I need a new rubber stamp

Yeaterday, I got to Santo Domingo and wandered the streets looking for something to eat. After taking a few twists and turns, I passed an inviting-looking cafe and then realized that there were two familiar faces at an outside table, Jaimie, a handsome Spanish doctor and Gema, a lovely woman from Barcelona. I'd shared a meal or bedspace with each of them and had an attraction to each of their auras (if that's not too Shirley Maclain). They invited me to sit with them and their friend. They were catching the bus back to Barcelona to go back to work after walking the camino for a week. I told them about the woman I'd met who was walking to Jerusalem for Jesus. I said I didn't get that. Surely she would make more of  a difference to the world if she did something useful. Jamie thought for a moment and then said that maybe she was helping individuals all along her walk. Or maybe she needed to complete the process involved in her walk/journey to go on to doing something wonderful. Oh. Yes, that makes sense. She did help me tie my shirt over my pack. Many she helped others in really big ways too. When I don't understand something, especially a "for Jesus" thing, I stamp it somewhat creepy.  Maybe I need an "I don't get it" stamp.

Jaimie and Gema Iin front of door

Sunflowers

Where I'll sleep tonight, top bunk in front of window

The Gift

I've met some wonderful people. There is a young couple from Tennessee that has been walking at the same daily pace as me so I've seen them for the last four evenings. Sam is 6'7" and Courtney is 6'0". They beam good will. At one point I commented that I don't start walking really early like some people do because it is too dark and I don't have a flashlight to find the camino markers. The next evening Courtney gave me her compact, slightly heavy well-made flashlight. I thanked her. "Your backpack is too heavy!" I've heard several times a day. I've contravened all the advice and not paid attention to the holy scriptures of the camino guide book. But since I am staying til Dec 1, I have a few extra items. And as weknow, nurses have strong backs (right Elaine?) and I am not struggling. But I did think about the flashlight a lot as I walked. A gift given with love but not appreciated.
Next story... Yesterday I was walking alone singing and thinking and having a lovely time on a country road lined with grape trees when a light sprinkle of rain started. Along came a woman towards me and I asked her to cover my backpack with my shirt. I asked her if she was walking the camino backwards, Santiago to StJean, as a few people do and she told me that she had walked out her front door in Germany and walked to Santiago. Now she was walking back and proceeding to Jerusalem. "For Jesus", she said as she walked on. I wondered how that huge effort helped Jesus...
These thoughts combined today like this.. both are gifts given with love and sincere good intentions. But maybe there is one more step needed. Are they useful, do they actually help anyone or change anyone's circumstance for the better?
Result... I gave the flashlight back to Courtney with thanks and an explanation that my pack was too heavy. I will try to make gifts that help make a difference.

One quarter done

I've been composing my next blog in my head while I walked but alors I don't have time to write it now
 I am in a dusty one horse town called Azofra in a good albergue ( pilgrim hostel) havong done one quarter of the route . Had an out-of-sync day yesterday but in full enjoyment of new friends today and had a wonderful walk. Ill try tovshow a fewvfotos before I go to bed.. thanks heather and laura for your replies.

Starting week 2....the people

I've met fabulous, interesting, kind people. Everyone seems to be just a little bit more open, generous, and caring. Maybe that alone is the magic we feel. Last evening I very unexpectedly ran into Sue, who accompanied me over the Pyrenees. We talked about having a pilgrim supper together in the church square. It turned into a fabulous evening with Brit, a young palliative care nurse from Ireland, Ellen, a teacher/social worker from Australia and (get this!!!) Helene, 62, who had been walking from her front door in the Frnch Alps since mid August. What a great evening. Today I ran into a young couple of Isreali newlyweds who I'd met outside of Pamplona. There they told me they'd been fighting until they started walking on the camino. They were very excited to see me and wanted a picturewith me. I asked why they remembered me and they said that I was the first person wwho'd had a conversation with them. I asked if there'd been any more fighting. Icould easily tell from their look that there hadn't been. I have had no feet problems just a gimpy knee which makes me descend slowly. Today I walked with a young Brazilian who was trying to decide on his future path...follow his love of photography or "be successful". He wanted photos with me. I'll try to show you all these people. Ellen and I are really pushing our comfort limits tonight. We are staying at a cathedral hostel on mats on the floor ( if I can discreetly take a photo, I will). The brothers or camino confraternity guys will make our supper after our pilgrim blessing tonight. Yup, no holds barred for me!!!
..

