LIVE from the Camino A fork in the road on my camino

[Leaningforward]

The baseball player, Yogi Berra, was quoted as saying, "when you reach a fork in the road, take it." I've reached a fork in the road on my camino, which began on February 9 in St. Jean.

After settling into a comfortable pace, I didn't leave well enough alone and lengthened my stride up a hill between Rabe and Castrojerz, and came up lame with shin splints. After taking five hours to walk from Castrojerz to Itero de la Vega, I realized I had a real problem -- especially with long winter minimum walks ahead between Fromista and Carrion de los Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza -- and hired a taxi to transport me (oh the shame, I know) to a hotel past Fromista, where the owner is being very kind (and her mother, a very sweet octogenarian, who thinks I am too thin, taps her cane on the floor when I put down my fork and says "comer mas" -- I adore them both and my camino would be less without them.)

After resting my shins here for a few days -- and if my adopted mother has her way, putting a few pounds back on -- I am considering taking a bus on to Terradillos de los Templarios (downright sacrilege, I know), where the distances between places to stop in winter become shorter -- and my chances of walking on to Santiago will increase.

This complication -- and blessing! -- probably will leave me not enough time to walk to Finisterre as I had planned.

So would anyone with experience/some time and access to a computer help me with some information?

1. Can one easily bus from Santiago to Finisterre and back in one or two days?

2. From Santiago, what is the fastest way to get to an international airport for a flight back to the US? (I flew Icelandair to Paris.)

Thank you.

 

[mspath]

The baseball player, Yogi Berra, was quoted as saying, "when you reach a fork in the road, take it." I've reached a fork in the road on my camino, which began on February 9 in St. Jean.

After settling into a comfortable pace, I didn't leave well enough alone and lengthened my stride up a hill between Rabe and Castrojerz, and came up lame with shin splints. After taking five hours to walk from Castrojerz to Itero de la Vega, I realized I had a real problem -- especially with long winter minimum walks ahead between Fromista and Carrion de los Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza -- and hired a taxi to transport me (oh the shame, I know) to a hotel past Fromista, where the owner is being very kind (and her mother, a very sweet octogenarian, who thinks I am too thin, taps her cane on the floor when I put down my fork and says "comer mas" -- I adore them both and my camino would be less without them.)

After resting my shins here for a few days -- and if my adopted mother has her way, putting a few pounds back on -- I am considering taking a bus on to Terradillos de los Templarios (downright sacrilege, I know), where the distances between places to stop in winter become shorter -- and my chances of walking on to Santiago will increase.

This complication -- and blessing! -- probably will leave me not enough time to walk to Finisterre as I had planned.

So would anyone with experience/some time and access to a computer help me with some information?

1. Can one easily bus from Santiago to Finisterre and back in one or two days?

2. From Santiago, what is the fastest way to get to an international airport for a flight back to the US? (I flew Icelandair to Paris.)

Thank you.

Leaningforward,

I am sorry to learn about your troubles.

Hopefully a good rest coupled with good food will help you legs and your spirits!
By chance are you stopping now in Población de Campos ?

See this current Forum thread about Santiago/Finisterre buses. You could certainly make the round trip run in two days.

Try rome2rio for a flight from Santiago via? to ?usa. For example Iberia flies from SDC to Newark/NYC daily. See more here.

Get well, try to relax and do count your blessings.

Margaret Meredith

(Please PM me for more info is you wish)

 

[AnnieH61]

I really hope you are able to finish your walk Leaningforward. Your descriptive writing is great.
Annie

 

[Deleted member 3000]

(oh the shame, I know)
(downright sacrilege, I know)

First, don't burden yourself with others' rules! Buses and taxis are fine when you are healthy, and perfectly fine when you are injured.

You can get the bus to the Santiago airport from many stops in the city, including the bus station. It runs about once an hour. Iberia airline has flights from there to New York, Miami, and Chicago, and connects through those cities to everywhere. Iberia is owned by British Airways and codeshares with American Airlines, so you will be on flights with those two other airlines.

Buses to Fisterre leave two to four times a day from the bus station. Besides checking the schedule on the internet, your hotel or albergue in Santiago probably has the times. It is a pretty common trip!

Have fun, and revel in the walk you had.

 

[Leaningforward]

As I imagine is the case with many pilgrims, my spirits have been consistently and abundantly high since my camino began -- whatever the circumstances have been.

I have been amazed by the generosity of people I have met along the way -- from the mother and daughter who found me on a wooded trail before the ascent to Ibaneta to bring me the wool beanie I had dropped kilometers earlier, to fellow pilgrims, to the lovely mother and daughter who are helping me now.

My amazement extends to this forum, too, where people have been generous with their time and experience -- and wit, from Gerard with his story about scaling an albergue wall, to Annie who helps put us at ease about bedbugs, to Falcon and Rebekah who provide real time information and advice, to Ivar who facilitates it all.

This immersion in generosity, for so long a period of time, in the quiet and solitude of winter, is quite a remarkable experience.

Standing on the top of a hill and seeing that day's destination so far away -- seemingly unreachable on foot -- and then taking one step and another, and so on, minute after minute for hours -- and then reaching that unattainable place -- is to me a greater triumph or success than anything I do in business back in the "real" world.

Perhaps this lengthy experience -- in the context of a stunning foreign landscape, culture, and peoples that transports one from one's usual circumstances -- is what makes the Camino de Santiago unique for people like me, regardless of our home.

Please pardon my rambling; I am overwhelmed in a most excellent way by this experience, and this forum seems like a welcoming and safe place to unpack the experience.

 

[Marypower]

First, don't burden yourself with others' rules! Buses and taxis are fine when you are healthy, and perfectly fine when you are injured.

You can get the bus to the Santiago airport from many stops in the city, including the bus station. It runs about once an hour. Iberia airline has flights from there to New York, Miami, and Chicago, and connects through those cities to everywhere. Iberia is owned by British Airways and codeshares with American Airlines, so you will be on flights with those two other airlines.

Buses to Fisterre leave two to four times a day from the bus station. Besides checking the schedule on the internet, your hotel or albergue in Santiago probably has the times. It is a pretty common trip!

