And then I came across this particular “donativo stand” – a stand that consisted solely of a cooler filled with various cold drinks placed by the side of the path; a stand that told all who passed to take whatever they needed and then “put whatever you want” into the elevated change box in return. […]
This particular day was exceedingly hot & uncomfortably – almost oppressively – arid (I personally don’t do very well when blasted by direct summer sunlight), and I found myself at one point stumble-weaving down the dusty path; wondering whether I would find a more traditional pace of rest that afternoon, or whether I should simply […]
Despite the soothing promise the city had offered from afar, the hike up & into Lauzerte was much longer and steeper and hotter than either imagined or desired. Nevertheless, the climb was made, and I entered the city proper and immediately headed into a familiar place of refuge – the local Catholic church (this one […]
This image was somehow so potently Meaning-full that it merited its own mention … 😉 “I lay down my life that I might rise up within. And no one takes my life from me forcefully, for I lay it down for others joyfully of my own accord. I – like you – have the power […]
It was still blazing hot when I left the church and many of the nearby businesses (including the local tourist office, another place where pilgrims could usually find some solace) were closed for lunch, so I wandered about town a bit, wondering whether or not I should just go ahead and head back out onto […]
“Refuse to be afraid of being afraid and let go of being tired of being tired. Rather, in all your moments of angst or exhaustion remember to take a brief step away from your self and realize that it is your fear & your fatigue that gives you the energetic foundation from which to wrestle […]
The path eventually got smoother and flatter (as most walked paths are – with enough persistence – wont to do), and shortly thereafter opened up to a lovely church (the Chapel de St. Sernin) resting on the edge of in a small tree-encircled glen. And yet what made this particular sanctuary so Peace-full was not […]
As I left the little chapel and started to head back out onto the road, when I saw the serene vision of another pilgrim sitting peacefully in a field of grass next to quite the majestic tree. And this rendezvous with Nathalie turned out to be one of the more significant meetings of my entire […]
After giving Nathalie a warm farewell hug, I headed back out onto The Way, and it was only a few kilometers thereafter when I rounded another bend and saw this glorious sight – a table laden with fresh apricots and cherries*, along with a sign that essentially read “Dear pilgrims … Help yourself … Thank […]
Due to the stalwart consequence I had recently displayed at the aforementioned donativo fruit stand, it didn’t take long for me to start to feel the internal buzzing of subtly gnawing hunger that typically accompanied my Walk. And it was around this very time that I rounded the next bend and came across a sight […]
I thereafter wandered down into the town of Durfort-Lacapalette, where I had thought I would be able to spend the night. And yet the few townsfolk I met there made it quite clear in a variety of ways – some subtle (“There is no place for you here. Try across the street.”), and some not […]
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