day 7 camino

Well i made it to los arcos today. Barely. I have a beautiful cold that made me feel like poop. I had very little energy. So it eas good i met up with a couple eople along the way for motivation. Alot of people that ive talked to are here to get away from the situation at home, or looking for answers. You wouldnt believe the number of people ive met that have quit their jobs or are fed up with their status quo and looking for something else. Very interesting conversations. The youngest person ive met is 19 and the oldest that ive met is 71. (i think). This 71 year old was walking 1600kms!!! He really put me to shame- who is struggling to even do 100kms. I think im going out for the pilgrims menu today. Im too bloody exhausted to cook, and i want good food! Praise the Lord! Christ is risen!

day 6 camino

Well, today was a wee bit of a rough day. On top of my knee, my back, my feet, i also developed a cold. Praise the Lord. I very much just wanted to be at home. But i ate oranges and garlic. And the eucharist, most importantly. The Lord is the healeer of all, so if he dont makr me physically get better, i have to count on him to give me a spiritual boost. Christ is risen.

day 5 camino

I hurt my knee. So i spent an extra night in pamplona. But i was able to walk today. I made it to puente la reina. Had to bid farewell to my new friends. Very sad. But its ok. I made new ones. Before, i had brazilian and portuguese gang, and today i was with a korean gang. Lots of fun! And the journey continues. Ive visited many beautiful chirches. The Lord is sending His blessings. Christ is risen!

el camino

Day 1: tuesday, i left st jean pied de pory and made it over the pyranees to roncesvalles, an old monastery. It took me 8 hours with an hour lunch break. That jas been my best day. Day 2: i continued on to zubiri, took me maybe an hour or more less tjan the first day. But for the last hoir and a half, i felt the blisters forming. But, thanks to moleskin and kim bombaks essential oils lavender), i didnt have any blisters the next day. Day 3: it rained the last 2 hours or so, my knee is not feeling good at all, but still no blisters on the feet- praised be Jesus. Ive met so many wonderful people already. Its great. I am absolutely lovinh it. I am in pamplona right now. Where they have the bulls running in the street. Went to pilgrims mass the first day. Really cool. Maybr 10 languages spoken. Most people are travelling alone, like me. And everybody has their own story. It is really a cool community. Many people ive met, dont speak a word of english or french, but we can usually still communicate. And of course, quite a bit of alone time simply walking. St raphael and st james have been looking afyer me.

I am almost beginning the Camino!!

Christ is Risen from the dead! Trampling down death by death! And to those in the tombs, He gives life!!!! We sung this in Greek, Slavonic, French and English today. Praise the Lord!! We had Pascha bread, Cheese Pascha, and Babka, pork, Trappist Beer, wine, chocolate, and all sorts of other goodies!!! Praise Jesus!! It was really amazing. But I just have to say, I am going to have to eat some Kubasa when I get home, 'cause I am craving it so badly!!! I am flying to Bordeaux tomorrow afternoon, then train to Bayonne. I think I will stay the night there (and hopefully I can find a place to sleep). Then head to St. Jean Pied de Port Tuesday. Get organised, then I will start walking Wednesday morning, inch Allah. I am aiming to be in Santiago for May 23rd, but I shall just have to see. I am really in the Lord's hands now; (and I have St. Raphael taking care of me as well). Hopefully in the hostels, or somewhere along the way I will be able to keep you all posted. Praise Jesus! Christ is Risen!!

Holy Week

I am very sorry. I have had very limited internet access the last little while. Here is a summary of my trip since Athos: Malta, visiting the Greek Catholic Community there for one week; Ireland, took a break from my pilgrimage to hang out with my sister and a couple of her friends for 2 weeks (but spent time with the Greek Orthodox community in Dublin for the feast of the Anunciation, and visited the site of the monastery of St. Kevin of Glendalough); England, I stayed with the Madonna House community in Robin Hood's Bay for one week; Normandie, France, where I stayed one week, including Palm Sunday at Mont St. Michel in the monastery there; Resteigne, Belgium, where I currently am and have been for Holy Week. This week, I attended services mostly at either Chevtogne Monastery, or Rochefort, Trappist Monastery. More about this all later. Christ is (almost) Risen!!

mount athos- day 4

Im really behind on my posts. Sorry. So there was the all night vigil on saturday night till sunday morning. For probably 5 hours, i was in a state of semi consciousness. Initially, they had a really nice fire going in the church, so it was just oh so nice and cozy. And the greek "pews" allow you to rest your weight on your arms, and lean, if youre standing; or you can flip the seat down, and lean against the side. I changed from these two positions. The prayers just flowed througje. Theyre were more quiet parts and lowder parts, and moving through the church at different points. But continuous prayer for 8 hours. Wowee. Also, the church and its iconography in this monastery was very old and extremely beautiful. Then at 7 am- breakfast. A full meal deal. We even had fish (that the monks caught), wine, and chocolate!! (and supposedly these fods arent permittes during the great fast- lent). I dont know if i mentioned, but the porter was an australian monk- a young guy. So i had a good chat with him after breakfast. He told me a bit of his own story and how he came to be a monk there. I think it had been 8 years since he was there. He looked early 30s to me. I particularly asked him aboit his family. He had siblings and nephews and nieces. If he stays in the monastery, he wont see some of them ever again. Although he said he did talk with them over the phone. But he said he was part of a bigger family- the church. And he really seemed to be completely fine with iy. I left the monastery at around 9:30am and headed for the other side of the peninsula where i was to catch my ferry at 2:30pm. I wa excited for the walk. I really came to love walking over the past couple of days. I could have gotten a ride, then taken the bus, but i didnt want to. It was just really exciting for me. So i hiked over one half of the way. At maybe 12:30pm, on the other side of the higjest point of the hill, a monk syopped and asked me if i wanted a lift. I got in, and was glad, beccause we covered a lot of ground, but i told him i wanted to get out when we were still maybe 1 hour from the port. The view was really beautiful. I stopped and ate a little something out of my bqg, then carried on for a few minutes. Then i met q man who was very excited to see me. He was speaking russian, so i responded and spoke in ukrainian. It turns out he was ukrainian. Well i tell ya, he was just so excited that i spoke a little ukrainian and that i spoke a little ukrainian. I told him i had to go catch the ferry. He was on his way to st. Panteleimon, the russian monastery. Well, there was just no way he was going to let me walk there. He tried phoning his friend. But when that didnt work, he waved the next car down, while standing in the middle of the roqd, and he smply opened the passenger door to the car, and motioned me to get in. (he didnt bother asking the driver if he would mind drivimg me). So i got a ride to the port with a friendly greek worker on the peninsula. I think he wa an electrician. Then i had a coffee at the cafe, and waited for my ferry. On the ferry ride out, i was really exhausted- finally froom the sleepless previous night). But i was also really thrilled to look back at the mountain, and to be able to say that i climbed it (just abou to the peak). Itjust looked so big from the ferry. The Lord blssed me so greatly on my time on athos. I was sad to leave. I easily understand how some people visit and never leave. It is just such a beautiful life. Really. Who wouldnt want to become a mo.k after visiting thos? But then i remembered that the body is made up of all different parts-each necessary. But i will definitely take my experience of athos with me- probably foe yhe rest of my life. What an amazing and blessed experience. Anybody who is thinking about it should do it. Many blessings. Praise the Lord!