Have fun, and revel in the walk you had.

I agree one must do it their own way. If you have to bus it of taxi it, it doesn't matter it's your camino. I am going on the 20th of May this year and plan to do it my way. If I feel a bus would enhance my trip a little on the way , so be it. No remorse it's my way

 

[Al the optimist]

Great spirit LeaningForward. As you realise the Camino always has it's way of changing you. Disfruta amigo!
Falcon, you are very knowledgeable and we all owe a lot to you. So I hope you don't meet my girlfriend on the Camino because if you do she will probably lynch you and we will all be the worse off for it.! (She flies for Iberia and hates the preferential treatment the IAG company are giving it's subsidiary BA over them and can be very vociferous on the matter).

 

[Icacos]

I agree one must do it their own way. If you have to bus it of taxi it, it doesn't matter it's your camino. I am going on the 20th of May this year and plan to do it my way. If I feel a bus would enhance my trip a little on the way , so be it. No remorse it's my way

Welcome to the Forum, Marypower. Good luck with your Camino planning. I did the Francés last spring and now keep longing for and dreaming of my next Camino. I have no idea when it will be or what route it will take, but I want to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. And, like you, I will do it my way – with no remorse.
Buen Camino

 

[cherrys]

Hi Leaningforward - I too suffered from horrendous shin splints, taking the bus three times, as I wanted to finish. Also took bus to Finisterre, then walked to Muxia, then bus back. Main reason I'm writing - Michelle, at the albergue in Rabe wrapped my leg in green clay and saran wrap, made me promise to wear it in the evenings for a few days. It took the swelling down tremendously, enabling me to finally walk the long distances each day I thought I would have been able to do the entire trip. You can buy it in the farmacia, just mix it with water to form a thick paste. I was definitely skeptical, but have since found it in health food stores back here. Buen camino

 

[Gil A]

To go to Finisterre and Muxia there are many tours like this one: http://www.getyourguide.com/santiag...nisterre-costa-da-morte-from-santiago-t33470/ I am sure you can find more about then when you arrive to Santiago de Compostela. I am also sure you can find something that meets you time and money needs,
Last year my wife and I rented a car at the airport in Santiago and in 8 hours we visited Finisterre and Muxia.
I hope you get well very soon and that you have a chance to visit the tomb of the apostle.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Good for you for taking good care of yourself and allowing Abuelita to help too!!! I don't have any info for ya but just want to let you know there is no "right or wrong way" to complete one's pilgrimage. I hope you will at least be able to take in the Pilgrim's mass in Santiago. It's worth the trip.

 

[Leaningforward]

Thank you all again for your assistance. I will be ready to resume my camino tomorrow, but not at the same pace that took me from SJPdP to Itego de la Vega. I've examined the stage profile map provided in SJPdP and think it would be realistic in the time I have left to resume walking -- in shorter stages -- after Leon.

Option 1 will be to start again in Rabanal, in shorter 7-10K stages, including Cruz de Ferro where I would like to place a stone I have carried for a friend back home.

If the topography changes in Option 1 prove undoable -- they have not troubled me thus far -- then Option 2 would be to move on to Sarria.

I am in Poblacion de Campos at the Amanecer Hotel now -- and cannot speak too highly of Carmen and her mother, also Carmen, who have shown me uncommon kindness the past two days. Carmen's brother will drive me to Carrion de los Condes tomorrow, where I can take a bus to Sahagun, and another to Rabanal. If I need to find transportation to facilitate Option 2, then I will might ask for your help.

 

[mspath]

Leaningforward,

Glad to learn that you feel better. Do take it easy as you continue.

Please give Carmen and her mother my best regards. I stopped there last November 14 when walking with a Korean photographer with was pooped. We both so enjoyed their gracious hospitality and the comfort of the house.

Good luck to you and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Leaningforward, just one other suggestion. once you restart, where-ever you decide to do that, make sure you are drinking plenty of fluid, and taking regular rest stops. I know that when it's cold, the temptation is to not stop and drink. However, I met a Frenchman whose legs became so painful he could walk no further, and a doctor told him to rest up entirely for a week- and when he restarted, to make sure he drank plenty, and had plenty of rest stops. He had his leg problem near Cluny, having walked quickly from Dijon in France in cold weather. When I met him near Santo Domingo he was an incredibly strong walker, and I had no idea he'd had problems earlier.
Buen Camino, and all the best for the rest of your walk.
Margaret

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The descent from the Cruz de Ferro to Molinaseca is about the worst on the Camino, so you might consider a taxi for that stretch. In Foncebadon they probably can summon a taxi for you, which is likely to come from Molinaseca. You could meet it at the cross, or use it to get from Foncebadon to Molinaseca with a stop at the cross.

 

[Leaningforward]

Agreed, and thank you.

Since writing I checked the weather (again) and accommodations (again), and am thinking it might be a better idea to take the bus from Sahagun to Molinaseca, hire a car or taxi to drive me to Cruz de Ferro and back (to fulfill a promise to a friend), and resume my walking on the flatter terrain between Molinaseca and Trabadelo, before attempting El Cebreiro.

For anyone reading this who is confounded by or disagrees with my decisions not to walk each and every kilometer of the Camino Frances -- as I had planned and hoped to do -- know that after my disappointment passed when I realized that could not happen, I understood that -- for me -- blind devotion to an arbitrary or inflexible goal is a kind of burden that drove me to despair -- which ultimately led me to the Camino de Santiago -- and is a burden I want to leave here, before I return home -- not unlike the many unnecessary possessions pilgrims discard in route to lighten the loads we carry from day to day and place to place.

For the first time since St. Jean, I no longer feel like I am tracing steps of others, but instead finding my own Way. I think that's what I have heard from you.

 

[Arn]

Leaningforward,

We all have made plans that once we actually set out much goes by the Way. The Camino has an impact on us that often defies rational explanation. You are growing in so many new ways: attitude, compassion for others, recognition of "real" limitations and the desire to persevere, but not at any cost.
Saludos,

Arn

 

[unadara]

Totally agree with the Molinaseca option, the descent that day from the CRUZ has nearly knocked me twice, I'm grand on ascents!. Enjoy every minute of the rest of your journey, medical advice for all tendonitis, shin splints etc is drink more and isotonics also, eroski do own brand, if you can get 2l into you each day you will recover much faster.

