I left early for the climb up to San Xil. It was beautiful, passing through forest, past farmland, and quite misty to start with. So very peaceful. I could easily imagine the Celts here, in Galicia. I stopped in a bar to have a hot chocolate. Then I was passed by all these cows being herded down the main street of the village....It seemed that I had lost touch with my two friends from Quebec...usually we found each other after a day or two..... but I had not seen them since the day before climbing O'Cebreiro. This day, I had intended to walk a few kms past Sarria, but as I walked up the hill past the Don Alvaro albergue, I heard my name called out the window. Lyne and Denis were here! They soon told me about the wonders of this albergue, like the warm welcome, the sun loungers, free internet... They made it such a hard decision! Before long, I had decided to stay there too. We decided that we would walk together now for the rest of the trip into Santiago. In the evening the soccer final was being played between Germany and Spain. There was a group of young Germans staying in the albergue who were confident of their victory. But their faces were looking kind of long by half-time, and the car horns being tooted outside told of a different victor. Meanwhile, those of us not committed to watching the soccer took advantage of a special treat in this albergue - a room with a fire, conducive to conversation.....and for those who wished, a very special kind of Galician drinking experience....
When I was preparing to walk the route from Le-Puy-en-Velay to SJPP, I found there wasn't much info in English, and I hope this blog might fill the gap a little.... In 2008 I walked from Le Puy to Santiago. In 2012 I walked from Cluny to Conques, then spent three weeks in Spain, re-walking two sections of the Camino Frances. Please feel free to contact me if you wish.
Hunkered In
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The sky keeps changing colors, the wind roars all night and morning.
Sometime overnight it pulled the chicken-hut door off its hinges and
smashed it to k...
Beachscape
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I haven't blogged for a while, but here is a new poem.
*Beachscape*
*Surprising that I never knew before*
*the bright curve of this bay,*
*the way the wash...
Taranaki-born, long-time Manawatu resident and primary teacher; inveterate traveler, Camino walker, occasional cyclist, lover of sea and bush walks; getting into genealogy more; collapsed catholic; lapsed musician looking forward to doing more again in retirement
from the poem "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver.....
" I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
This quote is taken from notion900 on the Pilgrimage to Santiago forum: "Please know that although some people seem to imagine it as some appalling ordeal, the camino is a very health-giving thing - if you do simple things like healthy food, plenty of water, moisturise your feet and get plenty of sleep. Being out in nature for 5 weeks is just so life-giving: I finished the camino absolutely glowing with health and vitality. I hope you have a wonderful time."
'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.' Goethe
"Glowing... this is the thing about pictures of people on the Camino. This light within... As if the Camino washed the soul and cleared the eyes." Claire Bangasser in a comment on Johnnie Walker's blog
past farmland, and quite misty to start with. So very peaceful.
I could easily imagine the Celts here, in Galicia.
I stopped in a bar to have a hot chocolate. Then I was passed by all these cows being herded down the main street of the village....
It seemed that I had lost touch with my two friends from Quebec...usually we found each other after a day or two..... but I had not seen them since the day before climbing O'Cebreiro. This day, I had intended to walk a few kms past Sarria, but as I walked up the hill past the Don Alvaro albergue, I heard my name called out the window. Lyne and Denis were here! They soon told me about the wonders of this albergue, like the warm welcome, 
the sun loungers, free internet... They made it such a hard decision! Before long, I had decided to stay there too. 
We decided that we would walk together now for the rest of the trip into Santiago.
In the evening the soccer final was being played between Germany and Spain. There was a group of young Germans staying in the albergue who were confident of their victory. But their faces were looking kind of long by half-time, and the car horns being tooted outside told of a different victor. 
Meanwhile, those of us not committed to watching the soccer took advantage of a special treat in this albergue - a room with a fire, conducive to conversation.....and for those who wished, a very special kind of Galician drinking experience....
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