Barry Wyse 1951-2022 RIP

My friend and fellow pilgrim Barry Wyse passed away yesterday (21/6/22) after a long battle with cancer. He fought optimistically to the end and only two months ago we were planning to walk the way of St  Declan from Tipperary to Ardmore in Waterford  Barry and I walked parts of the Camino on three occasions. He was a pleasant and wonderful companion. I will miss him  this poem looked to a time after COVID when we would don our hiking boots again. Alas not to be

Post Script. In September (2022), in Barry’s memory, fellow pilgrim Fraser and I donned our hiking boots and took in parts of St. Declan’s Way including a memorable tour of the Rock of Cashel in the rain, a pleasant evening in Lismore where it continued raining, a delightful walk along the river Suir to Cappoquin, a journey through the Nire Valley and finally our destination, exquisite Ardmore where a late lunch and an early dinner intersected in the White Horse Restaurant  The final day saw us walk the cliff loop to the ancient monastery ruins  on the way back to Dublin we called into Mount Mellary where we again remembered Barry and his translucent faith  

 Pilgrim brother on the journey 

Pilgrim brother on the journey

Through the dusty roads of Spain

Along the path that winds from France 

Through the woods and through the trees 

To the plains of wide Castile. 

Here we are a decade later

Needing hope to fill our soul

But we look with faith and love

To a time when we greet the morn 

Walking westward, faith reborn. 

The memories of the morning charm

In little towns along the way 

The cool clean air as we’re leaving

Marching down the ancient streets

That echo pilgrims through the ages. 

Still we sense our friends the angels 

To this day the bond that lasts

Across the seas, across the years

The pilgrim world that makes its journey  

Round past the planets and the stars. 

Our lonely world’s a pilgrim too

Passing through an empty space 

Nodding gently at bright stars 

That mark the way along a map

Once drawn by God, renewed each day. 

Pilgrims we, along a journey 

That leads to truth and leads to love

Far and safely have we traveled

And we will travel once again

When the new year comes around. 

When shadows shorten 

And strides are lengthened 

When we greet our brothers too

Over breakfast then tie our laces 

Heading westward once again. 

There’s something

There's something beyond us
And something between us
An invisible thread
In the Milky Way
That gathers and scatters
That joins and divides us.

The pattern of God
So near and so reaching
Beyond touching and seeing
At the pit of our being.

Asleep yet awake
Mute but yet talking
Immobile, still coursing
Each second, each day.

We see him in children
The blind and the ag-ed
In hope and in anguish
Through love and through care.

He's here and he's nowhere
Both now and forever
The gate is marked hope
Past the wall of despair.

Time - our retreating, depleting asset

(Photo: Our Lady's Island Lake, Co Wexford, January 2017).


Time bleeds out of every hour
With every year, a limb removed.
The beating hourglass
Drains the sands of life -
Imperceptibly flowing out;
Far, far away
From here and now -
To never flow
Back home again.

The tide has run
Without return.
Looking out the window
Of such short lives
We fail to gather, savour
The dear sweet moments
Dropping silently away
Stolen before our very eyes -
Strangers now and always.

The bank of time
Is running down
Deposits draining out the door.
That revolving door turns one way only
Spinning out our days
Of ordinary and not so ordinary lives.

Precious seconds
To be embraced
Now,
And now,

And now.

Portugal Beckons in May 2017!

(Photo - Bray-Greystones with Claire, Aido and Daniel)


The dice is thrown - again!

Is going to be the Portuguese Camino in May, at the second time of trying.

It may be only Barry and I walking from Porto to the Spanish/Portuguese border where we hope to be joined by Fraser, Gail, Lorraine and possible others.

We are busy doing our research with the help of the excellent travel guide by the wonderful John Brierley.

It was Einstein who opined that 'coincidences were God's way of staying anonymous'. My coincidence of the week was at our  AVP (Alternatives to Violence Project) meeting last night when a volunteer who had returned after some years absence mentioned she was considering walking the 'Camino Portugues' at Easter! What are the chances? Especially the lesser known Portuguese route!

Hard to believe that four years will have elapsed since we made our way from Sarria to Santiago and six years since did the first stages from St. Jean Pied de Port! The stages are likely to be shorter and the meals longer this time round.

