will have a profound effect on my life.
We continue to meet new people each day and to connect with people that are travelling along with us but a day ahead or behind and then catch up.
We are staying in a small place this evening where two men who run the place are cooking dinner for us. We will eat at a common table as is the norm and drink a lot of wine which is also the norm.
I just hope the clothes on the line dry before I have to pack them away again. Such are the worries of a pilgrim.
From deep in the heart of Spain.........Maggee
We are walking up and down the hills in the dark, with our lights flashing to find the yellow arrows that guide us all along these many kms. We are careful with the footsteps as the rain has left puddles, but still the walk is dark, quiet and beautiful. It takes 2 hours to come to the first ancient town and our well earned cafe con leche. this is Villafranca which is a wonderful place and so historical. We have a lovely cafe and some toast with jam and sit for awhile before heading off.
It is hard to find the recommended route out of town as we want to trek high up into the hills this morning as the alternate way to the next town. We are directed by the locals who are very helpful and quite friendly and find ourselve on a steep incline that is more like a never ending stair case to heaven or so it seems. the climb lasts a long time and as we get higher we realize that we are alone and into the hills and green surroundings. We also see that we are soon at eye level with the clouds above the nearby hills. Soon the sun comes out and we are blessed with warmth and a wonderful view across the rolling mountains and the towns below. We walk for about 3 hours up and down the hills seeing no one and hearing only the sounds of nature as we walk. We are solitary and do not talk to each other and eventually separate so that we are not even in sight of each other. This is quite an experience to be walking in solitude in wsuch beauty and only one,s thoughts for company and yet feeling totally safe and in the right place.
My feet seem better today. I thought last night as I lay in bed that I am giving the impression of an ibuprofen high pilgrim wandering the hills of Spain and singing psalms long forgotten by the younger generation. Not so actually and it is something that I also see in the people around me - that is the singing and the chanting of prayers especially in the early morning. It is a very sacred experience to walk like this.
We have a wonderful day today, walking 26 km to arrive at the recommended alberque which is pretty close to the start of tomorrow.s climb. We wanted to be here as we are not sure what it will be like to get a bed for tomorrow and how far we will have to walk. In the morning we face the last of the mountain climbs and while it is about 1200 meters I believe, it is steep and will take about 3 hours to complete. At the top we will walk on and see how far we feel like travelling and stop when it seems right. this is the climb to OCebreiro which is well written about and so we are looking forward to the views and the experience.
We are deep in the country now and as we sit on the stoop to drink our wine a guy on a horse passes by which breaks the background music of bells ringing on the animals. It is quite wonderful to be so removed from the rest of the world I can tell you.
I am feeling as though this has been the never ending journey. Although I know it will end at some point, the effect and the experience of what I have had will have a profound effect on my life.
We continue to meet new people each day and to connect with people that are travelling along with us but a day ahead or behind and then catch up.
We are staying in a small place this evening where two men who run the place are cooking dinner for us. We will eat at a common table as is the norm and drink a lot of wine which is also the norm.
I just hope the clothes on the line dry before I have to pack them away again. Such are the worries of a pilgrim.
From deep in the heart of Spain.........Maggee
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Sounds of Silence
There is something a little nerve wracking as well as exhilarating about heading off into the moonlight each morning and not knowing what will lie ahead of us. Yesterday we knew that we would be climbing into the mountains above Rabanal del Camino and so it was an eerie feeling to set off into the hills with some moonlight but with a cloud cover that kept it quite dark. It is silent in the hills in the early morning and we walk in a single file with our lamps lighting the rough stone path so that we do not fall, There is not a lot of time for thinking as it is important to concentrate on the foot path, yet the sounds and the silence capture your attention. After some time I notice we have climbed quite high up into the hills and as I look back I can see the lights of pilgrims coming across the valley below.
We arrive at an abandoned village called Foncebadon near day break and while there are currently 5 residents living here, there are already 3 alberques, so we meet up with friends that we see from time to time along the way.
We are now heading for the great iron cross that is a legend on the Camino. People bring stones from their home countries and leave them here and we have been looking forward to arriving at this cross for a few days now. At last we are there and have climbed some 300 meters since we left earlier in the morning. It is a bit disappointing as there are not a lot of people but still a few and they are taking pictures of each other in heroic poses at the top of the pile of stones.
We take turns climbing up to the base of the cross and when it is my turn, I am surprised at the emotion I feel. I have been carrying stones and things for some friends and also have with me, 2 heart shaped rose quartz stones that I brought from South Africa, Not sure that I wanted to leave them along the way as they have been sitting beide my bed on the table for many months and so are treasures to me, but I had decided the day before to say a prayer for Chris and then leave them in a little crevace there for him. At the base of the cross when I get there, I am deeply touched by the mementos and simple offerings that people have left. All of a sudden the place seems deeply sacred with the energy of so much effort from around the world to leave something special here. As I place the 2 hearts at the base of the cross, I am once again sobbing in such deep sorrow about Chris and have to descend to the other side of the cross to have a good cry on my own. It continues to surprise me how this sadness creeps up and knocks me sideways at unexpected times. It passes as it always does and later in the morning I light a candle in an ancient church for Chris, counting my blessings for the good life I had with him and the life that lies before me.
We are walking now into the beauty of the mountains and we are actually quite blown away with the magnificence of it all, Actually, I have to stop and just sit with the stillness at times. I hear again the bells that are attached to the cows in the mountain meadows and it is a wonderful clear sound to hear across the hills as they move in and out of their feeding places. We walk up and down over rough stone paths but in the most beautiful places yet on this entire journey.
