I am missing the Camino

I am missing the Camino.  The day I hit Santiago, I thought, "Hmmm... I can cross this off my bucket list."  Not too unlike the time I rode my bicycle down the coast of California.  I was exhausted, not sure of myself, not sure of anything, except that I missed my home, my family, my friends, and the comforts of home.  I thought to myself, "Why did I do this? Why did James call me?  What was I thinking?  Why was it that I could not refuse the nagging call to come to this place?  A month has passed since I returned home, and that little voice just reared it's head again.  Go AWAY!! Away I say!  Do not taunt me with your vagabond pleasures!  It was so hard.  It was not like anything I have ever experienced.  I ached every night.   I lost toenails and felt smelly all the time.  My feet abandoned me.  And I them.  It was if someone was playing a dirty trick on me.  What is it about "The Way" that steals my heart and soul?  I have run the race, done the time, why do you pester me with more?

Santiago de Compostela

Perigrino soy, Santiago a voy!  That is what my hat said as I walked the Camino.  Entering the sprawling city was, at the beginning, much like other large cities I had walked through, lots of noise, lots of traffic, but there was something different about this one.  It seemed as if hundreds of pilgrims were walking in a very hurried pace towards their destination.  I kept my usual pace, knowing, I would arrive in perfect time.  As I approached the old city, and came up to what appeared to be the back of the sacred cathedral, I was overwhelmed with emotion.  Two street musicians were playing a simple guitar and a mandolin.  How perfect to hear stringed instruments at this moment.  The music had a Celtic flair, and was clearly sacred.  I took out my phone and tried to capture the moment on video, but it pales to the actual experience.  My friend Colon´ (A gentleman from LA, I met along the way) was yelling "we are here, this is it!"  After relishing the moment, we continued around the massive structure to the portal door where you climb the steps in the back of the sanctuary, and touch the statue of Santiago! 


Inside the church, a Mass was being said.  As I got walked up the steps to hug St. James, all in the church stood up for the Gospel.  So at the very moment I had my arms around Santiago, the whole church was singing ¨"Aleluia."  It was very cool, and weird, and cool.  It was like James himself was saying, "Well, its about time you got here Joni!"

Then off to the Pilgrim Office I went to get my Compostela, the official certificate issued for those who walked at least the last 100 kilometers to Santiago.

I also walked throughout the cathedral, placed some special prayers in the prayerbox for my family and friends (mission accomplished Claire) and then sat down for a cerveza in the plaza.  My friend Colon and I sat and watched the pilgrims come in, one by one.  To see the joy on their faces renewed us as well.  We found our beautiful hotel San Francisco, (An old monastery) very near the cathedral.  We unpacked, came back for a beautiful Mass, had a bite to eat, and crashed!

The next day we were up early to take the bus to Finisterre.  It was a long day, almost 3 hours ride by bus, then walking up to the lighthouse.  Colon´ burned his clothes, even his good bluejeans, we all laughed with him as he danced around the flames.   Today, I will explore the city some more, visits the museums, then make arrangements to return to the USA.
The miracle of Santiago will forever be within me.  God is Good.  Peace out.  Joni

Almost to my Destination!

So, I have been walking through many little villages here in the the northwest corner of Espania!  Let´s see, since I last posted, the towns have been Sarria, Gonzar, Palas de Rei, Melide, Arzua, Brea, and tonight, Labacolla.

 I am just 10 kilometers from Sanitago de Compestella!  Tomorrow morning I will get up early and make my way into the holy city.  I should arrive within hours and have plenty of time to get my Compestella and attend the pilgrim´s mass at noon.  The journey has been unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life.  I can only say, that anything anyone has told you, cannot compare to your experience walking the Camino.  I have been frustrated, and happy, sad, and elated, wet, and cold, hot and tired, yet it has all been so good, so rich, so unlike anything I could have imagined. 

I have met so many wonderful people, some I will remember forever.  I have a myriad of emotions welling up in me as I prepare to enter the city.  I want to treasure every moment, and not miss a thing. 

