Santiago

Well, we walked into Santiago days ago. I tried to blog just after getting into town but the internet was not working for me. Jess and I walked in on a cold and wet day. this was not as we had imagined it but you cannot order the weather you want. We walked 20k the last day and stood in front of the Cathedral at about 11:30. We then went into the Cathedral for the noon mass, then got our compostelo´s and spent the remainer of the day walking the streets and celebrating with those we met. A great day all around. Jess stayed out a bit later celebrating with a few of the younger pilgrims.

The next day I took a bus to Salamanca and have been taking it easy relaxing in the plaza Mayor with Marla. Gary,Marla´s brother is walking from the south of Spain and should meet us here in a few days, Jess is walking to finestera and will also meet us mid-week.

I´ve learned a few things about myself of this trip, I am clearer about what is important to me and I think what is important for my life as a priest. I look forward to my return and to our conversations.

Enjoy the summer and I will see you all very soon,

Blessings, Michael

Santiago tomorrow

We made it to Arco De Pina today is good time, about 4 and a half hours. We will wake early tomorrow and walk into Santiago by noon for the noon Pilgrim Mass. This means we will get to Santiago about 5 am Minnesota time, if you find yourself up at that time, please think of us and I will be thinking of all of you.

Today´s walk was pretty. Nice sunny day, forrests and wooded areas with the occasional crossing of a stream or a busy roadway. tomorrow takes us close to the airport and I remember last time being in what seems a big forrest and then hearing the sound of planes overhead and thinking that they were landing feet away. It has gotten cloudy now and we are all wondering if it will rain tomorrow and hoping that it will not.

Jess and I met a canadian woman last night at dinner and spend a nice evening discussing the Camino. She began her walk a week after we did but she has problems and bused across several days walks to relax and recover. We have left many of the people we have come to know behind us and we are hoping they will catch up or come into Santiago the day after we do. It feels strange to be walking with so many strangers after getting to know so many people along the way. One of the reasons for the strangers is that many people walk only the last 100k and that works out to about one week of walking, so we see a lot of short timers walking and we have not had a chance to really get to know any of then. tomorrow may well be the same.

Many thanks to all of you for your prayers and attention to the blog. I will report from Santiago tomorrow and then will be going on to other things on my sabbatical. I do miss you all greatly and look forward to seeng you again in the fall.

Thanks again to the staff for all of their hard work while I am away. Blessings to all,

Until Santiago,

Michael

Santiago soon

Jess and I walked some 26k today and are in a small town with a great refugio and a good diner. We just had something to eat and will spend the rest of the day, relaxing, talking to others and doing the chores. that is washing the clothes and such. We walk to Arco De Pina tomorrow and then to Santiago the next day. the road is full of pilgrims. Many people just walk the last 100k so we are meeting many new people as well as connection with those we have walked with for days.

My thoughts and prayers are with you this day as we begin the last few miles. I feel good about the walking and the time with Jess. this has been good for me and I hope that my blogging has helped you to walk a bit with me. I thank you for your prayers and good wishes.

Until tomorrow,

Michael

Thanks

Thanks to all the kids for the comments on my blog. thanks for thinking of Jess and me and our dog. I look forward to seeing you all again in the fall. I hope you have a great summer.

with love,

fr. Michael

Palas Del Rei

We walked 26k today and the walk was good. The weather was nice, the countryside beautiful and walking with Jess was fun. A good day all in all.

One of the things about being a priest is that when people find out what you do for a living they tend to put you in a clergy box depending on their experience of clergy in the past and whatever other ideas they have about those who are clergy. So... I do not normally tell people what I do except when specifically asked. When I do let people know we often have good conversations about religion. Sometimes I surprise people because they do not think clergy are real people with real emotions and feelings. Someitmes I surprise them by holding ideas that they thought clergy would disagree with. All sorts of interesting things happen... like last night.

I pilgrim heard I was a priest and told me that he did not believe Jesus ever existed. I then asked him why he was walking the camino in that case. He likes to walk and he is spiritual, and he is still searching. I than asked him what difference it made to him assuming that Jesus did not exist. He was not sure. We talked more and it became clear that he had answers to all the standard questions he had been asked. Why was everything written about Jesus and the like. Of course I did not convince him of the truth of the gospels but we enjoyed the conversation and as many on the Camino say, ¨we are all on our own journey¨

I always enjoy these conversations and wonder whenthe next will come...

three days to Santiago, I hope all is well with all of you,

blessings,

michael

portomarin

Walked about 22k today through great countryside with no rain and even a little sunshine. Jess and I walked together, had great conversations and stopped at several small eating establishments along the way. A great way to travel. We saw several old churches along the path, were pasted by several cows, sheep and goats and walked in several streambeds.

In town we got a small pension which is a small room with a bath and we will sleep well tonight, clean and quiet with a good bed. Before getting here we had not been able to wash clothes for several days and smelled like old pilgrim. Tonight we will say hello to friends we have met along the way and share some good food and stories of the road.

today I again knew that this walk is really about the walking. Everything we do is centered around the walk, we eat to fuel the body, we sleep to rest up, we manage our affairs and use our time mostly so that the walking can happen. I do love the walking, the land, the people the food, the time to reflect and to pray.

Whenever I see a pilgrim hurting I say a silent prayer for there ills and wish then well on the journey. My little contribution to the day,

blessings on your day,
Michael

Sarria, soggy pilgrims

Jess and I are soggy pilgrims today. The last few days we walked up and over two big mountains and then walked down into the galacia valley. It has been very rainy but most days we have been able to get in our walks without being really drenched. One day we did get really wet and right in the middle of the storm we walked by a garage where an older spanish couple had set up a bar! We had wine and got to sit by their space heater to dry out.

Yesterday I was walking in the rain and after having a coffee in a bar I began to walk again thinking to myself, ¨I whould have had something to eat¨Just a few minutes later a woman came out from her home with a plate of spanish pancakes and began to give them out to the pilgrims who were walking along. It was wonderful.

Today while it rained I walked with a british woman and when I asked her what she did for a living she told me she was a professional storyteller so we told each other stories for a hour and mostly forgot about the rain.

As we keep saying of the Camino, it provides.

Now, if we could only get it to provide some sun and warmer weather!

five walking days left to Santiago!

blessings, Michael