“Pilgrimage is just as much a journey inward as it is a journey out. As we soar the skies and sail the waters and crack the undisturbed soils of the earth, we too delve into our own memories’ caverns, peek around the corners of our own dreams, tremble before our fire-breathing terrors, axe to splinters […]
“It must be openly stated that if I have indeed gone further than others, it is only by riding on the shoulders of giants that I have done so … We all have grand journeys within us, and must allow ourselves to be drawn thereto; drawn by the strong & silent pull of that which […]
Buoyed by the many loving reunions with which I had been blessed on this day, the final leg of walking proved to be powerful and easy, and it was with high spirits and a strong gait that I rounded my next beautiful bend and saw Santiago once more … “There are certain places that exist […]
“When people or lives disappoint you it’s normal to build walls and not allow anyone to climb them. And yet when we get hurt or harmed we need to learn how to build bridges instead. When life disappoints or damages, build bridges. When others frustrate or terrorize, build bridges. When you fail or freeze or […]
I flowed into Santiago proper and my first stop was Sybille’s home (where she had told me to return should I ever make it back to town). She wasn’t home at the time, so I simply headed to the Cathedral plaza to rest a bit and soak up the joy of that day’s arriving pilgrims. […]
Several of the Friends I had already met along The Way had already offered their amazingly heartfelt assistance regarding helping to facilitate the logistics of getting me over the ocean to finish my Walk, and now it appeared that the time to engage the same had arrived. Tom provided tactical assistance regarding me obtaining a […]
I checked in briefly online that second morning and found that my journey across the ocean was unfolding with startling smoothness – with the bus ride already reserved and all necessary documents already printed and the plane ticket already funded and even a pre-flight stay-over in Madrid already being offered. And so it was with […]
I headed then thereafter to another afternoon of service at the Ecumenical Open House for pilgrims, this time with Sybille in place of Alasdair, where much of the Goodness of the day before is lovingly repeated – setting up and cleaning up and attempting to Care for the Caregiver, smilingly re-routing merely curious pilgrims touristically […]
Much of the next day was spent tidying up my affairs, cleaning Sybille’s home & helping her with a few errands, reading Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and generally soaking in the gratitude-ladled excitement of my soon-to-be-continuing Adventure … “I believe that life is often about perception and courage – the ability to perceive […]
It turned out that my dear friend Mate from Hungary – who I had first met way back in St. Jean Pied du Port and alongside whom I had been blessed to walk for several days across the expanse of northern Spain – had arrived in town a few days prior, and we were able […]
While there is no doubt that my older and already aching body would have preferred a short & more comfortable ride to Madrid than the bumpy overnight bus ride that was offered me, there is just as little doubt that my Soul only felt gratitude for the same … “Such is life, imagined or dreamed […]
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