Persistence is ever effective when treading through times of trial or difficulty, and humble acceptance (if not outright appreciation*) is even more effective still. And so it was for me on this day – with no sooner me choosing to stride gratefully through the mud than that same muck gave way to drier, smoother conditions […]
The walking was delightfully smooth this morning all the way to town of Marsolan, where I paused in smile-laden solitude for awhile within the peaceful confines of the local church … “Oh sister Peace, I’m building my road to you. You may be stunning and far and unreachable. And yet I have faith that you’ […]
“All roads were one, surely, even if their textures dramatically differed. And he was just as seemingly varied from those he encountered, and yet was bound to them all just the same. In truth he often felt, especially early in his mornings – when the world seemed most transparent and far more malleable, that he […]
It was shortly thereafter that I came upon fellow pilgrim Samuel (with whom I had shared time at Le Par Chemin, and who had been walking just ahead of me for the past several days). A relatively reticent fellow, Samuel was gracious enough to allow me to walk & talk with him aways that day […]
There is so much to be said – and so much that can never be effectively uttered – about the not-so-subtle Beauty & Soul-soaking Peace that emanates from many a garden courtyard … This place, this sanctuary, that we call home should be a place that makes us feel joyful, safe, and at peace. Let […]
The Collegiale de St. Pierre’s cathedral was truly a magnificent (and magnificently calming) work of architecture, with some of its specific symbolism (including the highly unusual icon of Jesus being held by his earthly “father” Joseph, instead of his usual and more-mystical carrier — his mother Mary) being just as remarkable as its overall ambience […]
The Collegiale’s stone-hewn staircase was in and of itself astounding, though no more so than the view offered by a portal-to-nowhere halfway up its heights (a now-sealed doorway that peered into and down upon the cathedral’s main hall below) or the sights proffered by the turret-top overlook at its summit – one panorama giving grace-full […]
Having finished our grand tour of the Collegiale – and just before parting ways and heading separately back out onto The Way, I slowly pirouetted my gaze around the entire cathedral – finally resting the same upon Samuel calmly gazing at the the cross hung on the sanctuary’s back wall – hung under a beautifully […]
It turns out that mostly-silent Samuel wanted to return to a more solitudinous saunter (I had remained with him for so long and frequently voiced a friendly banter in his direction solely because it seemed that he was in some measure of discomfort and might have been longing for the company), and we parted ways […]
I bring in my dishware to say a final thank you before heading back to The Path, and pause involuntarily in amazement upon noticing a humongous basket of fresh bread along the restaurant’s back wall– realizing as I do so that it is often necessary to remain completely silent (i.e. refusing to even indirectly express […]
“Were the Earth as smooth as a ball bearing, it might be beautiful seen from another planet, as the rings of Saturn are. And yet here we live and move on a far different sphere; wandering down the banks of a winding creek, riding an undulating railway through a mountain pass, strolling along a trail […]
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