31 May 2013. The End .........But Really The Beginning

My last blog...  at least for this adventure!  

 After 500 miles and 33 days my first Camino was completed after attending noon Mass at The Santiago Cathederal with some 1000 new friends.  The oxygen really does go out of your lungs and you have so many memories of what you have accomplished.  I find myself just wanting to walk. 

My first thought comes comes from Rumi-

" It's your road, and yours alone.

Others may walk it with you,

But no-one can walk it for you."

If you remember my first blog and my challege to the 5th grade class in regards 

for my reason for walking the Camino was Health ...mental, physical and spiritual, I believe 

I have followed Rumi's advise and achieved each of these challenges. I look forward to my visit with them on 7 June back in Annapolis to hear how they have done with their health.

Walking the Camino is much like the journey of life.  You start in the unknown and continue to grow each day realizing at the end that this is just the beginning  of future adventures.  My current plan is to walk the Portugal Camino starting in Lisbon and ending in Santiago next year.  Life continues to grow in all ways.  

I would like to thank all of those fellow Pilgrims who not only inspired me but kept me out of trouble.  The lady and niece from Germany who found all my credentials at the ATM and carried them up the trail until they found a very worried man looking for his passport and credit cards as I ran back towards town. She smiled and said I think these belong to you. (See 3rd photo) Special thanks to Mick, Nick and Des for stopping me from going down the wrong trail on top of the Pyrenees, I might have ended up back in France .  Bill for providing guidance and key thoughts at the right time. We would have never met our fellow Pilgrims if Bill had not suggested that we stay at Orrison. Thanks to all the Pilgrims who were there with me with a common cause. The friendships will last forever.  The giving spirit can only be discribed if you walked. The emails from Mrs Cheese. The emails from my blog followers.  The country of Spain is magnificent, it's people, the animals and of course the pristine beauty of the country side.   Thanks to Martha for understanding the importance and joining me for the final five days.  

Time we can not stop, but taking the time to walk the Camino is special.  You think about everything at least three times and have the fellow Pilgrim to help organize your thoughts.  We all helped each other when needed.  We all need a walk or two in life.

I will arrive home on the 6th of June and start planning for my next adventure.  We are traveling through Portugal doing some recon work for next year.

Best to all

Nick

Sara I will be home soon....

21 - 25 May The journey continues

I am not sure where the last few days have gone but I believe that the Camino and the country side of Spain has a way of all most stoping time.   You have no idea what the date is nor do you know the day of the week, nor do you care.  The past few days have presented some of the most beautiful walks and of course with only four days until I reach Santiago my personal thoughts continue to grow on how special  it has been to travel this journey.  My health continues to grow, mental, physical and spiritual.  When combined together I feel very at ease with life and a strong confidence in the world around me.  When I have those moments of distraction I understand the importance of keeping a balance of all three.  The journey has provided me the opportunity to meet people I would have never encountered while letting me see and sense some of the most beautiful country side in the world.  I am very thankful that I was able to do both of these and I will never forget either because they are one.   

Departing Villafranca the climb was some  1.5 miles straight up the mountain side that gave one the view only birds usually enjoy.  The views of the valley below and of where we had been and where were going again was nothing short of special.  We walked through 200 year old cherry orchards with the welcome from the local Cuckoo birds and the never ending morning dove cheering us on down the path.    Ahead was the climb to O'Cebreiro from Herrerias.  This climb was all most exactly as our climb on the first day from St Jean to Orrison, the main difference was that we would be going up through a very rocky trail lined by forest and running streams.   A hard day but well worth the effort.  Once we were in O'Cebreiro it was our first realization that tour buses have now become part of our daily life.   Three or four large white vehicles unloaded tourist from Germany, USA, Spain etc.  It all most made a case for we and they.  Quickly we passed through and gained our silence of the walk again and only knowing in the next village we would probably encounter a few more of these visitors.    

On the 23 of May Martha  joined the walk and officially became Pilgrims on the 24th as we walked to Portomarin.  The first of the last five days.   A special treat for both of them. A day to get your boots dirty and enjoy the walk to Santiago.  Today we travel to Palas De Rei.  The number of Pilgrims joining the walk continues to grow.  On a normal day you might see 30 Pilgrims as you walk, yesterday you could see 30 in one spot.  The journey is meant for everyone and the fact that This special walk is shared makes it even more special.

