Camino Completed Day 11

 Are we there yet? It’s the question that pops into every kids mind on any long journey. As we were walking through Compostela I kept saying, “One of these times we will turn a corner and the church will be right there in front of us. And then it happened. I was amazed at the enormity of the church. Incredibly big! 

We arrived just before noon and already there were hundreds of pilgrims in the square. We took some time to celebrate, take pictures and then get our credentials stamped. 

The trip was 11days; 270 kilometers/167 miles; 457,938 steps; six blisters and a real sense of accomplishment. Enjoyed almost every minute of it. 

A common phrase is The Camino Provides. for me, it is God who always provided what I needed. We developed a rhythm with our group. They would stop early for coffee and I would keep walking. They would catch up (I walk slow). Then I would stop for a bite and a little while later they would stop again. With their two stops for my one I was able to keep pace. So I walked a lot of time alone which was good. I could pray my office as I walked and often times I would meet another solo walker and we would share some Camino time together. As I was struggling the Camino (read God) provided Kiri from Canada. We shared about 3-4 kilometers of good conversation together. 

The last 2k my friends caught back up and we walked them together. Thanks to Chris & Andrea from Indy, Carolein from Holland and Mark from Michigan for sharing my first Camino with me. 

Yes. I said first. Already thinking about Camino 2025! Interested?

And Then There Was One Day 10 Completed

 10 days down and one to go. I spent the first part of this day placing prayer and worry rocks along the Camino. I must admit I was humbled by the experience. I made a list last night that included the name and then the intention for which I prayed. As I looked at the list I would get a rock and then pray for that intention while I walked to the next marker. Thank you all for trusting me with your intentions. I received intentions from former students (back before priesthood when I was “Mr” Clegg) and from every parish that I have served as a priest. It was an honor to pray my way through this day. 

I now have the end in sight. What ten days ago began as a hope and a dream will, barring any severe injury, be brought to fruition. One of the things I find most interesting about this journey is that the things I thought might be a problem (carrying a pack for 11 days) turned out not to be problematic. After a while I really didn’t even think about the pack. And the things that I didn’t think about (blisters) became the real problem. I’m not sure what I could have done to prevent the blisters. I walked everyday at home and only had one the whole time. At last count I have 6.  To be totally honest they are more painful when I change out of my walking shoes and into my evening shoes. As I walk they occasionally annoy but rarely really hurt. 

I am anxious now to reach the church of Santiago de Compostela tomorrow. We have just under 20k to go. We hope to leave early (about 5:30, I think) so we can reach Compostela around noon. We have two nights in Compostela before I head to Madrid for two nights. I’ll continue to post throughout the next several days. Thanks for joining me in this journey. 

Pain is Temporary Day 9

 So they say that pain is temporary and I believe that for the most part that is true. I’ve definitely found it to be true on the Camino.  Each morning I begin my walk wondering which body part will be the first to say hello. Today it was my right shin that introduced itself to me just to remind me that he was here. Later my left knee said, “Hello, don’t forget about me.” My right hip made sure to hurt just enough to get noticed and on every incline and decline my blisters asked for a little attention. But as I said the pain is temporary because rarely does everything hurt at the same time. 

Thus far we have walked 218 kilometers/135.4 miles with 42 kilometers/26 miles to go. Tomorrow we will do 25k with the remaining 17k on Saturday when we will arrive at Santiago de Compostela, the destination of our journey. I saw a road sign today that said Santiago de Compostela 40k and I guess if we stayed on the road it would be a little shorter. But being on the pilgrim’s route is so much nicer. 

Different parts of the route have different surfaces. Cobblestone is the hardest for me to walk on and dirt trails the easiest. Sometimes the surface makes the journey a little harder, much the same as in life. So I prayer for a little smoother path and eventually it comes. I pray for a bit of shade and I find myself walking under the grape vines. They say the Camino provides and that is true as well. Our albergue today has a pool and a beautiful garden spot-the perfect place for a night’s respite. 

Tomorrow we have a bit of a climb at the start of the day-about 500 feet as we journey the 25 kilometers from Caldes de Reis to a Escravitude. 

