Jen's Pligrimage 2014: May 2014

The Day After

My Compostela attesting to completion of the Camino.

Last night we celebrated a Venezuelan pilgrims's 50th birthday and completion of the Camino with a dinner at the fancy Ppusada de Los Reyes Catolicos. I had been crossing paths with this couple for a week and a half.

They were walkig from Astorga as his birthday celebration and were joined for the last days by other Venezuelan friends.

Since i only have 2 shirts with me- we did a little shopping and found a nice top and earrings.

Bought a little gift and wrapped it Camino style with the materials at hand. Almost all stores are closed on Sundays so had to make so with flip flops for our 'fancy' footwear.

So the party was Pauline, me and 5 Venezuelans. We ate like kings! Told funny Camino stories. And had a really wonderful celebration. The perfect way to end the trip.

Today has been a quiet day - sort of as return to 'regular' life. Shopped for some gifts, took an audio tour of the Cathedral.

Ate grilled padron peppers and

Spanish style boiled dinner for lunch at a little restaurant run by a lovey older couple. The woman took me into the kitchen to show me what was for lunch. Then in the loving, bossy, Spanish way

- told me how to put bread in my soup to eat it right

- felt the size of Pauline's wrists and arms thencommented on Pauline's need to eat meat so she could fatten up. She was very glad to know Pauline eats fish and eggs and dairy.

- gave instruction to another customer about how he needed to quit smoking.

This kid of intimate conversation is the norm here- very human and direct and warm.

Picked up my box of clothes and shoes that I got out of my pack in Leon and sent to myself.

Finally here is how my pilgrim credential looks after the trip.

We leave early tomorrow morning. Happy to seem family and sad to end the trip and satisfied with the whole adventure.

Santiago de Compostela!!!! Day 25

I made it! 490 km from Burgos to Santaigo de Compostela.

We walked the last 8 km this morning and arrived at the cathedral a little before 11:00.

We are staying in a converted monastery directly across the plaza from the cathedral.

The big pilgrim mass was at noon- there is a catholic youth conference in town so the mass was full of pomp and circumstances.

Including a British Cardinal who gave a second homily in English.

The mass welcomed all the pilgrims and announced the country of origin and where people had started their pilgrimages. Pauline and I will be announced at mass tomorrow.

Then because of the special guests they lit the giant botafumeiro (incense burner) it takes 8 guys to swing it up and down across the whole church. So cool!!!

The cathedral was packed all seats full and he aisles full. Looking around I saw a good number of pilgrims that I knew from the Camino. Felt like a homecoming.

I will go back and spend some time in the cathedral when it is a little quieter.

Arriving in Santaigo is an amazing Mother's Day gift. Thank you Rich for supporting me and making this journey possible. Thanks to my inlaws, parents , Desiree and friends for helping take care of my family. Thanks to all the people who fed, sheltered, encouraged and supported me - here in Spain and from home.

More later........

The Mystery of the Camino Boots

The case of the missing boots - Two days ago (Thursday) we were leaving the Fuente del Peregrino Albergue. Pauline, me and a set of German twin sisters were the last of the 9 pilgrims to set off.

The twins are German women a few years older than us- they have been walking the Camino together for several weeks. As we prepared to leave one of them discovered that her boots were gone. There was a pair the same brand and size but th color of the laces was different and the remaining boots were not as worn. Another pilgrim had mistakenly put on her boots and departed.

There were 3 other women who had departed earlier - Olga from Russia, Harriet from Sweden and a young Danish woman. Over the course of the day pauline and I and the German twins crossed paths many times- each time exchanging new information about the boots.

By the end of the day- we were eating delicious boiled octopus in the same restaurant and it had been determined that Harriet the older Swedish woman must be the person with the boots. Pauline and I promised to keep a lookout.

On Friday we hiked 15 or so km and stopped to take a picture of this roman bridge in Ribadiso. When I turned around from taking the picture there was Harriet from Sweden, resting and waiting for the albergue to open. Harriet only speaks Swedish and a tiny bit of English

We pointed at her boots, explained in English that they were the wrong boots and suddenly a light bulb went off - she recognized these were not her boots. We manages to get her phone number and email so that if we ran into the German sister again they could connect.

About 3 km down the road in Arzua we found the German sister having coffee in a cafe. We gave them Harriet's contact info and continued on the Camino.

