Tag Archives: Spain

Pentecost pilgrims

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It’s always the last mile that’s the hardest! You think you must be there and the end is just around the corner or over the next hill… then it isn’t!

Arriving in Santiago de Compostela was just like this – we’d seen the cathedral towers in the distance way back, the streets were getting narrower and the yellow arrows appeared to have given up. Which way now? Then I spotted a brass scallop shell in the pavement – this was the way. We must be close! The narrow cobbled streets were full of people and it was hard work negotiating a way through with a back pack and walking poles.

At last we were entering the huge piazza and the immense cathedral frontage loomed above us. We’d arrived at the same time as a couple of pilgrims from the Netherlands who we’d be sharing the last few days of the journey with off and on. We all laughed and hugged and said the inevitable congratulations to one another.

Each of us seemed somehow dazed and after taking a few photos we just dropped our rucksacks and sat on the ground looking up at the vast stone towers.

We’d made it. It felt good. All around the square there were groups of pilgrims taking photos, couples hugging, people cheering, while some just sat staring ahead as if they couldn’t believe it was over.

As I limped towards the Pilgrim’s Office to collect my certificate, I was still trying to work out what it was all about. It had been more than a physical challenge, something else was going on and for each of us that would be different.

An hour or two later as I sat in one of the plain wooden pews inside the cathedral gazing up at the huge silver thurible suspended over the altar, I was still wondering what this Camino meant for me.

I have loved being immersed in God’s creation walking through such beauty and variety, from the sandy coastal boardwalks to the steep stone and water trails, with twisting paths beside gushing streams carving a route between moss clad trees and huge boulders. Then being bathed in scented shade through forests of eucalyptus and pines.

I have also loved meeting pilgrims from all over the world – sharing stories, giving encouragement and re-meeting each another throughout the journey. One group of young people from New York, who we had shared a meal with in our very first hostel, were so happy to meet up with us again on that final path into Santiago. The connection with others along the road is a very important part of pilgrimage.

But one thing stands out for me in all this and that has been precious time to talk with God in an unhurried way as I walk. Walking alone surrounded by nature has opened up a window on prayer that has been invaluable. I have loved chatting with God, asking for help, guidance and healing for friends, for family, and for myself. I’ve had a chance to listen to his still small voice whispering through the grasses or reassuring me as I rest my palm against a mossy tree trunk. I’m so grateful for this time and for new perspectives, deeper calm and glimpses of a rhythm of grace I have been searching for.

As we journey back by bus from Santiago to Porto for our flight home, we are speeding past all the hills, valleys and towns we have trailed through these past 14 days. It brought home that it really was quite a long walk!

Yesterday we stood in awe during the Pentecost service in Santiago Cathedral, while the giant thurible flew through the air above us. It was an amazing sight as the cathedral team hauled on the ropes and the smoke from the incense filled the air around us. I’d never seen anything like it. The choral music added to the atmosphere, and with the cathedral packed with worshippers, there was a tangible sense of our prayers rising up to God on this very special Holy Spirit day.

My hope and prayer going home is that this pilgrimage experience will open up a new way of praying and of being – both on and off the Camino.

Camino slow time

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The figure in rust coloured shorts with a green rucksack is disappearing over the horizon again… time to pick up the pace.

I keep telling myself “this is not a race”, but at times I’m having to increase my stride in an attempt to decrease the gap between me and my six foot six Camino companion, who seems to walk at one speed – fast!

Occasionally, I have found myself ahead. Once when I took an unintentional short cut and a couple of other times when I ploughed on because I didn’t spot him waiting on a bank or sorting out his walking poles.

Most of the time, I favour ‘Camino slow time’ – setting my own pace, not rushing on to the final destination. And this is in contrast to daily living, where we usually set out to get somewhere by a certain time or for a particular appointment. On this pilgrimage I’m discovering the destination is the journey.

We crossed a huge wrought iron bridge two days ago which marked our entry into Spain at Tui. The cathedral dominated the skyline and finding our little hostel, we climbed the steps and cobbled streets to the very top of the city. Standing below the ancient arched doorway we could hear the sounds of a service going on in Spanish. We wandered in through wide open doors and stood at the back of the packed service. It was a joy to see everyone worshipping in this ancient holy space and the songs and sounds spilling out to the streets and cafes below. The cathedral celebrated its 800th anniversary last year and it made me shiver to think of all the other pilgrims who had stood on those same stone slabs through the centuries.

What we’re doing is nothing new, because people have been going on pilgrimage for years, even Jesus took part in a pilgrimage each year to Jerusalem with his family. But we all do it in our own way and in our own time.

Today we reached the old Spanish city of Redonela and here the Portuguese coastal and central Camino routes converge. It actually seems quite crowded at times. There are families with teenagers, single people, groups of students, old friends, seasoned pilgrims with their badges and even babies! I passed a young couple pushing their baby in a buggy and drying the baby clothes on the back of their rucksacks. Last year we saw a family on mules with a young child and a baby beginning the start of the French Camino.

It takes all sorts, and while some are taking it as a challenge to complete it in as few days as possible, many others are meandering through the journey, stopping for coffee and enjoying the conversation and sights along the way.

The next stage of the Camino – the final 100 km or so – will be the toughest as the daily sections we’ll walk are longer and there are more steep hills. But we’re getting there and I’m excited to see what’s around the next corner because I have never been here before!

Camino rhythms

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My watch says I’ve walked more than 46,000 steps today, which appears to be 16 miles or 27km. My aching calves are telling me it must have been more! But here we are on day 6 of the Camino and still hanging in there.

