The journey continues!

St Jean Pied du Port - September 2013

It is now just over two months since I arrived in Santiago for the second time. When I decided to walk the Camino for the first time I could never have thought that I would be back just over a year later, this time leading a group of pilgrims on a journey that would touch my heart in a truly special way.

I remember the contrasting thoughts that went through my head the first time I walked all the way from St Jean Pied du Port. When the blisters on my feet turned every step into a painful challenge, I couldn't imagine myself ever repeating the experience. Yet, the very next day when I walked through the most beautiful places you could imagine, I knew that, God willing, I would return.

Little did I know that the plan for my life included not just returning to the Camino on my own, but with a group of people, all filled with expectations and exhilaration. So it happened then, that on the 9th of September this year, I led a merry band of pilgrims across the Pyrenees on a journey that would last us three weeks, taking us across the countryside of Spain and ending in Santiago de Compostela on the 29th of September.

Once again the journey was special beyond words. We encountered angels along the way, we made new friends and we included strangers at many a dinner table, thus experiencing the true meaning of compassion and friendship. We were able to laugh and cry with fellow pilgrims and most of all, we were able to celebrate life in a way that is not always possible when we are caught up in our busy routines back home. 

I continue to marvel at how God works in our lives. The many years of working as a tour guide in my own country equipped me in many ways to undertake this very special task. My solo walk of five weeks a year ago ensured that I was familiar with life as a pilgrim and as we walked from town to town I felt as if I had been there the day before. Finding actual stones on the ground that I had photographed the year before made me feel as if I truly belonged on those ancient paths, it was as if I had a built-in compass leading me along the way!

I will never forget the many special moments that I was privileged to spend with the members of this little group of pilgrims who came from all over the world. Walking into Santiago as a group, many of us in tears and hugging each one of them in the square in front of the majestic cathedral that marks the end of the journey for many people, was an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

When I started blogging about the Camino many months before, I said that from the moment I heard of this journey, I knew I was going to do it. Little did I know what an integral part of my life it would become. Back home I am now responsible for putting together the 'Amigos' magazine, the publication produced by the Confraternity of St James in South Africa three times a year. My involvement ensures that I remain in touch with what happens on the Camino, I stay updated with developments at the Pilgrims Office in Santiago and as a bonus my network of Camino friends continues to grow.

It is a pleasure to publish their stories and share their enthusiasm - the Camino connection is as strong back home as it is when we meet fellow pilgrims on the road in Spain! I am grateful for our Confraternity, being involved in this way means that I have the opportunity to interact with people who share my passion for the Camino and in turn I am able to pass on my knowledge to those who are planning to walk for the first time.

Here is a link to the official website: http://www.csjofsa.za.org/.

Next year in May I am planning to walk from Seville to Santiago de Compostela. I would like to continue to raise awareness for the MSA community and this walk will be dedicated to exactly that. My friend Sonja, who has suffered from this illness since 2010, remains a shining light to all who know her and I am truly grateful to God for the angels he has brought into her life through our Camino connections.

You can follow Sonja's journey on her own blog: www.msainsouthafricawithsonja.blogspot.com.

Whenever I spend time visiting a church or attend a service on the Camino I envisage walking with a small group of pilgrims who would be walking the Camino purely as a pilgrimage, dedicating their time to meditating on the word of God. My last two experiences on the Camino provided many of these moments and walking with members of the group this September confirmed to me that this is what the Camino is really about for me. 

So in conclusion then - I know that my next journey has to be a solo walk and so it will be. As for my dream of taking a group on a pilgrimage with a very specific focus - that of drawing nearer to God and meditating on his Word, who knows? What often starts off as a whisper in my ear has the tendency to increase in volume until the only thing that is left for me to do is to respond. 

Day 1

On the 11th of October it will be exactly three months since I arrived in Santiago de Compostella. On that day in July my feet were light and my backpack no longer weighed me down. I had survived!

 I had walked up to thirty kilometers on some of the days, stayed in hostels with strangers and shared meals, stories and band-aids. I cried, prayed and laughed until my stomach hurt. It had taken me 35 days to reach my destination.

