Bodega Irache

Bodega Irache

Along the road to Los Arcos we came across the Bodego Irache. This bodega and associated monastery has a history that's been around for over one thousand years. It has been run by a community of monks since the 10th century. It's famous Fuente del Vino (wine fountain) offers a free taste of wine where pilgrims can fortify themselves for the journey ahead at the generosity of the Bodega. We filled our conch shells and enjoyed the moment as so many before us had done.

As I walk, I look at the miles of vineyards and fig trees. We are stopped occasionally and are given grapes, figs and tomatoes from various gardens and I think of the generosity of these strangers towards me. I think back to the times of the early pilgrims and imagine that they too were taken care of in this way. As I pass through this area of abundance, I think of my own life. I have so much...am I as generous? This time on the road gives me time to think about the fruitage of the spirit in my own life.

I know our time here is for much more than walking. In the true form of a pilgrimage, I pray to hear what God would have for me in this season.

Buen Camino...

Puente de Reina

Puente de Reina

Today we will head into Puente de Reina. It is infamous in this area for it's six arched bridge. It was built in the medieval times and was quite the architectural wonder of its day. The sole purpose of this bridge was for the pilgrims who were walking the Camino. We had read about this area and it's quaintness and knew this was where we wanted to stay. We are happy that this is considered off season for tourist as we will have the place to ourselves. We are only twenty miles away...

Today my mind is filled with many thoughts and I love the time I have to process them. I think of everything from how to plant an herb and vegetable garden like the ones I see along the road to much deeper issues I am trying to reconcile. Sometimes a random thought will lead to another and I am touched by the beauty of what God would have for me in those moments of solitude. I was thinking about the weight of my pack today and how I might lighten my load. At eighteen pounds it is not overwhelming but over a period of time I feel each and every one of those pounds. I began to think of what items I could do with. I thought that even a few small items might make the load lighter when I was struck by another thought. Is my life like that also? Do I carry around things that I could let go of and ultimately make my journey lighter? I had miles to think of this and realized that in the end I would be much better off if I thoughtfully considered this in all of aspects of my life.

We crossed over the hill of forgiveness today...no better place to start lightening my load.
Buen Camino

Mi Bastones

Mi Bastones

My sticks aka my walking poles, my staff. Interesting how I have come to depend on my walking poles. They were an item I had no strong feeling about until I used them on our coastal hike. Now I am not sure I can do without them.

We have left Estella and are heading to Los Arcos. As we head up the hills I find that my bastones provide me with strength and if I hold on tightly they can lift me up to safe ground. As we head down the rather steep hills I find if my bastons go before me they ease my way and keep me from injury or fall. Sometimes they provide balance on roads that appear safe but where some unforeseen danger may lurk. I find at times that I will just lean on them for rest and support.

As we walk along this pilgrimage we have time to think of so many things. I find myself thinking about the reasons so many have walked this path before me. I have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for the Great Shepard whose bastone guides and directs me...

Buen Camino.

Estella to Villamayor de Monjardin

Estella to Villamayor de Monjardin

We left Estella this morning after spending the night in an Albergue de Perigrinos parish hostel which is run by the parish of San Miguel. It is a small hostel with 30 beds and we opted to stay for the night once we met our hosts.

These are medieval cities which have a few modern conveniences in the middle of the plaza. Last night we sat with some fellow pilgrims and travelers, a family practice physician from the UK, and enjoyed a nice glass of wine and good conversation. We watched as children played in square, couples gathered for an evening out, old men and old women chatting with each and... just life in the this small village. We head to Villamayor de Monjardin tomorrow.

Once we stopped in Villamayor we knew this was the place where we would stay for the day. It is stunning and quiet and everything you imagine a small Spanish village would look like. We had fresh tomatoes, local cheese and salami, french bread, and a cold glass of beer for lunch. The sun warmed our bones and we just decided to stay. Two o'clock and we called it a day...because we can...because it was just exquisite here. We have decided to stop and enjoy beauty whenever we can. And, just to make it so very special, there was a violinist playing the most beautiful violin music on the street tonight in front of the old church. Thank you God.

Buen Camino

Zubiri to Pamploma

Zubiri to Pamploma

We are developing a routine for our days. We get up early and are on the road by 7:00 am. We begin enmass and quickly the crowds disperse and everyone finds their own pace and place on the Camino. We move at a pace that is comfortable for us wishing those who pass us by buen camino...good road/way to you. We find a place for a cafe con leche and a light snack and continue on while the morning is still cool. We will walk for a few more hours until we find a bar/albergue and stop for a light lunch. We connect with our friends and enjoy lunch and delightful conversations. We have two Spanish friends, Pepe and Victor who are teaching us about the best food in Spain.

