Compostella

We found the pilgrim office easily, well signposted and practically deserted. There were a few other pilgrims collecting their Compostella's or Certificate de Distance where the pilgrimage was for non religious reasons or they just wanted that. I confess to tears as received mine. The guy issuing it had grasped my hand warmly as I took it from him, saw my tears, got up came round the counter and hugged me whispering a short prayer in my ear. I returned the compliment and thought what a caring and sensitive gesture it was.

On the way out of the office we paused to pray in the pilgrim chapel before taking a couple of celebration photographs which you may have seen kelsewhere.

We now have the Semana Santa programme from the Cathedral and look forward to a rather different Holy Week to the usual one at home.






Popular posts from this blog

The Call of the Camino

Image
 Camino del Sureste Well a lot has happened since the last Camino four years ago. I have retired, run a few half marathons, moved to the countryside in the province of Alicante, Spain, learned how to cultivate our olive trees, make olive oil from our own olives and begun to learn a little Spanish. Having seen a number of Camino signs locally in Aspe, and visited Pilar de la Horadada which is the starting point of the Rana del Sureste and looked at the map of Camino routes across Spain which sits on the wall above my desk... ...and knowing Sam - a friend on mine-  who has also walked a Camino (Ourense to Santiago), was coming to visit... you can probably work out what's coming next... ...as you will know if you have made a Camino to Santiago it reels you back in to come once more, to learn a little more, to see rather than to glimpse, to appreciate rather than take for granted, to be a little closer to God And so it was that on Thursday 18th June we began outside the Basilica d...
Read more

Villacazar de Sirgar to Carrion de Los Condes

Image
Only a short walk today that brought up halfway for us. A mere 6 km. Tomorrows long section will cross the 100 km mark for the week, and I am sure have more memorable moments. Today alongside the wheat fields, as they have been since day 2 were more beautiful poppies. The most I think that I have seen. In the UK we associate poppies with "Remembrance". I was reflecting on the quarter of a million pilgrims who walk part of this Camino each year, many of whom travel the entire way. What an amazing amount of memories, experience, learning and joy to take home with them. Memories are not just linked to such intense events but to daily life too. I wonder which are your most important?  God reminds me through the remembrance of the Last Supper at every mass of the importance of memory and of that momentous event. No wonder it is so central to Christian life, which reminds me, I had better remember to take my Spanish missal with me later tonight! 
Read more

Eturga to Puente de la Reine

Image
I think the ether lost my text for this posting, so I write once more. It was a short walk from Eturga to Puente so I arrived very early. Stopping outside the Albergue I was wondering what to do, as I did so, a lovely smiling face greeted me, it was a Congolese Ordinand. You stay tonight, he said, yes please, I replied. Come drop your stuff, go eat and return to sleep, I am here all day. So that is what I did, pausing for a prayer in the church pictured here. Church of St James, Puente de la Reine. I returned to the Albergue with supplies, remembering that the next day was Domingo, so all would be Cerrado, it was! Sleep was lovely, from about 2 pm to 8 am stopping for fluid intake from Apple juice and water. Please pray for the ordinands training here, Padres Repadores. Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Read more