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Anne Marie and Jeff Konzet
November, 2013
konzet@gmail.com
Anne Marie and Jeff Konzet
November, 2013
konzet@gmail.com
Introduction
This is the blog that we wrote whenever we could along the way. Other than the layout, it has not been edited in any way since we wrote it while on the Camino. It represents, as best we could, what we saw, felt, tasted, heard, smelled and remembered each day.
Getting Ready
September 6, 2013
We will be walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage again this September and October. We walked it (from St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago in Spain) in Spring 2010. Having skipped two sections totaling 70 miles due to physical ailments, we resolved to come back some day and do those sections that we missed. This has evolved into our doing almost the entire pilgrimage again. We will be starting in Pamplona this time, and expect to spend six weeks covering about 440 miles.
Within the last year, Anne retired, our daughters Karyn and Kristen got married (blessing us by adding Frank and Mark to our family), and St. Ignatius Retreat House (where Jeff worked as a staff associate for three years) closed, so doing the Camino seems like a great opportunity to reflect on this transitional time in our lives. We will be praying along the Way about that, and also about the many intentions people have asked us to carry along. When you leave your home and almost all you possess for six weeks, with just the essentials in your backpack, you begin to remember what is important in your life and what isn't. We need this reminder again!
Last time we posted updates on Facebook almost every day. This time we are doing this blog instead, as some of our friends and relatives are not on Facebook, and some who are on it don't necessarily want daily updates! So look at this blog whenever you feel like it. You can set it up to receive alerts whenever we add to it, if you like. We can't guarantee how faithful we'll be at writing a detailed travelogue or journal, but we hope at the very least (assuming wifi is available) to regularly post where we are and add a few photos.
* * * * * * * * *
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St James)
is a collection of old pilgrimage routes which cover all Europe. They all have
Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain as their final destination. For more
than 1000 years pilgrims have been walking along the Camino de Santiago.
The pilgrimage to the shrine of the apostle James the Great
– Santiago in Spanish – developed into one of the most important Christian
pilgrimages in medieval times after the claimed discovery in the 9th century of
the apostle’s burial site in what later became Santiago de Compostela. According to legend, St James’ remains were
carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the
site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Camino Francés is the most popular of the routes of the Way
of Saint James, the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in
Spain. It runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
on the French side of the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles on the Spanish side and then
another 780km on to Santiago de Compostela through the major cities of
Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and Léon.
Today tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and other
travellers set out each year from their front doorstep, or popular starting
points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a
few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by
donkey. In addition to people
undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travelers and hikers who
walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the
challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. Also, many consider the experience a spiritual
adventure to remove themselves from the bustle of modern life. It acts as a retreat for many modern
"pilgrims".
Training
September 6, 2013
Our last long training walk (15 miles with full backpacks) before leaving for Spain, to which Anne is pointing on the Unisphere in Flushing Meadow Park. Part of training is not just walking but constantly re-evaluating what's in your backpack to keep the weight as low as possible. In fact that continues all through the Camino, in more ways than one.
Our last long training walk (15 miles with full backpacks) before leaving for Spain, to which Anne is pointing on the Unisphere in Flushing Meadow Park. Part of training is not just walking but constantly re-evaluating what's in your backpack to keep the weight as low as possible. In fact that continues all through the Camino, in more ways than one.
A hand-printed sign that we saw on the last Camino said "cada dia menos peso" - "every day less weight." Words to live by!
9/11
September 11, 2013
Just starting out on 9/11 from Pamplona, where St. Ignatius journey also started. Remembering the victims of 12 years ago. No photos yet, except for this one of our long bus ride from Madrid.
Just starting out on 9/11 from Pamplona, where St. Ignatius journey also started. Remembering the victims of 12 years ago. No photos yet, except for this one of our long bus ride from Madrid.
Look Back Down The Mountain
September 11, 2013
Walked 15 miles (too much) today and arrived in Puente La Reina, none the worse for wear.
Walked 15 miles (too much) today and arrived in Puente La Reina, none the worse for wear.
When you get discouraged and tired while climbing the mountain, "stop and look back down the mountain to see how far you've already come - you'll feel better." Advice from an Austrian woman we met on our 2010 Camino.