There is so much that I would like to share but for all this time I felt the need to just be. I needed to absorb, process and be thankful.

About halfway through my journey I came across the stone pictured below. I was immediately drawn to it and I knew that I had received a powerful reminder:

'Be still, and know that I am God.' ~ Psalm 46:10

As the words fall in place and before the memories become too distant, I am writing about my experience. Chapter one of what I hope will become a book is done and I feel as if I am on a new journey altogether! As I write, things are starting to make sense and I am realising that almost every single day brought a new lesson - some I am only understanding now as I put everything into words!

I've decided to continue sharing some of my experiences here on my faithful little blog, even if by now I'm probably the only one still reading it! And when all is said and done - I will continue to hold on to the very special message contained in Psalm 46!



Day 604 - Let the sun guide you...

My absolute favourite line from this video -
'My soul is on a quest and I am drawn to walk this trail...'

Day 488 - Hearts of stone...

For a while now I have been aware of heart shapes all around me. The very first person I ever met who had actually walked the Camino, told me that her path in Spain was covered with hearts, she even became know for this - the girl who who was surrounded by heart shapes wherever she went. (By clicking here you can read one of my older posts about this wonderful encounter.) I am, by the way, truly grateful that my sister introduced me to this dear friend of hers, her enthusiasm about her pilgrimage is what fuelled my passion for this adventure way back then.

Do we hone our senses, I wondered at times, because feathers and heart shapes, especially heart shaped stones have just appeared on my path on a daily basis. Or, are the lights simply switched on once you open your own heart to the Lord? These things are symbolic for me and act as reminders of where my focus in life should be. Were they always there and I just never noticed, or did I notice but as it had no specific meaning for me, I just always dismissed it?

One thing I do know for sure though, is that God speaks to me every day, every moment, of my life. I have learnt how to open my heart. I have learnt how to fill my heart until it's so full that I feel it spilling over in a smile on my face - as it is right now!

And you know what they say about smiling and laughing - not only does it uplift your mood, it also helps you to live longer! If you don't believe me - read what the experts say here. :)

Proverbs 15:13 says: " A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit."

In verse 15 it says: " All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast."

I've made a conscious decision to base my life on the teachings of the Bible and as I continue on this path that I've embarked on, I discover that the answer to every single question that I have about life, is to be found in the pages of this God-given guidebook.

I've been told by numerous people to arm myself with John Brierley's guidebook when embarking on my pilgrimage to Santiago. From a practical point, I think I'll do myself a favour by doing that and I am so glad that so many people are so open and willing when it comes to sharing their Camino tips and experiences. The thing I'm even more grateful for, is that here and now, in my everyday life, I find myself surrounded by people who have recommended the Bible as the greatest, most precious guidebook I could invest in. Not only do they share their experiences, they offer guidance, advice and support. They explain the things I don't understand and patiently answer my one trillion questions.

As I've said umpteen times, my road to Santiago started months ago.

This new season of my life has equipped me beyond expectation. Starting this blog about my dream has brought people into my life who are going to be there for years to come and I am no longer amazed or astounded by the connections that are born out of these pages. I simply smile. Because I know who sent them.

There are many traditions on the Camino de Santiago. One tradition dictates that you take a stone from home and place it at the foot of the Cruz de Ferro, situated about 200km's before Santiago. As thousands of pilgrims have done this for many, many years, it seems as if there is a small mountain at the base of this cross by now. I've only ever seen pictures of it but I plan to take my little heart shaped stone - the smallest one on the picture above, along with me to Spain. It is going to find a home on that man made mountain and I will be placing it there in celebration of the fact that my heart truly belongs to the Lord!

Today I found this verse in Matthew (23:37):

 Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

I know I must have heard it or read it before in my life, but I feel as if I'm really hearing it now.

Sylvia Nilsen, probably one of the best informed people in South Africa regarding the Camino de Santiago, writes in a magazine article that I came across:

'The Lord is not found in a specific place - He lives in the heart of every believer, but doing a pilgrimage can connect you to God in a special way' 

I say again - I can't wait to get on that plane to Spain!

Day 415 - All about trust...

