FOREWORD: I completed the El Camino de Santiago – an 800km spiritual pilgrimage across Spain in late Summer of 2009. I journalled and photographed my trip, and as a final completion I agreed to publish my journal and pictures a year to the day of my journey.

STATS: Walked 21.7 km (13.5 miles) Spent €11.70- (Accommodation – €4, Food – €7.70)

11:02am I am half way through today’s designated walk and feel great.

About 2 hours ago I checked my blister on my baby toe, expecting it to be all but healed only to discover that the way I had strapped it, I have developed a MASSIVE blister right on the top of my baby toe, that is why it has still been so friggin sore. I had put the band aid around the toe and the moisture had been squeezed to the top of the toe. This friggin sucks. Luckily though the left knee pain is starting to subside.

I am noshing on a delicious nectarine. I have been getting really down about the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, and how finding a lettuce is like finding gold. Well things seem to be turning, today is fresh fruit day. It started when just after I had discovered my massive blister and wanted to cry from the reality of what that meant…another few days in my sandals, another few days of hobbling along at snails pace etc… anyway just out of nowhere this local man came around the corner and handed me 4 beautiful nectarines. There were like 5 other pilgrims sitting around and for some magical reason he gave all 4 to me. I was so touched, it was like he knew I was feeling the pain. I would have loved to stash them all and save them for later, but all 4 weighed about a kilo so I am eating one now, have stashed the other one and gave the others away. It was divine. I then walked on and found a few bushes of ripe mulberries, which were delicious. We are advised to eat the ones that are higher up on the bushes, because the foxes pee on the ones lower to the ground!

One of the first water fountains was outside this wine estate, and in addition to having water on tap, they also have a supply of their red wine on tap for FREE! for the pilgrims. It is so cool. I don’t drink, and besides it was about 7am when I passed it, but many guys were filling up bottles with the wine. My dad would love this.

Along the way in my hobble, I did come across a French couple, my friends, and the husband had a blister on the ball of his foot about 6cm in diameter, and was barley moving. Suddenly I felt much better about my lot.

I came across a real shepherd and his herd. Sheep have the right o way in Spain!

Then I started to walk through the vineyards, where the grapes hang ripe to the floor. They say it is okay to eat them because it is off season. And then just now, I am sitting by a watering hole…and this pilgrim walks out of the bushes and presents me with these little yellow plum things that are delicious. So I have got my boost of freshness just this morning. What a blessing.

All along the way there are fresh water fountains, to fill up your water bottles. I am getting used to filling up my bottle with just enough, and not to c otherwise it is just too heavy.

I watch as after a week of walking my physical body has started to settle down and stop protesting (even though my little toe is throbbing as we speak). I am noticing a calming of my mind also. I just started to chant, and in some ways it feels like for the very first time, I have chanted my tone. (I have a specific initiatory tone that I chant.) It is a blessing and there is a reverie and a calm and well it is very sacred. The weather is cool and overcast today and not too warm, so it is very pleasant, although I do love the warmth of the sun.

1pm I am lying in the corn fields, well satisfied. I took a picture of myself to capture the bliss, freedom and innocence of the moment. Just had my lunch, tuna, tomato and ciabatta, the clouds are ominous and I am just resting. It is all good. As I walked this last leg in solitude I found myself dialoguing with the Christ about Soul Travelling and raising my awareness. It is even hard to write. I am concerned with raising my awareness of the spirit realms because it feels like it might move more into psychic phenomena or witchcraft and I don’t want that. Somehow I have it wired that increasing my awareness and opening myself to the spirit realms is somehow hokey pokey and me having this ability or raised awareness will get me into trouble, And that my ‘ignorance’ (innocence) is protecting me from this. I am also aware that if it serves my ministry and work on the planet I will develop this raised awareness, Ahhhh! Another round of over thinking things….I leave it is Spirits hands. But I am getting glimpses now that my perceptions of spirit awareness and intuitive talents are not the same thing. I guess I have fears that if I focus on raising my awareness and I develop a gift of ‘seeing’ then I will have greater responsibilities and that scare me a little. So staying in the naive level that I am on, little ‘neophyte” keeps me sfe I guess.

I hear myself say that and I know inside I want to serve God, and the good of the world more and better. And then I ask myself is that true? Is that really true? It is not about some external gratification and being recognised by my Spiritual teachers – it is about stepping up my dedication to the Spirit. Strengthening my fortitude and discipline, and getting a bigger game. Light to that.

5:41pm I am in the albergue in Los Arcos, and the experience of arriving “home” for the night is certainly getting sweeter. To be lieing here on this comfortable bed, warm and safe is so sweet, no words can describe it. The afternoons in the albergues, are one of the sweetest times on the camino. The dormitories/rooms like this one filled with 70 people all coming and going but there is silence in respect for the 10-15 of us who are not in great shape and are resting. It also corresponds with the Spanish siesta time, and it is really so sweet. I am trying to find other words to describe it. It is just so nurturing and respectful and like an unspoken reverence given to the pilgrims that may have a had a harder day than others, or generally having a harder time on the way than the others. It is like they see us and are sending light.