End of first week

These are some of the sights I saw today. I was on the camino about 7 Am but it was too dark to see the markings so i had to wait for others with flashlights to come along. As is usual, I have remet people who i walked with a few days ago. One woman, Sue, was special to me because we descended from the pyrenees in a steady drizzle picking our way very slowly down a very steep slope of loose stones and slippery wet clay. Today It was very hot and the shadeless sun made me glad to have gotten crackalacking and have my 20 km finished by 1 pm. Stragglers are still arriving at the albergue (pilgrim hostel) looking exhausted and sunburned while i am showered and sitting in the shade. Yesterday i completed the first 100 km. The albergue host here says he is going to Canada because it must be empty; so many Canadians are here.

tuesday sept 24

I'm in Estella. It is a beautiful town of 15, 000 and I am being a tourist this afternoon. I have gone from hero (over the Pyrenees!) to zero (it's 30 degreees and an old knee injury is hurting) in one day. And that's real life and the allegory of the camino. ... flying high then crash and burn. But also true is the unexpected joy or gift when things seem hard.
I am sitting in a little church square with a fountain splashing behind me. It is shady and 530 pm. The honking big church in front of me is chiming every 15 minutes. I'm about to find a meal and then stroll taking photoes. Today I was walking by 7 am but I am doing less than 20 km these days. It is stinking hot and I am listening to my aches. Iam at a hostel tonight with an English man and his grown daughter. He has a very sore knee. She has a blister on the side of her heel that terrifies me (tho I didn't say that). Tomorrow I will pass by the fountain that spews wine, drink some from my pilgrim shell and walk on. I'll post more when I have wifi. (Please tell dr. Buzz that the pole advice was priceless.)
Some of you should consider doing this. It is life-changing!

where I've been lately

Over the Pyrenees

Here we are

I've been walking for four days. At this moment I am in a lovely hostel beyond Pamplona. Today is day four of walking for most people. Many of us started together in St. Jean in France. We had a sleepless night worrying about the difficult first day over thr Pyrenees. The weather was drizzly and cold. There was no bailout option...stop at 8 km or go over the top and into Spain. The next day was drizzly too but we were becoming a unit and familiar with each others' name and origins. On the third day we reached Pamplona and some of us stopped before or went beyond. On day four, today, we are injured and cranky. Many people have devastating blisters or cripplingly sore knees.
 Today we left from various places in or around Pamplona and felt powerful or wounded. Age  is not the difference... sometimes it is training, fitness, equipment, luck. We are tired and scattered.
I've had a great time meeting people from around the world. One evening I was invited to tag along for suppervwith Jose from South America and Pablo from US/Spain. Jos schmoozled the staff at a restaurant to cook a traditional Spanish bean soup. It was so good that I can't describe it. Other pilgrims came in and wanted to order the same but it wasn't a choice and Jose shared our leftovers from our pot. Everyone was swooning at the deliciousness and the atmosphere soon became a great celebration with picture taking and fast friendships. That is the way of the camino.
Yesterday in Pamplona I had a delicious seafood dumpling and glass of red wine for four euros. By fluke, I was on the street where they run the bulls.
Serendippity rains down on me.
Please ignore all typos!!!

I'm here!

After a long trip, getting more tired and increasingly remote, I have arrived in St JeanPied de Port. I am a long way from Kansas, Dorothy.
The vegetation is thick and lush and today the air is moist and comfortable. I have met many many people from distant lands and of all ages. Tomorrow I will start to walk. The first day is fearsome...huge climbs, no place to stop, 32km-ish.
I have so much to tell but not the energy to tell it. I guess sometimes you have to do it yourself if you want to know about it. I'll share what I can. But now I'm off to eat a sandwich and share wine by the bridge.