A couple of weeks ago I had to give my husband full power of attorney to sign documents on my behalf abroad. When I had the papers certified at the embassy the lady behind the desk said to me: 'Do you realise that your husband can withdraw all your money from the bank, sign over properties to himself etc. with this document that you are signing right now?' I had to smile.

What happened to trust? Surely I should be able to trust the man that I've shared my life with for over thirty years! She registered my marriage in his country of birth all those years ago, so she knew how long we've been married, she even registered the births of the children and grandchild as well!

I suppose she has seen her fair share of foul play as well and perhaps the question was merely posed as a woman to woman - are you sure you know what you're doing - sort of warning or advice of sorts.

Remembering this incident made me think of the issue of trust. Here I am, planning a trip that involves 780 kilometres of walking in a strange country where they speak a foreign language. I'm not booking any accommodation and in fact, I'm planning to sleep in hostels that I've never been to where often 20-plus people sleep in dormitories and share bathrooms. In fact, there is no guarantee of available beds as it's a question of first come, first served in those establishments.

As for food - well, I'm hoping that there will be a meal available somewhere at the end of every day and I suppose if  breakfast and lunch can magically appear in some form along the way, that will be just great!

I'm hoping that there will be warm water for my showers and somewhere where I can wash and dry my two outfits that I'm going to have with me. In fact, I'm hoping that I will be able to survive for a month with the meager number of items I will be able to take along in my 'Camino wardrobe'!

There's a lot of hoping in all the above, so I've made a decision to start trusting, instead of hoping!

The three pictures I've chosen for this post were all taken on my hikes last week and they fitted in perfectly with what I wanted to bring home here (probably to myself more than to anyone else!).

Those beautiful flowers could only appear if we had enough rain at the right time. Our Cape West Coast is transformed into a wonderland every year round about this time but it can only happen if we have rain. So, we have to trust that it will rain, and so we do. Every year.

The San people who lived in this part of the world so many years ago and who are responsible for the magnificent paintings below, had to put their trust in so much more! Rain, shelter, food, health - nothing was pre-packaged or available online! My worry about finding a bed every night on the camino seems like a joke when I imagine their lives - trust me, I have pictures of leopard tracks just outside the caves where we saw these paintings!

If you have ever been fortunate enough to spend time in the magical Cederberg area here in South Africa you will know that rock formations like the one in the photograph below, abound. Some of these magnificent structures seem almost surreal - I pretty much had to trust that this massive rock would remain supported by that tiny bottom structure as I stood in front of it...

You get the idea. So, trust I will.

 Here is a lovely piece from Ermanno Aiello's book where he relates an experience that illustrates exactly why I trust that all will work out exactly as it should.

' I had planned to stay for two nights in Melide and, after I had made my way to the centre of town, I asked a passer-by whether he knew of any hotel or Casa Rural in the area.

"Yes", he replied and promptly led me to a hotel close by. Unfortunately this hotel did not have any rooms with en-suite bathrooms and I wasn't too keen to use a communal bathroom.

"No problema, Senhor" said the manageress, "our sister hotel does." and she promptly telephoned said hotel and reserved a room for me. "How do I get there?" I asked. "No problema, Senhor" said the man who had accompanied me to this hotel, "I'll take you there."

The sister hotel was at the entrance to Melide and was a fair distance away. My guide escorted me all the way to my hotel and, once there, refused any offer of payment for his help, drank a glass of orange juice with me and left.

Was this person another of God's angels sent on the camino to help the pilgrims, or was he just a man with a heart full of compassion? I could not recall when last I had received such help from a stranger.'

I hope that I will meet my own 'angels' in Spain and am reminded of two verses in the Bible:

Proverbs 3: 5&6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

and

Hebrews 13: 1&2 - Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

I hope to add my own wonderful Camino stories to those of the thousands of pilgrims who have walked before me. If you are reading this and have walked the Camino - do share - I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Day 57 - For the record...

I'm so sick and tired of hearing myself say that I should start running again that this morning I finally decided to get my act together. I kicked myself out of bed (well it felt like I did anyway...) and I went a-walking. 

