Lourdes

After having exited Spain in the same method that I used to enter that country (namely on foot, by walking across the border), I took the train from Hendaye (which is just across the border in France) to the Lourdes train station (via a change of trains in Dax).



Upon arrival at Lourdes, I walked the mile from the train station to the sanctuary limits and checked in at the "Maison des Chapelains" (Chaplains' Residence). I was assigned room N° 61 (which is, coincidentally, the year of my birth). It's a pretty simple square room, with a partition concealing the sink, shower, and bidet -- there's no toilet -- they're at the end of the hall. It will agonize me for the entire month of June to ponder why the builders took the trouble of installing a bidet -- but not a toilet -- in a priests' residence!

The room has a single bed, an armoire, a desk, a couple of chairs, a nightstand, and two lamps. I've had to rearrange the furniture a bit, making the room a bit more homy.

I received my first schedule soon after arrival. There are three confessional periods per day: 10-11:15, 2:30-4, and 4-6. I'm usually assigned at least two out of the three time slots. Today I had all three. I do get one day off per week.



The last time I was here was in January, right before I started the Camino (which was the "short-lived" attempt). During that time the place was a ghost town. Things have certainly changed. High season has just started, and it's getting more and more packed. The pilgrims arrive in waves.

One thing to be said about Lourdes: that the sick and physically challenged do come first. There are long lines of youth and others pushing the wheelchairs of those confined to them. In the processions, the physically challenged are the first in line. They have priority here, and that's good.

You know, we are all disabled in one way or another. It's just that most of us can hide our disabilities.


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From Santiago to Pamplona

On Saturday morning (28 May) at 9:25 am, I boarded a Spanish "Renfe" ("REd Nacional de los Ferrocariles Españoles") train bound for Pamplona (with one change of trains).

I was heading to Pamplona because, of all the towns that I passed through along the way, this one enchanted me the most.

The train trip would basically reverse, in eleven hours, what had taken me over a month to accomplish.

While the train obviously didn't follow the Camino de Santiago, I saw towns that looked very similar to the ones that I passed through. It was eery going so quickly through the Meseta, when I remember struggling with almost every step. After choosing slow-speed travel for 72 days, higher-speed travel was different.

The train arrived at Pamplona right on time. I had no idea where I was, so I took a cab to the albergue «Jesús y María» right by the Cathedral in the center of the old town.

The albergue has the name «Jesús y María» because it's a former convent chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

You're probably thinking, "How could a former chapel be used as a hostel?" I had the same question, but a very smart architect did a great renovation job. Normally I like chapels to remain as chapels, but renovating this one is better than it being torn down.

The soft night lighting was brilliant, and sleeping in the bunk beds right in the vaulted rafters of the chapel was quite an experience. It has to be the most beautiful albergue on the entire Camino de Santiago, and I'm glad that I had the chance to stay there.

In the morning it was the same routine: getting up early and packing the backpack up. It was very different this time around, however, as I no longer had to walk fifteen or so miles to a destination -- I had already arrived!

I did retrace some of my pilgrim steps, however. I crossed the medieval bridge of St. Mary Magdalen, the old eastern to the walled city. I also visited some parks that gave off a great aroma of spring in the early morning. If I haven't said this already in a previous blog, walking in the early morning is a wonder, as the smells that you are greeted with are simply wonderful. I also visited some churches that I hadn't seen.



I decided to concelebrate the Noon Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Santa Maria. It also turned out to be a Confirmation Mass presided over by the Archbishop of Pamplona and a number of priests. The Archbishop warmly greeted me. It was a beautiful Liturgy, with the ceremonies carried out in such a reverent way. I was very impressed.

The Pamplona cathedral is another gothic masterpiece. Unfortunately, in the late 18th century they built a neo-classical entrance onto it. It would be like having a log cabin and putting a brick façade on it. It just doesn't go together.





