August update

Four more days of walking and we will reach Santiago.  Today we began walking with hundreds of new pilgrims.  It was easy to pick the new folks. Clean shoes, tidy packs with no laundry hanging from straps.

Surprisingly there are still lessons for the pilgrim even after one month of walking, pride.  It would be easy to look down on the new pilgrims and be quite holier than thou about it.

The Camino isn't finished teaching just yet.  each pilgrim does what they can and gift of time and walking allows the Spirit to work.

I feel stronger in many  ways after walking for 31 days. Stronger physically, emotionally and more grounded spiritaully.  My pilgrimage has given me much. 

I will see what comes of this renewal.

Peace Bill

half way

I am still learning how this blog thing works and don´t often have acess to a decent computer.  updating on the smart phone with poor wifi is troublesum to say the least.

We are now past the half way point of our pilgrimage.  The days seem to just drift by without our acknowledging the dates or the days of the week. The only way we know that a week goes by is that every weekend the spanish party all friday and staurday night.  When I say all night I mean that when we walk through town in the morning the young men and woman are still drinking from the night before.   

Meanwhile our health hold out accept for my blisters between my big toe and it´s imediate partner on both feet.  I crashed both feet against a step about a week back and it weakened the skin.  Today I got out my small knife with the sizzers and did some surgrey and plan on soak my feet in salt water later.  Dispite my disconmfort and concern <i have seen other pilgrims with far worse blisters and foot problems.  

The other day I did a quick bio energy healing for an woman who had suddenly gotten servere knee pain.  In a quick 5 minutes the pain was gone.  People noticed.  Was that recki you were doing?  sort of I said.  I haven´t wanted to become the helper on this trip rather just another pilgrim.  

 

Here is abit of a poetic reflection inspired by the song Lead me Safely Home which I first heard from the Strathdees:

 

And when this journey comes to an end and my tired feet give in and one more step is one too many: Lead me safely home

 And when I cannot beaer the load and cannot keep going on this ancient road one more hil will befeat my pligrim roam, Lead me safely home

 

I yearn for sleep to ease my pain to walk a path not so steep to walk again without the pain So lead me safely home

the road is rocky had packed with stone my feet are squeezed, abused  and stained so lead me safely home.

I know that words cant express my journey but in my heart I hear the song of hope and love and joy so Lead me safely  home.

thanks for reading my funny poetry.

All is well the journey continues.  and slowly we become experts at foot care and finding food.

further along the way

it has been a few days since we have had good internet so I am behind.  <i had a quite moving expereince in a small 11 century rural church.  I left prayers for those whom I promised to carry their na mes on my pilgrimage.  and others of course.  The days seem to go by and even two days ago seem ancient history.  i have left behind all  the worrys and hopes of the regular life and have become focused only the plan for today and tomorrow.  the pilgrimage journey offers an opportunity to live Jesus suggestion of not worrying about tomorrow since today have enought worries of its own.  

We are in a wonderful albergue tonight.  Rabbit stew for dinner with white wine in the 12 century renovated building. Tomorrow we are taking an extra break day and taking the bus to our next stop.  A pilgrim doesnt have conquear the world.  wisdom is taught to us if we but listen to our body and souls. 

Pamplona was wild. we walked through the city one hour after the running of the bulls. The streets were filthy.  Blood, piss, vomit, drunks  still drinking and garbage.   There were people sleeping in the parks and drinking on every corner

 our journey continues and we find ourselves first before offering ourselves to others


PEACE to All
 Bill

Out of the mountains

The camino does not allow pretending.  A long walking journey always has this lesson but with langauges limitations and tiredness ones usual coping skills are challenged .   One has to be both very prepared  and flexible.

So far all is well. God is good

Bill

Ps this was typed.on tiny keyboard so is short.

On route

We have arrived in St. Jean after a bit of a mix on the train from Bordeuax.  We go on the wrong end of the train.  Oh well.    The SNRF people were very helpful.
As we left our home I i thought of Bilbo Baggins = Be careful when you step out your front door because the first step to a long journey is right out side your front door>=  Paraphrased.
we felt a little tender shutting off everything and locking the door. A pilgrimage makes a time away very different.  Maybe because we know we will be changed.

Two planes, two trains, a couple nights of sleeping poorly and we are finally here.

St. Jean is beautiful.   We arrive at our hostel to a warm welcome from Eric who clearly has a ministry of hospitality.  He has walked the camino many times and it has changed his life.  Once a high roller in Paris he now says he has far less money but he is far happier.

We share a meal with 14 others from the USA, Ireland, Demark, the Canary islands.   It was a good taste of what is to come.  I was outed as a minister by a curious university professor.  He asked. 

It is amazing that everyone was feeling simular about the next stage.  A bit anixous and not sure if they have planed well.  Can they really make it or not. 

before we left we had tried to shift our body clock.  <i am not sure that it helped that much, <i lay awake until three last night.  When we are walking <i will sleep. 

The journey begins tomorrow.  i can hardly wait.

peace Bill

day before departure.

Everything is ready.  Packed and repacked.  Checked the tickets and counted the money a number of times.

Tomorrow I begin my journey.  Leaving on a bus for the airport at 9:00AM and arriving in Bordeaux France Sunday evening at 6:00PM.  subtracting the 9 hours difference it still is a 24 hour journey.  This is the first stage on my El Camino pilgrimage.  Hopefully I can post occasionally to make a record my journey.  

We have been moving our body clocks back and in recent days have rose at 3:00AM  in hopes of adjusting.  It remains to be seen if we are successful.

I find that now that everything is ready that I am a bit anxious with nothing to distract me or engage my mind.  I know that in a very few days I will be walking and such mindlessness will be gone.  

All will be well, even my feet.   PEACE Bill