 

[Larazet]

It seems Carmen and her mother in Poblacion de Campo is a very popular stop! They were very helpful to me when I had tendonitis and had to get my husband to drive from France to collect me last June. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that small hotel to anyone wanting accommodation in that area. I do so hope to return to continue from there and even room No 6!

Do hope it all turns out OK for you, buen Camino.

 

[alexwalker]

For anyone reading this who is confounded by or disagrees with my decisions not to walk each and every kilometer of the Camino Frances --

What nonsense: It is you and only you who decide what is right for you - You own your own Camino!
All the best, and happy continuation and completion!
Buen Camino - Ultreia!

 

[AshaDasi]

The baseball player, Yogi Berra, was quoted as saying, "when you reach a fork in the road, take it." I've reached a fork in the road on my camino, which began on February 9 in St. Jean.

After settling into a comfortable pace, I didn't leave well enough alone and lengthened my stride up a hill between Rabe and Castrojerz, and came up lame with shin splints. After taking five hours to walk from Castrojerz to Itero de la Vega, I realized I had a real problem -- especially with long winter minimum walks ahead between Fromista and Carrion de los Condes and Calzadilla de la Cueza -- and hired a taxi to transport me (oh the shame, I know) to a hotel past Fromista, where the owner is being very kind (and her mother, a very sweet octogenarian, who thinks I am too thin, taps her cane on the floor when I put down my fork and says "comer mas" -- I adore them both and my camino would be less without them.)

After resting my shins here for a few days -- and if my adopted mother has her way, putting a few pounds back on -- I am considering taking a bus on to Terradillos de los Templarios (downright sacrilege, I know), where the distances between places to stop in winter become shorter -- and my chances of walking on to Santiago will increase.

This complication -- and blessing! -- probably will leave me not enough time to walk to Finisterre as I had planned.

So would anyone with experience/some time and access to a computer help me with some information?

1. Can one easily bus from Santiago to Finisterre and back in one or two days?

2. From Santiago, what is the fastest way to get to an international airport for a flight back to the US? (I flew Icelandair to Paris.)

Thank you.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your walk! It is a tough thing when the shins go, so be careful, and take it easy. And EAT! Buen Camino!

 

[AnnieH61]

You talk such sense. I wish you Buen Camino.
Annie

 

[Icacos]

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you as you continue. I too had to take the fork in my Camino when tendinitis threw me a monkey wrench. And like you, I was helped by Camino angels. Do let us know how you get on.

 

[Stefania13/14]

I agree one must do it their own way. If you have to bus it of taxi it, it doesn't matter it's your camino. I am going on the 20th of May this year and plan to do it my way. If I feel a bus would enhance my trip a little on the way , so be it. No remorse it's my way

Hi Marypower, I too will be leaving SJPP near the time you leave. I will be in SJPP May 17 and leave May 18 from there. I will be with a group until May 21 when we arrive in Pamplona then will be on my own. Hope to meet you along the wy.
Stefania

 

[marjm007]

Leaning forward I admire you. Letting go of what others think and doing this your way. You expressed that very well. Thanks

 

[Leaningforward]

Can anyone help me determine a schedule for the bus from Astorga to Foncebadon, tomorrow, Friday 28/2?

See http://www.autocarespedrin.com/.

 

[emonty]

Hi Leaningforward - I too suffered from horrendous shin splints, taking the bus three times, as I wanted to finish. Also took bus to Finisterre, then walked to Muxia, then bus back. Main reason I'm writing - Michelle, at the albergue in Rabe wrapped my leg in green clay and saran wrap, made me promise to wear it in the evenings for a few days. It took the swelling down tremendously, enabling me to finally walk the long distances each day I thought I would have been able to do the entire trip. You can buy it in the farmacia, just mix it with water to form a thick paste. I was definitely skeptical, but have since found it in health food stores back here. Buen camino

Does this green clay have a name?

 

[Leaningforward]

I made it by bus to Astorga and set out this morning for a shorter walk to Santa Catalina de Somoza -- when I met two able bodied pilgrims from Madrid who reached my intended destination and turned back because of brutal head winds, rain, and the forecast for the mountain ahead. I didn't need a brighter or louder sign to tell me that I would not fare any better!

So ... I hired a taxi to drive me to Ponferrada. The driver slowed in each town to point out churches and bridges, and stopped at Cruz de Ferro, where in driving snow I was able to lay items I had carried for sick friends and to say prayers and thanks for family and friends.

The drive past Foncebadon, Manjarin, and Acebo settled any remaining doubts I had as to whether I had shortened my camino prematurely. Much of the path up to Foncebadon and down past Acebo was covered with snow -- deep enough that there was no visible sign of a path -- ice, or both.

So down the mountain we drove past Molineseca (where I thought of Tomas who I wanted to meet, but alas will not -- except in my imagination, which probably is not large enough to contain him) to Ponferrado.

Up and down the mountain -- and for that matter every kilometer since my walk suspended -- my eyes yearned to see a yellow arrow, a stack of rocks, or some other sign I learned marked the Way.

I am sad that I am injured and was unable to walk all the way from St. Jean, and will miss many places I really hoped to see and people to meet. But I am not too sad because I proved to myself that I am able to push myself farther -- physically and emotionally -- than I thought possible, in pursuit of something intangible without much value in the world: a slower, simpler pace, quiet, solitude, peace -- what Thoreau called sauntering.

That achievement that was lived and earned one step at time over weeks and hundreds of kilometers is set deep inside me now, wrapped in joy and contentment, wonder, and peace that may prove difficult to repeat. But present nonetheless as a reservoir from which I can draw when I am back in the world. This is a very good thing.

In Ponferrada, I boarded a train to Sarria, with a pair of arm crutches I found at a pharmacy in Astorga. I arrived in Sarria with other pilgrims, new pilgrims who looked as excited as I was in St. John several weeks ago.