Following Mass, I headed to the Parish of St. Ignatius if Loyola. People know of St. Ignatius' great conversion Story, but few know that it was Pamplona that started it all. Here the future founder of the Jesuits was wounded in May 1521,while he was a soldier, when a cannonball struck his legs during the Siege of Pamplona.

Some friends carried him back on a stretcher to his family home of Loyola to recuperate, and his conversion to Christ took place there.

The Church of St. Ignatius in Pamplona has perpetual adoration, and it was great having the opportunity to pray there. It was a special, sacred atmosphere.

Up the block from the church is an outdoor statue, which is a depiction of St. Ignatius being placed on the stretcher.






Continuing up the block, I found a great place for tapas, just 50 meters from the memorial to St. Ignatius.

Following that, it was time to start heading to France, to start my work hearing confessions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southwestern France. Therefore, I boarded an evening train to Irún, which lies at the Spain-France border. On Monday morning I will walk across the border to the French town of Hendaye, and take a train to Lourdes.

So I entered Spain on foot on Easter Sunday, April 24, and will leave Spain on foot on Memorial Day, May 30. Not too many travelers, tourists or even pilgrims can claim they have entered and exited a country on foot!

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And so it ends…

The last few days of my Camino de Santiago passed so quickly.




Perhaps what made the time seem to go faster was that I knew more people, and would be able to talk to them as they passed me along the trail (because rare was it that I passed anyone).





I tried to enjoy my time as much as possible, and to "stay in the moment."

The third to last day it got a bit warm (not hot yet, though the Europeans consider it hot when it gets past 75°). I
Suppose they haven't yet experienced a mid-Atlantic summer. Having the sun beat down on you slows your progress, makes you take more breaks, and makes the remaining distance seem twice as long.












I finally made it to Arzúa. The last two miles were hellish, all uphill after I had run out of water.

So now that I was in Arzúa, all that remained were 40.8 km (25.4 miles) to Santiago. This was to be broken up in two stages, each one consisting of 20.4 km (12.7 miles). I was so proud of my planning that I was ready to take a bow and let the applause take it from there.

But the best-laid plans of mice and men…

On Thursday morning I set out at 6:30, thinking that I would be at my goal at about 11:30 or Noon. There were a good number of people on the road, as the numbers greatly increase during the last 100 km (62 miles) -- that's all that's required to earn the "Compostelan" (the certificate of completion).

I made a stop for breakfast and later a snack. I was wondering how much longer I had until I made it to Pedrouzo, the planned stop of the day.

According to my guide book, it appeared that the Camino would pass right through Pedrouzo, so my frustration began to grow. When I checked the time it was 12:45 and still no Pedrouzo... and what was stranger was that there were seemingly no people walking the Camino. I was alone.

I looked around and saw the clear yellow arrows pointing out the Camino. But where was Pedrouzo?

By one o'clock I had my answer. I discovered that the path of the Camino had changed and had been rerouted around Pedrouzo. Therefore I was now in Amenal, some 3 km (1.9 miles). One never considers going back on the Camino, as forward progress is too hard to come by. I was now only 12.4 km (7.7 miles) from the next town with an albergue (Monte do Gozo), so I just had to bite the bullet and head there. My feet hurt, but that's been the case for ten weeks.

This extraordinary day would bring my one-day walking to a new record: 35.8 km (22.2 miles). I figured that if my feet swelled because of so much walking I could handle it because there would be only 5 km (3.1 miles) to the Santiago Cathedral (the finish line) the next day.

Walking those last 7.7 miles was difficult, but was greatly aided by frequent rest breaks and snacks.

I finally made it to the Pope John Paul II Pilgrim Center at Monte do Gozo at about 5:00. From the looks of things, this (simple but large) facility was built for the world's youth when John Paul II visited Santiago several years ago. The Holy Father must have celebrated Mass on that site.

So I stayed there for the night, knowing that only an hour's walk awaited me the next morning.

The evening's rest was shortened by some of the worst snoring that I had heard along the Camino. I rose before dawn to get moving, on this, the last day of my Camino.



