Walking the Camino de Santiago
Pilgrim reports from the Camino.
This morning started very much the same way yesterday did. I was actually awakened by an alarm from one of the nearby tents just before five. The Templar chant started five minutes later, and my backpack was already half packed. I was completely ready to go by 6. Last night, I discovered I had a hotspot on my left foot. […]
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Reveille came at 5 AM in the form of Templar chant over loudspeakers, followed shortly thereafter by actual bagpipes. As you might imagine, breaking camp was an exercise in controlled chaos. But at least there was hot coffee. We started at about 7 AM. This is more like a procession with backpacks than any pilgrimage I’ve been on. Our group […]
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A relatively smooth trip to Tulsa. On the first leg to Dallas, I sat next to an enormous man wearing an enormous cowboy hat. Fortunately, on the second leg the seat next to me was empty. My old friend Shelly picked me up from the airport in Tulsa. I haven’t seen her or her kids in years. Hung out with […]
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Several years ago now, some friends of ours (and fellow parishioners) up and moved to Oklahoma. Shortly after Francine’s death, they reached out to invite me to join them on a short annual pilgrimage that takes place in the hills of Oklahoma. This is called the Three Hearts pilgrimage, and it ends at the Abbey of Our Lady of the Annunciation of […]
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From August 18 through October 23, 2023, I walked from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain on pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle Saint James the Greater – Santiago. During this pilgrimage, I walked 1,633.8 km, or just over 1,015 miles. This doesn’t count walking around and exploring the many cities, towns, and villages where […]
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I made my first visit to the Cathedral this morning, attending the 9:30 Mass. it wasn’t very crowded, as most pilgrims attend the evening pilgrim Mass rather than one of the early morning ones. In addition to the Spanish celebrant, the Mass was concelebrated by two priests from the Archdiocese of Portland. It was odd to hear parts of the […]
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Today I completed the walking portion of my pilgrimage. I have yet to visit the cathedral and the tomb of the Apostle. That’s an adventure for tomorrow.. This morning, after a deep and blissful sleep, I woke up at about 7 AM. Breakfast began at 8:00, and I took it slowly. No sense in leaving before it was light out today. […]
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Today I left the albergue just after 8:00 AM. My shoes were still wet, but I had a couple of plastic bags that I hoped would keep my feet dry. The route out of town took me past the church, but at this early morning hour it was safely locked up. It looks like market day is today – there […]
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This morning I again woke up at 7:00 AM rather than my customary 5:00. Maybe seven is the new five? I suspect it is a combination of fatigue – I really need to lay on a couch for a couple of days – and the fewer hours of daylight. In any case, the albergue café didn’t start serving breakfast until […]
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Last evening I met a couple of guys from South Africa as well as a pilgrim from Trinidad. Quite a group of folks having the usual pilgrim conversations, and it helped bring me out of my funk. And it turns out that Neil from South Africa owns a company that makes vestments. Crazy. Seriously slept in today. I guess my […]
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