Buen Camino
Everybody says "Buen Camino" to each other, to everyone they meet along the Way. It's kind of like Aloha - both hello and goodbye. You say Buen Camino as you encounter someone new, and you might or might not walk together and get to know each other. If you do walk together for a while, you eventually part as you each find your own pace. Buen Camino again.
Maybe you'll never see each other again, but if you do it's an unexpected blessing. The Camino is like your whole life journey, summarized in the time it takes to walk 800 kilometers.
Here are two Irish-Australian sisters we walked with for a while.
Today we made it to Los Arcos, named after the church Santa Maria de Los Arcos (the Arches).
Scenes along the way:
Choir practice at San Miguel church in Estella:
Free wine (really)!
Sunrise
September 14, 2013
Sunrise as we left Los Arcos this morning. As we walk the Camino, we are always facing west, so we won't notice the sunrise unless we turn around to look. One temptation of the Camino is to relentlessly pursue the goal of getting to the next town, and fail to notice where we are and reflect on where we've just been.
Sunrise as we left Los Arcos this morning. As we walk the Camino, we are always facing west, so we won't notice the sunrise unless we turn around to look. One temptation of the Camino is to relentlessly pursue the goal of getting to the next town, and fail to notice where we are and reflect on where we've just been.
Today we noticed.
Arriving in Viana.
Resting in Viana.
Simplest accommodations - mats on the floor- we've had so far, in an albergue run by Santa Maria parish, in a little corner of the church building. But very cozy and welcoming.
We're doing well physically and weather has been perfect so far. Compared to 3 years ago when we saw more québécois than Americans, an amazing change as the Americans seem to have taken over. All good people, but we hope to meet more people who are not so much like us!
Revisiting
September 16, 2013
Yesterday we stayed in Navarette (in the La Rioja region, famous for its wine) a little town where we stayed an extra day 3 1/2 years ago, to celebrate our anniversary. At that time we thought we'd seen everything there was to see there. However this time, an Australian woman we'd met along the way stopped by excitedly at a table where a few of us were eating tapas, and urged us to walk up the hill behind the church, for a magnificent 360-degree view. Good thing we went along - hope these pictures capture this little park and the beautiful view(s).
Yesterday we stayed in Navarette (in the La Rioja region, famous for its wine) a little town where we stayed an extra day 3 1/2 years ago, to celebrate our anniversary. At that time we thought we'd seen everything there was to see there. However this time, an Australian woman we'd met along the way stopped by excitedly at a table where a few of us were eating tapas, and urged us to walk up the hill behind the church, for a magnificent 360-degree view. Good thing we went along - hope these pictures capture this little park and the beautiful view(s).
Here's sunrise the next morning (today) as we set out for Azofra, where we just safely arrived. A few aches and pains but we're planning to sleep a little later tomorrow and do a shorter walk than we've been doing.
Mysteries and Surprises
Never did find out what this is. Looks like a giant beehive with a doorway. We didn't climb up and go in but a woman from Florida did and she said that inside was just a mattress and a chair. Maybe a refuge meant for any desperate pilgrim who can't get to the next town by dark?
Surprises
Stork nests on a steeple.
A house built into the side of a cliff.
St. Joseph holding out a naked Baby Jesus - someone placed a nappie under his bottom.
Sheep
Potatoes
A room for just two at the albergue!
Many Australians and Americans (many more than 3 years ago)
Beautiful vistas as the road lies out before you
A Short Walk
Today, to rest our legs and feet, we walked only about 8 miles, arriving early at Villafranca Montes de Oca. It would have been too far, another 10 miles, to go to the next town in one day. Here we are photoing each other as we cross Rio de Oca.
Our short walking day gave us a chance to explore this little town and pursue one of Anne Marie's favorite activities, taking photos of details in churches. Churches in this part of Spain are packed with statues, paintings and reliefs, often decorated with gold brought over from the New World. Here's Our Lady of Oca, with Baby Jesus playfully reaching out to his mother's breast.
And Our Lady of Sorrows, her heart pierced with swords.
May your days be playful and your sorrows few!
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