After climbing Kilimanjaro in July I simply stopped running. I was quite ill for a while after the climb but that excuse really is old news now. I think it might be a combination of factors that made me walk circles around my running shoes for so long. Being on such a high (pun intended...) and after months of hype and excitement about this big project, it's almost like an anti-climax once your life returns to normal.

I think that since I've decided to tackle the Camino in 2012, some of my enthusiasm for things sporty has returned, albeit very slowly. The fact that I'm battling to fit into some of my clothes and we haven't even started all the 'silly-season' cooking, also helped catapult me out of that bed this morning. 

My running partner has moved into a different league since Kili, she's managed to take just over half an hour off our half marathon time! That certainly has made me even more despondent - how on earth am I ever going to catch up with her!

Well, this is what I've decided. Focus on the positive, madame pellegrina. I WILL be running a sub two hour half marathon instead of taking two hours and thirty six minutes as in the past. I WILL catch up with my running partner because it's just so much fun running together. I WILL happily start the day with a walking or running session to get all those positive endorphins to lift my mood - I do remember how good exercise makes one feel and I WILL be able to eat every delicacy on the Christmas table because I will have run the excess away before then...

To top it all - I live in such a beautiful part of the world, running here is indeed a privilege. There were so many beautiful and interesting things that I spotted on this morning's walk (yeah, I am taking it slowly - walking will become running by next week) that I simply had to capture some for you.

At least they allow you to smile...

Guess no one told this little guy!

So there you have it. I've committed. 5km Done and dusted today. And now that I've put it out there and informed the whole wide world of my noble intentions, I guess I'm going to have to go and shop for running clothes - a girl has to work on staying motivated!

Day 49 - Down to basics - what is the Camino de Santiago really all about?

One of the first questions I'm asked when people hear that I'm planning to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrim's walk is: 'What is the origin?' or more often simply: 'What's it all about?'

The second question is the simpler one as I normally start chatting about the route, the albergues, the fact that you walk with just a backpack etc., etc. Easy stuff. The first question has caught me off guard a few times and I realized that if I'm serious about this business, I can't just start walking because it feels right and I know (or hope at least) that it's going to be a spiritual experience for me.

In other words - don't sound like a fool now Emilene. Educate yourself. Or at least feel like an educated fool by the time you start walking that long road with just your boots on your feet and a bag on your back...

I decided to start with a map of sorts. Hence the map above. I liked that one because it details the Camino Frances route, the route that I have chosen to walk.  I intend to start in the little town known as St Jean Pied de Port (St John-at-the-foot-of-the-mountain pass). It sounds like a delightful little town and this is also where I will be collecting my pilgrim's passport. (Not to be confused with a regular travelling passport, I read. ) ;-)

To learn more about the little town - visit this site: http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/st-jean-pied-de-port/

Anyway. Back to the history.

The word camino means 'the way' and 'Santiago' is the Spanish name for St James. (Santiago, as a matter of interest, is a compression of Santo Diego). St James of course being one of Jesus's apostles. The story goes that when the Apostles divided the world into missionary zones, St James was sent to the Iberian peninsula. He eventually returned to Jerusalem where he was beheaded by Herod, in the year 44AD.

His followers put his remains in a stone boat that was then guided by angels and carried by the wind beyond the Strait of Gibraltar. It went ashore near Finisterre, at Padrón, in northern Spain. There his remains were buried  in a marble tomb together with that of two of his followers. The tomb remained forgotten, until the 9th century.

During that time, a local hermit, named Pelayo, had a vision. He saw a field of stars, which led him to the ancient tomb. The tomb contained three bodies. The local bishop confirmed that this was indeed the tomb of St James and his two followers. St James was subsequently declared the patron saint of Spain.

A small village named Campus de Ia Stella (Field of Stars) and a monastery were established on the site. The news of the discovery spread like wildfire and a trickle of pilgrims began to arrive. Miracles came to be attributed to the site, and the miracles encouraged pilgrimage and pilgrimage elicited more miracles...

At the time the Spanish church struggled with the Moors on the Peninsula and it certainly was in their favour to promote the idea of this pilgrimage. In fact, it became one of the most significant pilgrim's routes in the world, the other two destinations of course being Rome and Jerusalem.