At one point we are comig down and I hear what sounds like a medley of wind chimes. As I turn the corner, there stands a shepherd and it is his flock of sheep, many of whom are wearing bells that I hear, a symphony of music that is so natural and unheard before that it is hard to take it all in in such a beautiful setting.
I am tired from the climb and moved by the many lovely things that I have seen along the way. We walk through many wonderful ancient villages again on our way down which takes quite some time as we are walking 25 kms today. There is so much to stop and look at in each place that it is impossible to see it all so I make mental notes to myself about what I would come back to see some time in the future.
I am getting the feeling that we are nearing the end of the journey. We are counting down the kms now and are less than 200 at this point. I cannot believe the way this has transpired for me and I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people that I have met, especially my 3 Camino sisters, as well the people that I continue to meet each day. Today we walked once again through vineyards and we expect to see people harvesting the grapes soon. We sampled a few grapes on the way this time and they are delicious. We walked along a red dirt road that was soft from the morning rain and it was like walking on a cloud for our tired feet.
When you walk - you see, hear and smell things that you do not notice any other way and it is like this is a first time experience of life in a way. so much to notice, even the color of a beutiful rose in the morning light after the rain, the colors of the rainbow and the shape of the clouds as the sun breaks through. Yesterday morning as the sub began to rise shortly afte we reached the abandoned village, it seemed like God was painting a beautiful picture just for us, but only if you took the time to turn around and notice.
My mother has found the words of the 23rd Psalm which is the hymn Crimond and so the hill will resound with the correct words to this beautiful song in the coming days. I just wish I could really sing well!
So much surrounds us so much of the time and so much of it unnoticed and un appreciated.
Seeing life in a new way is such a gift at this stage of the game.
More later...............Maggee
We arrive at an abandoned village called Foncebadon near day break and while there are currently 5 residents living here, there are already 3 alberques, so we meet up with friends that we see from time to time along the way.
We are now heading for the great iron cross that is a legend on the Camino. People bring stones from their home countries and leave them here and we have been looking forward to arriving at this cross for a few days now. At last we are there and have climbed some 300 meters since we left earlier in the morning. It is a bit disappointing as there are not a lot of people but still a few and they are taking pictures of each other in heroic poses at the top of the pile of stones.
We take turns climbing up to the base of the cross and when it is my turn, I am surprised at the emotion I feel. I have been carrying stones and things for some friends and also have with me, 2 heart shaped rose quartz stones that I brought from South Africa, Not sure that I wanted to leave them along the way as they have been sitting beide my bed on the table for many months and so are treasures to me, but I had decided the day before to say a prayer for Chris and then leave them in a little crevace there for him. At the base of the cross when I get there, I am deeply touched by the mementos and simple offerings that people have left. All of a sudden the place seems deeply sacred with the energy of so much effort from around the world to leave something special here. As I place the 2 hearts at the base of the cross, I am once again sobbing in such deep sorrow about Chris and have to descend to the other side of the cross to have a good cry on my own. It continues to surprise me how this sadness creeps up and knocks me sideways at unexpected times. It passes as it always does and later in the morning I light a candle in an ancient church for Chris, counting my blessings for the good life I had with him and the life that lies before me.
We are walking now into the beauty of the mountains and we are actually quite blown away with the magnificence of it all, Actually, I have to stop and just sit with the stillness at times. I hear again the bells that are attached to the cows in the mountain meadows and it is a wonderful clear sound to hear across the hills as they move in and out of their feeding places. We walk up and down over rough stone paths but in the most beautiful places yet on this entire journey.
At one point we are comig down and I hear what sounds like a medley of wind chimes. As I turn the corner, there stands a shepherd and it is his flock of sheep, many of whom are wearing bells that I hear, a symphony of music that is so natural and unheard before that it is hard to take it all in in such a beautiful setting.
I am tired from the climb and moved by the many lovely things that I have seen along the way. We walk through many wonderful ancient villages again on our way down which takes quite some time as we are walking 25 kms today. There is so much to stop and look at in each place that it is impossible to see it all so I make mental notes to myself about what I would come back to see some time in the future.
I am getting the feeling that we are nearing the end of the journey. We are counting down the kms now and are less than 200 at this point. I cannot believe the way this has transpired for me and I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people that I have met, especially my 3 Camino sisters, as well the people that I continue to meet each day. Today we walked once again through vineyards and we expect to see people harvesting the grapes soon. We sampled a few grapes on the way this time and they are delicious. We walked along a red dirt road that was soft from the morning rain and it was like walking on a cloud for our tired feet.
When you walk - you see, hear and smell things that you do not notice any other way and it is like this is a first time experience of life in a way. so much to notice, even the color of a beutiful rose in the morning light after the rain, the colors of the rainbow and the shape of the clouds as the sun breaks through. Yesterday morning as the sub began to rise shortly afte we reached the abandoned village, it seemed like God was painting a beautiful picture just for us, but only if you took the time to turn around and notice.
My mother has found the words of the 23rd Psalm which is the hymn Crimond and so the hill will resound with the correct words to this beautiful song in the coming days. I just wish I could really sing well!
So much surrounds us so much of the time and so much of it unnoticed and un appreciated.
Seeing life in a new way is such a gift at this stage of the game.
More later...............Maggee
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