Within twenty minutes I was within the city limits of Santiago.
The rest was basically walking to the city center where the Cathedral was. Since the morning was rather chilly, I didn't even break a sweat.

The Cathedral of Santiago, like those of Burgos and León, was massive, especially the exterior. I can only imagine how impressed the medieval pilgrims would have been to see this huge church upon the completion of their pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.


After the Cathedral I followed another pilgrim to the Pilgrim's Office, which gives to each pilgrim a certificate of completion. The pilgrim must furnish proof that he has made the journey by showing his "Credencial del Peregrino" (Pilgrim's Credential). Every night that you stay in an albergue you get a stamp (rubber and ink) in your booklet. Each albergue has a differently designed stamp, so it's all kind of neat.

After you receive your "Compostelan," you are now free to do what you want. It's rather strange no longer having to hike long distances after doing so for 72 days.

I went out for coffee and a croissant with two people that I got to know on the Camino (Shawn and Dorothea).







Afterwards I checked into my final albergue in Santiago. Next came the Noon pilgrims' Mass. I concelebrated. As the procession began I was amazed to see the cathedral packed with pilgrims! It was standing-room-only.

After the Mass I had some light lunches (yes, plural) with some pilgrims that I had met along the way. As the pilgrims arrived in the city it was like a high school reunion -- you recognized people that you had seen along the way, and everyone was in a good mood (who wouldn't be?!).

A fair number of pilgrims continue their hiking beyond Santiago. There is a tradition to walk to Fisterra (from the Latin "Finis Terræ", literally "the end of the earth"). Fisterra is close to being the westernmost point of Spain, as it's on the Atlantic. But this means an additional 90 km (56 miles) of hiking which I didn't have time to do, as I have to be at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes by the end of the month.

I ate supper with some other pilgrims that I had met along the way. The one thing that we agreed upon was that this arduous journey was more about perseverance than being an experienced hiker.

In fact, I can say that among hikers, I am the least. Sure, I walked 1,000 miles on the Camino, but I still consider myself a "barely passing" hiker. This wasn't about learning how to hike, but rather a spiritual journey.


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Rarified Air

I knew that it was coming, but I didn't know when. There was a return to the mountains on both Wednesday (18 May) and Saturday (21 May).

Going into the mountains means ascents and descents (you've heard all of this before from me). Wednesday meant climbing to the "Cruz de Hierro" (the "Iron Cross") and Saturday meant mastering "O Cebreiro."

These two mountain passes are the last major challenges to the Camino de Santiago. There's no doubt that they are formidable.












For the Cruz de Hierro, I got up early and started the ascent. I was interrupted by a bar that promised a spectacular breakfast buffet for 3 €. I indulged myself, enjoying especially the muesli cereal. Then it was back to serious climbing.







The ascent to the Cruz de Hierro wasn't too bad, all told. It required a lot of stamina and endurance, but it seemed to arrive quicker than I had anticipated.








The Cruz has become a catharsis point for hikers, who leave rocks and stones, and sometimes worn-out hiking boots, wool socks, etc., symbolizing the burdens they've carried on the Camino. So the Cruz de Hierro has become something of a landfill.

The mountain passes were full of wildflowers (especially yellow and purple). A number of people have asked me the names of these flowers in English, and I'm embarrassed not to know. Anybody out there in reader-land know?














Since we were ascending on a sunny day to high levels, we were able to see the valleys below.







It was just a magnificent landscape of God's handiwork.

Coming down from the Cruz de Hierro was a different story. Apparently there are no rules on how steep a descent can be, and these descents were all of that and dangerous. That I didn't fall or sprain/break an ankle can only be attributed to God's mercy.

There were some unhappy hikers as we made the trek down the mountain. some of the Camino paths were fairly washed out, so it was dicey at best.







Eventually, everyone seemed to come out of it okay.

Saturday's trek to O Cebreiro was another story. This was a climb that would require a great deal of strength, character, and perseverance.