I will stay as long as I need to, then go to Finnesterre (the end of the earth) to burn a few clothes, and say goodbye to my pilgrimage to Santiago.  Thank you all for following my blog.  I will put the final touches on this blog when I am safely home in Palm Desert.  Suffice it to say, it is not like any other adventure on the planet.  El Camino demands all of you, all the time.  And in return, Santiago sees you safely to your destination, renewed and reborn.

 God is good!

A River Runs Through It

Greetings from Galicia! 

 I have walked from Villafranco to O´Cebriero, to Samos, to Sarria, and I am now taking a day off in Sarria.  I followed a beautiful river from Villafranco.  Then came the steep climb up to O´Cebriero.  Some say it equals the Pyrenees, but I say, no.  It was long, and steep, and parts were slippery, but it did not seem as hard to me.  O´Cebriero is this culturally confused little town.  It sits atop a mountain, and appears to be mostly a tourist trap.  They play Celtic music in every little store and pub.  They have little leprechan statues and they all speak Spanish.  Go figure.  It poured rain the entire time I was there (not long) and the Albergue was stark to say the least.  So as I left O´Cebriero it continued to rain, mixed with a bit of wind, and low temps, making it a pretty difficult day.  When I reached the top of this day´s walk, I took this shot.  I needed to show the rain.  I don´t know the person in the picture, but I wasn´t crossing the road like she did.  It was way too cold and stormy for me. 

 I have been without internet access for days.  And even this cyber cafe I found is really bad.  The key board sticks, and it is so slow!  Am I whining?  yep.  The longer I am away from home, the more I miss the USA.  The walk to Samos was mostly in this beautiful wooded path, totally covered in a canopy.  It was a lot of up and down.  The rain was coming through though, and I couldn´t manage to get my camera out and shoot anything worthwhile.  Suffice it to say it was green and pretty, and wet.  I also expected  a little Hobbit to pop out at any moment. lol..  Now the little town of Samos was a bit out of the way, but it had a 9th century Benedictine monastary that I wanted to see, and also had an Alburgue in it.  So I took the detour to see it, rather than hike straight through to Sarria.  It was worth every shoe soaked step!  Very cool.

  I met a friend from Ohio.  Her name is Leslie.  We had a nice dinner together and she played doctor and dressed my wounded feet.  They are surely my cross during this journey.  The next morning I was up about 7, knowing I would only walk about 12km to Sarria.  The path was not very well marked and there were several moments when I was sure I would never be found in this very desolate place.  I walked for what seemed to be forever, and then I come to a fork in the road.  It had yellow arrows going both ways!  What the hell was this?  A group of German pilgrims came up behind me as I was trying to figure out which way to go, and of course, neither of could figure it out.  And they spoke no English.  So, as I stood there in the pouring rain, my feet totally drenched, I just chose a route and took it.  The Germans did not appear to follow me.  As it turned out, I found several yellow arrows as I walked, so I figured eventually I would get to Santiago if I stayed on this path.  I feared I was going by way of Portugal though.  The path narrowed to one little trail, which eventually became one huge river flowing down on me as I went up more steep climbs.  As I descended, the water subsided, but I was left with slippery, muck, made up mostly of mud and cow poop.  It was really fun!  I´m not sure if I will ever get the smell off me.  At one point, as I was trudging through the muck, I looked down over the edge of the trail and saw a half built barm, with about  six cows laying down under the shelter.  For a brief moment I asked myself, shall I go sit with them?  They seemed to be much smarter than this pilgrim hoofing it through cow muck in the puring rain.  Makes ya wonder sometimes... So I finally reach the top of this big hill and I´m thinking I should be near a town by now, nope!  As I come aroung this corner, I see a big field.  Now I´m walking with this bright red poncho over me and my pack, to keep at least one part of me dry.  I´m thinking it is a good color for visibility near traffic and such.  Well it is...but as I turned the corner of the hill, I see this huge bull staring right at me.  uh oh...I suddenly felt like the cape of a Matador and it was not a good feeling.  This bull was not Ferdinand.  I don´t think he was too crazy about the rain either and seeing me, well, he saw red!  I tried not to look him in the eye, and slowly walked past him.  He kept turning his head and looking at me.  I guess I wasn´t worth the enegy, because he didn´t come after me.  Note to self:  buy green poncho next time.  Next time HA!  not happening! No way!  So after another few kilometers, I finally reach a little town that has a cafe.  I crawl in and order a cup of coffee and some cake.  yum.  I hadn´t eaten at all that day, and it was now about 1030 in the morning.  After a short break I gathered up my stuff, bundled up my wet clothing and took off again.  The kind woman at the cafe said I had another 4 km to Sarria, Thank you Jesus!  So off I went. 

