Forgot the pictures

Day 4

I can't really describe what an incredible experience this is on so many levels. The scenery is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The camraidery among the pilgrims is even better then I expected. The Spanish people are very patient with my few words of Spanish.  It is harder physically than I anticipated, though. Imagine walking up the steepest hill you have ever walked up & keep going up for 1/2 an hour. Then you go down the same steepness, in the rain on slippery rocks & mud. I actually began to enjoy the walking on Saturday. It began to sink in where I was & what I was doing & how blessed I am. Saturday was my 66th birthday & what a way to celebrate! I went to dinner with a wonderful family: the mom is my age & her three daughters are about the same age as my children.  We spent the last 4 days traveling the same distances so kept running into each other. One thing came to mind the first few days as my feet & knees & legs were screaming at me to stop: Paul's passage from Romans 5:3-5. "Suffering produces endurance & endurance produces character & character & produces hope" & hope  brings us closer to God. Even though my suffering is self inflicted it was comforting. Buen Camino.

Made it!

It was close to two days before I slept in a bed--planes then the train & finally in a quaint guest house in Pamlona. Walked from my hotel room to the historic part of Pamplona last night. And yes Diane Poulin even with a map I went in the wrong direction & finally found the right bus to take me back before it got too dark. The people are really friendly & helpful--& patient with the fact that I only know a few words of Spanish. I'm getting very proficient with the phrase habla Ingles? (Do you speak English?). Beautiful sunny weather. I am so blessed to have this opportunity! 

Tapas. These had cheese & roasted veggies & thinly sliced cured meats made locally.

One of the numerous parks in Pamplona. 

Easter night, April 20, 2014

After almost two years of planning I leave tomorrow for Spain. Most people have asked me in one way or another: why? Why are you doing this? There are two reasons why I am embarking on this Pilgrimage called the Camino de Santiago.

First, there is the spiritual aspect. One of the most spiritually inspiring and restful experiences I have had in a long time was the Five Day Spiritual Academy two years ago. The daily schedule of prayer and silence and resting in God was incredible. Barbara Rupp in her book about walking the Camino—Walking in a Relaxed Manner—talks about the gift of living in the Now. Living in the moment is nearly impossible to do in our busy, stressful lives filled with great responsibilities and petty minutia. The Camino gives you time to think. Christian pilgrimage has been an important spiritual practice for almost 1800 years. It isn’t just the destination but it is the journey that is important. Traveling as a pilgrim means leaving behind the familiar, being open to the hospitality of others and allowing oneself to be vulnerable.  It is about finding God when we least expect it.  As Teresa of Avila says, “You find God in yourself, and you find yourself in God.”

The second reason is the sense of adventure and a love of the outdoors. I first heard about the Camino de Santiago around 7 years ago when a pastor announced she was going on this journey. It stirred up in me a longing that has been with me as long as I can remember. As a child I spent many, many hours ‘exploring’ the woods where I lived in RI. I followed the power lines—or pole lines as we called them—for hours. I followed brooks to their source and to their end. I loved to lie on the dry brown grass on a hillside, feeling the warmth of the sun and listening to the wind in the pine trees. The smells and sounds and tastes of adventure lure me to this journey.

This is what calls me to the Camino.  

I pray that my body will toughen up and adjust to carrying a pack. I have trained but not enough. I’m trying not to anticipate or have expectations but to just experience each moment as it comes. Buen Camino.

 

testing the blog

In 11 days I am leaving for Madrid and then on to Roncesvalles to begin the 500 mile walking Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella in northwestern Spain. To read more about the Camino de Santiago go to http://www.americanpilgrims.com/. I will be posting to this blog and hopefully sending a link to your email. This is a test to see if that works! If you don't wish to receive emails from me with a link to this blog please let me know. Blessings, Pastor Kathy Macedo