I’ve been absent from A Contemplative Camino lately setting up a new website The Journey Inward. My journals formed the basis of my book A Contemplative Camino and I decided to share my small wisdoms on journal writing on a new blog. I’ve been writing a journal since I was 10 years old – andContinue reading “The Journey Inward”
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The long waterhole
My hometown Gilgandra hugs the banks of the Castlereagh River. The river runs underground for most of its course, for most of the time, but at Gilgandra surfaces to form a permanent waterhole. Of course the Aboriginal people of this area flocked to the waterhole, especially in dry times. The waterhole was a meeting placeContinue reading “The long waterhole”
Uncertainty
Uncertainty is the only certainty on the Camino I entered Galicia in fog. O’Cebreiro was an apparition, the buildings barely visible in the misty rain. I missed the church whose priest reinvigorated the Camino for the twentieth century. He painted the ubiquitous yellow arrows that mark the Way. Because of him, the number of pilgrims increasedContinue reading “Uncertainty”
Kindness
Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are. Harold S. Kushner Next morning as I left the monastery I passed a large box. Pilgrims threw everything into it that had weighed them down over the Pyrenees. One could clothe an entireContinue reading “Kindness”
Ibaneta Pass – or not
In the cafe in Valcarlos I ordered my first cafe con leche, coffee with milk, and bocadillo con queso, bread roll with cheese. My plan had been to stop in Valcarlos but it was only 11 o’clock. The albergue didn’t open until 1pm. I vacillated. Dave and a couple of other pilgrims on the nextContinue reading “Ibaneta Pass – or not”
First day on Camino Frances
After a hearty breakfast in Gite Beilari’s warm kitchen I set out feeling strong. I was aiming for Valcarlos. Roncevalles could wait until tomorrow. I crossed the fabled bridge and left the cobblestones of the old town behind.The sun shone on the stream of pilgrims emerging out of the early morning fog of the valley.Continue reading “First day on Camino Frances”
On Camino at home
Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ….get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed Any hope I had of a Camino in Spain orContinue reading “On Camino at home”
Begin again
When you slow down you see more, hear more, feel more, remember more I’d planned a loose itinerary before leaving home on the Chemin du Puy. After the first few days of short distances I had decided I would be able to walk up to 25km in a day. Little did I know how manyContinue reading “Begin again”
The essentials
box of discardsat the first albergue doorleft behindthe clutter and clamourof ordinary life Three Canadian women called me over to their table in Saceda. They found me a bit of a curiosity. I’d walked many hundreds of kilometres more than they had, and carried a full pack on my back most of the way. TheirContinue reading “The essentials”
A little bird of encouragement
Kairos time is lived in the now, by attuning ourselves to what each hour, each situation brings The sun was out next morning and after about 10 minutes of walking I started to wonder what on earth I was doing: I’d slept poorly, my knees were aching, the path was thick with mud and strewnContinue reading “A little bird of encouragement”
Contemplative Camino 