Parsons Pilgrimage

The first hotel we stayed in was the Hotel Colon in Tui.  It was an interesting hotel.  The lobby was modern-ish and the room was a bit older.  The bathroom door was frosted green glass.  The room had tan walls with radiators .  We saw five electric wires. The second hotel was the Hotel Internacional in O Porrino.  It was not as nice as the first one but still a nice hotel.  They had a breakfast buffet and the rooms were nice.  The rooms had a tub, 2 beds, and a TV. The third hotel we stayed in was the Hotel Duarte in Arcade.  It was an interesting day because we stayed in a family room.  Also we ate dinner in the attached Restaurant. The rooms had three beds. I got my own bed, my brother had his own bed, but my parents didn't. The next hotel was a hostel.  The first room had a leaky heater.  The rooms were sparse.  We also shared a bathroom with other people. The rooms had two beds (with PINK sheets). This was not t...

On the trip I saw many animals. The animals were trained and sometimes calm. They were cats, dogs, chickens, pigeons, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, and dead octopus (we ate them). The animals were playing with little kids or flapping around in yards.

I cried at the end – tried to hide it.   It was embarrassing.   Tried walking so no one could see it, but some passerby saw it – I heard them say something. Chet and I have wanted to travel to Spain for 15+ years – new jobs, children, trying to have children, raise them, work, etc. etc. has prevented this trip at the 5, 10, 15 year wedding anniversaries.   Several of my pastor colleagues had talked about the camino.   The stars aligned with the sabbatical to do this trip.   It was difficult, grueling, and amazing all at the same time.   It was an amazing accomplishment to complete the 124 km as a family.   It was religious experience of endurance, patience, hospitality, intentional walking, prayer, and beauty.   To walk in the footsteps of faithful before us.   To walk along with folks from around the world.   To see the myriad ways Jesus is venerated and worshiped in church and hospitality was awe inspiring.   It was a incredibl...

I am reading a book on pilgrimage – one of the quotes is that pilgrimages are 90% tourist and 10% spiritual.   We took part of the 90% tourist on Easter Sunday and joined in on the Pascua festival in Padron.   It is quite a jolting experience after spending many days in relative quiet of woods, small towns, suburbs, and rural settings to take part in what we would describe as the state or county fair.   It was a nice break and luckily a day with a short walk – so we could sleep in, back track via cab (we learned our lesson the first day), enjoy the fair, check out the church where the boat of St. James supposedly arrived, and continue our hike.   We enjoyed some churros (plain and con chocolat) and helado (ice cream).   The Road to Emmaus, Pilgrimage as a Way of Life (Jim Forest) Actual quote with more, page xvi-xvii "Most of us our a mixture of tourist and pilgrim.  In the spring of 1941 not many months before he became a monk, Thomas Mert...

Breakfast of champions – I’m getting pretty used to the meats, cheeses, tomato toast, and café con leche each morning for breakfast (desayano).   Although a few green vegetables will be lovely also.   We have not seen lots of those – the best by far was in Rua De Francos where we had a great mixed green salad with apples and oranges.   That was part of our delicious Easter dinner that included scrambled eggs and mushroom saute, lobster paella, caramelized crepes, chocolate lava cake, and cheese cake.   Also have enjoyed the bocadillos crusty bread sliced with sausage or chorizo or prosciutto and sometimes queso inside.   These are not sandwiches.   Sandwiches are made with sliced bread we would recognize.    One disappointment was our attempts at ordering patatas bravas – turns out that is French fries.

We met pilgrims from around the world – Poland, UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Australia (adventurous women travel), and Canada.   We only met a few folks from los Estados Unidos – Miami and Alexandria.   We started recognizing folks along the way that we would see each day – the adventurous women, the mother daughter pair from the UK, the four men one of which straggled every day (we named them the four horsemen of the apocalypse), the girl with the giant barn jacket coat, the women from Canada.   It was fun to see people progress and awesome to see many of them in Santiago at the end.   How beautiful are the feet of the messengers of God . . . you can recognize a pilgrim even when they are cleaned up and in plain clothes by their shoes – FLIP FLOPS.   It was a last-minute shopping trip to make sure each of us had adequate flip flops.   It was on the packing list – but I thought it was for staying in hostels and showering.   NO – nothing feels bet...