The pilgrimage reached it's peak during the Middle Ages with the infrastructure along the routes being developed to support pilgrims. Bridges were constructed across rivers, hospices were built by religious orders and businesses thrived because of the steady flow of feet on the route.

The sheer number of pilgrims on this route during that period might very well account for the fact that the Moors never successfully conquered the northern part of Spain.

By the end of the 16th century Spain engaged in war with both France and England and effectively was largely cut off from the rest of Europe. This, together with other major developments, such as the Reformation that was initiated by Martin Luther, were possibly contributing factors as to why the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage became less popular during that period of history.

The 1900's saw a revival of the pilgrimage for a number of reasons. Let's pick up Tony Kevin's dialogue from here on:

' I thought more about how the Santiago pilgrimage,which by the early 20th century had become defunct medieval history, had revived spectacularly after World War II  and the return of democracy to Spain following Franco's death in 1975. It's an interesting story and in itself says much about the changing mood and values of our times.'

'Spain itself was searching for new approaches to civil society and to church-state relations. Franco's coercive and now discredited clerical-fascist ascendancy had run its course, and with his death in 1975 a new democratic politics was in rapid gestation. Progressive Spanish Catholics were looking for new ways to re-legitimise their church, to restore its standing and connections with younger, democratically minded Spaniards. In this context, the pilgrimage to Santiago was something fresh, holy and untarnished by past church mistakes and misdeeds. Local voluntary 'Friends of the Camino'  societies sprung up across Spain and Portugal to survey, waymark and restore the old pilgrimage right-of-way -routes that had in many areas became no more than vague local memories. Soon there were local alternative waymarked routes to Santiago being re-established: not only through the Pyrenees, but also from Valencia, Alicante,Toledo, Granada, Seville, Cadiz, Lisbon. All the ancient caminos of Spain were being re-located and re-signed with the famous yellow arrows'

By 1987 the Camino de Santiago was declared a  World Heritage site. And in 2010 I decided to walk the route in 2012.

There you have it!

After reading a myriad sites and summarising it for myself, based on the information that I saw repeated on these various sites, I understand the origin of the pilgrimage somewhat better now. One is overcome by information and I'm sure mis-information at times as well, but generally, I'm satisfied that this is a pretty accurate story. I'm sure that certain details have given rise to many a question and probably inspired many a book, but as far as I'm concerned, this is how I'm going to accept the camino.

I'm not Catholic, nor am I Spanish, so I'm pretty much an outside observer but I do know why I'll be walking the route and I do know that when I'm in a church along the way, it's not going to matter what my denomination is. I'll be in the house of the Lord. And I can't wait to pack my bag!

As for the blog-hopping experiment of yesterday.

Quite honestly, I've decided to stick to my camino-hopping! I've gained one lovely new friend, discovered some great blogs and received a talking-to by the owner of the 'hop' for not sticking to the rules. I really thought I did everything I was supposed to, but clearly I am indeed as challenged as I confessed to be when I posted yesterday!

Anyway, nothing ventured - nothing gained, I say!

Day 33 - What does the word 'pilgrimage' really mean?

'Pilgrimage is a spiritual discipline that involves walking'. I like that definition. If you've ever spent the day walking out in the mountains you'll know how true that is.

Life as a whole is a pilgrimage. Getting from point A to point B. Sometimes it feels as if I 'm stuck or going in circles. Point B seems incredibly elusive at times. Perhaps I'm not walking fast enough, or maybe that's just it - perhaps I should slow down a little at times!

When I climbed Kilimanjaro our guides told us at least ten times a day: 'pole, pole...!' Slowly, slowly. Your chances of being affected by altitude sickness when you rush is just so much higher! You want to ease your body into the altitude as it were, giving it a chance to adapt at a rate that it can handle.

That really required discipline in the early days when we were still all fit as fiddles and full of enthusiasm. Climbing was easy and oxygen freely available! Things changed drastically as we got higher and with the help and instruction of our guides, we found our pace.