I have just renewed my membership of the Camino Society of Ireland where I hope to pick up our pilgrim passports ahead of the trip.

Portugal will be a new challenge and a new delight. I am looking forward to a full day in Porto ahead of the walk when with Barry's help we hope to complete a trip up the river Duoro by boat and return by train. Then onto Vila do Conde by the coastal route, even using the beach. I hope the tide is out. The following four days should see us meander through the pretty countryside, stopping at Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and Rubiaes before arriving at Valenca on one side of the river Mino and Tui on the Spanish side.

After a day in Tui when we hope to catch up with the newly arrived pilgrim we will spend the following five days making our way to Santiago.

The pilgrimage will be both an act of gratitude for still being here with the help of pills and doctors and an act of hope for the future. There are many to think of on this trip, especially those who soldiered with us before and those bravely combating illness.

Now, back to the maps...

Day 10 Saturday – Buen Camino! 11^th May 2013

Side Church – Cathedral of Santiago

I sat in silence for over an hour in the exquisite peace of this church, one of many off the main nave of the great Cathedral. Away from the click of tourist photos and rituals of organised prayer it was an occasion of grace and beauty. 

 

Caught in the reflection are two of the many candles we lit along the way and at the end of the Camino for loved ones, near and far.

Unfinished business.

We all hope to return to the Camino in the coming years.

Lorraine and I are talking of a family Camino next year. I hear talks of the Portuguese Camino, of the Northern route, of  the Primitive route, of returning to Pamplona, our favourite city, perhaps.

We do not find the Camino, it finds us.

 

The Camino calls.

It has changed each one of us. We each have made a little resolution to do something we had not planned ahead of the 2013 Camino.

Thank you, Joe, Josephine, Brian, Phil and Barry.

Buen Camino!

Day 9 Another special day in Santiago Friday 10^th 2013

 

View of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from the Park de Almeda

Friday was a fantastic day. It was the first day in eight we had not begun by packing our gear. We had a ‘lie in’ and arrived down to the hotel restaurant for a lazy breakfast at 8.30. I renamed the excellent hotel receptionist Marta, calling her –‘Santa Marta, de siempre aqui’ – ‘Saint Martha, always here’ - in acknowledgement of her being present in the hotel day and night, or so it seemed. She gave us the name and addresses of better, less expensive restaurants away from the tourist trap trail of yesterday.

 

Mel from Manchester

And me.

I could not attend the annual Frontline  Defenders awards ceremony which coincided with the Camino so I decided instead to wear their tee shirt. A number of pilgrims decided to look up the cause on the web on their return. Mel from Manchester took a more direct approach and produced a generous donation of sterling which is somewhere in the bottom of my rucksack. As soon as I unpack, I will send it into Charlie Lansom in Frontline in Blackrock. He will get bigger donations this year, I hope, but few more travelled.

 

 

Botafumeiro – the giant incense burner in the Cathedral of Santiago – at the Mass for Priests

Phil and I were greeted by Brian and Barry as they emerged from the 12.00 noon Pilgrims Mass. They had witnessed the star event in Santiago, the lighting of the giant thurible which we had expected yesterday at our own Pilgrims Mass. Being Ascension Thursday we expected fireworks, literally, but got none.

But we were in for a surprise. Today was the feast of St. John of Avila, better known to us as St. John of the Cross who is the patron saint of priests, in Spain at least. We decided to attend the 1.00pm Mass and were treated to two bishops and somewhere between one and two hundred priests, and wonderful singing. Happy memories of my days in the Monastery flooded back to the echoes of Gregorian chant. As the Botafumeiro flew over our heads we just hoped the lad on the rope wasn’t having a bad day.

Day 8 Santiago – Pilgrims Mass – Thursday 9^th May 2013

 

 

Did I say our lodgings were damp on our first night in Santiago?

As usual we were up early and packed by 8.00 am and we moved to more expensive but vastly superior accommodation in the Hotel de Aliaga on Rua Aliaga Arriba, about five minutes from the Cathedral.