We are now connoisseurs of some of the best salami in Iberia along with some of the most savory cheeses in this region. We pull out our knives and cut a few slices of each, cut us a piece of crusty bread and we are set for hours. We enjoy this time with our friends. The social aspect is as satisfying as the meal itself. Soon we are back on the road moving in our own worlds and at our own paces.

Tonight we will stay in Pamploma. We are reminded of a valuable lesson here. We can easily get caught up in the plans of our fellow peregrinos and where everyone is meeting and staying the next day that we forget we are not on a schedule. Part of the joy of this journey is being in the moment. Our moment. I think there will be days we do not move with our 'group' and will connect with the next 'group' of peregrinos we meet. We are excited to see what the days ahead bring us.

Buen Camino...

Ronchavalles

Ronchavalles

There was nothing as beautiful as turning the corner and seeing the monstary and church at Ronchavalles. It had been a long and emotional day and we looked forward to being still for awhile. The alberque had recently been remodeled and so as we entered the old monastery we found nice, comfortable accommodations. We were excited to lay our stuff down for awhile. We are trying to develop a routine so the evenings move with ease and we do not forget anything. We set up our beds and quickly washed our clothes. They were serving a peregrino dinner and we were famished.

We sat at a table we with people we had met along the way. In a group of ten people, five countries were represented. We shared a dinner of a wonderful, warm vegetable soup, roast duck, potatoes au gratin, fresh fruit and one of the best red wines I have ever tasted. Conversations were lively and we enjoyed our companions and could relate to the stories they had to tell of the day. I love the way community is formed when people come together with shared interest. We were an eclectic group but bonded over our events of the day. It was fabulous and we are happy to be here.

Tomorrow we head to Zubiri which is about a twenty mile walk. I am sure we will rest well tonight...Buen Camino.

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

We left St Jean de Pied Port at about 5:30 this morning. Neither one of slept well in anticipation of the day ahead. I will admit, we had heard so many of the young people say that they were taking the less strenuous route, that we began to wonder if we had made the right choice. I am here to say, we made the right choice.

First, it was hard, but hard is not a bad thing at all. The beauty of this area is like a dream. I could post picture after picture but you would not be able to capture all that is the Pyrenees. Instead, I shall have you over for a meal or warm drink and tell you the stories of this place. There was a beautiful mountain fog that enveloped the valleys of this range and in a moment it would clear and the views would take your breath away. We knew the moment when we crossed from France into Spain and only took our photo as this was all you could see. We walked about ten hours that day but we stopped several times for coffee, bread, salami, cheese, nuts, fruit, and an occasional beer. It was like heaven...

The second thing I learned this day was that we don't need to have everything we want nor do we have to have everything we need. We just need to figure out how to do with what we have. Tom's trekking pole malfunctioned 100 feet into the trip. It was dark, we were alone and he could not get the clasp to stay put. At home we would just grab a screwdriver and fix it but we had no tools with us. We improvised and the pole is working just fine (yes, it has to do with a butter knife).

We are taking in all that is before us. The hours of quiet are giving us time to think and contemplate all that is around us. We are savoring each and every moment, even the hard ones. Every beautiful places reminds us of you...we carry you in our hearts.

A Few Things First

A Few Things First

This is just a quick note of thanks to all who have helped us reach this place. To our family, most importantly...thank you for believing in us and/or teasing us along the way. Your encouragement means everything to us. Thank you for your help on the home front. From watching our home to writing and sending pictures once in awhile you mean the world to us and we miss you like crazy.

Thank you to our places of employment/ministry for graciously allowing us this time to be together. Your kindness in this area will not be forgotten.


To those us helping in our preparation, you rock! REI in Fresno-thank you Patty, Jordan, Lindsay, Dre, and the gang for all of your expertise. We have appreciated you more than you will ever know. To our neighbor Kerry, thank you for all you training, nutrition, massages, treats, and mostly for just being the beautiful girl you are to us. To Curtis Cookingham-your advice has paid off and we are doing well. MASH trainers, thanks for never grimacing as we showed up week after week in full garb. You guys are awesome and we love you so very much. To Gib, my special friend, your love and encouragement carries me through so many things. I hold the special gift you gave me. Not because I needed a reminder...I have you me in my heart. Lois, I am listening to violin music everyday...thank you. Judy and family...thank you for your prayers, always.

We carry each of you with us each step along the way. You are what we look forward to upon our return home...Buen Camino.

