Life in France

Walking the Camino Via Podiensis from Le Puy to Figeac...A Movable Retreat.

2016-05-27T18:20:00.000+02:00

As the train leaves Figeac and speeds through the countryside towards Toulouse, my feet yearn to feel the path below them this morning. To feel my muscles warming up as I climb up and down the hills. To feel the weight of the pack on my back. The sun on my head. Tears sit just behind my eyes as I watch the countryside speed away from me until it becomes a blur. My trusty companion, my backpack sits at my leg...its weight leaning against me, its mere presence a security, a comfort. I feel like the path, the trees, the birds, the sunshine, the freshness of the morning are being torn away from my soul. For the last two weeks life was boiled down to a few very simple movements...Get up, pack up the backpack, share a coffee and a bit of breakfast with the other pilgrims, walk, eat lunch, walk, unpack, shower, rinse clothes, eat dinner, sleep. Returning to the reality of a more charged life seemed unnatural.

Every day on the Camino was only full of strength and success...I started walking in the morning and I always arrived at the gite or auberge where I was to sleep that night with no doubt or problems that could not be resolved. Every day was a neat tidy and beautiful package all tied up and completed. Even though there were many challenges faced (including the morning I hiked for more than 2 hours on some nasty, hilly, muddy paths only to return to my starting point...yes it is possible to wander off the Camino!) and more than a little discomfort life felt more compressed and manageable in little one day dosed packages.

Walking in the beautiful countryside and forests from Le Puy to Figeac on the Camino Via Podiensis was one of the most incredible and trying experiences in my life. It may come as a surprise to those who have heard of the Camino that there are actually many Camino routes that crisscross France and Spain and even begin in Germany and Switzerland. This stage of the Camino in France is considered one of the most beautiful, yet physically challenging which is actually why I chose to walk it...and to walk alone and not in a group. Legend has it that the first pilgrim to walk this route was the Bishop of Le Puy in 950 CE. Pilgrims at that time were said to have walked around 60 kilometers a day. This made me feel lazy and soft when I was pretty exhausted after 25 kilometers. I often thought about what he would have seen that I was seeing all these centuries later...the huge rock formations, the rivers, the mountains we crossed.

In the months before I walked, I had done my usual anxiety driven research on the route trying to anticipate and control the weather, the challenges of the steep terrain, even how to recognize and deal with the three types of mud - did you know there are three types of mud? I thought that if I filled my head with enough information, I could handle (control) every possible obstacle. It was my armor against failure. Failure was not making it the whole 250 kilometers to Figeac. All of that anxiety and armor became a giant waste of time the second my feet hit the Camino. Failure became irrelevant. Obstacles were diminished down to small choices. Where is the best foot hold on this rocky climb? Can I walk faster so that I get out of this snow storm before I freeze? Can I walk fast enough to make up for the time I was on the wrong trail?

There were many trials and tests of mental and physical grit, but I always succeeded. No one controlled my day or critiqued my form or my choices or my methods. Every decision, every step was mine and mine alone to own, to take responsibility for, to celebrate. At the end of each day, pilgrims shared their struggles, successes and war stories...celebrating each day the fact that we all made it through the difficulties and length of the walk. When someone had a serious issue, we all gathered and supported that person and cheered them on to muster on or to pause and care for their needs. We drew courage from others who walked the same path as us, but with seemingly more challenges. The most steepest and longest day on the Camino was giving me a bit of angst as I watched the weather and assessed my strengths. A woman who was almost completely blind and a generation older than me said she had done that section two years before and as long as I took it slowly, I would be ok. How could I not draw courage from this woman and her confidence and strength? As I faced the mountains that day, it occurred to me that we all have baggage and burdens, but if we just face each step one at a time, we can handle any challenge that is put in front of us. Our biggest obstacle is our self doubt.

Walking on the Camino has become my annual movable retreat in the countryside. Something I look forward to. Something that keeps me walking every day to stay strong. Something that reminds me that I am up to any challenge this life throws my way. Bring it on!

Camino Meditations

2016-04-23T16:29:00.000+02:00

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.

Thomas Merton

***

Lean back into the present moment. Savor it! Release and relax into it! Be completely aware of the present.

***

One step at a time...one breath at a time.

***

http://www.wildmind.org/walking/overview

***

In beauty may I walk.

All day long may I walk.

Through the returning seasons may I walk.

Beautifully birds . . .

Beautifully joyful birds

With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk.

With dew about my feet may I walk.

With beauty before me, may I walk.

With beauty behind me, may I walk.

With beauty above me, may I walk.

With beauty below me, may I walk.

With beauty all around me, may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.

It is finished in beauty...

A Navajo Indian Prayer of the Second Day of the Night Chant (anonymous)

Energy for those LONG hills!!!

2016-04-23T10:46:00.000+02:00

Last May I walked the Camino Norte/Primitivo. It was my first Camino and my first ever long hiking experience. One of the biggest mistakes I made was not having a bit of energy throughout the day...that and not regularly drinking water. I can now see what a HUGE difference that would have made. The most difficult day of the Camino was a continuous all day up and down overall climb from sea level to 337 meters of more than 28 kilometers.

We started too late missing out on our morning energy and fresh legs. We did not take any long breaks except for a sandwich and cake lunch (note serious lack of complex nutrients in that lunch!) and I did not drink enough water continuously. By the end of the day we were dragging the last dregs of energy on the last hilly 6 kilometers to our dinner of mushy microwaved pasta and magnum ice cream bar (again note the lack of complex nutrients!)