Taking no chances, Phil and I took our places in the Cathdedral at 10.30 for the 12.00 noon Pilgrims Mass. We were hoping to see the giant thurible, the Botafumeiro in action. Despite it being Ascension Thursday, sadly we did not.  I enjoyed the serenity of the Cathedral, other than the rock band warming up outside in the Cathedral Square during the Mass.

But it was cold, very cold inside. So much that when we repaired to a café I added an amaretto to it on purely medicinal grounds.

 

Barry, Josephine and Joe in the picture, and myself (taking the picture) decided to go on a tour of the Museum and the Cathedral. It was money very well spent. Later on, we were about to embark on a roof top tour of the Cathedral when the rock band struck up again and we could not hear ourselves. The apologetic guides returned our ticket prices. It seemed they enjoyed the noise even less than we did.

 

View from the cloister. We were impressed by the Cathedral. So much so we shelved the idea of spending the next day in A Coruna in favour of exploring further the delights of Santiago and its many churches.

Day 7 Santiago de Compostela –at last!

From left to right: Vivienne (Dublin), Barry, Mel (Manchester), Padraic, Denise (Manchester).

This was our last coffee stop on the Camino before reaching Santiago. Vivienne had suffered our hospitality and had clearly assumed the coast was clear, but we were to meet again in Santiago.

 

 

Barry looking very debonair on the hill overlooking Santiago. Earlier in the day we had walked past the Airport perimeter and past the hill Monte de Gozo. This was our first sighting of the Cathedral city. We were incredulous and disappointed at the lack of signage from hereon into the city centre. Whereas every town and village, however humble, along the way had showered us with yellow arrows and markings, it seemed as if Santiago itself had dismissed the Camino as an awkward distraction.

Fortunately the beauty and atmosphere of Santiago more than made up for the lack of signs and the abundance of rain. It is a truly wonderful city. A University city full of students and laughter. A holy city full of history and devotion. A city full of cafes and bars.

Day 6 Arco do Pino (Pedruzo in Spanish) Tuesday 7^th May 2013

The following day, Tuesday I was condemned to walk alone. It had taken me five minutes to find my boots, and a further five to find my feet. Another twenty minutes looking for glasses proved fruitless, so I headed off on my solitary treck.

It was ‘golf weather day’, which translated into English means, that as soon as you have donned your wet gear – its stops raining – and as soon as you take off your wet gear – the clouds reassemble.

Mustn’t grumble though. We heard of pilgrims on the Finisterre route who faced two days of horizontal rain. It’s green in Galicia for a reason…

 

One of the advantages of walking alone is that you meet more people. This is David from Canada who is a professional photographer. He had walked from St. Jean Pied de Port and was planning to walk the extra 90km to Finisterre. We saw him the following day in Santiago enjoying a quiet beer with a fellow Canadian so we guess he got there.

 

With his eye for a photograph, David had picked out this old lady who was tending her sheep. She was carrying a purple umbrella to keep her dry from the light mizzle. Just as blue skies and sun had framed the first four days, changeable, moody skies dominated the next four.

We were more than happy to arrive at the modern yet comfortable Hotel O Pino. We enjoyed a delightful meal later that evening. We all went to bed early that night!

Day 5 Arzua Monday 6^th May 2013

The ponchos, which had cost 6 euro in Palas de Rei proved one of our better investments on the Camino. The ponchos will not have made any fashion statement but kept us dry and airy. We felt that if a car driver knocked us down it was because he intended to.

Barry at the ‘honesty shop’. We were intrigued to come across a shop in the middle of the country with fruits and drinks on offer with a suggested payment at our own discretion. We doubted if the idea would take off outside of the Camino.

This sign marks the spot.  Rosario and her husband Jose Manuel run this excellent bar and tapas café. We innocently ordered some cheese and ham. Ominously it took about 20 minutes to assemble the meal. When Rosario appeared with heaped plates of food we protested - it was far too much. Two hours and two bottles of wine later there was no food left, or wine either. We then departed on a 20 minute tour of the town. As the rain fell, the author felt it best to take shelter in the bar with unintended but predictable consequences.

