We made it: Arzua - Pedrouza - Santiago!

First, a disclaimer. We made it to Santiago on time and without any problems. It has just taken me almost 2 weeks to finally write this post. Getting into Santiago and the return home has been a whirlwind and I finally have some time to breathe.

One thing I noticed during the last few days of walking, was that I just didn’t take a whole lot of pictures. I think it was for a few reasons. I was getting tired (we were probably due for a rest day) and I was just trying to soak in the last few moments of walking - there is just something so freeing about only having to worry about getting to your destination, staying hydrated and nourished, and soaking in all the beauty that surrounds you, both in the natural environment and the people that you meet. 

Breakfast of champions!

Speaking of people that you meet, I was able to concelebrate mass in a few of the towns where we stayed. It just so happened that there were three other priests, who all seemed to be walking on the same itinerary the last few days, and so we got to know each other. One was from Chile, one from South Korea and one from Valencia, Spain, who was there with a group of seminarians that he works with. 

Fr. Andy from South Korea

Also, speaking of more people, I want to give a shout out to the UD students who were on this pilgrimage. They. Were. Incredible. In terms of their level of engagement and depth of reflection, they exceeded any expectations that I had.  They really threw themselves into the experience, went with the flow when needed, and just seemed to have a wonderful time.  And hats off to my colleague, Nick.  He was a great partner to have on the journey.

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for… Santiago! Click on the video below to see our entrance into the cathedral plaza.

In Santiago, we took it all in, celebrated our accomplishments and had time to reflect on the experience. 

With our seminarian friends

That's my "Camino #2" pose

At a pilgrim's mass in the cathedral, one of the UD students even got to proclaim the first reading...in Spanish!

We also went on a tour of the cathedral rooftop. It was a group favorite.

After a few days in Santiago, we returned to Madrid to catch our flight home. We were able to explore Madrid for a few hours, including the cathedral and the seeing the royal palace.  I don't think the king was in.

Of course while visiting in Madrid, we had our packs with us still, and a gentleman approached me to tell me something very important. Honestly, I figured I had done something wrong.  Rather, he wanted to point out that the cathedral had a statue of Saint James. He simply pointed up and said, “Santiago! Santiago!”  It was as if everything had come full circle.  

Until next time…Buen Camino!

Hitting our groove: Molinaseca - Camponaraya - Villafranca del Bierzo

After all the rain and mud we had a few days ago, we received some great weather….temperatures in the 60s with some sun. What a difference this made! Of course, we are all sore and some new blisters have formed, but I feel like we’re starting to hit our stride and feeling comfortable on the Camino. 

Starting out from Molinaseca, we headed to Ponferrada, home of the Knights Templar Castle. Unfortunately, it was closed. But, we still got a nice group photo :)

We also attended Mass at the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Encina.  It was quite joyful with a gregarious priest, kids participating in the readings and a sung version of the Our Father set to the Simon & Garfunkle tune “The Sound of Silence.” I’m not joking!  They also offered a special blessing for all the pilgrims who were there.  It was very nice.

We ended in Camponaraya which was a pretty sleepy town since it was a Sunday. Not much going on other than a Pilgrim’s dinner at the albergue. The pilgrim dinner gives you a first course, second course, dessert, and beverage all for a fixed price. Usually, the food is pretty good, but the company is even better.

We headed out again in the next morning. The previous day was a lot of city walking on asphalt. But today we returned to the countryside and once again the views were stunning. We are now in a wine making region and ended the day in Villafranca del Bierzo. It’s a pretty town nestled in a valley. 

Tonight, the students decided to make our own pilgrims dinner. They went to a local grocery store and bought the makings for a pasta dinner.  It was a wonderful meal with great conversation. Each evening at dinner we invite the students to reflect on their day, thinking about what they have seen, experienced, thought and prayed about. It is really exciting to me how much the students are already getting out of the pilgrimage.

A bonus came in the middle of dinner. We had a lot of pasta, and so we invited other pilgrims to join us. One took us up on the offer. Neomi is from Argentina, and with a mix of broken Spanish and English it was just an incredible evening of sharing around the table. It reminded me of what could happen if we all just sat down and shared a meal together.

One final thought. We walked through the town of Cacabelos. In the parish Church, there is a statue of Saint James as a pilgrim. I was quite struck by the statue and the gaze that the saint had on his face. He was focused and determined, looking slightly upwards as towards heaven. It was a good reminder that all of us, whether headed towards Santiago or not, are on a pilgrimage to heaven. We are invited to be focused and determined as we make our journey here on earth towards God.  As we walk through life, we are invited to be like St. James the pilgrim - looking heavenward with each step we take.

Buen Camino!

Here we gooooo! Astorga-Rabanal-Molinaseca

We arrived by train to Astorga and walked the short kilometer or so to the city center, where we found our first official Camino sign. These yellow arrows will guide is the 260 kilometers to Santiago!

We were able to quickly visit the Astorga cathedral of Santa Maria - before being escorted out as it was closing. It is a beautiful and enormous church. 

The students had their first experience of albergue (hostel) accommodations.  They did pretty well!

The next morning we began walking! We had about 12 miles before us, going through little villages and immersing ourselves in the beauty of creation. 

One highlight was lunch in the “cowboy bar.”  It is an American southwest themed cafe in the little town of El Ganzo. It’s a must-stop place in my book. 

The wildflowers were in bloom, and their colors are magnificent!

We ended in the small town of Rabanal del Camino. Dinner wasn’t so good, but we joined the monks of the Benedictine community for Vespers (evening prayer) chanted on Latin. It was very nice, particularly in the 12th century church  

The next morning, we had about 15 miles ahead of us….and rain. It rained almost all day, and with the rain came MUD! Lots of mud!  We slipped a lot, especially on the steep downhills at the end of the day, but the scenery made up for it, even if it was foggy. (By the way, the pictures do none of this justice.)

One highlight of this section is the Cruz de Ferro (iron cross). Traditionally, each pilgrim carries a stone from home and then leaves it at the foot of the cross. It’s pretty incredible when you think of all the stones that have been left there over the hundreds of years.  Once again, this was a very moving experience for me, especially as I watched many pilgrims solemnly climb the little mound and add their stone at the cross. 

We ended our day in the town of Molinaseca. I’m sure that we will all sleep well tonight!

Buen Camino!