Leave Nothing Behind

Leave Nothing Behind

Back in my running days, there was a saying my daughters and I would say to each other before we would run a long and grueling run. These words  could inspire and instill the greatest encouragement, confidence,  and inspiration. It was three simple words which could evoke the deepest of feelings and emotion. It was merely...leave nothing behind. Today those words came to me in the most unusual place.

We are still in St Jean and tomorrow we head out to Ronchesvalles. It is probably the most difficult climb we will have while on the trail. We met many people today and all of them are taking the easy trail up this route. Tom and I were a bit perplexed because we have chosen the traditional way which is a bit steeper. I began to wonder if perhaps we have made the wrong choice...

After dinner there was a free concert at the cathedral in town. It was the choir from Bayonne and they were singing in the Eglise Notre-Dame-du-Bout-de Pont. They were exquisite to say the least. I thought about how long there had been music in that cathedral and how many people had sat on the wooden pew I was now sitting on listening to these same beautiful sounds. My thoughts went quickly to our walk and then I realized that many people had made the same pilgrimage that we are about to begin. While we may take other journeys in our lives, this is probably our only time for this one. We will give it all we have, both spiritually and physically...we will leave nothing behind.

We are enjoying the beauty of this moment and all that is yet to be. We don't know all that lies ahead but we will not fret. We will take each day one step at a time and enjoy it for exactly what it is. There is so much ahead of us...Buen Camino.

St Jean de Pied Port

St Jean de Pied Port

We were refreshed when we woke up this morning to the blue sky and sunlight coming throug our window. We are staying in a bed and breakfast at the recommnedation of our friends Jean and Colleen Errotabere. The area is stunning and we are happy that we have landed here for a few days before we begin our journey.

The area has quite a history dating back to the days of Charlamange who was the Frankish ruler in 768 AD. He lead his troops into Moorish Spain and it is in this area where he entered into those battles against the Muslims. Most Spaniards   believe to this day that it was their patron saint, St James who was responsible for this conquest.  It's history is still spoken of today.

We were able to take a small tour of the town today on an open air bus where we were able to see many historical sites. This area is charming and today it is filled with tourist. There was a traditional Basque parade which came through town and tonight a free concert in the museum. It is quaint and we find this very refreshing.


We have spent a leisurely day and are catching up on much needed rest. Tonight we will head into town for a little night life and traditional Basque dinner.


Buen Camino.

Pilgrims

Today it is official. We are now pilgrims or as the Spanish say peregrinos. According to local definition a pilgrim is a believer who travels to a holy place where God may seem especially close, to ask for pardon, or beg a favor, or, as in our case, to give thanks for blessings received. We are in St Jean de Pied Port and we are enjoying this beautiful French village. We are staying at a little bed and breakfast called Tartasenia and it is run by Arnaud and his wife Alice. When we arrived last night close to midnight, Arnaud was at the door waiting for us to welcome us home. We are happy to be here.

St Jean is the meeting place for pilgrims from all over the world. It is the official beginning point for the Chemin de France aka The French Way. While their are many roads that lead to Santiago de Compostela, most of them from Europe will pass this way.

We walked into town this morning where we officially signed in as pilgrims. Here we had our credential filled out and stamped with the official stamp of St Jean de Pied Port. We also picked up a conch shell which we will display upon our backpacks. Having the credential and the shell will allow us pilgrim status. We can stay at alburgues (hostels) and we are entitled to peregrino status which gives us a small discount on meals. In this area the pilgrim is well known and the pilgrimage is respected. In fact, we met a man at the bus station last night who drove us to our lodging because we were pilgrims. He took no payment for his troubles. Only wished us Buen Camino...

The Walk

The Walk

We are aboard the high-speed train heading south to Paris. We will disembark in Paris, have lunch and then reboard another train as we continue to head south towards St Jean de Pied Port. We are traveling at about 184 km/hr and even at that speed the scenery is beautiful as we leave the German countryside.

While I appreciate the ease and comfort of this travel and even the speed at which we are doing this, I find myself longing for a slower pace.

There have been so many changes this year for both Tom and I. Some new health developments for Tom, relinquishing the helm of MMI, some career considerations for me, that walking through them just seems the best way to get them into perspective. For me, walking has always been prayer. From my early days of motherhood when the only free moments I ever had were the ones between 4:00-5:00 am, I have always found great solace and strength in my early morning walks.

If you think about it, walking really is a step of faith. It is the perpetual motion of falling forward. Each step is a halted plunge, a fall averted, an impact stopped. We tend to take it for granted but this act of faith is really a two-beat rhythmic miracle. A melodic motion which embodies a moving forward and a letting go. A moving forward and a letting go...