When I arrived in Sarria, I went into the tourist office.  As I walked across their floor, my shoes gushed out water, with a sound just like Huckleberry Finn´s in the church, remember that?  The two young women at the counter laughed, and asked if they could help me.  I asked them to book me two nights in the finest hotel Sarria had to offer please.  They did, and it was just around the corner!  Yeah!!!  So for a brief moment, I am enjoying not walking, not walking in the rain, and allowing my tired soles, to rest.  Tomorrow I take off again.  I am now at the last 100 kilometers to Santiago.  My Compostella is calling me.  Please God, let me make it.  Life is good...

Santo Domingo/Burgos/Leon/Ponferrada

Ok, I will have to say that yesterday was just an all around bad day for me.  I´m not sure what the Camino was trying to tell me, but after a wonderful time in Santo Domingo, and getting a great start, feeling fresh, I quickly realized my little tootsies were once again on fire.  I´m really not sure what I am doing wrong, but have decided that the pressure to walk 20-25 km a day is just plain crazy.  The tempo around here is this, every morning at 0 dark 30 people get up, and get on the path, in the dark.  They rush, rush, rush to get in 25 km before the sun burns through the mist, and to be first in line at the Albergue.  It is totally insane.  The picture above reflected just how I felt yesterday. lol  Is this a spiritual walk or a race?  I have come upon some Albergues that have been full (I arrive rather late) but never has it been a problem, I just find a pension or even splurge on a hotel if I must.  Usually the church will offer some assistance as well.  So why are they so crazed?  Well most have jobs to return to and they have a deadline. It is frustrating for me, because I enjoy the company of so many new friends, and then they are off like a herd of turtles to the next town.  I found myself trying to keep pace with them, and it is not good for me.  Perhaps a lesson in ¨Keeping up with the Joneses¨ as we say in the US.  None the less, lesson learned.  I will only walk where I want, when I want, and I won´t stray from the path.  Taking a bus through the meseta was ok for me.  It was long, and flat, and hot, and quite boring actually.  I suppose I could  have done it, and gone into some contemplative thing about aloneness, and the frailty of living without any resources for days.  ummm, nope, I don´t think so.   So, no, I am in Ponferrado and it is a very cool town of about 65,000 people.  It has a castle in the center of the town where the knights of Templar hung out.  It almost looks like Snow White´s castle.  lol...   My friend Vlada, from Australia...

In Santo Domingo the Albergue was awesome!  This was the room for the bicycles, the walking sticks, and the boots!  Is that cool or what?

The next picture is of two Camino angels named Matt and Kayla.  They are from Pennsylvania and studying Spanish at the university here.  I met tham at this bus stop, when I was totally lost in Burgos.  They laughed when I asked them if they spoke English.  I was so glad.  They got me back on the right path.  In big cities, it is really easy to miss the little yellow arrow.  It gets lost in the all the city stuff.  Thanks Matt and Kayla!

This is a silly self portrait with the river behind me in Leon!

And so it is.  God is good.

Santo Domingo

It has been awhile since I have been to my blog.  Internet is not always as accessible as the U.S.  My feet are getting better, but man are they sore by the end of the day.  Since Estella, I have been through several little towns.  I am now in Santo Domingo.  I am sure you can find it on the map.  It is still on the outskirts of the La Rioja region.  This is an area that is full of vineyards.  And the wine is really great.  Most of the walking is on dirt paths that seem to stretch for miles and miles.  On either side are grapevines, just coming into bloom.  The hills are covered with nice little rows, all neatly plowed, that reach to the very blue sky.  For the past few days I have walked under a cloud cover. This has made the walking so pleasurable.  I have found a nice pace each day, and I often prefer to walk alone, with only an occasional pilgim passing by.  The solitude is priceless.  

