Day 42 - A divine morning (and a similarly divine recipe...)

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flows the springs of life.

A Saturday morning dedicated to learning about the camino and one woman's walk with the Lord. In my own home, surrounded by old and new friends with a table laden with freshly baked goodies. I'd say that was a pretty special way to spend the day!

Christi walked the camino in June this year and she put together a slide show with the most beautiful background music, documenting her journey. She shared not only the practical aspects of walking the camino but also aspects of her spiritual journey. 

She is also, as I am, a believer in signs and affirmations and for her, hearts seem to pop up everywhere, especially in nature. Hence her message centres around references to the heart in the Bible and how the Lord speaks to us in this regard.

I chose to quote Proverbs 4:23 above, and yes, she baked the heart shaped cake - delicious!

So the Camino is already affecting my life - on day 42 of this journey I have a whole new library of knowledge stored in my head somewhere, I've made delightful new acquaintances and I can't wait to see where else this is going to lead me. 

The question that I posted on the virtual albergue that I belong to a couple of days ago has created a buzz of a different kind all together. I asked: 'How has walking the camino changed who you are as a person?'

Up to now, the question has attracted more than 1200 views! What really surprised me is that somehow some of the answers lead to all kinds of debates that turned into people just about attacking each other! So much so that the moderator removed a couple of the posts and urged everyone to stay focused on the subject.

Good for him but I am left wondering. Do these heated debates regularly occur around the dinner tables on the camino? I know that whenever you have a mixed group of people together and religion is thrown in the mix - discussions can become heated, to say the least.

I am just disturbed by the negative energy that was created by some of the discussions that developed.

I reminded myself that at the end of the day, my own answer to that question is going to be the only one that really matters! Am I going to be changed as a person by walking all that way with a backpack on my back and a mind and heart ready to accept what the experience is meant to teach me? I hope I am - and yes, I do hope that it's going to be in a overwhelmingly positive way!

As for the promised 'Pasteis de Nata' recipe - well, photos first. The recipe comes from Mimi Jardim's book, 'Cooking the Portuguese way in South Africa'. Mimi has saved many South African girls who are married to Portuguese men. Portuguese mothers-in-law are all excellent cooks. Most of their recipes reside in their heads though and if there is a language barrier, how is an Afrikaans girl like myself supposed to figure it out! 

My mom bought me the book many years ago and this recipe produces little tartlets that tastes exactly like the ones you'll find in any little bakery in Lisbon!

I thought I'd capture my own little tartlets as they were transformed from being flour, cream, cinnamon, eggs etc. to divine treats that made you forget the word diet exists...

The recipe...

Roll out the pastry thinly. Cut into strips about 14cm wide and roll the strips like a Swiss-roll. Cut the rolls into 'wheels', 2-3cm wide. Place the pastry wheels in greased patty tins. Dip your thumb in cold water and press the pastry wheels so that they line the tins. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Beat the egg yolks. Add the flour, mixed with a little milk. Add the cream and sugar and mix well. Place in a saucepan and and bring to the boil. Add the lemon rind. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Pour into a jug. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined tins until three-quarters full.

Bake in a very hot oven (300 degrees Celsius) until golden brown, with a dark, almost black, centre. (15-20 minutes). I like to sprinkle a little ground cinnamon over the cooked tartlets.

Hide some for yourself, serve the rest, sit back and wait for the compliments!

Have a great week everyone!

Day 38 - Of talks, pilgrims, hikes and pictures!

This is my friend Christi - photographed earlier this year on her camino in Spain. If Christi hadn't made a decision four years ago to walk the camino, I might still not have known that there was such a thing as the Camino de Santiago!

My sister mentioned a couple of weeks ago that her friend, Christi, has just walked the Camino de Santiago.

The whole 780km journey. On foot. 

She immediately had all my attention. I had never heard of the Camino de Santiago and had only met Christi very briefly on a previous occasion.

I knew I had to meet her again and a couple of days later we met for lunch and I was privileged to be introduced to the camino in the most perfect way. From the mouth (and heart) of a true pilgrim. Someone who has actually walked it herself and came back blessed in so many ways.

