I was feeling quite tired this morning for whatever reason (maybe the afore-written “Lethargy of Leon” that seems to afflict so many pilgrims here) so I stopped in a quiet little wayside park to drink some water and rest – reminding myself as I did so that it matters not how I am treated on […]
I was still feeling really “out of it” when I came to the austere-yet-lovely Ermita de Santiago Apostol; a delightful wayside church where I rested awhile – acquiring a measure of peace from its cool confines, and a renewed dose of inspiration from the intentional sacrifice of Jesus Christ; a sacrifice that was given far […]
Shortly after leaving the tiny Ermita, I was trudging slowly through the westernmost outskirts of Leon when I came across what was first assumed to be a mirage – a hand-painted sign that read “Humanitarian Aid Station.” And yet sure enough, just a few yards up the path there was a tent by the wayside […]
Shortly thereafter I arrived in the city-suburb of La Virgen del Camino (on Leon’s westernmost outskirts) and reveled in the solaced solitude of the Basilica el Virgen de Camino – remarking how much more appealing its odd architecture and internal dressings were this time around, compared to my more harried & hurried stopover there in […]
I did not walk very far out of town when I glanced to my left and was stunned to see a fruit-laden donativo stand by the side of The Way. I gratefully ate an apple and a few crackers and reveled in a small instant coffee before sitting down to make a love-laden Peace Stone […]
“And what is it to truly LIVE? It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your own heart, even as if your dearest beloved were to wear the same. And it is to build a house with the greatest affection & dedication, even as if your dearest beloved were to dwell in the […]
And then it was that I entered the town of Villadangos and realized that I had less than 200 miles to go before Santiago – that I had already come soooo far, and that I was already indeed soooo near, AND that I was even now fully living Love & Kindness in this very Here&Now; […]
I exited Villadangos as smoothly as I entered it, and soon thereafter came across fellow pilgrims Ismael & Francisco sitting by the Wayside. They were intrigued by my smock (and maybe my smile) and called me over to them. We visited awhile together and I was able to gently witness to them about my Walk’s […]
“Rejoice, my friends! Rejoice in every selfless work of your gentle hands. Be happy and grateful that you are ever valuable and ever able to serve, that what you say and do isn’t ever taken for granted by the Cosmos or taken for a ride by those more noble. Rejoice that you have rejected the […]
I ended up flowing that afternoon all the way to the town of Hospital de Orbigo and intuitively walked straight to the pseudo-famed Albergue Verde (The Green Hostel) – not knowing whether I would be received there at all, much less with open-hearted generosity, and yet feeling as though it was the first place to […]
I ended up spending almost three hours that afternoon plucking herbal leaves and setting them into drying trays; knowing as I did so that some would incorrectly view the same as me “paying my way” to stay there, and yet choosing to pluck them joyfully for free anyway … 🙂 “GURU is a word that […]
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