On a stretch of the road along the interstate, between Estella and Najera (I think) sometimes all these towns run together when I finally get to a computer.  Anyway, pilgrims make little crosses out of anything they can find, and place it on the fence.  The one in the picture is mine.  The last picture is in the very big town of Logrona.  Right outside the tourist office is a modern statue of two pilgrims walking.  So my new friends Isabella(from Germany) and Melanie(from Switzerland) and me all jumped on the statue and a nice man walking by took this picture for us.  Notice his finger in the upper left hand corner.  Oh well, just another gift of the Caminio. lol...

Puerta la Reina to Estella

And so my journey continues through the Spanish countryside.  Coming into the cities here are always exciting.  Most have walls and a portal to go through.  It feels like the renaissance faire to me everytime!  Such history here, it makes America such a baby in so many ways.  There is a wonderful river that we have been following along.  It was quite big here in Estrella.  It has been warm and clear and beautiful my entire journey, although there is talk of rain in the morning.  Change is good!  lol...

As I was leaving Puenta la Reina there was a tall tower to the left and on the top was a stork´s nest.  She had some babies too.  ( I had seen them earlier)  So I snapped a picture.  Even with the zoom, it was hard to catch it, but if you look closely, you will see her atop, tending to her babies.  It was pretty cool.  The pilgrims meal I had the night before was the best ever!!  It was 11 Euros, but they had everything you could think of and all the vino tinto you could drink.  Que Rico!!  I have a picture of my new friends Cali and Coleen from South Africa and Jopsts from Germany.  Jopsts had blisters on his feet too, so we commisurated together.  What a gift to meet so many wonderful people on the Camino!   God is good!

Pamploma

My journey to Pamploma was shortened by the huge blisters on both feet!  Thank you Spirit for the bus!  I also have a nasty dangling toenail.  hmmm.  Sorry for the ugly photo.  Just not sure what to do with such a toe!  I know that rascal will fall off soon.  I just don´t want an infection.  I did have a great time in Pamplona with my new pilgrim friends.  The city is so big and there are many wonderful sights to see.  I was a little incapacitated to walk much, but none the less, it was great!  I started walking this morning feeling a bit better after my rest.  I got as far as Cizer Menor (Only a few kilometers) and two blisters popped and bled, so I caught a bus back to Pamploma, then one to Puerta de la Reina, where I am once again trying to rest.  UGH!!  I am not giving up, I am not giving up!!!  I will rest, and be better soon!

Buen Camino!

Roncevalles to Zurbiri

I woke up in Roncevalles renewed and ready to walk all the way to Santiago! lol..  No breakfast to be had in town, so with my Japonese friend, Reiko, in tow we headed out to our next destination.  As we walked, I notices a little heat on the bottom of my feet.  With only about 5 km under out belt, we paused for a bite of breakfast at a little outside cafe.  It was so beautiful.  I took off my boots to see if all was ok and found some not so ok things.  I had somehow managed to get two huge blisters on the soles of my feet.  I also had a dangling toenail on the ¨little piggy that stayed home¨ ouch!  Lesson 1 for Joni:  always keep your toenails cut very short, or the pressure of them bumping on the toe of your boot will be so great, it will take your nail off!  Who knew?   I was very saddened by this, so I promptly threw away my boots and put on my sandals.  Jesus walked in sandals, so why couldn´t I?   Probably not a good idea, but I do things like this....The path to Zubiri is very rocky.  There is a steep downhill into the town.  My feet hurt so badly and they were bleeding through my socks.  It took me almost 10 hours to walk what would have normally been 4 or 5 for me.  I found a beautiful albergue that was new and clean and had delcious food!  I slept in this morning.  I will take the bus to Pamploma.  There I will see a doctor for my feet.  I am certain a rest day and a little help from the doctor and I will be good as new.  I am not stopping until I see Santiago!  Buen Camino!