I have attended to my blister, by threading a needle and cotton through it multiple time to try to drain the fluid out but keeping it clean so it doesn’t get infected. My feet are dry and sore to touch.

You just don’t know how you will be tested when you come on the Camino. I had no idea I would be dealing with this level of physical pain that I am now. And it amazes me that others have nothing. Luis practically runs the path and he is outside right now hanging with this boisterous and divine group of Italians, while I am in here trying to recoop, and licking my wounds. I guess this is my way of doing the Camino.

I send blessings to Matt Mojlin and Paul Kelsey – may they one day have the courage to do this thing, They would love it.

Today here in this albergue, if it were not for Luis, I don’t think anyone speaks English! I am doing the walk a little off peak seasons so there are not many English people.

Today, or this afternoon was particularly hard. I think each day has been challenging but after my lunch break, and hobbling through my blister, and all of the awarenesses I captured, I felt a strong determination rise up inside me and the sense that if I didn’t pick up the pace I may not ever get there. A lady soon walked past me and showed me how to use my walking poles more effectively. ( These walking poles are designed to reduce the load going to your legs by half, so as to distribute the load into your arms to assist your body while hiking. ) It was not so much that the lady “told” me but my little basic self picked it up as the lady walked past me. It was small adjustments but made a big difference, what a blessing. My toe was in agony.

The landscape now is very different. Many people commented to me that they preferred this landscape. For me I found it harsh and desolate. Just straw fields as far as the eye could see and road that went on and on forever. Walking a km, after you have already walked 15 kms or so is a very mind bending thing. My first km in the morning I can walk in about 15 mins, my last km in the day can be a 45 mins to an hour. It really does your head in. At some point in the walk I approached a ridge with a sign that said 1km. I was so excited knowing that when I crossed the ridge I would see the town, but instead it was completely heart breaking. As I crossed the ridge there was just more road. I have a photo of it. I just wanted to cry, but I couldn’t. At the time I just felt the impossibility of it all, and the doubts that I wouldn’t make it but of course I did. I chanted and I prayed and tried not to think about the pain but most of the time that was all I could think about

By the time I came into town I was shattered. The road surface for so many km’s was so harsh that it had bruised the bottom of my feet, and with my quicker pace it may have hurt more. I am aware now of trying to find the balance between walking quicker which is more intensive impact on the body, but then means less time that I have my 14kg pack on my back, and have my pack on for an hour less each day would surely be better for me.

I can be so tough sometimes too. As I came into the town, there was a little rest area on the outskirts with a sign saying that it was a fair way to go to the albergue and recommended a rest. Even though I was dead I did not stop and tried to keep going. But of course half way into town I regretted it, because I could not go on, so I had to crash on the side walk, I just couldn’t take another step. I met these Irish people who were cool, but they seemed more like back packers that pilgrims. They were talking about catching a bus into the nearest big town and having a big night in a hotel room, and wanted to know if I wanted to come with. Yuck, I shuddered at the thought. It felt completely counter to everything this Camino stood for. If I could have made a hasty exit I would, but I was actually mid way between peeling my double layer of socks off my scorched and parched feet, protecting my toe, and trying to put my sandals on. Anyway, I eventually got myself together and was not sure which albergue to stay in. Luis and I had not touched base about that when he left me this morning. We were in the habit of me starting early like 6:30am, he would only start at about 8am. He would then catch up to me we would walk for a few hours, then he would go ahead of me and we would plan to meet up. We forgot to plan it today. but intuitively I found him and got myself set up in his albergue.

Today while walking I fell into a reverie and the *Jason* scenario started to seep into the spiritual debate. I became aware that I there is a small part of me that was holding back from committing to him more fully because I guess I harbored some lofty notions of being a nun or missionary or that I would have some profound spiritual assignment handed to me, and that I didn’t want to be overly committed in the world, because then I wouldn’t be available to this grand undertaking. And then I realise that it not only holds me back from *Jason* but I think from many things in my life too.

9:52pm I am in bed, it is lights out at 10pm. The reverie and quiet is long gone from the dorm room, and the noise and bustle is very loud. Typical Spanish, they get more and more alert and awake the later it gets!!!

Luis and I had dinner again tonight. I was so excited I found a half decent lettuce so I had a big salad with lettuce and cheese and delicous crusty bread that was super soft inside. We had dinner with a Spaniard and Luis and him talked politics about the Catalans. We were in the heart of the struggles of these people, and there was a lot of graffiti about it in some of the towns we passed through. I found it fascinating. I must just say that Luis is learning English, so our conversations are a little interesting. But I was impressed that despite the complex subject matter, and with the help of Luis’ interpreting I was able to follow the story of the Catalan struggle. It was completely titillating hearing the history right here in the heart of the land.

My feet are very very tired. I am so blissed out, it is hard to describe. It is not a physical exhaustion, it is just..well…peacefulness. Thanks be to God. And many blessing and miracles tomorrow.

go to the previous day: day 6 obanos-to-estella
go to the next day: day 8 los arcos-to-vianna

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