I hope I look a little tired, a little worn. I hope they wonder how far I've come. But I hope they don't ask because how does one possibly explain the Camino to someone who has not yet looked and seen, listened and heard, touched and felt, the Camino. And really, they should learn these things for themselves, without preconceived notions imparted by others.

So tomorrow I will begin to walk again -- with my crutches as long as I need them -- the last hundred kilometers to Santiago to collect the compostela I earned and will continue to earn.

You know, without the people who compose this forum, I would not have known how to start my camino, how to persevere my camino, how to love this experience.

Thank you.

 

[cherrys]

Does this green clay have a name?

Hi - Yes, it is called French Green clay, or Illite. I just googled it to check it out. I should add that because of intense inflammation and discoloring of my left leg I took the bus from Los Arcos to Logrono and had it x-rayed (I was suspecting a stress fracture as the pain was so intense). The doctor ( a very nice man who had walked the camino) said it was just over-use and asked me to rest for a few days. Unfortunately the hospitalero in the muni in Logrono would not even hear of me leaving my back pack there for a few hours while I sat in the park and contemplated my options, even after I showed him the doctor's letter. So I plodded on very slowly. So I was thrilled to finally get relief in Rabe over a week later. Healthy Living Market in Saratoga Springs NY carries it, and it's apparently also good for arthritis, so I think I will try it out on my "badly broken" wrist which did not set well last spring. Hope this helps - Cherry

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Ultreia, valiente.

 

[Olivares]

I used to suffered from HORRENDOUS shin splints after exercising and CURED them with a very simple routine of STRETCHING BEFORE AND AFTER EXERCISING. Place your hands flat on a wall and make a 45 degree angle with your body /ground/wall, placing a foot in front so that you stretch your hamstrings. Hold for 30 seconds, alternate. Get flat back on the floor, raise and knee bend one leg 90 deg with hips; place the other leg on top also bend (sort of make a pretzel). Feel the stretch for 30 second. Alternate. REPEAT THIS ROUTINE RELIGIOUSLY BEFORE AND AFTER . This worked a miracle for me. Hope it works for you.

 

[Olivares]

Hi - Yes, it is called French Green clay, or Illite. I just googled it to check it out. I should add that because of intense inflammation and discoloring of my left leg I took the bus from Los Arcos to Logrono and had it x-rayed (I was suspecting a stress fracture as the pain was so intense). The doctor ( a very nice man who had walked the camino) said it was just over-use and asked me to rest for a few days. Unfortunately the hospitalero in the muni in Logrono would not even hear of me leaving my back pack there for a few hours while I sat in the park and contemplated my options, even after I showed him the doctor's letter. So I plodded on very slowly. So I was thrilled to finally get relief in Rabe over a week later. Healthy Living Market in Saratoga Springs NY carries it, and it's apparently also good for arthritis, so I think I will try it out on my "badly broken" wrist which did not set well last spring. Hope this helps - Cherry

Cherry-- I am from East Greenbush, NY! Elated to learn of another Pilgrim in the neighborhood!! Girl, we ought to get together and chat!! I am going back in June; starting from Sahagun this time, let's go! You are a champ to have walked with severe pain, my hat is off to you!!

 

[Olivares]

From Santiago, what is the fastest way to get to an international airport for a flight back to the US? (I flew Icelandair to Paris.).

Madrid has tons of daily connections to the US and may be a cheaper, good idea to get there. Consider taking a train from Santiago to Madrid and flying out. You could also take a bus to Terminal 4 Barajas and stayed at a nearby hotel to wait for your connection. I often use the Best Western Barajas because they have a free shuttle to/from Barajas Airport and a great breakfast inckuded. Very quiet, comfortable, easy walk to a nice Metro station (well connected to Madrid centro if you want to explore). I either use Booking.com or call them. Last time I paid $90/night (that includes transport to/from airport and breakfast). Thay also have free wi-fi as well as 2 computers set up for free use by guests. Their staff is also very helpful and courteous.

 

[Leaningforward]

Today was a very, very good day. I was able to walk -- with crutches -- 13.5 kilometers to Ferreiros. Less than 100 kilometers to Santiago, which appears doable.

It rained all day, the path turned into a babbling brook in places -- and I would not have changed a thing about the day. In my green poncho, I probably looked like a green bell pepper with aluminum forelegs -- and a smile from ear to ear.

If I pace myself, I should arrive in Santiago next Sunday, which I suppose would increase the likelihood I will see the botafumerio swing.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Ultreia!!

 

[Icacos]

-- and a smile from ear to ear.

I am soooo happy to read this!

 

[Al the optimist]

Well done Leaningforward. Keep it up. Your evolving story is wonderfully, and an inpiration. Go Go Camino!

 

[GettingThere]

I was able to walk -- with crutches --

-- and a smile from ear to ear.

Leaningforward, as Al says above, you really are an inspiration. Keep smiling, keep walking, and may all the good wishes from this forum help to carry you to Santiago! Go well and ultreia!

 

[Leaningforward]

I have relied heavily on members of this forum to prepare for and persevere on my camino. So here I go again.

I am making my camino for a number of reasons, all of which are inextricably linked to my faith, and vice versa. (I happen to be part of the Anglican community.)

I have attended mass each Sunday and some other days since my camino started February 9 in St. Jean. While the Eucharist is intensely meaningful to me, I have not stepped forward at the masses, because I have understood that non-Catholics are not permitted to receive the Sacraments (and I understand the doctrinal reasons why).

Instead, I wait until the mass is over and ask the priest to bless my camino -- except one Sunday (Granon) when the priest invited me forward, seeing I was a pilgrim.

For the past two days I have walked with crutches (which all other things aside has been a remarkable experience). I made it to my destination in Galicia today in time for noon mass. As I sat in the pew, I broke down looking at the simple apse of the church, seeing the figure of Christ broken on the cross, and feeling so exceedingly grateful my camino did not end last week.

Like previous masses, I waited for the mass to end and walked to the front of the church on crutches to wait for and ask the priest for a blessing. He refused, brushing me aside with his hand. It took me a while to process what happened; I suppose I'm still trying to understand what happened.