I bombarded her with questions and again, I am just so amazed at how people who have followed this journey are so generous with sharing their experiences. Christi clearly had a very spiritual journey and has started presenting talks on her experience.

So this Saturday, twenty odd women will be coming to my home to hear her talk. To say I am excited and filled with expectation is putting it mildly. I have secured a screen as she will be showing us some of her pictures and on Friday evening you'll find me in my kitchen, preparing those yummy Portuguese Pasteis de Nata tartlets that I'm famous for. (Thanks to the 'Cooking the Portuguese Way in South Africa' cookbook that my mom gave me 30 years ago!)

I'm hoping that everyone will be intrigued by this pilgrimage as much as I am and who knows, some of them might even end up walking with me in 2012!

On another note... I posed a question on the forum of the 'virtual algergue' that I belong to and it has been quite interesting to read the replies. The question was 'Has your camino experience changed who you are as a person?'

The answers made me realise again how different we all are. And thank goodness for that! Here is one of the replies that was posted:

'That's a really good question, and something I've been thinking a lot, especially since talking to a student who is writing her thesis on a related topic.

The Camino has changed my life in that I want to go back. Any extra money goes into my Camino fund. It's had enough of an effect on my life that I started a Camino blog, partly to process the experience--almost two years after my walk. And I've never been athletic, so it's amazing to know that my body is capable of astounding things like walking 1500km.

But I suspect I'm not particularly more spiritual, or necessarily nicer, or (much) better at dealing with life than I was pre-Camino. When I got home, I wasn't any closer to knowing what I really wanted to do with my life. But then again walking the Camino has made me look at these things more, and maybe to some extent in a different way.

So it continues to affect my life, I suspect often in ways I don't realize. Judging by myself and my Camino friends (although we could be abnormal), a lot of people don't have huge epiphanies on the Camino. But I think the experience can keep working away in our lives if we let it.

Walking the Camino for almost three months was an incredible experience for me. I went through some miserable times, physically and emotionally, but the whole time I had this feeling of rightness--that this was where I was meant to be. But it's hard to bring that back into regular life.'

Anna-Marie

There was also a very short and sweet 'No'. That one really made me smile.

Thank goodness we're not all the same!

I guess walking for kilometers on end with all your belongings on your back and not always knowing exactly where you're going to sleep, in a strange country, with a strange language and surrounded by strangers, is certainly going to take you to places you've never been to in more ways that one! 

It seems that one should have an open mind and certainly an open heart when embarking on this experience. I for one can't wait to answer my own question at the end of my own walk!

I promised earlier that I will quote pieces from Tony Kevin's wonderful book, 'Walking the Camino' and this is what he says about pilgrimage:

'The idea of pilgrimage, the dream of 'an arduous journey far from home undertaken for sacred reasons', is embedded deep in our culture and history. It is part of us, part of what inspires our urge to travel,to experience foreign places. We may not know it, but each time we leave our homeland to travel the world, we are looking for something more than just 'holidays', fun, and sex in the sun. I think we are seeking, whether we recognise it or not, spiritual enlightment, wisdom, and the revelation of God in the richness of the great world that lies out there beyond our home town.

Every traveller, especially every young traveller, is a pilgrim: whether they go consciously to seek spiritual rebirth, to escape from oppression or grief or boredom at home, to seek interesting or spiritually rewarding work experience abroad, or simply to enjoy the thrill of unfamiliar places and customs. The desire to go a-pilgriming, it seems, is part of our human condition.' 

I just love this book!

 And then on a final note...

Tomorrow is hiking day!! The weather looks good, so we are going to head out of Cape Town on about an hour's drive and we'll be spending the day hiking in the mountains just outside of our Winelands region. I am taking my camera along - so watch this space!

I thought I'd leave you with a picture of the beautiful Blue Disa we found on our last hike. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one way to describe this little flower - perfect!

Until the next post - cheers!

Day 34 - Affirmations

Today I went walking. For almost two hours. I hung my imaginary scallop shell board around my neck, plugged my earphones in and headed down to the beach. I didn't take my camera along as I wasn't really in the mood to take pictures but about half way into the walk I was in such a beautiful place, I just had to relent. So the above photo was taken with my phone.