St. Jean to Roncevalles

I have made the journey over the French Pyrenees to Roncevalles!  I did it in two day, stopping halfway up the mountains at an albergue(hostel) in Orrison.  It was interesting sleeping with four other guys in a little room. lol...The place was clean and the food was fair, so no complaints from this pilgrim.  The jourey up the mountain was very hard and very steep.  It really took all of my being to push on.  But I did it!  My rest that night was a good one and I was ready to charge to the top the next morning.  I would also be walking almost twice as far and I did the day before.  The views we so breathtaking I could not believe such beauty existed.  Although the road was steep, I was filled with excitement as I took each step.   It was Pentecost Sunday and I was definitely filled with the Spirit!!  It did not seem as tough as the day before for some reason.  Perhaps I was more accustomed to the climbing. At the top it was clear and I could see Roncevalles in the distance.  There were still patches of snow all around us, but the weather was perfect.  I would say around 70 degrees farenheit, sunny, with a slight cooling breeze, just when I needed it.  It was a close to heaven as I can imagine!  Against everyone´s warnings, I chose to talk the dirt path through the beautiful Birch forrest.  Apparrently it is the largest Birch forrest in Europe.  All the other pilgrims took the road.  (how boring is that?)  So a nice Japonese woman (70 yrs. old) wanted to walk with me.  She was a little frightened, but came along and trusted me. She would say, ¨Joni you have much courage.¨ lol...little did she know, I just didn´t know better.  It was the right decision, it was a beautiful path.  We walked for miles, all down a very steep incline under a canopy of birch trees.  We never saw direct sunlight, and the leaves on the path were two feet deep.  At times we had difficulty finding the path, looking for the familiar yellow arrow that indicated the Camino, but we did it!  We arrived at the bottom, at almost the same time as others, who left before us on the paved road.  They could not believe we went through the forrest and they were all a bit envious!  haha!  I don´t want to miss a thing!  A beautiful hotel, ¨La Posada¨was waiting for me to relax.  I had a big Heineken beer to celebrate with my new friends, then off to sleep for the next day´s journey.  God is so good!

Saint Jean Pied du Port

I arrived in Saint Jean about 5:00 pm last night.  I am staying at a wonderful hostel that is owned by a wonderful Dutch couple.  It is so beautiful here words cannot describe it.  There are many cyclists here in the Pyrenees.  I have been taking pictures, but I haven't quite figured out how to upload them from the internet cafe yet. My phone has run out of "au juice" so until I can get it charged up, no phone calls will be made. The hostel is Le Esprit du Chemin, meaning the Spirit of the Camino in French.  I would highly reccomend it to anyone who comes to Saint Jean.  We had a wonderful meal last night, and a great breakfast too.  I hand washed my clothes this morning, and they are hanging to dry.  The sun is shining and the sky is clear.  A perfect day to walk the Camino, but I am taking a rest day, and will enjoy the little town today.  I love France!  I am anxious to begin walking, and I have already found several items in my pack that I will ship to Santiago.  Lighter is better.  I will check in as often as I can.  Love to all. joni

When Did it Get Hard to Leave?

In all the excitement of preparing for this great journey, I never once gave thought to how very difficult it would be to say goodbye to my life here in the desert.  As I was packing, and repacking a dozen or more times, checking off lists, and ensuring I had all necessary items in tow, I wasn't prepared for the sense of sadness that enveloped me as one by one, I said goodbye to my family and friends.  A warm farewell at Mass from my church community left me a little melancholy.  My grown children, and my grandchildren all voiced their concerns one more time about going all that way by myself, but they knew my mind was made up, and they gave me their blessing.   My Mom, who will be 85 on July 8th, was probably the hardest to say goodbye to.  She is incredibly spunky for her age, very computer literate, and still very active.  She lives near by in a wonderful senior country club and has many good friends with whom she gathers several times a week. Between her card games, the Red Hats, her swim club,  her Singles club, her Knitting Guild, and her Crafty Ladies Club, I'm not sure  she will have time to miss me, but I know there will be a hole in my heart until I get back home to see her again.