My reason for writing now is not to point a finger at one person -- or to incite a flurry of postings -- please DON'T ANYONE take a side in this or the broader debate/question concerning the Sacraments/Eucharist. To see that happen would turn my difficult afternoon into a really bad day.

My reason for writing is simple. I would like to participate in the Eucharist during my camino. I would be grateful to know whether there is a church in or before Santiago where I may comfortably step forward to do so, or -- excepting that -- if there is a priest or pastor in or before Santiago that would serve me communion.

A private message would suffice.

 

[grayland]

Hopefully, someone with a better knowledge will reply to you in a PM.
There are some Anglicans who may take communion. As you asked...any details should be handled in a PM so this thread does not change course.

It is unfortunate that you ran into a priest who was having a really bad day or should be in a different line of work. It happens in all religions and countries.

 

[emonty]

I have relied heavily on members of this forum to prepare for and persevere on my camino. So here I go again.

I am making my camino for a number of reasons, all of which are inextricably linked to my faith, and vice versa. (I happen to be part of the Anglican community.)

I have attended mass each Sunday and some other days since my camino started February 9 in St. Jean. While the Eucharist is intensely meaningful to me, I have not stepped forward at the masses, because I have understood that non-Catholics are not permitted to receive the Sacraments (and I understand the doctrinal reasons why).

Instead, I wait until the mass is over and ask the priest to bless my camino -- except one Sunday (Granon) when the priest invited me forward, seeing I was a pilgrim.

For the past two days I have walked with crutches (which all other things aside has been a remarkable experience). I made it to my destination in Galicia today in time for noon mass. As I sat in the pew, I broke down looking at the simple apse of the church, seeing the figure of Christ broken on the cross, and feeling so exceedingly grateful my camino did not end last week.

Like previous masses, I waited for the mass to end and walked to the front of the church on crutches to wait for and ask the priest for a blessing. He refused, brushing me aside with his hand. It took me a while to process what happened; I suppose I'm still trying to understand what happened.

My reason for writing now is not to point a finger at one person -- or to incite a flurry of postings -- please DON'T ANYONE take a side in this or the broader debate/question concerning the Sacraments/Eucharist. To see that happen would turn my difficult afternoon into a really bad day.

My reason for writing is simple. I would like to participate in the Eucharist during my camino. I would be grateful to know whether there is a church in or before Santiago where I may comfortably step forward to do so, or -- excepting that -- if there is a priest or pastor in or before Santiago that would serve me communion.

A private message would suffice.

I am a lay ecclesial minister (RCC). To cut through the theological.jungles, you MAY receive ad an.Anglican if your Church is not available. This is not widely known, but is absolutely true, and vice-versa. Please receive the Eucharist in good conscience.

 

[Leaningforward]

Thank you.

Any further replies concerning Sacraments/Eucharist/communion by private message, please.

 

[Kathy F.]

Sorry for your injuries.
Sorry you ran into a priest having a bad day.

Glad you are keeping on.
Keep on going to Church.

There are many tour buses that will take you from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia and back in a day at a leisurely pace. Just go to any travel agency once you arrive in Santiago.

 

[Leaningforward]

A best day yet? It's shaping up that way.

After leaving town before dawn to (hopefully) beat the 30 or so able bodied students to one of the next three albergues, I missed the turn onto the Camino, and before I knew it was on a cattle trail, which (fortunately) Google had mapped (who would guess) along with several alternate routes to Gonzar.

I pressed on in driving horizontal rain (or was it inverted, it's Galicia after all) and made it to Vendes de Naron (where both albergues listed as toute l'annee on the St. Jean list were closed) then on to Eirexe, where I am sitting in a bar drinking coffee and watching a local man tie exquisite flies.

Of all who left Portomarin today, I may have been the most fortunate. First, I found that crutches serve at least two additional practical purposes on Camino (perhaps especially Galicia). First, one can use them to "pole vault" across the path where it becomes a brook or mud pit -- especially where one is sort of lost on a cattle trail. Second, one can use them as a fulcrum to leverage one's weight against a head wind: plant the tips and lean forward ... the wind stands no chance.

Further, my alternate (less or never travelled) route took me through a glorious valley, where I passed what i think in the US would be called a dairy farm. The farmer emerged from milking his cows, his eyes wide like saucers, at the sight of what must of have looked something like a green bell pepper with aluminum legs (me in my poncho) walking past his farm -- perhaps the first pilgrim ever to do so.

In addition, I met the farmer's mother (I suppose) and ancient dog (Luna) who refused to leave my side until I reached the highway to Gonzar -- despite the mother's calls for Luna to stop and return home. Some say we entertain angels unaware ... Luna? I'd be happy to think so.

What a wonderful journey!

 

[mspath]

Leaningforward,

It SO nice to read of your successful continuing journey! I fondly remember that Eirexe/Airexe bar; their menu de dia is a GREAT value. Often a local senora comes to drink a cafe con leche and chat; she, too, is very friendly towards pilgrims and speaks fluent English. Perhaps you have met her? Tomorrow as you continue just east of Palas de Rei at As Lagartas/Os Chacotes is another great place for a coffee or meal, La Cabana. Very pilgrim friendly with good food their bar/restaurant also offers free WiFi.

Carpe Diem,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Gailsie]

Leaningforward, you certainly are having an interesting camino. I am following you here on the forum and praying for you. I am sure that Saint James is watching over you as you hobble along. I send along blessings your way

 

[emonty]

I should like to apologize to the people in this thread. A poster asked for a private reply and I inadvertantly, answered in public thus violating his wishes. He dealt with my mistake with courtesy and grace, and I am thankful.

 

[indyinmaine]

As I imagine is the case with many pilgrims, my spirits have been consistently and abundantly high since my camino began -- whatever the circumstances have been.

I have been amazed by the generosity of people I have met along the way -- from the mother and daughter who found me on a wooded trail before the ascent to Ibaneta to bring me the wool beanie I had dropped kilometers earlier, to fellow pilgrims, to the lovely mother and daughter who are helping me now.

My amazement extends to this forum, too, where people have been generous with their time and experience -- and wit, from Gerard with his story about scaling an albergue wall, to Annie who helps put us at ease about bedbugs, to Falcon and Rebekah who provide real time information and advice, to Ivar who facilitates it all.

