Hanging Out at the Bar, etc.

I realized from a comment made in response to these blog posts that maybe I should talk about the bars that I enjoy almost every day. For those who may be a bit concerned that I have mentioned going to bars in several posts, rest assured I am not on a pub crawl or keg party disguised as a pilgrimage. The bars that I mention do usually have a few different bottled beers available and a beer or two on tap, but they’re also the main places in town where you can get a hot cup of coffee, some breakfast, fresh fruit, a cold coke, a loaf of bread, a sandwich for lunch, a refill on water, or some ice cream, and sometimes a more susbstantial meal. It’s basically ‘restaurant light’ where you get a little something to hold you over until the larger meals. That said, I do enjoy a beer (literally one beer) most days because it’s refreshing and I enjoy trying different beers.

The past few days have been pretty good. I’ve gotten a couple more blisters but I’m learning to live with them and have a little extra suffering to offer up for those who have asked for my prayers, as well as parishioners & benefactors, family & friends. My feet are just fine compared to many others, so I am grateful for that gift from the Lord.

A couple of days ago I left from Santo Domingo de la Calzada (did you read about the chicken story?!) and made my way to Belorado, where I was able to settle in at the albergue and have a bit of extra time to go pray at the parish church. The first 10 days or so were pretty good but I found it hard to find enough time to really pray because the schedule is pretty full if you’re trying to finish the pilgrimage in 35 days or so. I’ve noticed that I’m getting comfortable with the rhythm, know better what to expect, and find that there are more churches open in the towns. This is helping me pray more like I had hoped and, I trust, bringing me closer to Stage 3 of the Camino (as described by the albergue volunteer last week): Spiritual Life. Even the guidebooks indicate that the city where I am today seems to be the starting point of when relationships really grow, both with God and with others.

I skipped ahead there, so a little info on the actual walks. On Saturday I ascended a nice incline over the course of an hour and found myself in a place that felt like Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings). The paths in the woods were such that I was awaiting a shrill cry and a stampede of ring wraiths. I was confident that the pine forest I traversed would soon witness the passing of an army of elves. The wide open rocky ground at the top of the mountain was prime ground for an orc invasion. Thankfully none of those things happened, although the elves would have been nice to meet. It was a long walk but the imagination along the way and some rockin’ music to get my blood pumping helped make it bearable.

Yesterday I walked into Burgos, one of the major cities along the Camino. Yesterday was not a fun day, as most of it was just pounding my feet on pavement trying to get to the hotel on the opposite side of the city. It’s amazing how long it can take to walk through cities. For a few minutes I felt like Jonah walking through Nineveh, a rough-looking pilgrim marching through a city of nicely dressed people. Maybe I should have started preaching repentance along the way? Maybe in the next big city.

I decided to stay in Burgos a bit longer instead of immediately heading out this morning. I was able to concelebrate the daily Mass at the cathedral, go to confession (in Spanish!), spend some good time in prayer, tour the cathedral museum area, and found a chapel dedicated to Saint Ann where I prayed for all of my parishioners back home. With the day half done and all the nearby albergues full, I decided to take a taxi to the next town 6 miles away and I’ll resume the walking tomorrow morning. 12 days done, 21 or so more to go.

Thank you to all of you who are offering prayers for me. I don’t know if I’d make it without them.

The Chapel of St. Ann in The Burgos Cathedral.

Back in Black. And Blue.

No, AC/DC is not the playlist of the day. And I’m not covered in bruises. Black & Blue are the colors of my walking clothes and I got to wear them again today!

I see lots of sunrises here. They’re nice.

Those keeping up with my journey on here know that I decided to walk a marathon on Monday. It was not the smartest thing I’ve done this week. I got a couple of blisters and hurt my foot while trying to avoid walking on the blisters. I was worried that I’d really don’t some damage, but it seems like the worry was unwarranted. I walk a normal day of 14 or so miles Tuesday and decided to cut that back to walking only 6 Wednesday. On Thursday I decided to take a taxi about 40km (and one mountain) forward to a place of relatively level ground and rest completely for the day. It seems to have done me good because I hit the trail again this morning and got 14 miles in and had a bit of discomfort but no serious pain. Thank you all for the prayers!

The day off yesterday was a good one. I got to write in my journal and get caught up on that so I could have a good account of where I was and things I saw. I enjoyed what is probably the best meal I’ve had on the Camino so far. A little bar restaurant near my albergue had some sort of veal steak on the menu that looked appetizing. So I ordered a pint of beer, a steak (medium rare, of course), some fries, and some sautéed bell peppers. And something that they called ‘French toast’ for dessert that was absolutely incredible. I just sat there reading book and enjoying the incredible meal all the while sitting next to the cathedral. I was also blessed to get into the cathedral to pray for a while and even got to walk through the Holy Door there. It turns out the town where we were staying (Santo Domingo de la Calzada) is named after a Saint who was born in 1019, so they’re celebrating the millennial anniversary with a Holy Year. Plenary Indulgence? Yes, please! Also, Santo Domingo has an interesting story about him and some chickens; might be worth a google search. 🐔

Today has been really cool, almost cold. It was really windy and at midday is finally getting into the 60’s. Anyone who knows me knows that I’ll never complain about that kind of weather! Little signs of God’s love. It’s about time to get my clothes cleaned up and to get some food & drink in this body of mine to prep for tomorrow.