My friend Linda asked me to put a worry rock out for her intention. I should have done this earlier but if you have a prayer intention please let me know and I will leave a rock on a marker for your intention. 

Day 8: Taking the Scenic Route

 Today we did 20k from Redondela to Pontevedra. It was actually a little longer as we added on a scenic river walk for the last 4k and it adds a couple kilometers. As we walked into town a group of preschoolers kept yelling Buen Camino. It gave me lots of energy. Today was a lot of up and down as I believe the rest of the Camino will be as well. 

The Camino gets a lot more crowded as you get within a hundred kilometers from Santiago. That’s because you must walk 100 kilometers to have officially completed the Camino. 

There are markers all along the pilgrimage route telling you which way to go. Often at the top there are prayer rocks left by pilgrims. Some call them worry rocks where you leave your worries behind. Others say they are your sins that you leave on the Camino. For me they are prayers for all of you supporting me on the journey. 

The rest of the days are about 20 kilometer days.  I feel good and am ready for whatever the rest of the Camino has in mind for me.

It’s All Downhill Camino Day 7

 I’m now measuring my distance by steps taken. Miles and Kilometers all seem to run together. Today was 43,279. That makes it our 3rd longest day. I think it was about 14 miles. We started the day with a little rain but it cleared up quickly. 

A word about the Camino. If you look at a map of “the Camino de Santiago” you are likely to get a map of many paths. We are on the Portuguese route which can either be coastal or inland. We chose the coastal which is a little bit longer but not as hilly. Don’t get me wrong, there are hills. It is more southern Indiana than northern Indiana. Today. We also chose a variation of the coastal path. There are several variations of the path; they usually keep you closer to the beach. 

According to the book we have been 177k/105 miles with 84 kilometers/54 miles to go. A couple of shortcuts allowed us to cut off some distance as well. The rest of our days should be about 12 mile days. 

It’s been amazing how helpful the locals have been. It is also great to hear their support as they encourage us onward.  

My blisters are healing well. My back is doing great. My legs are fine and my stamina is good. Four days to Santiago de Compostela. 

Camino Day 6: Getting in the Groove

 Another day on the Camino. It was a day to just make it through. Nothing great; nothing bad. Just moving forward. Life I think is a lot like that as well. Kelly Vogt keeps commenting on Facebook: one foot in front of the other. And that sums up today. 

Spent a good part of my walk with Ahtoo from Figi. Enjoyed walking and talking with her. She is doing the Camino for her mother who died some years back. I’m praying for her s as no her mother tonight. 

Spain is a little different from Portugal. So far the albergues are nicer and cost a little more ($15-20 v $10). The food too is more expensive but we’ve eaten at some great restaurants that often take 45 minutes to get the bill. 

The walk is still beautiful and we are on pace to reach Santiago on Saturday. More to come tomorrow. 

Incredible Day: Day 5 on the Camino

 As bad as day four was for me, day five was tremendous. As we were making our way toward the last mile of day four I was moving pretty slow. My partners told me we had just 15 minutes to make it to our albergue to guarantee our spot for the night. With my blisters, now I also had to walk fast! But we made it. I was greeted by a beautiful lady and a glass of cold water (believed it or not, cold water is not always easy to find!). 

A word about albergues. As I mentioned in my first or second post, an albergue is a hostel that caters to pilgrims on the journey.  You must show your pilgrim’s passport to stay at the albergue. There are usually dorm style rooms, most of the time filled with bunk beds. The cost is usually $10 per person in Portugal and $15 per person in Spain. On our third night, in the town of Ville do Conde, we splurged for a semiprivate room $25. Mark, my new friend from Michigan, and I shared a room. A lot of the albergues are former convents and monasteries. 

As I mentioned in my last post, we have added a day to our walking. We are now doing the 172 miles in 11 days. We cut off 4 miles of day one by taking a train through the city; we are going to cut off another four at the start of day 7 the same way. This will keep us to 12 mile days which is all I can do. 

Another change we made is to take the coastal route the entire way. Great decision. Today was absolutely gorgeous as we meandered our way through village after village in Spain. We were walking ocean side 90% of the day. Thanks to our traveling companion Carolein from Holland, a nurse and an experienced hiker, my blisters were uncomfortable but not painful and did not get any worse. 

