Issues, ethics, memory
(September 24) We left the pleasant town of Astorga yesterday in the early morning darkness and headed toward the mountains, climbing from 900 to 1100 metres along the way. We ended the day in the tiny and hospitable village of Rabanal whose population is listed as being 60. A long climb We spent much of... Continue Reading →
(September 25) We are in the lovely mountain town of Villfranca this evening but I want to go back to yesterday in Molinaseca where we stayed in a hotel called El Palacio. There are a lot of people on the Camino this month so I have been calling ahead to arrange accommodation. I always tell... Continue Reading →
(September 26) We use a book called A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago. Its author John Brierley claims that today’s walk of 36 kilometres, adjusted to include the ascent, is one of the most difficult on the Camino. It is. Steep climb at Villafranca We begin in Villafranca just at sunup and immediately... Continue Reading →
(September 28) I have a theory not shared by my partner Martha that indecision often works out for the best. We began this day in a town called Triacastella about 20 kilometres shy of a city called Sarria which has a population of 13,500. We sleep in a bit this (Sunday) morning and I am... Continue Reading →
(September 29) This morning we leave Sarria for Portomarin 22 kilometres down the road. Many pilgrims begin their journey at Sarria because one must hike this last distance of about 113 kilometres to have your pilgrimage officially recognized. As a consequence, there are noticeably more pilgrims on the trail today. At one point, I count... Continue Reading →
(September 30) We have 58 kilometres remaining to our destination in Santiago. Today we walk from Portomarin to a town called Palas de Rei, a distance of 27 kilometres adjusted for the climb. When we begin at 8 a.m. there is a ground hugging mist that does not burn off until after 11 a.m. That... Continue Reading →
(October 1) We stayed last night in a private room in an ultra-modern albergue in Palas de Rei and not long after we start walking this morning we fall into step with a Spaniard who speaks English well. He is from Madrid where he has just left his job as a lawyer with a bank... Continue Reading →
(October 2) John Brierley’s guidebook is ubiquitous here and seems to poke out of every backpack and sit on every lunch and dinner table, at least among English speakers. It is small enough that it fits into the front pocket of my hiking pants and I refer to it multiple times a day. It is... Continue Reading →
(October 3) We start out early and in the dark from the albergue in O Pedrouzo this morning for our final destination in Santiago. It is fitting somehow that a guy on the other side of our thin wall gave a night long command snoring performance -- so getting up at 5:00 a.m. was not... Continue Reading →
(October 4) After all of the planning, training and execution, we have after a month of walking completed a 650-kilometre trek on the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. The Camino falls within the ancient pilgrimage tradition of the Catholic Church and millions have preceded us on the way. The Camino was hugely popular in... Continue Reading →
Pulpit and Politics 