There were supposedly three primary Camino tributaries that flowed through Weil am Rhein to the German-Swiss border, and one of them — the one I intended to take — supposedly led to a pedestrians-only bridge (named the “Peace Bridge”, fittingly). Of course, as is so often the case when plans are made, God begins chuckling […]
As uplifted as I was over the ease at which I had crossed into Switzerland, I couldn’t help but feel an immense wave of disappointment wash over me when the first Swiss “business” I encountered proved to be a zoo — a zoo, in the most cruel twist of ironies, that charged no entry fee […]
One of the actions that I engaged throughout the entire length of The Walk was openly apologizing to any & all the dairy cows I met along the way. Yes, it is admittedly true that the cows I saw who were enclosed in lush pastures on small Swiss & French farms did seem to be […]
Onward through the lovely village of Bargen (where yet another roadside chapel had been graced with a beautiful stained-glass tribute to Jesus gently holding a lamb) and then pause for while on a path-side bench fittingly located between a cemetery on one side and a small herd of soon-to-be-violently-slaughtered dairy cows on the other … […]
During my Walk, there were three primary messages I chose to share with folks whenever asked to do so; by far the three most important messages available to humanity in this day & age. And those messages were the following: 01) the need for people (especially those people living in the United States) to disengage […]
The image below captures how many folks think life is like for the cows that produce the milk & cheese they regularly consume. Of course, nothing could be further from the Truth for 99% of the world’s dairy slaves; with lives soaked in abuse and filth and disease … 🙁 … And yet quite a […]
I hobbled up to a beautiful baby dairy cow hanging out right next to the Path (an adolescent calf who had been callously tagged as “#852” by her “owner” but gently renamed “Gertrude” by myself) and paused long enough to recite my standard litany of apologetic encouragement to her — apologizing for the raw arrogance […]
I am flowing pretty smoothly this morning and fully enjoying the easy groove of the day’s walk, and yet still I am called to pause reverently in the presence of Cow #0081 — a gentle, beautiful being who is just as innocent and just as loving as any dog or cat companion I have ever […]
I flow into the small town of Valencogne, unwittingly stop in at the local town hall during a regional election and ask if I could to vote for the Animal Rights Party, enter the Catholic church next door, park myself under a gentle statue of a prayerful St. Anthony*, and pray myself that ALL beings […]
What is so hard about comprehending the simple fact that ALL sentient beings fear pain and yearn for happiness; and that they ALL — each & every one; even those as meek and seemingly silent as the fish — clamor against confinement and dream each day of freedom? 🙁 Please have the humility to remember […]
Along the entirety of the Walk to this point, I had been gently yet insistently telling all the dairy cows I came across that their human “owners” actually did NOT have their best interests at heart, and that they should all band together as soon as possible and make a run for the nearest copse […]
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