There are lots of sunflower fields here and sometimes people make smiley faces or ‘write’ their initials by removing the seeds. I saw this flower and thought ‘hey, that’s me!’ 😀

Now Entering Stage 2

Last night in the albergue (hostel) where I was staying the volunteer serving there told us there are three stages to the Camino.

1) “Why am I here?”

2) Physical Suffering

3) Spiritual Growth

I’m officially in Stage 2. On Monday I decided that I was going to kick it up a notch after having a great walk on Sunday. So I walk 49,000 steps. 26 miles. That’s a full marathon. And that’s was my entry point to Stage 2. But let me back up a bit.

Monday was a crazy day. I woke up at 5:15am (with no alarm clock!) and got ready to hit the trail. I found three of my companions from the night before ready to do the same and so we headed out in the dark. We made good time in the cool of the morning and were well on our way to an early finish for the day. Now, all along the journey there are water fonts in the towns for people to get water - pilgrims and townspeople both. This is normal. What’s not normal is the town of Irache that had a WINE fountain to fill water bottles as well. Yes, folks, a fountain that served delicious red wine for free to fill whatever container you bring! After filling up a water bottle full of wine, I continued up the road with my friends when we came to a decision point. They had a place booked for the night in a town in one direction and I wanted to make a longer trek in the other. They went their way and I decided to rest my feet and enjoy my wine and bread for lunch. As I sat there I was greeted by many fellow pilgrims, I met a fantastic couple (Peter & Kristen) who are doing a podcast on faith and interviewed me for it on the roadside, and I made friends with a very friendly donkey that a pilgrim was walking with along the Camino. After all of those wonderfully random experiences, I decided to set off for the longer trip, thinking I had extra time to cover extra miles.

I walked. And walked. And walked. And walked. Then I got a quick break at a bar for a couple of cokes and some tortilla (it’s like pie made with potatoes). And then I walked. And walked. And walked. I’ve discovered that distances on paper sound much easier than when you have to actually walk them with a big pack on. And by the time I got to the albergue to stop for that night, I was limping to try to keep pressure off the blisters that were forming on my feet, not to mention pretty red from a sunburn. The next day, Tuesday, I backed off a bit and my friends from the previous day caught up with me as I was trying to let my feet breath a bit in the midday breeze. I hopped up and walked along with them and we stopped at what was for me mile 14. By the end I was hurting pretty bad and the hobbling to avoid blister pain was making other parts of my foot hurt. I decided to take today even easier and walked 7 miles before stopping for the day. I figured that the day was shot and was getting kinda bummed about overdoing it, fretting whether I would be able to finish, and considering lots of ‘what if’ scenarios. It seems I had not learned my lesson to be reasonable about what I could actually do and not. But the Lord is patient. As I was sitting at a table in a little alleyway tonight reading a book while waiting for a restaurant to open for dinner, I hear my name. I look up to find Peter and Kristen, the couple who interviewed me for their podcast. I invited them to join me and we had a great conversation over a delicious dinner, cold cokes, and gelato. As we sat there talking, laughing, and contemplating this journey we are collectively making, I marveled at how the Lord works. I was caught up in so many worries and thoughts in my head and He reconnected me with these two friends who helped me to set my eyes where they ought to be - The Lord.

I’m not entirely sure what tomorrow holds, but I trust that the Lord will lead me to where he wants to be. Like a donkey on the trail.

King of the World

Happy Sunday! Y’all - today was incredible! Yesterday I walked 6.6 miles and found myself in the early afternoon facing a steady uphill climb and long steep descent all in the heat of the day. Taking into account the conversation I had earlier in day with an Irish couple about being sure to enjoy the Camino, I decided to stop for the night. I got to rest and wash my clothes with a machine! I had time to go sit outside the church in town to do a Holy Hour and was delighted to be able to get in the church for a few minutes when someone came to fix the flowers on the altar. Most of the churches here are closed during the day, which makes me sad but also shows me how fortunate we are in LA to be able have our churches open most of the day. So, good people, take advantage of that gift and visit Our Lord in the tabernacle at your church or chapel!

That was the preface to the best day I’ve had on the Camino thus far. I woke up before dark and hit the trail about 6:45am. I climbed up the incline in time to see some of the sunrise and came across the other side and was at the bottom of the steep incline by 8:30. I felt like the king of the world! It was amplified by the fact that it was about 60 degrees and windy. There was nobody around for a long way, so I decided to sing a bit. I sang a few of my favorite hymns to the Lord because of the beauty of the day. Then I made up a song in Spanish about getting a croissant, coffee, and coke in the next town. Then somehow I started singing ‘Do You Know the Muffin Man?’ in the style of Static-X (a metal band). Thankfully I was brought back to sanity by the delicious breakfast at the town ahead, where I met a woman from Minnesota and had a great little conversation over our little meal; it’s so nice to have a normal conversation in my own language!