For O Cebreiro, I started the day extra early, as I wanted to get it over with. Climbing in the morning, when it's cool is far easier than the afternoon. Well, I climbed, and climbed and climbed. When I ran out of energy I ate all the remaining bread and dried sausage that I had left. Then it was further ascending, in a seemingly endless repetition. I thought that I'd never get there.

At a bar in La Faba, someone said that the worst was over. Gosh were they wrong! Note to self: don't listen to people for advice who haven't made the Camino before!















I was passed along the way by someone running up O Cebreiro. I was shocked by his strength.

Upon entering the Province of Galicia, the distance (mileage) stones began, starting with 150 km remaining until Santiago.







Finally, when I never thought it would end and my body was covered on sweat, I made it to the top of O Cebreiro. What a great feeling to be there! And the views on this sunny day were simply spectacular!














I stopped for a refreshment with my Irish friend Eugene. He's a much better hiker than I am, so I only catch up with him when he takes a break.

Then it was time to continue on. There wouldn't be a huge descent that day, as there were still some up and down peaks to climb. In fact, because I was so exhausted (but still had to walk another 10 km), these seemed harder than O Cebreiro. There was even a climb called the "Alto de Poyo."









I finally arrived, totally depleted, at the albergue at Fonfría. It was getting full, but there was still a bed left for me. What a great end to a great day!

Odds and Ends

This will be a short blog, just to let you know that I'm okay.




(This acts as the "Welcome to Galicia" sign!)

I have arrived at the city of Sarria, which is less than 75 miles from Santiago. I have also crossed into Galicia, the last Spanish province on this Camino.

A number of people start the Camino at Sarria, as it's the last place where you can begin the Camino and still receive a certificate of completion upon arrival at Santiago de Compostela.

Tragedy struck the Camino, as a pilgrim, who was staying at my albergue in the town of Cacabelos, died in his sleep. He was in his late 60s. Please pray for the repose of his soul.

Every year a number of pilgrims die along the route. It's not that the Camino is so strenuous (though it can be that and more), but that those who undertake it may not be physically fit.

I do want to leave you with some good news. The Bishop has granted me permission to spend the month of June hearing confessions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southwest France. I am grateful to God for this special opportunity. It will be very spiritually enriching.

Astorga

The last couple of hiking days have started out unseasonably cold. Today when I left the albergue it was only 35°. I don't attribute this to global warming or cooling; just that sometimes it's cold in the mornings in May.

It being cold is really not a problem as long as it's sunny. If it were rainy that would be another problem. I have a jacket and the walking naturally warms my body.

While it does get warmer during the day, it's only been getting up to the upper 60s. I'm not complaining, as this is optimal hiking weather. It barely gets hot enough to perspire! I could not have asked for better weather during my pilgrimage.




This morning I was walking with Ruggiero (pictured above) from Trento (Northern Italy). We have spoken with each other on the Camino and in albergues the last week. He doesn't speak English, so we converse in Italian.

We spent the entire morning talking about Italian food. Other than conversations with God, it was the best talk that I've had on the Camino de Santiago! We concentrated on pasta sauces, and Italian food traditions in general. It was so much fun!

As you all know, even the most basic of grocery stores in the States sell a wide variety of pastas. Each pasta recipe calls for a specific type of pasta, which best suites the sauce or soup. Some sauces are thicker, some thinner. The required pasta will work best with the requisite sauce.

Somewhere there's a pasta "bible" with all this info written down! It's important to use the correct pasta with the correct sauce!

I don't hawk products on this blog, but I highly recommend this book by Diane Seed ("The Top 100 Pasta Sauces"):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0898152321/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/175-8123665-8309002

Also, salt is added to the water that will cook the pasta to: (1) help it reach a boil faster, and (2) salt the pasta a bit. Cheese is added to (and mixed with) the cooked pasta BEFORE adding the sauce. This allows the sauce to better stick to the pasta.

With the weakened US dollar and the strong Euro (as of today, 1€ = $1.41), "real" Parneggiano Reggiano cheese is expensive. Economizing is understandable, but it's hard to match the taste of the real thing!