By “hanging in” I mean we’re still walking, despite both of us having discovered a dreaded blister! At the hostel, we’ve spotted a lot of feet decorated with plasters in a variety of colours and plenty of pilgrims walking by in socks and sandals, which is a bit of a giveaway. Unfortunately we didn’t pack sandals!

Our Camino experience is starting to have a rhythm of its own now. We wake up, we fill up our water, re-pack our rucksacks and eat breakfast. Before setting off, we pray to start the day and after that we walk… and we walk.

“Bom Caminho” and “Bom dia” are our watchwords as we pass locals or fellow pilgrims. This morning we met Nathanial from the US with his friend in a cafe at breakfast, another day we were cheered by free spirit, Hennie from the Netherlands, who hadn’t booked any accommodation along the way!

We don’t know what each day will hold, sunshine or showers, steep inclines or sandy paths. Our steps are the constant each day. And as we walk there is time. Time to think, to pray, to stop and notice and to be thankful.

The rhythm of the day includes a stop for a lunch of bread & cheese beside the path or on a bench. Once we arrive at our destination, there’s washing to be done and hung out and a hunt for some food and often a cold beer!

There is a simplicity to these days that I love. We’re simply walking to the next stop along the way. It doesn’t matter when we get there, it isn’t a race. It’s our Camino – we’ll take it as it comes.

I love that there is time to listen to the birdsong, to stop and watch a stork feeding her young balanced on an impossibly large nest high up on a telegraph wire. There is time to notice things when you walk, whether it’s the largest lemons weighing down a tree overhanging the path or the colours of flowers growing in the sand beside the beach.

Today we had a nice surprise when we arrived at the hostel, as we were given two stamps in our Camino passports.

One from the hostel and another to say we were half way to Santiago! That means only about 134 km to go. This was a cheering thought as we rested sore feet, following a rather gruelling day on the Camino trail.

We celebrated by ordering a strange Portuguese variation on a club sandwich called Francesinha… it wasn’t quite what was expected as it turned out to be a very wet version!

Tomorrow we say farewell to Portugal for a while and cross into Spain. Viva la Vida!

What to put in your backpack

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What would your ‘must haves’ be if you had to put your stuff into a pack and carry it on your back across the mountains for a few days?

It’s a question I was wrestling with last week in preparation for a rather long walk.

I’d taken out everything except the absolute essentials, but when I heaved the pack onto my back, I knew a few more ‘essentials’ would have to go.

It was the day before we set off on the first stage of the Camino Frances – the full journey is a 500 plus mile walk from France across the Pyrenees into northern Spain, ending at Santiago de Compostela. This time we would only be doing the first gruelling 45 miles or so from St Jean Pied de Port to the bull running Spanish town of Pamplona.

I’d been informed we would have to climb to more than the height of Ben Nevis in the first two days – this might have felt less daunting if it wasn’t for the pack.

So, what was in the bag? Annoyingly a sleeping bag, a travel towel, pants and socks and one extremely light weight change of clothes, flip flops, plus my toothbrush, hairbrush, suncream and that was practically it, apart from the water, oh, and a hat and a waterproof. Then there was the food! It all added up.

It’s been a long time since I walked with a backpack, and it took some time getting used to the weight on my hips and the pull on my shoulders. Still, it was surprising how quickly I adapted and focused less on the weight and more on the views around me and the path ahead.

There is a sense of freedom about stepping out with all you need on your back and heading towards your destination without looking back. We wouldn’t be returning to the cobbled streets of St Jean until we’d reached our destination and grabbed a lift back to the car, which we hoped would be where we’d parked it!

I’ve been wanting to walk the Camino for years, ever since I stumbled out of the cinema in Nottingham, eyes still moist with tears, after watching the film, ‘The Way’.  I remember saying to my companions at the time, “I want to do that!” 

Although I’ve been banging on about pilgrimages and the Camino for years, my husband has remained solidly indifferent to the idea. So, it is a little bit of a miracle that embarking on this four-day ‘mini Camino’ was his suggestion. It conveniently filled a gap in our holiday, when our friends were busy, and gave us a chance to try out our walking abilities in advance of a planned two-week Camino next year from Porto in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela.

What we hadn’t quite taken in was how tough the first few days would be as we hiked up the Napoleon route to a height of 1,400 metres. The good thing about being out of breath is that you’re forced to stop and take in the views – and these were some views. Walking ever upwards, sometimes we were passed by the fast-paced pilgrims and at other times we overtook people taking a break. At one point five of us leaned on a five-bar gate, catching our breath and staring down at where we’d come from. There we were – two Aussies, two Brits and an American – it sounds like a joke, but a few days later we were pilgrim buddies, sharing our day and our lives over coffees, beers and pintxos.

One of the greatest joys on this Camino turned our to be our fellow pilgrims. Sitting across the table on our first evening was an enthusiastic 78-year-old who was walking The Way with her daughter. If she could do it, surely we should be able to? 

The ‘pilgrim supper’ in the hostel, for almost 20 of us, included a delightful mix of nationalities from Japan to Canada and the Netherlands to Australia. Each one had a story to share about why they were walking the Camino and there was a common theme – they all hoped this journey would be one of self-discovery and for many spiritual enlightenment. There was an air of excitement and high emotion that evening, no one knew what lay ahead.

That night we settled down in our wood lined room, items of clothing drying all around us, we hoped we’d be up to the big climbs tomorrow and that the 7am breakfast and dawn start wouldn’t be too much of a shock.