So, as we walk toward unencumbering our lives, what better way really than doing it a step at a time. Approximately 40,000 steps a day to practice trust and faith in He who guides and knows our each and every step and the way He would have for us. We are excited to see who we are in this new season. I think the 542 miles will be a great start.

Will catch you when we can. Buen Camino.

Exquisite Favor

We are aboard a C-5 as we speak heading to Ramstein, Germany. For those who have done Space A traveling, our fight connections have been exquisite. Rarely do things go as smooth as they have on this trip.
When we left our home Monday morning we were, to say the least, a bit weary. Our return from our South Pacific travels and then all the work with MMI, our other commitments, and getting our house travel ready began to take a toll on us. When people asked where we were going, walking 542 miles of the Camino de Santiago seemed like the easiest thing we had going. Just putting one foot in front of the other for 15-20 miles a day seemed easier in comparison to the busyness of the proceeding four weeks. When we arrived at Travis AFB on Monday we were secretly hoping for some time before we began our travels east and then exquisite favor when we did move. We got exactly what we asked for.
We spent Monday evening with our daughter and her two children. We ate dinner and played games with the kids and talked about our travels. It was the beginning of our unwinding.
Tuesday there were few flights available and none going our way. We marked ourselves present at the air terminal and spent the day resting and looking at potential flights. We noted that Wednesday might offer a ride to the east coast and then, miraculously, at the same terminal, there were two flights going to Germany the very same evening. Rarely does it work out that way. There are so many variables that we didn't really think we could make the flight.

We were accepted on the KC-10 which is a refueled. There, we were blessed with the opportunity to sit in the cock-pit with the pilots and get some photos of the KC refueling mid-air. This was quite a honor for us.
As soon as we arrived at McGuire, we indicated our desire to fly to Germany and we were immediately accepted. The rest is history...and we are now in Ramstein.

Ramstein is an immense Air Force Base (AFB). It is approximately 5,000 acres and is very modern. We took care of some travel business and then decided to walk the four miles into to Ramstein village. It was a beautiful wooded walk and a quaint little village. We enjoyed a traditional German meal of weinerschnitzel, sauerkraut, soup, and a cold beer. We ate in an old Inn which had been built in the 1700's.
We will head to Paris tomorrow aboard the high-speed train. From there we will head to Biarrietz which is in the south of France. We hope to be in St Jean de Pied Port by 5:45 in the evening. We will stay at a bed and breakfast that a friend of ours recommended to us. Here we will rest and acclimate to the time changes and travel before we begin our trek.
It is hard to believe that it has been less than a week since we have left home. We have begun the process of unwinding and look forward to what is next for us. Will write when we can!
Buen Camino.

The Way...

The Way...

This morning I woke up to the roar of a C-5 as it took off from Travis AFB. While most mornings I might consider this unpleasant, this morning it was music to my ears. I felt sheer delight and excitement as I begin to think of all the ramifications of that sound. It is official, we have started our 2014 sabbatical! We are at Travis AFB waiting to fly...East... to Europe. Our ultimate goal is the south of France. For those of you who don't know, Tom and I are walking the Camino de Santiago from the south of France to the northwest coast of Spain. We will end up in Finesterre (The End of the World) for a total of about 542 miles. Our walk is called the Camino Frances and it is considered the traditional way.

The Camino de Santiago translates to The Way of Saint James. Historically, Santiago de Compostela is believed to be the final resting place of St James the apostle. The Iberian pennisula was considered his territory when he set out to preach Christianity. It is a pilgrimage that has been walked for about fifteen hundred years. A friend and colleague of mine who had walked the Camino told us the Camino calls you, you don't call the Camino. We have had several months to ponder this and feel this is true for us. It is the spiritual component that compels us.

While we certainly needed to prepare physically for this journey, the beauty has been contemplating the spiritual aspects. We talked about why we wanted to do this walk and God put the word unencumber on both of our hearts. We want to unencumber our lives...There seems no better way to do this than with only a pack on our backs as we walk through the countryside of France and Spain for the next couple of months. I will be reminded that I have always had everything I have ever needed with me. My God (with me), my husband (alongside me) and daily provision (eighteen pounds of it on my back). I am excited to see all that He has in store for us.

So we are off, here at Travis AFB with the hopes of catching a flight out early tomorrow morning. Looks like there might be a flight to McGuire AFB (NJ) and then on to Ramstein, Germany. From there, we only need to get to the south of France. Pretty simple...Buen Camino!