Home Again

Our time in Spain flew by so quickly. It felt great to be back home in Portland. I will always carry a fondness for Spain. Laurence and I spent our honeymoon in southern Spain ten years ago. Now I have the experience of walking the Camino with my spiritual community.

We experienced so much grace on this trip. The weather is usually cool and rainy this time of year. We experienced sunny days and warm temperatures most of the time. Our hotels were wonderful and we were very well fed. Our bodies were strong and resilient as we walked the trail. Our travel was safe and easy.

Thanks so much for your prayers and love. I know that God's abundant grace pours forth into your lives. Out of your partnership, I know that you too are blessed with the newness of Christ in your lives.
Love and blessings,
Christine

Evening Splendor

The Cathedral at night is beautiful. Pilgrims and visitors wander around the courtyard and take in the majestic site. It is the heart of Compostela.

Cathedral Rooftop View

Five of us stayed in Santiago for an additional two days. It was a time to rest, shop and see more of the city.

We took a special tour of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela that gave us a rooftop view. We climbed 105 stairs to a spectacular sight of the cathedral and the city that took our breath away.

206 Tours

Javier and Tani

Rev. Marcia arranged our pilgrimage through 206 Tours. Our guide Javier did an exceptional job of taking care of us; everything from preparing us for our walk each day, explaining the sites of the Camino, to nursing our blisters and sore feet. He made sure we were fed well. (I think we are the only pilgrims that actually gained weight walking the Camino.) He was a joy and blessing to be with.

Tani was our driver and safely transported us to Sarria to begin the Camino. He made sure our luggage arrived at our hotel before we did each day. He did an excellent job maneuvering the busy city streets and country roads. We truly enjoyed his company.

Milanka was our contact at 206 Tours that made our arrangements and checked in on our progress. She was dedicated in making sure we were taken care of each day.

We were blessed with exceptional care and love. Praise God.

Finisterre

We left the hotel for a two hour drive to Finisterre which is a rock bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain. In early times people believed it was the place for the end of the world. It certainly looks that way when you stand in front of the lighthouse and look out to the beautiful ocean.

It is a tradition for pilgrims to visit and burn their clothes or boots at the of the long journey. Several of us brought things, including someone's boots, to burn and release. It was a beautiful sunny day. We enjoyed our last tour together and then headed back to the hotel for our last meal before most of the pilgrims head home in the morning.


We said our good byes after dinner. Most of our group heads home in the morning. It is difficult to describe all the feelings. We accomplished so much. it's still hard to believe we completed our journey. Thanks for your loving prayers.

Botafumeiro

Tour of Cathedral

Claudio, a local guide gave us a tour this morning of the cathedral.

The facade of the cathedral was built in the 18th century, replacing the previous Romanesque front. The original polychrome was damaged over time and was replaced by the magnificent work of art that stands today.







There are several buildings that surround the cathedral, one of them was originally built as a town hall. Another was built as the royal hospital founded by the Catholic Monarchs is now a hotel.

After our tour we attended Catholic mass that was held especially for the pilgrims. It was a special day because the bishop of Portugal spoke to the pilgrims and celebrated the mass. It was especially exciting because they used the botafumeiro at the end of the mass. It is one of the largest incense burners in the world weighing 80 kg. The swinging censor came into existence in the 11th century when pilgrims arrived at the cathedral tired and unwashed. It takes 8 men to pull on the lower ropes that are fastened to the cable and swing the burner forming a 50-meter arc and can reach speeds up to 68km/h. It is an amazing sight to see. We were sitting right in front and had an awesome view. I was thrilled to get it on video. Click here for utube video.

After the mass we left for the Finisterre, the end of the world.

Santiago

After our lunch in Santiago we walked through the busy city streets to the Cathedral. It was an amazing site to see. So magnificent.

Our first order of business at the Cathedral was to hug the statue of St James and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for blessing our journey. Leaving there we went downstairs to see the crypt containing the silver casket containing the remains of St James and his two disciples Anastasius and Theodore.

Camino Certificate of Completion!

Our final stop at the cathedral was to the pilgrims office. There we turned in our Camino passport and received our official certificate for completing the pilgrimage. We cheered for each other as they stepped out with their certificate in hand.

Thrilled and exhausted we made our way to our hotel. We had a wonderful dinner together celebrating our accomplishment.

It's hard to believe that our pilgrimage is complete. After almost a year of planning, organizing, shopping, walking, we are finished. The walking pilgrimage is finished but we step out into the newness of our lives.

