I feel like I’ve been walking forever, like the road has to end soon and Santiago will be there before my eyes. And yet tomorrow I’ll reach Sahagún, the official halfway point of the Camino Frances that I’m walking. Halfway. To be honest, I’m ready to be done. The Camino is hard. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. For that reason I know it will be fruitful for me in the weeks ahead even as it already has been over these last 17 days. But who enjoys the Cross when you’re on it? Not I, says this pilgrim.

A recap of the last few days may be in order. Since my previous post, the title of which apparently caught some folks attention, I’ve gotten to the Meseta, the open plains part of the Camino. It began a few days back when I hit the trail in Tardajos. I began to see some of the church bell towers decorated by the nests of the great storks that live in the area and enjoyed a good walk through the hills. The meseta in some spots is a rather wide open place with little shade, very few trees, and towns far apart from each other. That’s where I found myself in 49 degree weather with a steady strong wind when I got to use my rain gear for the first time. Pulling on my poncho and pressing forward for a good hour or so, I arrived in the next town barely able to feel my hands and hoping to find a good cup of hot coffee and a place to lay my head. I found both in a great little albergue right on the edge of town. So more time resting with the Lord at the parish church helped warm the body and also the heart. It was a rough day and I was grateful for the open door of the church.

The next morning I set out, feeling pretty good and ready to take on the (rain-free) day. There was a pleasant walk in the morning where all of us pilgrims walked one behind the other like ants on the roadside as we made our way to the next town. It was neat to see pilgrims walking quietly with 20-30 yards of space in between all there for various reasons and seeking different things, yet walking in each others footsteps. Passing through the next town, we saw before us what Louisiana eyes would call a mountain. Motivated by Jocko Willink and his Extreme Leadership audio book, I made my ascent with relative ease and felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I arrived at the top. The view was incredible, especially seeing the terrain I had just covered. The other side greeted us with an 18% grade descent! Talk about get the blisters aching! The descent ended quickly and the rest of the walk was rather enjoyable until the last couple of miles when the gravel road became dirt path with large stones embedded in it, making it really hard on the feet. The family-run albergue was pleasant and they had a cat! I inquired about a Mass for the day, being a small town, and they said there was no Mass. I went to the church and was delighted to find that there was a pilgrimage group coming in to offer Mass! The Lord provides for His children in the most unexpected of ways! That night I met Michelle and Jennifer, a mother and daughter from California, whom I have become fast friends with.

The next morning I enjoyed a cup (more like a bowl) of coffee and some toast at the table accompanied by the house cat. The cat was perched on the table but shooed away by the owners, so it kindly took a seat in a chair as if expecting to be served a plate along with the rest of us. It was a great delight to many of us. I set out along with Michelle and Jennifer and we made our way along the senda, a pilgrim walkway that parallels the highway for miles. It was an enjoyable walk as we saw a herd of sheep making their way to green pastures, a couple of geese greeting folks at an albergue entrance, and some beautiful blue skies with a nice breeze pushing us along. We dined on some delicious grilled sausage that reminded me of home and has me looking forward to some good food come December when I return home.

Today was a pretty good day as well. The blisters still bother me a bit and some pain in my foot other than blisters has me slowing down for a couple of days to make sure I don’t push too hard and hurt myself. Overall, things are well, but I am sure looking forward to my additional pilgrimages to the Shrine of Saint Philomena and Our Lady of Knock next month and to my return home the great United States. Until then, this pilgrim will keep on walking and praying for all of you good people taking your time to read this.

St. James, pray for us!