This immersion in generosity, for so long a period of time, in the quiet and solitude of winter, is quite a remarkable experience.

Standing on the top of a hill and seeing that day's destination so far away -- seemingly unreachable on foot -- and then taking one step and another, and so on, minute after minute for hours -- and then reaching that unattainable place -- is to me a greater triumph or success than anything I do in business back in the "real" world.

Perhaps this lengthy experience -- in the context of a stunning foreign landscape, culture, and peoples that transports one from one's usual circumstances -- is what makes the Camino de Santiago unique for people like me, regardless of our home.

Please pardon my rambling; I am overwhelmed in a most excellent way by this experience, and this forum seems like a welcoming and safe place to unpack the experience.

"Standing on the top of a hill and seeing that day's destination so far away -- seemingly unreachable on foot -- and then taking one step and another, and so on, minute after minute for hours -- and then reaching that unattainable place -- is to me a greater triumph or success than anything I do in business back in the "real" world. " Amen to that. That's what permeates your soul.

 

[Leaningforward]

So it's official: it was the best day of my camino.

For a variety of reasons, I decided to check-out of the albergue in Eixere and walk 8 additional kilometers -- on crutches (ha!) on to Palas de Rei, where I checked into the albergue known as the Pavilion.

I was assigned to a dormitory beyond a common room. While charging my iPhone in the kitchen, I heard a guitar and singing -- soft, soulful singing by a large group of people. I went to investigate and found the music and singing was coming from the common room -- between me and my dormitory. I entered and found the room was packed with students, parent chaperones, and professors from Portugal.

I found the language very interesting and stayed to listen for a while, picking up a word here and there, and sensing there was a very gentle spirit in the room, In the words that were spoken. These people knew and cared about each other deeply.

I moved closer to the dormitory and found myself standing next to a professor. We communicated using some English and my best Google Translate Portugese. I soon realized this gathering was an informal mass. The professor explained it was a service that would include singing, prayer, and -- yes -- communion. She invited me to stay as a guest. A parent explained to me the school was catholic and they accept Christians of all faiths.

I have never seen the Peace exchanged with such emotion. People I have never met approached me, embraced me warmly, and exchanged peace.

After more singing and prayer, a Tupperware box containing communion wafers was walked around the room, offered to each person. Some students would break their wafer in half and give one half to a friend or adult -- more embracing, smiles, and tears -- and not my tears alone.

And then the Tupperware box was offered to me, and, thus, my hope to receive communion on my camino was fulfilled --perfectly -- in an albergue, with strangers whose language I do not speak but whose faith is familiar.

In the more than three weeks since my camino began, I have not felt the presence of Christ more than in that common room tonight.

And to think, any one of a number of events might have kept me from that albergue, that common room, that opportunity. Remarkable.

The best day yet.

 

[OTH86]

Thank you SO much for sharing this incredible experience - all of it, but especially today! Even though I knew you were in Palas de Rei, my mind was visualizing Valcarlos where I will be in six weeks and 2 days.
Blessings and Buen Camino ~
Terry

 

[meriPNG]

So it's official: it was the best day of my camino.

For a variety of reasons, I decided to check-out of the albergue in Eixere and walk 8 additional kilometers -- on crutches (ha!) on to Palas de Rei, where I checked into the albergue known as the Pavilion.

I was assigned to a dormitory beyond a common room. While charging my iPhone in the kitchen, I heard a guitar and singing -- soft, soulful singing by a large group of people. I went to investigate and found the music and singing was coming from the common room -- between me and my dormitory. I entered and found the room was packed with students, parent chaperones, and professors from Portugal.

I found the language very interesting and stayed to listen for a while, picking up a word here and there, and sensing there was a very gentle spirit in the room, In the words that were spoken. These people knew and cared about each other deeply.

I moved closer to the dormitory and found myself standing next to a professor. We communicated using some English and my best Google Translate Portugese. I soon realized this gathering was an informal mass. The professor explained it was a service that would include singing, prayer, and -- yes -- communion. She invited me to stay as a guest. A parent explained to me the school was catholic and they accept Christians of all faiths.

I have never seen the Peace exchanged with such emotion. People I have never met approached me, embraced me warmly, and exchanged peace.

After more singing and prayer, a Tupperware box containing communion wafers was walked around the room, offered to each person. Some students would break their wafer in half and give one half to a friend or adult -- more embracing, smiles, and tears -- and not my tears alone.

And then the Tupperware box was offered to me, and, thus, my hope to receive communion on my camino was fulfilled --perfectly -- in an albergue, with strangers whose language I do not speak but whose faith is familiar.

In the more than three weeks since my camino began, I have not felt the presence of Christ more than in that common room tonight.

And to think, any one of a number of events might have kept me from that albergue, that common room, that opportunity. Remarkable.

The best day yet.

Beautifully written! Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful & special part of your journey
God bless & Buen Camino.

 

[cherrys]

Cherry-- I am from East Greenbush, NY! Elated to learn of another Pilgrim in the neighborhood!! Girl, we ought to get together and chat!! I am going back in June; starting from Sahagun this time, let's go! You are a champ to have walked with severe pain, my hat is off to you!!

Hi - I would love to get together with you and talk. Am so envious of you going back, wish I could go. How do I get in touch with you or here's my email csquilts@nycap.rr.com

 

[susanawee]

As I imagine is the case with many pilgrims, my spirits have been consistently and abundantly high since my camino began -- whatever the circumstances have been.

I have been amazed by the generosity of people I have met along the way -- from the mother and daughter who found me on a wooded trail before the ascent to Ibaneta to bring me the wool beanie I had dropped kilometers earlier, to fellow pilgrims, to the lovely mother and daughter who are helping me now.

My amazement extends to this forum, too, where people have been generous with their time and experience -- and wit, from Gerard with his story about scaling an albergue wall, to Annie who helps put us at ease about bedbugs, to Falcon and Rebekah who provide real time information and advice, to Ivar who facilitates it all.

This immersion in generosity, for so long a period of time, in the quiet and solitude of winter, is quite a remarkable experience.