This was such a peaceful, serene spot, I simply had to capture the moment. This is where my walk became so much more than what I'd expected when I set out. About twenty steps later, I spotted this sign. I had to take another picture as I could not believe how uncanny this was! My head had been filled with camino thoughts up to that moment - in fact I'm finding it hard to not book that ticket to Spain and forget about waiting until July 2012! This really took me aback a little...

Pelegrini of course, means pilgrim. And then, probably twenty more steps away - this just jumped out right at me...

If you think it's pretty far fetched up to now, wait for this. I'd been listening to jazz on a station called Fine Music Radio up to that point. Here the reception became really bad and I had to search for another station. I put the radio on the automatic search function and it stopped on a local station at 94.5. After the first song faded away, the presenter introduced himself.

marc pilgrim.

Well, I'm speechless. The scallop shell means 'don't talk to me today'. I guess there are more ways of communicating than saying things out loud. All I know is that someone spoke to me today.

Loud and clear!

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 32 - Say it with colour!

Our photography club meets tonight and I thought I'd post a preview of my attempts! This month we had to choose a theme colour and than photograph anything we felt drawn to. I chose to have fun with food and flowers...

The author of the wonderful book I'm reading at the moment, Tony Kevin, has given me the green light to chat about and quote from his book. 'Walking the Camino' is a fascinating read and I will be sharing it with you over the next couple of days. 

Here is a little piece that sets the tone:

'As I looked at the faces of the happily chatting men and women pilgrims around me - English, Germans, Spanish, Dutch, Canadians, Japanese - I began to feel the spirit of the Santiago pilgrimage starting to enter quietly into my soul. There was fellowship here,human solidarity, and generosity of spirit.It wasn't just about endurance walking and blisters on hot, dry roads: there was something more happening here.'



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 30 - A lovely book about an inspiring journey

The past week has been one of reflection for me. I spent a lot of time thinking about why I find myself so attracted to the idea of doing the Camino de Santiagao - something that I knew nothing about a few weeks ago.

So I started searching on the Internet and spent time reading blogs written by people who have either walked the camino, or like me, are still contemplating doing it. I found some wonderful material and I'm even more fascinated than ever.

The fist of my great finds was a a book called 'Walking the Camino' by an Australian author, Tony Kevin. I've bought the book and find I can't put it down! Many pilgrims have written about their experiences but I think I'd have to look far to find one as eloquently written as this one.

The introduction to his book reads: 'Tony Kevin retired from the Australian foreign service in 1998, after a 30-year government career during which he served in the Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister's departments, and was Australia's ambassador to Poland and Cambodia.' So what would prompt someone like Tony to walk a pilgrim's route of 1200 kilometres over hills and stones, with just a wooden rod and a backpack on his back?

I felt as if I've arrived in good company and that discovering why he chose to do this might help me understand my own fascination with the camino experience.

After some searching I found a clip of an interview done by an Australian radio station. It's about 26 or so minutes long but really worth listening to, right until the end. Especially if, like me, you are planning to tackle the camino somewhere in the future. Have a look at this link - you'll find the prompt on the pages where you can listen to the interview.

http://www.abc.net.au/overnights/stories/s2053793.htm

In the interview the presenter asks him why he thinks people do the walk and this is what he answered: 'One of the reasons is that it is an affirmation of common humanity. It is a way of saying - we are all one people in a world that is so divided - where people shut each other out. The Camino is a place where people meet as equals, reaching out to each other. There is a wonderful feeling of comradeship and empathy that comes out of that. It is an opprtunity to live a life (a brief life) without all the complications of normal life, our insecurities, our anger and our aggression. The Camino is always friendly, always reaches out. It's an opportunity, for a short while, to live a perfect life.'

I would love to post quotes from the book and have sent the publishers a note to ask permission to do so. As soon as I have the ok, I'll go ahead and share some more if this wonderful book with you.

I said at the beginning of this blog that I have a feeling I am going to discover some great things and here we are, 30 days into the journey. It certainly has not disappointed yet!

Finally - here is the picture of what I suspect is a baby custard apple tree. Against all odds, it is still alive and well on my kitchen sill! I'm not known for my green fingers, so this is a miracle of sorts - I wrote all about it in a previous post. Miracles do indeed still happen!