Anyway, Ruggiero and I both shared our favorite pasta recipes and our love of food. My top three pasta recipes are:

1) Paglio et fieno alla Ciccora;
2) Spaghetti alla Carbonara;
3) Rigatoni alla Norcina;
4) Bucatini alla Matriciana.

(I know that I said "three", but how can you ONLY have three favorite pasta recipes?!

[If I ever become very sick, somehow get me on a plane so that I can have my last meal in Italy!



Because the Camino can be so rural, there are often long stretches with no small towns and therefore no places to take a break. That's why the pilgrim always has to plan ahead.

However today, there was an unplanned bar break. In the middle of nowhere, "David" (a former pilgrim) erected a mobile bar (pictured above).

It was an unexpected pleasure. He offered all sorts of fruit juices, tea, coffee, fruit, and cookies -- all at no charge. It was a free-will offering only. But mostly he offered wonderful spirituality.

He pointed to one pilgrim's heart and said that a pilgrim "Will start living the Camino when they realize that God is present first and foremost there (the heart), rather than in some distant place far away."

So true. But that's what's so great about the Camino… it's the unexpected things that make the biggest difference. And since every day is a new adventure, just about everything is unexpected!



This last photo is not atypical of the albergues. A lot of them have mileage (kilometrage?) signs that show how many kilometers remain until one reaches Santiago. This one (at Albergue San Javier in Astorga) shows 254 km (158 miles) remaining. I hope it's correct, as my calculation has 266 km (165 miles) to go.

As for how far, no one really knows for sure. There are some optional routes and variants which muddy the picture. All I know it that it will feel great to arrive in Santiago de Compostela.

Today is Day 61 on the Camino de Santiago for me. I don't say this with distress, but rather with joy. I am thrilled that the good Lord has given me the strength to endure so much and continue on this pilgrimage path. I COULD NEVER have done this on my own. It is only with the grace of God that this has been accomplished.


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Corn Nuts

I know, a strange name for a blog post. But you'll soon understand why I chose that name.

Back in the early 1990s while I was a seminarian in Rome, I heard about corn nuts for the first time. I tried them and a love affair was born. In my opinion they're even better than corn or tortilla chips because they have a deeper "crunch". Before you dismiss me as a junque-food addict, know that I don't have them too often... because they're too darn hard to find! I know a place on I-95 north of Richmond that sells them, but other than that, they're surprisingly difficult to come across.

Well, I am happy to say that España loves corn nuts! You can find them in almost any convenience-type store. This has made me a happy hiker!

The last two hikes have been hard, so I treated myself to some corn nuts this afternoon. On Saturday I had to walk through the city of León. Walking through a city is doubly hard, as you have to watch for traffic, watch for the trail markers, and walk on hard concrete and asphalt surfaces. It really takes a toll on a hiker. After I had navigated myself through León (I got very lost, but fortunately was able to get directions from the pastry shops), I then had to walk 8 km (5 miles) through suburban concrete to get to the albergue. What a day!






This sign at a fix-it motorino shop in Mansilla de las Mulas reminded me of mopeds when I used to live in Rome.






This is a terrible photo of a magnificent cathedral in León, Spain. Although smaller than the cathedral in Burgos, it's more impressive. Both are masterpieces of gothic church architecture. I was just awestruck when I entered.






This photo was taken west of León. The Camino is seemingly endless!





This sign is found EVERYWHERE on the Camino. It is saying that this a private hunting reserve. Luckily, I wear a bright orange jacket so I can avoid being shot!





This is the bunk bed scene in the albergue. Usually people are packed in like sardines. I really struggle when I'm given the top bunk!




Here are the vanities…





Toilet and shower…





Common area…





Laundry area N° 1…




Laundry area N° 2





The street scene outside the Albergue San Miguel in the town of Hospital de Orbigo.





Entrance to the Albergue San Miguel in Hospital de Orbigo.





The Spaniards love their tile... so do I !


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