Standing on the top of a hill and seeing that day's destination so far away -- seemingly unreachable on foot -- and then taking one step and another, and so on, minute after minute for hours -- and then reaching that unattainable place -- is to me a greater triumph or success than anything I do in business back in the "real" world.

Perhaps this lengthy experience -- in the context of a stunning foreign landscape, culture, and peoples that transports one from one's usual circumstances -- is what makes the Camino de Santiago unique for people like me, regardless of our home.

Please pardon my rambling; I am overwhelmed in a most excellent way by this experience, and this forum seems like a welcoming and safe place to unpack the experience.

Wonderful words 'Leaning Forward' - and thankyou for sharing your thoughts with us......I have taken a copy of your post above and pasted it into my file of Camino thoughts. Smiles and go well.

 

[susanawee]

So it's official: it was the best day of my camino.

For a variety of reasons, I decided to check-out of the albergue in Eixere and walk 8 additional kilometers -- on crutches (ha!) on to Palas de Rei, where I checked into the albergue known as the Pavilion.

I was assigned to a dormitory beyond a common room. While charging my iPhone in the kitchen, I heard a guitar and singing -- soft, soulful singing by a large group of people. I went to investigate and found the music and singing was coming from the common room -- between me and my dormitory. I entered and found the room was packed with students, parent chaperones, and professors from Portugal.

I found the language very interesting and stayed to listen for a while, picking up a word here and there, and sensing there was a very gentle spirit in the room, In the words that were spoken. These people knew and cared about each other deeply.

I moved closer to the dormitory and found myself standing next to a professor. We communicated using some English and my best Google Translate Portugese. I soon realized this gathering was an informal mass. The professor explained it was a service that would include singing, prayer, and -- yes -- communion. She invited me to stay as a guest. A parent explained to me the school was catholic and they accept Christians of all faiths.

I have never seen the Peace exchanged with such emotion. People I have never met approached me, embraced me warmly, and exchanged peace.

After more singing and prayer, a Tupperware box containing communion wafers was walked around the room, offered to each person. Some students would break their wafer in half and give one half to a friend or adult -- more embracing, smiles, and tears -- and not my tears alone.

And then the Tupperware box was offered to me, and, thus, my hope to receive communion on my camino was fulfilled --perfectly -- in an albergue, with strangers whose language I do not speak but whose faith is familiar.

In the more than three weeks since my camino began, I have not felt the presence of Christ more than in that common room tonight.

And to think, any one of a number of events might have kept me from that albergue, that common room, that opportunity. Remarkable.
Another amazingly uplifting and very moving Camino Vignette......your Camino Angels are very much in evidence......so special to have read your words just now....smiles.
The best day yet.

 

[Leaningforward]

I have spent most of the last four days with the students, professors, and parents from the catholic "high school" in Portugal, who invited me (an Anglican/Episcopalian) to share communion with them, the day after a priest refused to bless me as I stood at the front of a church after Sunday mass shouldering my backpack and supporting myself with crutches.

(For anyone who has not read this entire thread, I began walking in SJPdP on February 9 and came up lame in Itego de la Vegas with shin splints two weeks later; after resting for three days in Poblacion de Campos, I made my way by car, bus, and train to Astorgo, where I bought a pair of forearm crutches, caught a taxi to Cruz de Ferro to leave a stone and prayer for a sick friend and then on to Ponferrado, where I caught trains to Sarria and resumed walking a week ago Friday.)

The Portuguese group made their way from Sarria to O Pino as two separate sub-groups walking staggered distances, because no town or city between had enough beds for the entire group, which numbered nearly 200.

The sub-group I happened to meet in Palas del Rei adopted me, and I them, for the remainder of the walk to Santiago. We stopped the first night in Arzua and the second night in O Pino, where the two sub-groups combined for a communal dinner of Galician and Portuguese food, and set out together the next morning -- with me included -- to Santiago.

Somehow, against any odds I would have taken, I matched their daily stages -- on crutches -- walking 29 kilometers the first day to Arzua; however, this feat was dwarfed by half the group -- mostly children ages 13 to 18 who walked more than 40 kilometers the second day to O Pino. The pace looks shockingly fast to me as I write this, but somehow seemed slower in the moments as we spoke about our lives and why we were walking; in other words, the experience was very different than the long days of solitude walking alone from SJPdP.

We arrived together in Santiago, yesterday afternoon, to sunshine and "t-shirt" temperatures. Wait, this is Galicia ... what's up with the sunshine?

And this is where the story become almost unbelievable.

Some background first: The school makes two caminos each year, starting in Sarria or earlier -- rain, snow, or shine. For some students, professors, and parents, this was their first camino; for others, their fifteenth camino.

The leader is an extraordinary person, a professor, not a priest, who has a way of speaking what he has observed that removes distance between the students/professors/parents/me and God. I have not experienced this spiritual intimacy in nearly thirty-five years.

(Part of it probably is the Portuguese people, most from Porto, who -- like many people who make their life along the Way -- display an uncommon warmth and kindness, which is disarming and, frankly, inspiring. A hug is not a brief embrace; it is a communion -- something shared, something that binds.)

So here is the nearly unbelievable part (to me): last night, we -- about 200 -- entered the cathedral alone after all but a few visitors had left. We sat in pews in the nave while the group leader spoke to us about the history of the cathedral and the millions of pilgrims who had walked the path we had completed earlier in the day and had sat in the nave where we sat.

We then gathered as a group -- alone -- inside the altar railing, the area directly under the botafumeiro -- most of the students sitting on the floor and steps -- for about an hour for scripture readings, Portuguese folk hymns, and communion. In pairs, we ascended the steps to the altar, where one person took a wafer from a simple basket, broke it into two pieces and gave half to the other person; the wafer was consumed, followed by a long embrace -- a sort of living communion probably closer to the first communions.

I realize much of what I am writing may be difficult to picture or comprehend; how does one describe chocolate to another who has never tasted chocolate?

As I prepared for the Camino, I spent many hours reading this forum. Clearly, the Way has transformed or revitalized the lives of many people, for many different reasons, whether religious, spiritual, or simply walking.