I stopped at a church earlier today and saw the Traditional Latin Mass altar cards and asked if I could celebrate a Mass on that altar but the sacristan was adamant that I could wait 2 hours and concelebrate Mass later or I could try another church. That was a bit disheartening, but I continued on to the next town. I made my way to a church in the town that the Lord seemed to draw me toward and inquired about offering Mass and the sacristan happily obliged. I was able to offer a quiet private Mass on a beautiful side altar of Our Lady, much to my delight. It was a small fulfillment of something I read yesterday from Fr. Emile Neubert’s book ‘Mary and the Priestly Ministry’ about Our Lady’s special love for priests. Indeed, my heavenly Mother loves me dearly.

As I continued on after Mass and a lunch break, I made my way through vineyards and some beautiful fields. A wall of purple & gold wild flowers along the path made me think ‘Geaux Tigers!’ and brought a smile to my face. A few texts from family and friends brought my heart even closer to home and filled me with gratitude for the many blessings back home that I FAR too often take for granted.

As I sit in this random albergue (hostel) in Spain listening to some American classic rock radio station after walking 14 miles, I just met a pleasant lady from Canada living in the States who invited me to join her group for a game of cards. It’s a very strange journey I’m on, but I know it is full of the Lord’s grace and I am grateful to be on it for whatever reasons He has brought me here.

St. James, pray for us!

And so it begins

I am officially a peregrino (pilgrim).

On Wednesday, August 28 I got off the plane in Biarritz, France and caught a taxi to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. Tired, not properly nourished, and poorly hydrated from the plane ride, I decided to take on the hardest day of the Camino right away. I had booked a room at an albergue (hostel for Camino pilgrims) about 8 kilometers (approx 5 miles) up. 8km didn’t sound like much but when it’s all uphill and includes an elevation change of 700m (approx 2100ft) , it gets a lot more serious. I was dragging halfway to the end, stopping every 100 feet or so to catch my breath. Long about km 6.5, I was pretty sure this endeavored was the stupidest thing I had ever done and that I ought to quit and change plans for my time in Europe. I could barely walk 20 feet without stopping and I knew I had a ways to go. Fortunately, the Lord was with me. I told Him I’d happily wave down a taxi if one were to pass by. Keep in mind this is a little out-of-the-way country road that’s not highly travelled. But within a minute a car engine roared and a taxi appeared. I was able to hop in and get to my place for the night with a grateful heart and sore legs. To that point I had felt anything other than happy on my birthday. But the Lord picked me up a bit again when I had set up for Mass on a little table on the property. I was about to make the sign of the Cross when a voice from behind said, “Excuse me, Father. Are you saying Mass? Can I join you?” I welcomed him over and Mass was offered with myself and my friend Chris from England. He was so thrilled. He asked to take a picture after Mass and said, “I have to sent this to my wife. I got to go to Mass! A miracle on the first day!” It was really touching. At dinner I met some other folks making the Camino from LA and TX and had a great conversaotion. My birthday, though different than normal, was still a blessed one.

That night I called a taxi company inquiring about bringing me to the other side of the mountain that lie ahead of me on day 2. Several pilgrims tried to dissuade me, but I was set on that plan after what I lhad experienced on day 1. The next morning I got up and, not having heard from the taxi company, decided to try to make the walk. I got about 25 yards up the hill when I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it. I turned around, even as everyone was just starting out, and walked back to the house. As I was walking back my phone buzzed and it was the taxi driver asking when I wanted to leave. 15 minutes later I was riding to Roncesvalles, the first town in spain along the Camino. The gift of the taxi on both days, in the exact moments needed, showed me what the Lord desired of me. I had been prideful and stubborn before, feeling like I had to do the whole thing, like I had to prove myself to someone, like my worth was dependent upon what I could do. The Lord called me to humility and to accept this Camino pilgrimage as I am able to do it, not necessarily how I want to do it or believe it should be done.

That second day was okay. I could handle hills better than mountains, but doing 21km (14 miles) on rocky hills still works on you. That was yesterday and today and seemingly nearly every day ahead of me. But the Lord will provide. Despite the pain of the walking, the scenery has been utterly breathtaking at times. The mountains and hillside, lots of animals, scenic rivers and bridges, historic churches, and people from around the world provide more than enough fuel for praising god in His goodness. I enjoyed a lively conversation with a flock of geese this morning, but the horses I encountered were less inclined to talk to me. The herd of sheep was neat to see too as they grazed alongside the river banks. There are also, of course, the occasional cats around town.

A few other things I’ve learned so far: never pass up a drinking water font, never pass up a great rest spot, and never pass up a bathroom.

For now I will wrap this up because I’m getting tired and need to get some sleep for tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers and be assured of my prayers for each of you as well.

St James the Apostle, pray for us!