I guess that's how the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is going to play out for me as well. Pole, pole. After all, I am going to walk 500 miles to go to church! (I wish I could take credit for that statement, but I have to admit, I heard another pilgrim describe his journey that way - I love it!)

This same pilgrim also described pilgrimage as follows: 'Pilgrimage engages your emotions, your intellect, spirit and body.'

They tell me that if you walk the camino and you don't want anyone to talk to you, you simply hang a little board around your neck. (The board has to have a cockle shell, the pilgrim's symbol, painted on it.) In the pilgrimage of life I think those little boards should be standard issue.

As for my Kilimanjaro pilgrimage - it was a huge success. It turned out to be so much more that I had even anticipated. As for my daily pilgrimage, well, it's a work in progress. And the Camino de Santiago - the more I read and hear about the experience, the more impatient I get to pack my bag!

What was it they said again? Pole, pole pilgrim...

Day 31 - The dreaded Albergues

Overnight hostels. Those two words together do not work for me at this stage of my life. Especially not if it forms part of my travel itinerary!

On the Camino de Santiago they are referred to as 'Albergues' and I have no idea what to expect from these ominous places. From what I've read they are all very different. Some seem wonderful and some seem to be just as the description says - overnight hostels and nothing more.

So now you'll understand why I was intrigued by a recent post by my new friend, Annie, on her camino blog. She decided to showcase some of her favourite Albergues and I was all ears. She has very kindly allowed me to post some of the pictures here. I must say, I am pleasantly surprised!

To read more about Annie's experiences at these Albergues, visit http://www.caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/.

I am indeed thankful for people like Annie, Sil and Karin, all recent acquaintances of mine, who are so willing to share their camino experiences. I know that when I finally pack my backpack to start my own walk, I will be so much better prepared because of all their advice and guidance.

Gracias peregrinas!

Day 11 - Of mountains and caminos...

This blog is supposed to be about the Camino de Santiago. And it is!

I just like taking detours! Here I am, almost three months ago, with my friend Sandra from Namibia, meters away from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

At 5895m high we felt as if we were on top of the world, not just on top of Africa!

This was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. Ok, giving birth to my two children wasn't a walk in the park but at least then I had an oxygen mask to attach to my face when I needed it!

If you've ever wondered how far you can push yourself, I can highly recommend climbing this mountain. Not only will it test your physical abilities but you most definitely will find out a few things about your mental capabilities as well!

It really helps to have good people with you. I certainly could not have asked for better partners. I can't remember when last I laughed, from my stomach, as much as I did on this trip. It was food for the soul, I tell you.

Walking the Camino in 2012 is going to present new and different challenges, of that I'm sure. Somehow I have a suspicion that the challenges are not going to be as physical as the Kili climb but I look forward to be challenged mentally and spiritually. I do hope that the challenges will lead to growth, both in my faith and in every other aspect of my being.

I hope that I will be led to wonderful people, places and experiences.

Today I read about a pilgrim who didn't know where she was going to sleep one evening and a family simply opened their doors to her, gave her a room for the night and fed her, not only that evening, but the next morning as well. To me, that is what the Camino is all about and I can't wait to experience my own unique encounters!

The more I think about it and the more I discover, the more I realise that all of the research and all of the new connections I am making, are all building blocks, essential to the building of my own pilgrimage.

I'm absorbing and storing all the information that comes my way at this stage. The smallest, seemingly most insignificant detail or tip I come across is written down because I know that it could have the biggest impact on my journey. Just like the suggestion I came across on the Internet when researching my Kilimanjaro climb. Someone said: 'Plan to summit when there is a full moon'.

I did exactly that, my trip was planned so that I reached the summit on the 26th of July and we had the most glorious full moon we could possibly have asked for!

So here's to inviting all things good and positive!

Camino fact of the day: The Camino de Santiago is also know as 'The Way of St James'. I have found a wonderful description of the walk on a website and I have asked them if I can reprint it exactly as they have it, as I cannot describe it better in my own words! As soon as they've given me the ok, I'll post it here.

As for our weekend spent in one of the most beautiful part of our country, photographs will have to wait until tomorrow - there seems to be a problem with uploading pictures right now...