    Last night, I took my very precious, and very old (14) yellow Labrador retriever Murphy Mae, to my friend Carol's house.  Before I left, I had a long talk with Murph.  I explained to her how I needed to walk the Camino.  She seemed to understand. I asked her to please not go to heaven while I am away, but she wouldn't promise anything.  She just looked at me with her big brown eyes filled with perfect unconditional love.  I don't know if she will be here when I return.  I don't know if I will be able to live with the guilt if she is not.  I have given her a very good life, but I am not ready to say my final goodbye to her.  I pray she knows I will come for her when I return.  I will leave her in God's (and Carol's) hands for now.
   I have made it as far as North Hollywood tonight.  My little Boston Terrier, Hollywood, is laying by my side, snoring away as I write this.  I am at my friend Theo's house.  Theo will be caring for my littlest baby while I am away.  Theo owns Hollywood's litter mate, Vino.  The two pups have had a good time this afternoon romping around her yard. Only a little more than a year old, Hollywood and I are close, but we don't share the history that is with Murphy.  And still it will be hard to say goodbye. 

   All in all, it is an unfamiliar feeling, this sadness as I depart.  I don't ever recall such a feeling before.  The excitement of a pending vacation or trip always superseded any angst about leaving people or pets.  Perhaps as I get older, I am realizing how very Blessed I am to have such wonderful relationships with my family and friends, and my precious furkids too.  So for Mom, for Amy & Anne, for Murphy, for Theo, for Carol, for Ned and Kathy, and for all my dear friends near and far, know that I will miss each and every one of you.  And I will hold you in my heart until I return.

9 Days Until Flight!

As the countdown continues, I find myself thinking of the most bizarre things.  My fantasy is to be on a misty road (like the picture to the left) walking serenely, loving each step, at one with the world; the perfect pilgrim.  And then my anxiety slowly creeps in, and other more obscure thoughts emerge.  The not knowing of what lies ahead breeds a million "what if..." scenarios.  I rationalize them all away, one by one, with a certainly of God's plan for me, just as it is.  And I must admit, I'm 55 years old, and despite a few little bumps in the road,  my life has been, and continues to be incredible!  So why the worry?  My rucksack, which began at a svelte 11 lbs, has now grown exponentially.  I rationalize this by saying, "Well, I'll just lose 2 pounds of me before I leave, and that will make up for the extra 2 pounds in the pack."  Not.  Of late, my walking has been less and less each day due to other obligations.  I have made my lists, and checked them off.
  It will be interesting to live without makeup for 2 months.  I heard only the French women actually use it on the camino.  Not me.  I'm even entertaining leaving the razor at home.  Although the idea of hairy armpits is foreign to me.  I am also trying to familiarize my self with my one, true hair color.  It has been so long since I have seen it, I really can't remember it at all.  As it turns out, after allowing it to grow the last month, it appears most of the color has vanished completely, leaving a kind of gray/silver weave around my face and at the crown.  Ah vanity, as Miguel De Unamuno wrote: "Cure yourself of the affliction of caring how you appear to others.  Concern yourself only with how you appear before God, concern yourself only with the idea that God may have of you." With that said, I think the gray hair will be fine.

  A week from today I leave for my friend's house in LA.  The furkids will go to their respective holiday homes while I am away, and a new little addition (Broadway Joey) will be waiting for me when I return. (Something to look forward to upon returning.) 
  On Wednesday, at 0400 hours, off to LAX.  I will meet up with my friend Barry in Washington DC, and then we will fly together to Madrid.  I hope I will sleep during the flight over, as jet lag is awful after hopping the pond.  It will be good for Barry to get used to snoring anyway...lol...

 

The Spiritual Path

The spiritual path for me, is the very essence of my journey, my journey on the Camino, and my journey on earth.  I have wrestled with the Roman Catholic Church for as long as I can remember.  Not in a bad way, (ok maybe a little)  but mostly in a healthy way, like the way I used to wrestle with my brothers on the living room floor when we were younger.  Or how our family of seven used to banter around the dining room table every night over current events, and politics.  No one really lost, everyone got in their licks in,  so to speak, and in the end, we still loved each other, and we knew our strengths and weaknesses when we were through.  We knew our differences and agreed to love anyway.  So it is with my relationship with the hierarchical, misogynistic, power sucking Holy Roman Catholic Church.  Oh, did I say that?  Sorry if I offended anyone.  Just my humble opinion.  Yet, I still love being Catholic and its Sacraments and traditions.  I pray for the Church every day, and I pray the Pope will have a change of heart, and remember the Spirit of Vatican II.  But none of it really matters, as my connectedness is with God, and not a fellow in a funny hat and shoes, who thinks he is. lol...
It is my prayer that on the Camino, my spiritual path will hopefully be one of forgiveness and renewal, of insight, and revelation.  Unlike others who seek to find themselves, I want to lose myself. I want to lose my self, and begin a new journey, in Spirit and truth.  (Hebrews 12; 1) "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us."