When we reached our $15 bed for the night we discovered it came with an ocean view. Check out the photos on Facebook. The weather was perfect. We had some great meals and great conversations as we walked. I “attended” Mass with all of you at JPII; congrats to our newly. 

Thanks for all the prayers. I really felt them today. 

Ouch! Day Four

 Day four kicked my butt! We did 28.6 kilometers; just under 18 miles. There were a lot of climbs, a little ocean, a late start, and lots of sun. I developed my first blister, luckily traveling with some seasoned pilgrims and they gave me what I hope will turn out to be good advice. 

At the end of the day, the group began to discuss the forward trek. We are 160 kilometers from Santiago. Each 10 kilometers is about 6 miles. Not sure what the rest of the group is doing, but I’m adding another day and limiting my days to 20kl/12 miles. I just can’t do 18.  I think a couple of others in the group are taking that route so I should not be alone. Our “group” started with 4. We now number 8. The Camino has a way of multiplying friends. 

For now, my pack has not been a problem so I will continue to carry. That may change later. 

Say a prayer for me. I want to keep going. I want my body to hold out, especially my feet. So all you prayer warriors send up a prayer for my feet. More to come tomorrow. 

Camino Day 3 In The Books.

 We started out the day with a forecast of rain (80% chance) for the first half of the day. I was glad it was only a 12 mile walk. Had the rain gear on for the first ten minutes and it was dry the rest of the way. 

As we checked in to the albergue last night, we were asked the purpose for our pilgrimage. I said it was spiritual. But it gave me pause to think: why does anyone go on a pilgrimage? To grow in one’s faith is one reason. To become closer to God is another. To check the place of pilgrimage off a bucket list might be a third. Add to that, spending time with friends. To say I did it also comes to mind. All of those are true for me. 

But the Camino has been more than all of  that for me. The Camino is a reminder that many people are still seeking the good. Many people are still searching for the other. Call it God; call it peace; call it fulfillment. Call it what you will but people want. So much do that they walk hundreds of miles in search of “IT.”  St. Augustine said. Our hearts are restless, O God, until it rests in thee.”

There are two routes from Porto to Santiago: the coastal route and the inner route. For our first four or five days we are traveling the coastal route. However, today’s trek was mostly in land with very little oceanside walking. We traveled on cobblestone roads, dirt roads, trails and even had to do a little bouldering. We saw elevation changes for the first time as we journeyed over a hill about the size of the “knobs” in southern Indiana.

Typical albergues rune 10 euros a night. Tonight albergue is the first to offer private rooms. I took advantage of it (no climbing into a top bunk) and enjoyed a hotel room like setting for 27.50e. The building itself is an old monastery.  Beautiful structure and wonderful place to stay. I continue to be amazed at the number of people I am meeting. Rodney from Australia has joined our group for a while. I walked with Jenny and Catherine from Ireland and I met a Franciscan Friar from South America. People walk with you for a while and then either you are they move on  happy to have shared the time  

Tomorrow we journey on. I think it is a 17 mile day. My body is still good. Some small blisters might be forming on a couple of toes-watching them to see how it goes. I have some cream that I hope will keep them at bay. Say a prayer for as I continue to pray for all of you. 

Day 2:The Camino Gets Real

 I’ve learned a little bit about Portuguese weather. 90% chance of rains means it won’t rain; 30% means you’ll get drenched. We had a 30% chance today. Actually the team was only for about an hour and a half. 

My spirits remain good and I’m still glad I came. In fact, already thinking about The Return to The Camino. There is a sense of peace as you walk with hundreds of other pilgrims toward our common goal: the Church of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. There is a lot of mutual support from other pilgrims calling out the phrase “bon Camino” in many languages. Someone told me that the Camino gives you energy and I’ve found that to be true. 

I was worried about back to back long days on the Camino, but I’m glad to report I’m still doing well. My spirits are high. My body is 80%. A little hikers rash on my legs but my feet are still solid. 

Tomorrow is a smaller day-12 mikes I think. Pictures on Facebook.