Last Day

We appreciated the cool morning air as we set out for our last day walking the Camino. Everyone seemed to walk a bit slower and more purposeful.

Camino Cows

We often have to share the trail with sheep, horses, roosters, donkeys but most frequently with cows. Lots of them. A farmer offered to sell a cow to Maria for one euro but she graciously turned him down.








We left the farmland and peaceful countryside and traveled into more upscale neighborhoods. At one point the Camino trail was parallel to the Santiago airport runway. It was an amazing collision of old and new worlds. I could only imagine what the early pilgrims would have thought.

Monte del Gozo

We climbed the hill to Monte del Gozo, the Hill of Joy. It is the first place pilgrims get a view of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. We attended our last mass as a group led by Father Mickey. It has been a joy to attend mass together. It has been a very personal and intimate experience and has transformed my early Catholic years of church.

Preparing to walk to Santiago

So much more to tell but I am running out of steam. It's after midnight and we have an early day tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Love

One last thought today. The Camino is more than the walk. It is a deeper awakening of our relationship with God. Each of us has our own intentions for being here. It is a blessing to see the healing power of love in action with each of us.

For me it is the healing of the past year and deep gratitude for how God has blessed me in so many ways. It is one more way I am being opened to the new possibilities of life. It is a demonstration of how much strength I have and how much love I receive each day.

Thank you for your continued prayers and love. We bless all our loved ones at home each day in gratitude for your love and faith. XOXOXO

Amenal

I loved the hotel we stayed at in just outside Arzua for the past two days. The owner gave us a tour of the beautiful grounds of gardens, forests, wonderful plants and trees. The property has been in her family since the 1700´s. She created a museum of all the tools and treasures from her ancestors.

Gardens at our hotel

After Mass this morning we left Arzua and walked through mostly forested areas and farmland. We met as a group and had a delicious lunch in the town of Salceda. It was a challenging walk after lunch as the temperature spiked near 90 degrees. Our guide told us this is very unusual weather. Usually it is cool and rainy. Except for the first day we walked it has been very warm and sunny. We tolerated the heat and walked  the 13 miles to the town of Amenal. Our poor feet! Very sore today.

Tomorrow we will be in Santiago! Amazing. Thanks for your prayers and love.

One Year

Yesterday´s Mass was done in Laurence´s memory. It was a blessed service. After the service Rev Marcia offered a prayer for Laurence in a beautiful garden on the grounds.

It was a hard couple of days thinking about him. I walked every hill in his honor remembering how he never complained about his pain or discomfort. My life has been so blessed by him in so many ways.

Thanks for all your prayers. Please keep the Green family in your prayers. I  know his children, Mom and siblings are all missing him as well. Love.

Eat Dessert First!

Our motto for the trip thanks to Mark:
Life is short
The Camino is long
Eat dessert first!

We are very grateful for the delicious abundance of food. Every meal is a treat. Praise God!

Three days done

We finished our first three days of walking the Camino! Praise God!  Thirteen miles on Wednesday, 15 on Thursday and 17 on Friday. After obssessing and worrying about the 17 miles we were thrilled to finish. We are thoroughly enjoying our day off, although everyone is limping around a bit.

View of Countryside

After breakfast we attend Mass and then begin our walk. It is extraordinary to walk through farmland next to the cows, past beautiful gardens, through the shade of the forest, through meadows, over bridges, from one village to another. Yesterday we walked through a beautiful forest and came out into the city next to a car dealership. Another time we walked up a very steep hill and laughed at the sign nailed to the tree in front of us with the phone number for the local taxi service.


It is fascinating to meet people along the way and hear about their reasons for walking the Camino. We met a man who lives in Santiago and has walked it 12 times. Every time he makes a significant petition to God, he walks the Camino. It takes a month to walk from France. We are walking the last part- 70 miles.

Maria joyful on the journey

There are 12 of us and our guide Javier. Seven of us know each other, the other five are our new spiritual family. Beautiful friends from the US and one from Australia. Everyone finds their own pace on the walk. Sometimes we meet at a little cafe for a coffee or coke. We cheer each other on at the end of the day.


Dinner is usually at 8.30 or 9 pm (much to late for us Americans) and then fall into bed. We´re at a different hotel every day so we have to have our backpacks prepared and our bags packed before breakfast.


It´s been a challenging finding internet service. Am grateful for this computer today.
We have Mass at noon today. More later.