Day 4 Melide Sunday 5^th May 2013

We were up and out early on Sunday morning. The Pension Bar Guntina was closed on Sunday so we found an unsuspecting and slightly surprised café nearby and proceeded to order 6 rounds of toast, six omelettes and six cafes con leche. The unflustered girl behind the bar womanfully coped with all. She was later joined by an elderly man whom we supposed was the owner. It was only when settling the bill we discovered that the elderly man who had made coffees and cleared the tables was just a regular customer who rose to the occasion.

This was another classic Camino moment.

We headed West, as always, with the rising sun directly behind us. Barry and I stopped to take an iconic photo while Phil and Brian disappeared in a blur in the distance.

Left to right: Rosemarie, Phil, Brian, June, Padraic, Josephine, Barry and Joe

This was out last encounter with our fellow pilgrims from Northern Ireland. Rosemarie and June would walk the full 26km that day to Arzua. For reasons of health and safety we decided to cut the stage in two. Making a stop in Melide was not to prove such a bad decision after all.

On the way to Melide, Phil stops to take a photo of the flock.

This was probably our warmest day. It was also the last day we walked in uninterrupted sunshine.

Our hotel was the well-appointed Hotel Carlos at the entrance to the town. The braver souls went for a meal in a local restaurant that specialised in the regional delicacy – pulpo – octopus. Not to everyone’s taste. I sulked and skulked in a café on the Camino and met Jim from New York State who is a Presbyterian Minister who was determined to walk another 15km that afternoon to Arzua.

Barry brought us on a virtual wine tour of Riberio del Duero during our evening meal. The proud hotel owner, Luis, served us up his signature liqueur café. The coffee was in line to get an award later that week. We sure hope he got it!

Day 3 Palas de Rei Saturday 4^th May 2013

The sun shone on our little flock on Saturday. We enjoyed a very simple breakfast in the cafe above the reservoir that had hosted the civic reception of the previous night. We left Portomarin as the morning mist burned off. The sun grew warmer on this, our longest, walk.

 

 

View from Pension Bar Guntina, Palas de Rei.

We were happy to slip off our dusty walking boots in the basic accommodation of the Bar Guntina. We strolled around to the sunny side of of the town and sipped a very enjoyable and well deserved beer in the company of three pilgrims from Australia, Greg, Graham and Peter. We enjoyed the pilgrims’ meal later that evening in Casa Curro in the company of Rosemary and June from the North and Vivienne from Dublin. The pilgrims’ meal cost us €9 each. The wine may have cost more.

Day 2 Arrival in Portomarin

The 100km sign, just outside Portomarin.

Some pilgrims we met had walked much more than the minimum 100k necessary to get a ‘Compostela’ in Santiago. We came across a jolly group from Beauvais in Picardy in Northern France who had walked for a week every year for the past twelve. They had started in Chartres in Frnace and had covered the Camino Frances. Now they were on their last lap. They walked, talked, chatted, drank and ate in a thoroughly Gallic fashion. We were to meet them finally in the pilgrim reception in Santiago when receiving our own Compostela. Clearly there are many ways of completing the Camino.

 

View across the reservoir of Portomarin built about 60 years ago.

You don’t get to see a lot of water on the Camino and we all agreed this was one of the prettiest stops on our journey. We stayed on the very acceptable hotel Andres in the middle of Portomarin who kindly facilitated us when I lost the details of the hotel we were due to stay in. We eventually tracked ‘Roberto’ down to another hotel and made our apologies. Portomarin was built during the construction of the reservoir to house the residents of the drowning valley. The Church had been relocated stone by stone to the new centre.

We enjoyed a cool beer in the arch lined main square and repaired to a restaurant where we later joined by Rosemarie and June.

Day 2 Portomarin Friday 3^rd May 2013

Photo taken from hotel bedroom on early Friday morning as the mist rises above the restaurant of O Chanto. Today we would walk to Portomarin. Our luggage was in the hall for its 8.00am pick up. We set out with the sun at our backs.

 

The path brought us through lush agricultural lands with rich agricultural smells.  As Phil remarked early on the first day, ‘ a walk downhill invariably means a walk uphill sooner or later’; generally sooner.

The morning mist held on as long as it could until the bright sun chased it away mid-morning. Our path brought us through farms and fields. Every farm seemed to boast a corn shed, chickens and cows, many of whom we met on way to milking.

