What will be will be The sun smiled down on me. The path was sparsely populated as many pilgrims had taken the detour to the monastery in Samos. Porridge and honey followed by excellent coffee spurred me on. I was looking forward to the private room at Albergue Paloma y Lena that I’d booked at breakfastContinue reading “Galicia”
Tag Archives: Camino Frances
Possessions just a burden
Possessions just another burden I left Albergue Mercadoira before breakfast expecting to find a cafe in Portomarin. Just before the bridge into Portomarin I exchanged photos with three Spanish women then followed the arrows over the bridge and around the town. Too late I discovered I would have to climb up the hill into theContinue reading “Possessions just a burden”
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”
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”
Tolerating uncertainty
Theirs is a journey of discovery, of trust, of opening up to something new, something more – not just externally, but within. A pilgrimage promotes a willingness to live with mystery in movement toward a destination – a willingness to believe that any re-routing is actually by a providential design. I entered in Galicia inContinue reading “Tolerating uncertainty”
Holy hens
Before dinner in Santo Domingo de la Calzada, my friend Ingrid and I visited the Cathedral. In place of the usual gold and silver plated backdrop to the altar hung a large black cross. Words describing human suffering had been engraved on it: famine, terror, cancer, flood, fire, grief, pain and many others. I stoodContinue reading “Holy hens”
Contemplative Camino 