All the weather you could want!

As we left Sahagun this morning, we headed into wind, rain, mist, rain, clearing skies, and windy sunshine.  It was just a long straight 20 km hike. Not a whole lot to see, except for the weather.  Even in this picture you can see the early rain.

But an hospitable Albergue, a lunch of fruit, cheese and beer was refreshing enough to have a nice Siesta and take a few pictures around the town.  

But our little Team Canada is now working on different schedules and they are riding to Leon while I will continue to walk.  Dan, Heather and Bernice have been wonderful companions on the way, but they are beginning to feel the pressure of a firm deadline while I am a bit more relaxed.  It will be very different walking on my own (but not alone -- there are many, many pilgrims!  In fact, of the eight beds in our dorm room, six are occupied by Canadians!

Today's Music:  Wade in the Water (with new verses)

     See that man in poncho clad

         God's a-gonna trouble the waters

     Yellow arrows make him glad

         God's a-gonna trouble the waters

     Hear the click of walking sticks

         God's a-gonna trouble the waters

     Crooked roads He soon will fix

         God's a-gonna trouble the waters

     What's that patch of blue I spy

         God's a-gonna trouble the waters

     Breaking clouds and clearing sky

         God's a-gonna trouble the waters

Today's Paces:  24,704

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  Dan, Heather and Bernice, that their Camino may be truly inspiring!  They are friends!!

       

Half way

The town of Sahagun marks the halfway point of the Camino. Indeed, you can get a "Carta Compostela" which indicates your "halfway" certificate. Unfortunately Monday is the day Sahagun is closed -- at least most of the arts and cultural centers, including the church where they give this Carta Compostela.  I'm considering staying on until 11 o'clock tomorrow morning to pick up this certificate.

This was also a tough choice day for us. In the end, we decided to take a taxi from from Fromista to Sahagun because of the weather. There were wind and rain warnings (Yellow Warnings) and it is just too unpleasant to walk without resources in squalls and 80 k winds.  

We did manage to find a few bits of sunshine and saw a bit of the city, but whether the weather, or the dreary nature of the buildings, this is not been my favorite stop.

We are at the noisiest Albergue of our Comino so far. It is at the municipal Albergue populated by people half our age -- there is an awful lot of energy!

But the Albergue is well resourced, and I was able to log on to a secure computer and pay some bills, which as mundane as it is, reminds me that I am still in the real world. We did laundry (since there was also a dryer, and made the most of an otherwise miserable day.

The nicest moment of the day came at suppertime. The congregation at St. George's church had left me an envelope with a card in it, and they told me to open it someday where I was going. I figured that at the halfway point it would be appropriate. It was a lovely set of best wishes – words of encouragement and grace from young and old in the congregation.  It brought a tear to my eye for the best possible reason!

Today's Music:  Take Five (Dave Brubeck), 'cause it ain't a walkin' song

Today's Paces: 9,720

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  Thanksgiving for the goodwill and encouragement from St George's Congregation. 

So THIS is the Pilgrim experience

Today was a long hard slog.  At 26 km, it is the longest walk we've had.  And this is also the first day that the elements were against us. We started out shortly after seven and a light mist; after less than 2 km we hit 1050 m of 12° ascent followed economic her later by an 18° decent over 350 m.

And then the mist turned into rain, and wind.  And the damp and the chill go through everything.

And then the cream soup that I had at lunch reacted badly with my lactose intolerant body. The last 6 km were painful in a truly unique way and seriously diminished the fun quotient.

But there were some truly lovely sights – the canal system near Fromista; The stark landscapes, followed by treed areas; ancient churches and refuges.

One commentator refers to the Meseta as a trial of the soul because of its tedium – perhaps, but the walking, except for the first, is much more regular and easy. Except when the wind gusts at 60 to 80 km an hour.

And what do you think of this statue of Jesus?

Today's Music:  Schubert Ave Maria (A truly overworked piece of music sung badly at too many weddings and funerals, it was piped into the dormitory this morning as Reveille)

Today's Paces:  36,935

Tomorrows Prayer Intentions:  My EfM group who meet on Mondays (Jim, Shelley, Debbie, Melinda, Colleen, Maggie, and Dawn, who is a great mentor)

The Caves

In the central part of Spain the network and wifi so these posts may be intermittent for a few days!

At the Albergue--a modern reconditioned medieval building--we shared the communal meal of pasta salad, grilled chicken and ice cream under a huge beam of timber connected to a vertical screw. At the end of the meal, our host, complete with diagrams, showed us how the wine press worked:  this was part of a huge third class lever that exerted force on a vat below the level of the floor. 

Then he took us downstairs to a tenth century cellar which was part of a series of interconnected tunnels originally used as part of the civic defence system. We drank a toast to "Buen Camino" and went to our respective bunks.  I'm presently nestled against a 12th century wall on my right side and a 20th century window at my head.  

So much of the world is like that--ancient and modern coexisting with both function and mystery close together.  