Day 1 Sarria – evening of Thursday 2^nd May 2013

From right to left – Phil, Joe, Josephine, Barry, Padraic and Brian

The decision by Aer Lingus to delay the flight by three hours meant that we landed at the later hour of 3.30pm local time. This prompted a decision to share a bus driven by the amiable Jose Luis. We shared the invitation of a lift to Rosemary and June who in turn offered a lift to another Irish couple.

We spent the first night at the unpretentious but pleasant Villa d’Oca (Villa de Sarria) pension (budget hotel) in the town.

Barry and I contemplate finishing the journey we had commenced in Pamplona in 2006 when the world was a different place and our knees and hips were younger. Some of our friends picked up their pilgrim passport in the modest Church which acts as the starting point for those walking to Santiago from Sarria which stands at km 115.

 

We stopped to say a little prayer and light a few candles before repairing to the pleasant and unpretentious restaurant ‘O Chanto’. After a sun drenched beer on the terrace overlooking the river we retreated indoors. The owner told us they had endured snow barely a week before our arrival. Napoleon was observant when he commented about preferring ‘lucky generals’ and how a pilgrim group makes progress on its stomach…  One of the highlights of our Camino trip were the little cafes along the route where we stopped for coffee and a chat with other pilgrims.

Alea Iacta Est - The dice is thrown - we're on our way - again!

And so we have decided, Barry and I, the self appointed sub committee, that we shall complete the Camino in early May 2013 that we started in the innocent days of 2006. Little did we know then... But we are all alive and healthy and still talking to each other.

We have looked at the snakes and ladder board of the Camino and have thrown the dice.
We have landed on the ladder that stretches from Logrono in my case (Much, much further on in Barry's case) to Sarria, approx 120km from Santiago de Compostela.

We are going to complete the last five stages and earn our credencial in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Indeed strictly we have earned it already having completed much more than the requisite 100km. But we will do it in style and with elegance, as always.

We hope to attract up to eight others to join us, giving first preference to the Camino Five of 2011 - including Dan, Pat and Fraser. Invitations will be extended to family - brothers, sisters, wives.
I have a special hope that some people from MC3 - the Monkstown Ecumenical initiative involving The Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland and Quaker Communities - might join in.

We are looking at the possibility of a guided trip by the excellent and professional people in Camino Ways or alternatively the misguided trip (dis)organised by yours truly. Let the people decide!

We want to leave at least a full day to savour the delights of Santiago de Compostela and perhaps we might even look at walking, driving or thumbing a lift to Finisterre.

Clear your diaries, start walking 20km a day, stop shaving (men only!), build up your stamina and prepare for our foray into Galicia. As of now we are thinking of flying out on Thursday 2nd of May and returning either Saturday 11th or Sunday 12th. We understand Aer Lingus are operating on all days mentioned.

It will be above all a walk of joy, of thanksgiving to the Almighty (whoever he or she may be) for friends and family, a time to contemplate and pray whilst not forgetting to enjoy the odd glass of wine in excellent company.

Pilgrim's Progress - Camino reflections 5th October

It's a long way to Santiago...

You are more than welcome to join us on Wednesday evening the 5th of October at 8.00pm in the Friends Meeting House in Monkstown to learn how we did not make it all the way to Santiago.

But we had fun going part of the way. Here is our story as we wandered along the medieval path

that began in the charming town of St Jean Pied de Port in La Belle France and finished outside Logrono in La Rioja, Spain.

I thought I might say a few words on the following themes

Why go on the Camino?

A (very) short history of the Camino.

How long does it take?

A religious or spiritual experience?

How best to prepare.

Books and guides.

When is it best to travel?

How best to travel? (Walk, cycle, horse or ass?!)

Dramatis personae

People we met.

Pilgrim survival tricks

When do prayers work?

Hostels or hotels?

Poetry in motion.

The countryside, flora and fauna.

Towns and villages, some cities too.

Magic moments - camino moments

The Quaker connection

Havenly thanks.

What next?

Tea of course!

I look forward to seeing you there!

Magic Moments and Amazing Grace avec Nicole

The Pilgrim, photo courtesy of Nicole Morel

We are delighted to include our first post in the French Language. Here are some reflections from Nicole whom we famously met in Viskarret.