My camino was made very special -- almost unbelievably so -- because I happened upon a group of people who made the shorter -- in some ways more focused and precious -- journey from Sarria to Santiago.

And to think, I would have missed all of the past week and last night if I had not opened a door in an albergue five days ago in search of the soft guitar chords and singing I heard in another room.

Buen camino.

 

[OTH86]

Leaningforward, you are amazing - in your writing, your perceptions, your perseverance, and your Camino. Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[Leaningforward]

The botafumeiro swung at the pilgrims' mass last night, and it was dry and sunny in Finisterre today. What a remarkable way to conclude this camino!

Thank you for helping me along the Way.

 

[Catarina Barreiros]

Hi Leaningforward! What a coincidence to find you here!Yesterday we followed your advice and went the mass at 19h30 and it was really special to hear: 'two portuguese pilgrims that started in Ponte de Lima' and also to see the botafumeiro!
Now we're headed back home to see our baby twins!
Today I was feeling a bit 'empty' for not having to walk but inside I heard a voice that told me: the Camino starts now!

 

[Leaningforward]

I am inclined to believe that coincidence is less common on the camino -- or opportunities more abundant -- or both.

We were fortunate to have arrived in Santiago during the first good weather in at least two months (I am told).

I was fortunate to have several nights in Santiago to appreciate the cathedral, the city, and local cuisine before and after going to Finisterre, where I sat for a long time on rocks facing west, toward my home, and began to unpack my camino -- what I learned in solitude and the company of other pilgrims, how I changed (in the ways I interact with nature, unfamiliar people and food, pain, etc.), and what rough edges about myself stood in sharp relief in contrast to other people that I would like to soften and shape.

As I head south on a train now, to catch a flight home tomorrow, I realize my camino from St. Jean to Santiago to Finisterre was simply the first stage of my camino -- a sort of metaphorical ascent to Ibaneta or the Hill of Forgiveness or anyone of a dozen other hills where I did not know what lay beyond. The future will provide daily opportunities to put into practice what I learned from looking and seeing, listening and hearing, touching and feeling.

I am hopeful these opportunities will be easier to recognize and seize after having walked so far for so long -- this was not a holiday waking the beach at the shore, was it?

As I explained to many of the students from the school that "adopted" me, the circumstances that brought me to the Way were that I no longer recognized or trusted certain waymarks in my life -- I lost sight of them amidst the noise and chaos of life. On my camino, I learned to look closely and carefully, and patiently, for a yellow arrow or a stack of rocks that pointed the Way.

I think it was the repetitive practice of looking for the next waymark dozens or hundreds of times a day, for a month, that may prove most helpful when I return ... that and the memories that I was perfectly content and joyful with what I carried on my back, walking from place to place, without knowing where I will stop to eat, rest, and sleep.

What a gift!

Buen camino.

 

[Jamilla's mum]

Leaningforward, your story moved me (and I'm sure many others) to tears. Thank you for sharing it with us - so inspirational, so humbling.
The blessings that are offered when we choose the difficult path are like the sun coming through clouds after rain; that wonderful light that you can only see at that time, and so long to recapture.
May you have many, many more of those sunlit moments - without having to go through the pain and struggle first. Cos I think you must have banked quite a few rain-clouds already.
Vaya con Dios.

 

[itsjann]

Leaningforward, beautifully said....thank you for sharing

 

[Jackie Wilkinson]

The Camino is such a blessed path! I have had such amazing experiences, Leaningforward, on my humble journey so far. Firstly, how does it happen that a taxi arrives the instant I had to sit down below the Ornithilogical centre because of dizziness? How was it that a lovely fruit vendor saw me limping in Sarria and took me in his own car up to an Albergue well out of his way? And how was it when I was sitting dejectedly in Ponferrada because I had had to shorten my own Camino because of shin splints, that an angel Margaret B appeared and negotiated a ticket for me in Spanish to Sarria? There is no explanation for the extraordinary kindnesses shown, nor the way the people just "appeared". So blessed. Now at Portomarin, easing along, having taken 3 days off in Sarria and 2 to get here.

 

[susanawee]

The Camino is such a blessed path! I have had such amazing experiences, Leaningforward, on my humble journey so far. Firstly, how does it happen that a taxi arrives the instant I had to sit down below the Ornithilogical centre because of dizziness? How was it that a lovely fruit vendor saw me limping in Sarria and took me in his own car up to an Albergue well out of his way? And how was it when I was sitting dejectedly in Ponferrada because I had had to shorten my own Camino because of shin splints, that an angel Margaret B appeared and negotiated a ticket for me in Spanish to Sarria? There is no explanation for the extraordinary kindnesses shown, nor the way the people just "appeared". So blessed. Now at Portomarin, easing along, having taken 3 days off in Sarria and 2 to get here.

I so agree with you Jackie.....Camino Angels were everywhere for me, especially when I first hurt my leg.....a group of lovely people came around the corner as I was resting against a Camino Marker, and they all offered to help me in any way they could......one young German Boy, even offering to carry my pack for me. They continued to 'look out for me' for the next two days and our paths crossed often.....there were lots of other special visits from Camino Angels as well......I feel very blessed indeed.

 

[OTH86]

The Camino is such a blessed path! I have had such amazing experiences, Leaningforward, on my humble journey so far. Firstly, how does it happen that a taxi arrives the instant I had to sit down below the Ornithilogical centre because of dizziness? How was it that a lovely fruit vendor saw me limping in Sarria and took me in his own car up to an Albergue well out of his way? And how was it when I was sitting dejectedly in Ponferrada because I had had to shorten my own Camino because of shin splints, that an angel Margaret B appeared and negotiated a ticket for me in Spanish to Sarria? There is no explanation for the extraordinary kindnesses shown, nor the way the people just "appeared". So blessed. Now at Portomarin, easing along, having taken 3 days off in Sarria and 2 to get here.

Hi Jackie! So happy to hear that you probably are no longer terrified, and instead feeling the blessings of the Camino!! And good for you for listening to your body and taking a bit of time off in Sarria to heal the legs! I hope the rest of your Camino and your arrival in Santiago has been equally positive!
Terry