The Candle Lady on the Camino Frances

[Robo]

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

 

[Leibniz]

Beautiful!

 

[Waka]

The Candle Lady

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

Very nicely put.

 

[Unie]

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

Wow, such a beautiful story, thanks for sharing. Happy new year to you both.

 

[SabsP]

@Robo !

 

[AndreaCT]

Oh my goodness........This is lovely. And, it made my eyes tear up. Thanks for sharing a beautiful story.

 

[Hobbyhorse]

Beautiful!
May our hearts always be open when the Camino surprises us with what we need!

 

[Leon Ivan]

I love it !

 

[Annette london]

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

That's lovely Robo,
You sound like my husband,,......soppy....I do love soppy!

To love...and be loved...and to KNOW that you are loved...best thing in the world.

As for your Grandmother......did you say a gin in one hand and a ciggy in the other hand .....I think that she and I would have got on famously!!
Best wishes
Annette

 

[Deleted member 67185]

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

What a blessed and sweet tribute, Robo. That was a very touching and special post.

 

[Former member 72918]

That actually made me cry....beautiful. ❤❤❤

 

[volleyjanice]

Thank you for sharing that. The warm memories of family who have passed and the love for your wife. Lovely.

 

[Turga]

Beautiful story! You are a lucky man and so is your wife… (a lucky woman that is )

 

[Chito]

Thank you for sharing this lovely story.

 

[Bala]

Beautiful. Just beautiful. ❤

 

[susanawee]

A very special story Robbo......many Camino Blessings to both yourself and Pat. All the best for 2019 and may the year bring you many, many blessings.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

Wonderful .

 

[Francois de Meillon]

The Candle Lady

One of the joys of walking the Camino Frances, is its popularity.

OK that might sound odd, and I admit at times the sheer number of Pilgrims on the path can detract from that Iconic Pilgrim experience, whatever that is.

But the positive side is that you get to meet and interact with lots of people from all over the World. And once you have been walking for a few days. The faces start to become very familiar. It’s not surprising really, as in the ‘height of the season’, you might be in a ‘slug’ of 300-400 Pilgrims passing along the Camino. So you start to see the same faces…. everywhere!

One of those faces was the ‘candle lady’.

I love to stop at the open churches along the way. In fact, I have a little ritual. To begin I say a prayer of thanks for being able to make this journey, then I promise to be open to any lessons that I might learn along the way. And lastly, I light a candle for one of my dearly departed. Maybe my Mother, who I never heard complain about anything, ever. Or my Father, who never once said ‘I love you’ but didn’t need to, or my Grandmother. Oh, my Grandmother! Never without a glass of gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other. How I loved that woman of another era who just understood people and made them all feel so loved.

But the candle lady!

When ever I stopped at a church, she was there.

In the front row of pews. Hands clasped in prayer. Looking up at the statues of Jesus on the Cross. I couldn’t help it, but I had to watch. What thoughts were going through that mind? What help might she be seeking?

She had the face of an angel. Calm, sweet, a person you would want to talk to, a person you would want to know. She was Asian. About 5 feet nothing and a hundred pounds. To the casual observer, Korean perhaps? A lot of Koreans walk the Camino.

No, she was not Korean. She was Thai. In fact raised in a Buddhist culture with a Buddhist father and a Muslim mother. And yet here she is, in church after church, giving thanks to God and lighting candles for her departed relatives. What magic the Camino weaves?

As I look upon that face, lighting yet another candle, I realise this is a woman I could love……. forever.

And I realise how lucky I am, because she is my wife of 20 years. Pat.

Wonderful. If you seek the Christ then you are bound to find him. Enjoy being with your beloved wife on the Camino.