I will have to admit I am starting to hate the idea that the walk is coming to an end.  So I need to start thinking about my next walk.  Everyone should have a walk planned, my new thought on life. I will put more pictures on later today as I have to download from camera, Iphone etc.  Best to all.  Nick

20 May Via Franca going West...

What a beautiful Morning, no clouds, no snow just good old sunshine.   We decided to take the high road to O'cebreir ... what we did not realize is that the first two miles was like walking up the Washington Monument.  The reward was greater than the pain and once one could get his breath and heart rate under control the scenes and mountains again provided natures entertainment.   Mr Cuckoo Bird arrived on schedule as we passed over the summit.   The cherry orchards were in blossom , the grape vines doubling in growth since we first saw them in Northern Spain.  God was really at work bringing in Spring.  We descended to the bottom of the valley about half way through the walk and followed the river the remainder of the walk.  You will see from my photos today that this really was a walk in the park.

I wanted to share with the Spirit of the Camino as provided by the American Pilgrims on the Camino Association.

LIVE IN THE MOMENT

WELCOME EACH DAY  ITS PLEASURES AND ITS CHALLENGES

MAKE OTHERS FEEL WELCOME 

SHARE

FEEL THE SPIRIT OF THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE YOU 

IMAGINE THOE WHO WILL FOLLOW YOU

APPRECIATE THOSE WHO WALK WITH YOU TODAY

These are good thoughts for everyday...

On we go...   best to all soon Santiago....

19 May Ponferrada to Villafranca

I must admit that the body is a little tired today after yesterdays trek.   The legs did not move very fast nor did the mind think I was putting any distance between myself and Ponferrada.   A short walk by Camino standards but still we had a few serious mountains to navigate.   The mind was not working properly in the beginning.  

Just when you let your chin down and wonder just maybe why am I out here, the Camino comes back to awaken you with a slap along side the head and you look up and see some of the most beautiful country in the world.   The wine vineyards with their Spring growth, olive trees working hard to produce the best corp, the mountains tops covered with snow, the red poppies everywhere, the continuous never ending churches,  each with it's own personality as each rings announcing Sunday Mass.    The smile comes back, the legs start working and again you are a healthy human being.   How could I have been so weak ?

I am just going to let the photos tell the story today.   Tomorrow we head to O'cebreiro , I was told today that the way has cleared and we should not have to argue with the snow storms.   

Happy Sunday to all....   today we are somewhere around 185Km from Santiago or 120 miles.   8 days to Santiago. 

Nick

18 May Rabanal to Cruz de Ferro to Ponferrada 22 Miles through wind, snow and rain

The 5 AM wind outside my window in Rabanal was not something I wanted to hear.  The Pilgrims were all gathered outside the hostel looking up the-mountain with    amazement   and wonderment.  The Aussie's and South Africans were all excited because they were going to see snow... the Danish and Germans were properly dressing themselves to go through the snow.. this man from Oregon knew that this was going to be a long cold day of snow and mud.  It reminded me of my days as a young boy in a place called Swan Lake where I spent a few years growing up.  Suck it up and start up the mountain.    

The Cruz de Ferro was the first objective of the day.  It is here that people leave a stone or a prayer asking for God's grace.   I had several stones , shells and prayers to deliver so I had better get going before the snow stops everyone.   Some three hours later I arrived at the Cruz.   Cold, wet and not wanting to stand around to see if I could get hypothermia I  wasted no time in saying my words and departing in to the cloud of snow ahead.   Mission accomplished.  My prayers and thoughts left on the highest point of the Camino,  a part of the journey that I had thought about for several months.   A certain warmth went through my body and the walk today seemed very easy, my strength was at its best and the weather was no longer a problem.  Peace was with me.  

Next stop, Molinaseca 12 miles down the trail.   The snow continued , very little talking was going on today on the trail as  everyone had their heads down looking for an end to this distraction.  Some 6 miles or so the snow stopped and life changed to the better.   Molinaseca is a beautiful medieval   village. The old homes clean, in excellent state of repair and the new homes are most impressive.  If I had to guess it is a bedroom community to Ponferrada.  

After 9 hours of walking the most technical difficult part of the trail so far I made it to Ponferrada.  The mixture of cobble stones, solid rock surfaces, mud , small streams and highways was not your typical day on the Camino.  A job well done by all.  

Tomorrow in to the face of more snow.  Reports predict snow in the passes and rain in the lower areas.   What is this all about... it is spring here, I think.  It does not matter in reality.  It is a gift that I can walk ....

Best to all. 

Nick