What's in Your Rucksack? or The never ending list of stuff to take.

About 15 years ago, I found this lovely lightweight 3-day type backpack at Sam’s Club. It had lots of padding, a waist belt, a chest belt, and lots of pockets.  It was so cool.  I had to have it.  I have never used this pack.  I have saved it, knowing one day, it would carry my most modest bare necessities on a journey of a lifetime.  Now is the time.  I ordered a special badge from the Camino Forum, to identify me as a Camino Forum Pilgrim.  My mom will sew it on the pack this week.  (Thanks Mom!)  I will line the rucksack with a tough green garbage bag.  Additionally, I will contain all my items in baggies.  This will assist me in organizing my items, as well as protect them from the elements, should the rain/moisture seep into the rucksack. So below is a list of my stuff.  I have to eliminate half of it.  Oh Vey!

1.     “A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino” by John Bierley

2.     Camino passport

3.     American Passport

4.     Debit card/AE

5.     Shoes…still working on this, can’t find what I want yet!!!!

6.     Sarape

7.     Hat

8.     Headlamp

9.     Sunscreen

10. 2 pair undies 

11. 1 pair light cotton pants that button up to pedal pushers

12. 2 pair crop pants

13. 2 light breathable t-shirts

14. 1 long sleeve shirt

15. 1 lightweight rain/wind jacket

16. 2 bras

17. 1 pair silk long underwear (top and bottom)

18. 3 pair sock liners

19. 3 pair Thurlo hiking socks

20. 1 pair CROCS (yes they are ugly but very light and practical for after hiking and sub as shower shoes as well)

21. 1 rain poncho

22. 1 silk sleep sack

23. 1 pair knit gloves (I can toss these after the Pyrenees)

24. 1 “Lightload” beach towel 36 X 60 less than .5 oz

25. 1 deoderant

26. 1 toothbrush

27. 1 toothpaste

28. 1 floss

29. 1 JR Liggett Shampoo Bar (it is solid and is multi purpose, shampoo, body and clothes wash) Very cool!

30. 1 small travel box of Q-tips

31. 1 comb

32. 1 digital camera

33. 1 charger for camera

36. 1 European plug adapter

37. 1 Swiss Army knife with corkscrew ( for the vino tinto oh yeah!)

38. 1 small roll of duck tape

39. 1 emergency blanket

40. 1 box of Band Aids

41. 1 needle/thread sewing kit

42. 1 tube Neosporin

43. I bottle of Ibuprofen

44. 50 packs of EmergenC

45. 200 pairs of disposable Earplugs

46. Baggy full of Safety pins

47. Gel tube toes for blisters

48. Whistle

49. Bandana

50. Plastic zip lock baggies, all sizes to pack all items

51. Plastic grocery bag (other pilgrims say these are handy)

52. Large garbage bag to line ricksack

53. Cigars – a tin (ya just never know)

54. Lighter

55. HP Netbook with charger (4 lbs! ouch)

To be continued….

The Physical Path

I will begin in a little town named Saint Jean Pied du Port near the French border, in the Pyrenees. The Camino runs roughly 500 miles across northern Spain through some of the most beautifully preserved medieval villages rich in heritage and some of the most scenic countryside and mountains of Europe. I will walk on average between 5 to 8 hours each day, carrying my rucksack. I'm also taking two walking poles. I think they will be helpful going down the mountains. I will sleep in Pilgrim hostels, albergues (pronounced al-BEAR-kays) which are located about every 10 km or so along the path. They are said to be rather minimal with a communal dorm, showers and toilets. I have my ear plugs packed for such a place. :) I will probably find a nice little hotel every third day or so, just to pamper myself. It is my hope to continue on to Finesterre (which is on the coast) and where traditionally, pilgrims who completed their journey burned their clothing on a rock overlooking the sea. Many still do this ritual. Not being a slave to fashion, I suppose I could too, who would notice lol...