El Camino Frances.
Ultreïa ! En avant, route !...
Pas besoin d'être croyant, catholique, anglican, ou de toute autre religion pour marcher sur le Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de -Compostelle.
Ce sont le désir de marcher, de faire silence en soi et de se retrouver en harmonie avec la nature qui m'ont conduite sur le Chemin.
A chaque pas, je découvre une espèce végétale qui m'était jusqu'ici inconnue, des fleurs de toute beauté en ce joli mois de mai et les oiseaux qui, dissimulés dans les branchages touffus, saluent le passage des pélerins.... des moments de bonheur simple et intense.
Vous l'avez deviné, c'est au détour d'un chemin calme et ombragé, entre Roncesvalles et Viscarret en Navarre, que j'ai rencontré Patrick, Barry, Frazer, Pat et Dan. Ils s'étaient arrêtés, tout comme moi, au bord d'une rivière qui chantait, cachée derrière les bouquets de fleurs blanches qui ornaient les arbres. Nous nous sommes extasiés ensemble comme si nous nous connaissions depuis longtemps.
Arrivée à Viscarret sous une chaleur torride, j'entends une voix qui appelle : "Nicole"...; incrédule, car je marche seule sur le chemin, je me retourne cependant et aperçois Patrick et son grand sourire qui me convient à partager la table de déjeuner. Quelle gentillesse, sur le chemin c'est avec joie que l'on se joint à celui, celle qui vous accueille. Mais ce déjeuner Patrick vous l'a déjà raconté.
Alors revenons à l'expérience que je souhaite maintenant vous relater.
Une journée a passé depuis le déjeuner de Viscarret. Tandis que je traverse Torres del Rio ( Navarra), le granit brûle sous le soleil de midi et pas une âme ne bouge, harassée par la chaleur. Je continue d'avancer lorsque je découvre sur ma droite une église minuscule, l'église du Saint Sépulcre, XIIème siècle.
Quelques pélerins sortent de l'édifice par un portail roman tout simple. Je me glisse à l'intérieur et me trouve directement sous la coupole centrale, l'église octogonale ne mesure guère plus de 38 m2.
Soudain dans le silence, un pèlerin assis sur un rebord de pierre sort un harmonica de sa poche et commence à jouer, en sourdine, un hymne très lent. Les trois ou quatre visiteurs, dont je fais partie, s'arrêtent, écoutent. L'hymne s'intensifie sous la coupole de la petite église; soudain une voix de baryton-basse s'élève, puissante et généreuse; un pèlerin coréen s'est mis à chanter l'hymne. Sa voix est magnifique et profonde. Je ne puis résister à ce timbre émouvant et commence à chanter moi-même dans une tonalité aussi élevée que possible pour accompagner la voix. Les visiteurs retiennent leur souffle; j'aimerais que cet instant de grâce se prolonge infiniment.... Le chant de la voix et de l'harmonica s'éteint, mais l'émotion demeure, personne ne bouge, l'instant se prolonge encore, puis nous nous quittons sans parler, pour reprendre notre marche intérieure sur "el Camino".
Ce fut un moment d'exception inoubliable qu'il m'a été donné de partager avec deux personnes inconnues et qui pourtant, à cet instant, me furent tellement proches... C'est cela le chemin de Saint Jacques.

The signpost at the meeting of the ways at Roncesvalles; photo courtesy of Nicole Morel.

Nicole's penseees, en Anglais - a rough translation

The Camino Frances.
'Ultreïa' (the Basque equivalent of ‘en avant. route, buen camino, onwards, forwards…)
There is no need to be a believer, to be a Catholic or an Anglican or to belong to any religion in order to walk the way of St James of Compostela.
It was merely the wish to walk, to maintain inner silence and to place myself once again in harmony with nature that drew me to the Camino.
At every step I discover a new species of flora of which I was previously unaware. The flowers, blooming beautifully, in this pretty month of May and the birds, hidden in the leafy branches serenade the passing pilgrims. These are moments of simple and intense happiness.
I came across a group of pilgrims in a clearing on the peaceful and shady path between between Roncesvalles and Viskarret in Navarra. It comprised Padraic, Barry, Fraser, Pat and Dan. They too were stopped on the bank of a stream that was singing, hidden behind a clump of trees that were adorned with white flowers. We were overjoyed and it seemed as if we had known each other for a long time.
As I arrived at Viskarret in the torrid heat, I hear a voice that calls “Nicole”. I am taken by surprise because I am travelling the Camino on my own. I turn round to find Padraic with a big smile inviting me to join the group for lunch. Another unexpected kindness upon the Camino. I am delighted to accept the invitation and a glass of red wine!

