Walking the Camino de Santiago
Easter morning began with me taking down the black mourning flag that had flown at Pistachio House since the day of Francine’s death. It was replaced by the flag of Burgundy (really Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), which is the first region in France through which I will walk. This has been our custom through our Caminos. As I walk, my lovely house sitters […]
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When in April the sweet showers fallAnd pierce the drought of March to the root, and allThe veins are bathed in liquor of such powerAs brings about the engendering of the flower,When also Zephyrus with his sweet breathExhales an air in every grove and heathUpon the tender shoots, and the young sunHis half-course in the sign of the Ram has […]
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This morning, I’m getting on an airplane to fly to Paris. God willing, I begin walking on pilgrimage from Vézelay, France, on April 9. It was Francine’s dream to walk the Camino from Vézelay ever since she heard about this route in 2022. We have been actively planning this pilgrimage walk since late 2023. Francine was an enthusiastic pilgrim – […]
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Training for my upcoming walk on the Via Lemovicensis has more or less concluded. I’ve repacked my bags for the flight, and the two days until I fly will be taken up with various housekeeping measures and preparation for and celebration of Good Friday and the great Vigil of Easter. Part of that training is walking a “virtual Camino”. Francine […]
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This morning, I received my pilgrim blessing from my pastor at Saint Patrick, the Very Rev. David Mulholland. The last time he gave me this blessing, I was accompanied by my beautiful bride. Although she no longer walks the earth, I very much feel like she is walking with me on this pilgrimage. I will carry with me the pilgrim […]
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Just one week from today, I will be in France. Yowza! It’s odd but familiar, this countdown matching the one to Easter, just as it did in 2013 and 2016. It seems to give both things an even greater urgency, as if that were even possible. Since I volunteer in our parish, this week – Holy Week – is already […]
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Just before 9 AM, I passed a simple little placard that indicated the exact midpoint between Le Puy-en-Velay and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the GR 65 route. Of course, since I had taken a diversion to Rocamadour, I probably passed the midpoint of my journey through France a couple of days ago, very probably while I was lost coming out of Rocamadour. […]
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After running at the bottom of the valley for a while, the path climbed steeply up out of the forest and into the village of Le Bousquet. This shed was the only photo I took there, which might give you a feel for the place. Date: 06 September 2023 Place: Le Bousquet, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps!
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The Camino descended a bit out of the highlands and into a proper forest. The descent, as descents always do, slowed me down, but the land was beautiful, and I didn’t mind so much. And honestly, it wasn’t that much of a hill. As I walked along the forest path, I came upon this spring in the hillside. The water […]
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The Camino took me past acres and acres of fields of dead sunflowers. I don’t know if I just missed the season, or they’re not liking the heat and drought. They must have been magnificent when they were in full bloom, but now they look like desiccated corpses standing nearly to the horizon. I took many photos trying to capture […]
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