"Life is either a daring adventure, or it's nothing " Helen Keller

“The Historical Path”

Legend has it that after Jesus was crucified, Saint James, one of the 12 Apostles, went to Spain to convert the local people. Upon his return to Jerusalem he was promptly beheaded by King Herod Agrippa, making him the first Apostle to be martyred. James' followers secreted his body away in a boat, and sent it back to Spain where they buried it. It lay hidden for several hundred years.

In 813 AD a curious hermit followed "sweet music and twinkling stars (The Milky Way) to a remote field in Galicia, in northern Spain. There he discovered what was to be identified as the tomb of Saint James. King Alphonso II of Spain visited the site, built a church and monastery over the tomb and declared St. James (Santiago) the patron saint of Spain.

Pilgrimages to the site began, and by the ninth century, the number of Pilgrims rose over the years, and peaked in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, when about a half million people made the pilgrimage. Many of the towns and cities along the Camino were built at that time. Most of these ancient villages have changed very little over the centuries. Around 1500AD the number of Pilgrims dropped off significantly because of reformation, political reasons and other factures. But In 1982 Pope John Paul II visited Santiago de Compostela and popularity soared once again and has grown steadily since then.

The Gospel tells us that James, son of Zebedee, was in his boat mending nets with his brother John, when Jesus summoned them, saying, "Follow me and I will make you a fishers of men". James and his brother did follow Jesus. If one considers that today 100,000 people a year make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to visit his burial place, it would seem that James is still "a fisher of men" over 2000 years later. It is my hope to follow in St. James' footsteps.

So with this in mind, I seek out the “Santiago Spirit.”

A Pilgrim's Prayer by Thomas Merton

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end....
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you,
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road, though
I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem lost in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

To Carry the Netbook or Not?

I am less than a month away from beginning my journey and I am still wrestling with how I will post my daily blog.  My blog will not only relay my journey to family and friends, but also be my daily record, that I hope will become part of my Master's work when I return.  I don't want to carry paper and pen.  (too easily lost/damaged)  I don't want to carry additional weight, yet I want the convenience of writing my thoughts daily, not just when an internt cafe is available.  I have read they are crowded, and limted.  Yet WiFi is present in most towns.  I have considered taking my smartphone, while great for an occasional blog or note, it is extremely small.  I don't think my eyes or fingers would be happy writing on it for 35-40 days.  I have thought about the I PAD, but it is glass!  Glass! What was Steve Jobs thinking here?  I love my MacPro, but I gotta think the IPAD needs some re-thinking and it's not that light Anneways.  I use Anneways instead of anyway in honor of my daughter Anne (Pronounced Annee)  Anneways, that's all I have to say about that.  :)  I'm thinking I will bite the bullet and take my little HP netbook.  Total weight with case and plug 4.0 lbs.  I have decided if I need to lighten up, I will lose 4lbs. of me.  No one would even notice at this point.  Oh Vey!
I also have yet to find the perfdect footwear...This is a biggy.  I hate boots.  I wore boots everyday as a Peace Officer.  When I retired, I swore I would never wear them again!  My feet are still recovering.  I am mostly concerned about the journey over the Pyrenees.  After that, who cares?  I am leaning towards my good old tennis shoes.  They are comfy, they breathe, and they even accomodate two pair of socks! (This should prevent blisters)  So hey, why fix it if it ain't broke.
Yesterday I received my official Pilgrim Forum Patch and my mom is sewing it on my rucksack.  Thanks Mom.  Nothing much else to do now, but walk, and walk, and climb, and walk, and walk, and climb...
Chairs,(that's Irish for cheers) Joni out.

Counting Down

 

I am counting down the days until I board the big flying ship for Espania!  The target date is May 19, 2010.  That is about 67 days from today.  Friends who have made this epic journey caution me to "travel light" and wear the proper foot gear.  This will be a good exercise for me.  To travel light will be to give up all the creature comforts I have grown accustomed to having in my life.  No hair dryer, no makeup, no MacPro,   How do I shed the sense of self that I have created the last 55 years?  How do I rebirth a new me? As I sit with my list of things to pack (47 items so far) I fear I cannot bear to be without any of them, yet, could I?  67 days...