Today, Saturday, we ran into the German sisters again. They used had called Harriet, taken a cab back to the town where she was staying and completed the boot exchange.

Here are the boots on their proper feet. The German twins were thrilled and Pauline and I feel like Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden- girl detectives solving a Camino mystery.

Slow and steady - day 24

We aware almost there! Here are Pauline and I at the statue for moving into the area od Santaigo. We walked about 25 km today and are only 8 km from the Cathedral of Santaigo.

The Camino is changing as we approach Santiago- more 'short term' pilgrims walking for the final 100km- more Americans- slightly denser population - more busy roads.

But you wouldn't call it urban. The Shepard took his sheep out to pature and told us they all stay together and would graze their way back to the house in an hour or two.

Here is a dad and his 11 year old son, Eric, from Ireland. They are walking 80 km together. We enjoyed walking with them.

Walking with Eric and his dad we passed a tree with a dream catcher hanging in the branches. I explained what a dream catcher was - so now I've seen a teepee and a dream catcher here on the Camino.

We passed hundreds of Meyer of fence decorated with pilgrim-made crosses using the materials at hand.

The tube sock cross - one of my favorites.

I am a slow and steady pilgrim. I walk slowly and average 20 km per day. There are many (most?) pilgrims who walk 25-35 km each day. And a lot of them are older than me. Given my somewhat competitive nature listening to my body and walking at my slow body pace has been a challenge. I want to be fast and go far - but I can't.

So one of my goals has been to not rush or hurry at any time on the Camino. To I eat, sleep, look, sit, visit and walk as they unfold in time. And, in fact, this mostly how I have lived the past 3 1/2 weeks. Walking each day without a specific destination nor much detail about the path. Taking people, hills and accommodation as they are discovered. I hoe to bring back this sense of time and life unfolding at its own rate as I return to Minnesota.

Another Tich Nhat Hanh poem / mantra that I have been carrying with me

"Walking in mindfulness brings us peace and joy. Why rush? Our final destination will only be the graveyard. Why not walk in the direction of life, enjoying peace in each moment with every step? There is no need to struggle. Enjoy each step. We have already arrived."

Yellow Arrows - day 23

A little rest has worked its miracle and I feel well again. Amazing how powerful it is to sleep and do nothing. We walked 18 km today only 33km left to arrive in Santiago!

Today's walk was beautiful and up and down across valleys and up and down hills.

A little 'shop' along the trail with frah cherries and bananas.

Weather continues gorgeous with sunny warm days and cool nights. Couldn't be nicer.

Yellow arrows of all sorts mark the Camino.

On the road.

On a sign pole.

On a wall and on the concrete marker.

Into a tunnel.

On this bridge it's yellow strings to mark the way.

You can never see far ahead on the Camino. As you approach any sort of intersection you have to wait til you are in it to find the yellow arrow.

The arrows may also be on the ground made of stones or wood. You have to keep you eyes alert for clues to what is the next right step.

Sometime you can't miss it.

Here is a poem I brought with me that I've been thinking about as I took yellow arrow pictures today. I think it is from a book about walking meditation by Tich Nhat Hanh

The Path is You

The path is you.

That is why it will never tire of waiting.

Whether it covered with red dust,

Autumn leaves,

Or icy snow,

Come back to the path.

You will be like the Tree of Life.

Your leaves, trunk, branches,

And the blossoms of your soul

Will be fresh and beautiful,

Once you enter the practice of Earth Touching

Tired and a little sick - day 22

Here is th room where we slept last night- after a really lovely evening in this small albergue with pilgrims from Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Russia.

These are some of the volunteer hospitaleros that took such good care of us. They are also from many countries- Brazil, Spain,England, USA, and Puerto Rico.

We started walking in a lovely mist that cleared as we walked. I have had a cough for the past week or two- which has gotten a little worse.

After 9km I was feeling lousy - exhausted but no fever- and decided to take a cab to Melide where we planned to stay.

Got into my hotel room around 1:00 and went to sleep for several hours. Pauline walked the remaining 14km on her own and got here around 4:00.

I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine and I'm laying low and watching the Discovery channel dubbed in Spanish.

Hopefully today's rest and the medicine will do he trick and I'll be ready to walk again tomorrow.

Looks like New England - day 21

We are in Ligonde at a small albergue run by Agape a volunteer Spanish Christian organization. Dinner is at 8 with the pilgrims and resident volunteers. Until then Pauline and I are laying in hammocks.