Today's Music:  Carly Simon You're so Vain (I was asked at breakfast where I was and when I answered Nova Scotia the fellow said, "oh, like in the Carly Simon song."  Ear worm for the day.)

Today's Paces: 29,582

Tomorrows Prayer Intentions:  my congregations in Lantz and Dutch Settlement

The signs don't lie

I was asked before I left, "how will you know where to go while you're on the Camino?"

The signs...they come in many forms:  blue and yellow scallop shell road signs; yellow painted arrows on curbs, rocks, obelisks and structures; wood or stone arrows on the ground.  They are left by pilgrims past to mark the route for those who are travelling the Camino for the first time, perhaps, or who have lost their sense of direction. 

In many ways I wish the church were like that--the heritage and witness of the past leaving markers and indicators for the future.

But we treat the past like a shrine, we ossify the tradition, and as we become less responsive we, as the church, no longer seem to be able to leave relevant signs for people to be able to navigate into their unknown.  Or maybe I'm just ranting!

And some signposts from the past linger silently for today's pilgrims-like this 13th century parish church in Hornillos del Camino where we are spending the night:

Today's Music:  Mozart Alleluia (reminds me of Jane)

Today's Paces:  32,211

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  the benefactors (Anglican Church of Canada, the Parish of Lantz), friends (especially Patty and Carolyn), and most importantly my partner Kathy and family who make my Camino possible

Burgos Bliss

I could become a blissfully familiar with sitting sipping coffee and a Spanish café in the warm fall sunshine surrounded by Henry more sculptures and people walking to and fro the old gates of the city. It is fascinating to watch the pilgrims arriving perhaps by bus, as we did yesterday, and be amazed at the sights.

I spent the morning in the cathedral. It is one of the finest examples of Spanish Gothic architecture (and excess) that one will ever see.  As a person of faith, I am moved by the hundreds of representations of the miraculous nature of Jesus life – his conception, his life itself, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. From the photos below you will have some small idea of the devotion but the Spanish Catholic church evokes from its adherents. I am also discovering that much of the Spanish approach to the divine is represented by human suffering. Many of the representations are of Jesus humiliation before the crucifixion, the persecution or martyrdom of persons of faith, or the heavenly reward of mortals whose life has ended in witness to Christ.

In acurious moment, if you look at the picture of Pentecost, above, you will note that the blessed Virgin Mary seems to have made it into the Pentecost gathering. I don't remember hearing about that in the second chapter of Acts.

I am not sure if my reaction to all this is humility, or humble pride that I would never be part of something as excessive or gaudy as some of the art and fllorid decorations that I see here. But I can't say that I'm not moved!

I had hoped to go to the Museum of Evolution this afternoon, but the Spanish customer of siesta also applies to public buildings. So I went back to my room and had siesta as well, did a complete repack of my backpack, went out to supper with Heather and Dan after a little team meeting where we decided on a 20 K walk for the morning, and I'm now headed to bed.

Today's Music:  Palestrina Missa O Sacrum Convivium

today's Paces: 13,847

Tomorrow's Prayer Intention:  my friend Jane, with whom I was in college and music school many years ago, is living with, and courageously fighting cancer with a loveliness, wit, and good spirit that is truly inspirational. She deals with good news and bad news with equanimity, and makes me glad that I know her as a friend.

Burgos -- almost like a class reunion

Today was intentional Sabbath. Even in my earliest plans to do the Camino, I had planned to take some time in the magnificent medieval city of Burgos.  To avoid a bit of weather, and particularly steep climb first thing in the morning, we took the bus from Villafranca to Burgos, about half-an-hour's ride, but A day and a half of walk! You really don't notice distance until it flies by on the highway.  This will allow for a full extra day in Burgos.

After finding our hotel, yes – a bit more Parsifal - and leaving packs, I set out to explore some of the city. The Castle is particularly famous, having first being constructed in the ninth century.  Getting to the top of the castle wall made up for the avoided hill earlier in the morning!

We met for lunch, sharing salad and pizza, and then was back to find a hotel again. The streets of Burgos are a spiderweb leading out from the hub of the Cathedral Square. As long as you remember which direction to turn, you'll be all right!

And then there was the most luxurious moment of the Camino so far: I checked into my room, and drew a hot bath in a deep tub. I'm sure they heard the "ahhhh" when I settled in all the way to the lobby!

We went to the cathedral for the pilgrims mass and blessing and a side chapel that seats about 200. The Pilgrim's mass and the blessing was rather perfunctory, so many of the people that we had seen along the way were there – people that we had not seen for days, and even one of my "cab companions" from Biarritz to St Jean were there.

10 of us, representing Italy, Hungary, Canada, and the United States eat dinner together, and the day was done.

Today's Music:  Mr Blue Sky (happy day!)

Today's paces: 16,747

Tomorrow's Prayer Intentions:  The faith community at the University of Kings College Chapel – I can hear the choir in my mind as I walk through the cathedral.