And now let me share with you a very special experience.

A day had passed since the lunch in Viskarret. I was travelling through Torres del Rio in Navarra. The granite stones along the path gleamed in the midday sun and not a soul stirred in the burning heat. I was making my way when I noticed to my right a tiny church – the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, dating from the 12th century.
Some pilgrims were leaving the church through a simple Roman doorway. I slip inside and sit under the central cupola. The tiny church measures not more than 38 square metres.
Suddenly in the silence, a pilgrim who is sitting on a stone ledge takes a harmonia out of his pocket and begins to play a muffled hymn very slowly. Like me, the three or four other pilgrims stop in their tracks and listen. The sound of the hymn intensifies under the cupola of the tiny church. Suddenly the lovely voice of a base baritone intones. The voice is powerful and generous. It is the voice of a pilgrim from Korea. It is both deep and magnificent. I find it impossible to ignore the wonderful timbre and I began to sing myself at a high pitch so as to complement the others voice. The visitors hold their breath; I would love for this moment of grace to last forever... The song, combining voices and harmonica, reaches its end but the emotion lingers on, no one moves, the moment extends and lasts because we leave the church in silence to continue our interior journey along the camino.
It was a moment of magic that I will never forget which was shared with two strangers who though unknown to me seemed very close during that experience. That’s the way it is on the Camino of St James...

Merci Nicole et bonne route!

Carrefour des 2 chemins, chemin par la forêt de hêtres et par celui de Valcarlos, avant la descente sur Roncesvalles

Poem Camino Musing by Fraser Jennings

Monjardin Hill on the way to Villamayor

CAMINO MUSING

We walked, and talked, and walked some more,
Up down, and round Camino Frances way.
We talked, and walked, and talked some more,
And when alone there was still more to say.
To dream and ponder life, and all around.
To step out in anger in memory of lives snatched away,
But all the time a peace prevailed,
The cup of friendship never far away,
As the peaks of the Pyrenees we assailed.
And when we walked and talked no more,
We felt better for each foot sore day;
For to walk in friendship is no chore.

Day Eleven - Au revoir and not adieu to the Camino

Day Eleven – Bye Bye Bilbao – Hello Blighty!
Distance walked – 2km, distance flown - 800km, coffees drunk - 4

The makeshift campsite of the remaining student protestors.

The rain fell softly on the Bilbao pavements as I wandered out of the pension around 7.00am. I strolled down to the Teatro Arriaga where the students had put up their little tents and spent another uncomfortable night in support of their protest. I remember fondly my own generation – the late sixties - and its questioning of authority. I think a generation that does not demonstrate is not worth its salt. There is a lot to be annoyed about. One of my worries through the nineties and noughties was the conservatism of our youth who seemed more interested in 6 figure salaries than changing the world for good or bad.

Statue of Santiago in the Cathdral bearing his name.

I walked back to the hotel to see Fraser off. He took a generous amount of money out of his wallet and offered it for Haven. Considering he was raising money for Pat’s Orphanage this was doubly generous.

This was my camino moment of the day.

I hope every day has a Camino moment from here on out.

The remaining troops assembled and agreed to disperse to find presents for loved ones. We visited the Cathedral which was dedicated to Santiago. The coincidence was not lost on us. We enjoyed a light lunch in a café bar where the locals dropped in and out.

We had started out journey with a bomb scare and finished it with a volcano scare. Fortunately the good Lord smiled on us and we all made it home safe and sound.

Post Script

I opened the post this morning to find a parcel containing four copes of a beautiful book – a collection of water color paintings by Mark Hoare who walked the Camino from le Puy and brought his paints and his talent with him. Fraser had sent us each a copy of this lovely book which will bring joy and happy memories for years to come.

Credencial - will it get finished?