D-day!

The day has arrived! Today is September 16 and I am enroute to Paris. Yesterday I went to Knox church and said goodbye and then drove to Winnipeg after lunch. It was a beautiful clear sunny fall day, the kind where you can be dressed appropriately in a jacket or a t-shirt and  Lake of the Woods sparkled and beckoned. I had supper with my dad and my sister's family, slept at Heather's apartment and was driven to the airport this morning by Laura. Last evening Heather cleverly adjusted some settings on the blog so get comments from you should be essy. PLease try to write back to me so we can see if the problem is solved. You might be asked for your email address but that will not appear with your comment.

Now I am at Montreal airport waiting to board the plane for the overnight flight to Paris
 I always enjoy the dinner
wine, and movie. I feel very special and lucky to be hurtling through the night on my way to an adventure.

A short while ago I sat at a table here in the airport having a snack and visiting with a lovely couple who were biologists from Victoria. They do fascinating work in watershed management. A lifetime ago I worked at the Freshwater Institute and this conversation reminded me of the issues that ELA, David Suzuki, David Schindler and others work so hard to control for us thoughtless slobs.

Boarding soon. Next stop....Paris.

D-day has arrived

I'm at the Montreal airport and just wrote a blog, then lost it before I hit publish! So this entry will be short (if I get it posted at all).

First, Heather has tweeked the settings so you should be able to easily comment. You might be asked for your email address but that won't appear with your response. Please try it so we can see if it works.

I just had a snack with a lovely couple from Victoria. They are biologists who work on watershed management. Soon I will board the plane for Paris and eat dinner with wine while watching a movie and speeding throught the night sky. How lucky I am!

Yesterday was a perfect fall day leaving Kenora. It was sunny a crisp... just right with a jacket or tshirt.

Bye kenora !

D day minus 6...Am I ready?

Well that's a BIG question, isn't it? E-skills: very weak, but learning. I've managed to post some blogs, thanks to Laura, who got me set up. I haven't tried blogging from my phone yet, which will be my tool along the way. I don't know how to post photos into this blog. That will be the best part, because pictures are worth a thousand words, you know, or haven't you heard that? But don't you agree that photos of the scenery, walkers, weather, meals, sleeping accomodations, and any quirky details that I notice could be interesting. So post an entry if you can help solve the mystery of photo-to-blog on a Samsung 3. Next problem: I write in paragraphs. Miss Sorenson (high school English) would expect no less. When I "publish", the paragraphs disappear. You work- friends who know my pen rule can guess how this disturbs me. (New paragraph)Backpack: Yup, almost everything is in it and it feels less heavy than the load I carried during my summer walks. I am taking a well-constructed backpack from MEC (thanks Laura), very light fluffy sleeping bag (thanks Cheryl), 4 pairs of smartwool socks, 4 pairs of underwear, 1 pair of fast-drying cargo pants, 1 skirt (yes I walk in a skirt), 5 tshirts (1 tank, 1 long-sleeved), a many-purpose sarong, fleece, rain suit, walking shoes, Teva sandals and long underwear (thanks Heather), gloves and scarf, very thin puff jacket which serves as pillow. One bottle of camp-soap washes EVERYTHING, and a miniMEC towel, bandaids, second skin, advil, clothes line, moleskin to journal, and a few more odds and ends complete the load. Once I weigh the whole kit, I will post the total. The guide books recommend carrying no more than 10% of body weight and warn that many pilgrims quickly realize that their gear is not worth lugging, so they leave stuff behind or mail excess possessions home. I keep reminding myself that I am a minimalist and there ARE stores along the way. House/car: Snow tires on and winter fluids in. Last mowing, eaves cleaning, outside water off....pending later this week. Will/POA: underway (we all should have it completed. Get on it yourselves.) House maintanence: I was very lucky to find a 3 month lodger who will water plants, shovel, take in mail, etc. (Thanks, Laurenne.) Training: Throughout the summer, I frequently walked to Keewatin, swam and visited (thanks, Cathy), walked back home (17 kms total), bearing a weighted backpack, and sweating in 33 degree temperatures. Although this geography is hilly, I have been warned that I am not prepared for the slopes I will cover there! The weather could be blazing sunny 35 degrees or rain for many days and frosty mornings. An average day's distance might be 25 kms. Ya, well I'm only blogging right now because I have 2 jobs on my list that I don't want to do. They keep getting postponed to "tomorrow". Not many of those left. I'll blog tomorrow and tell you if I crossed them off my list......

One week and counting... "Where will you sleep?" I am asked.

I worked my last shift at the hospital yesterday. I am now officially unemployed. I have been aware of, and interested in walking the Camino for five or so years. Many people walk only a portion of its great length or walk different sections over several years to complete the distance but for anyone wanting to walk 800 kms, a period of time amounting to longer than most peoples' work vacation is required. That is why the Camino adventure became a retirement goal for me. "Who are you going with?" and "Where will you sleep?" I am asked...... I am going alone. I am not meeting up with a group. I will get myself to St. Jean Pied de Port and strap on my backpack and start to walk. Some people join a tour group with a paid leader and they walk, cycle, or ride in coach buses. Their luggage is moved for them to their next hotel. But many, many people are walking... for personal or religious enlightenment, as a historical and cultural journey, for the physical challenge. Many are touched by its powerful spirituality. I will sleep in pilgrim hostels with potentially 2 - 100 snoring, wheezing sleepers per room. The first record of travellers on the Camino was in the ninth century, so there have been many years to build up infrastructure. Refugios and albergues (pilgrim hostels) pepper the route every 5 - 20 kms and food and water are frequently available. If I sound like I have half a clue to what it will be like, it is only because I have talked to a few people who have walked the path in the last few years and read some fascinating personal book accounts. In one week, you will hear it from this horse's mouth! I am really excited!

At two weeks away....what is it?

Although the Camino is becoming very popular, with nearly 200,000 pilgrims travelling the Camino last year, some people have never heard of it. The Way of St. James, el camino de Sant Iago, is a route to the burial site of one of Jesus's disciples, James. Tradition says that after Jesus died, the disciples scattered to spread the word and James arrived in Spain and converted nine Iberians to Christianity. When he returned to Jerusalem, James was martyred, decapitated, and buried. Legend says that James's body was later disinterred with head now attached and travelled by stone boat to Spain, where the body was reburied in a Roman burial ground, around 44 A.D. Then around 812, a hermit saw a bright star hovering over a field and, voila!, James's undecayed body was found. In this "saint" form, riding a white horse, James helped the Christian Spaniards drive out the Muslims (Moors) and Jews, and later conquer the Americas. James became the patron saint of Spain and his burial spot became the most sacred location in Spain and the site of a series of churches. To the Christians of the Middle Ages there was only one Church and three locations that told their story. Any Christian who made a pilgrimage to one of these places was assured of extraordinary blessing. Anyone who travelled to Jerusalem, where Christ was crucified, was called a palmer; if you travelled to Rome, where Peter founded the Church, you were known as a romero ; but only those who made the terribly hazardous trip to Compostela, the point from which Europe had been evangelized, were entitled to be called pilgrims. According to legend, the Santiago trail was used by the Celts in pre-Christian times as a path of initiation. Veins of electromagnetic power in the earth and lines of energy (called fey lines) are said to be aligned with the Milky Way along the entire trail. There are several routes to Santiago, depending on your starting point in Middle Ages Europe. People of those times simply walked out of their front doors and were on the way. Common converging points were Paris, Italy and along southern France, and north through Portugal. The route that I will follow is called the Camino Frances and most commonly starts in southwest France. In two weeks I will arrive at point zero! l