So with the gained knowledge and the known hilliness of the Le Puy route, I am better preparing for my Camino this year. I have energy powder to add to my morning water bottle and healthy nutrient packed snacks. Nathan gave me the recipe for the peanut butter bars:

Oats

Dried fruit (I used cranberries)

Nuts (I used roasted soy nuts)

Chocolate (70% dark chopped)

Peanut butter

Honey

It is all mixed and then let to sit so the oats soften a bit. Then it is formed into a rectangle and cut into bars. I refrigerated mine to harden the peanut butter a bit.

Trail mix for nibbling as needed

Peanuts

Dried cranberries

Dark 70% chocolate

I know there will definitely be challenges on this Camino, but I do not plan to run out of fuel and hydration this time!!

Two more sleeps!!!

MUD!!!!

2016-04-20T11:23:00.000+02:00

When I was a "coach" for my daughter's soccer team and we encountered a messy, muddy field on game days, I immediately would insist that they go jump in the big holes full of water and mud before the game started. Our incredible leader Jen N always said that kids need to get in the mud in soccer. It is a messy physical game and they need to not be afraid to jump in the mud! Of course, I got some sour looks from parents who had to clean them up after the game, but Jen had a very valid point. Soccer as in life is a muddy messy game!

So fast forward more than a few years and here I am about to hit the Camino on Monday from Le Puy. No doubt there will be mud and it will get messy. It is Spring in the Auvergne...it rains in the Spring in the Auvergne. There will be mud! Rather than let it freak me out and make me nervous which will not lead to good, I need to find that puddle full of water and mud and jump in it! Get it over even if it is figuratively in my head! It is just rain...it is just mud. I have been in both before and it can be fun or it can be miserable. Most depends on my outlook and not reality.

So on that note, I did as I always do when I am challenged by something...I google it! So here are the results:

When I was first learning to ski, I remember the lessons about dealing with ice and slipping. It seems to be applicable to hiking in the rain as well. Walk duck footed to get a better grip and avoid slipping. Traverse across the slope rather than straight down to deal with slipping and speed. This latter advice I use even in dry times on any steep ascent or descent. It cuts the grade if you walk across the grade at an angle rather than straight down.

So there is my logical, rational brain dealing with the challenges of rain. Now I will go out and enjoy the rain and wallow in the mud!! Bring it on!!

My Camino Shell

2016-04-07T11:25:00.001+02:00

This is a scallop shell that was given to me last May when I walked the Camino by the owner of a wonderful Basque auberge that we stayed at. Such wonderful memories of connecting with fellow pilgrims, wonderful Basque cuisine, and generous and welcoming hosts!

I decided to make it my record of the pilgrimages I hope to continue throughout my life. I have attached it with 20 gauge copper wire and some wonderful ribbon that I had in my stash that has Imagine, Hope, Believe, Dream printed on it. I am writing the dates of my camino pilgrimages on the inside of the shell to remember that the journey continues!

17 More Sleeps to Mon Chemin 2016!!

2016-04-07T11:20:00.000+02:00

I have been thinking on my May 2015 Camino a lot recently as my 2016 Camino approaches. There are many lessons that I learned from my first Camino.

To leave my anxieties floating outside of myself as they are just proof that I am pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.
To not over think and over plan as it feeds those anxieties rather than assuaging them. And it is a grand waste of time!
To bring only the absolute essentials in order to focus more on the walk than the burden I carry. I was so surprised to find that I needed so little. The rest truly became extra weight and useless.
To be open to all experiences and people that I will encounter. Challenging or joyful, they are all part of the journey and teach me something about myself.

Ascension Mass at the Cathedral in Santiago

2015-05-17T16:44:00.001+02:00

The Mass was such an incredible experience and finale to my Camino. There is an immense and beautiful incense vessel (thurbinger ??) that took 3 or 4 men to tend to the rope and cause it to swing in grand sweeping arcs over the worshippers and almost to the top of the volume of the Cathedral all the while spewing clouds of incense. Amazing!!!

I swear it is to cover the human smell of us pilgrims who have not washed properly in many days!!! My shoes alone are more pungent than the incense!!

The number of each nationality of Pilgrim that arrived yesterday was announced (40 Americans) and a very warm welcome in many languages was said.

The organ music, chanting, and choir hymns filled the Cathedral with joy. Much emotion on the part of the pilgrims around us.

Whew...drained physically and emotionally, but in a peaceful and joyous way. Thankful for all of the love and support from my family and friends. What an amazingly beautiful experience!!

Santiago !!

2015-05-17T09:07:00.001+02:00

I am sure it will take a while to transition from the daily routine of the Camino, but for now I will enjoy it. Woke up early and wandered through a still sleeping Santiago. Empty and peaceful streets... Fresh cool morning air.

Wandered into a coffee shop on the outskirts of the old city only to meet up with the three Spanish men that we had leapfrogged for about half of the Camino.

We encountered some really nice souls. While you don't get to know many people as everyone is on their own Camino, your trajectories touch and intersect on the journey.

I am so grateful for this experience and it has changed how I see myself and what I am capable of. Also I am certain that I will return to the Camino.

Pedrouzo to Santiago

2015-05-16T23:13:00.001+02:00

Sorry... Way to tired to write. Long, draining day... Physically and emotionally. Made it all the way!!! 220 km !!!

Thank you all for your support!!! More tomorrow after some sleep!!

Arzua to Pedrouzo

2015-05-15T21:25:00.001+02:00

Start 7h45
End 13h28
22.27 km
28,619 steps

Tomorrow we arrive in Santiago!! There is definitely an air more festive today. We moved from the Camino Norte to the Camino Frances. Many more groups of pilgrims as we also joined those who walk the requisite 100km for a Compostelle and those who are followed by a tourist bus that carries their luggage to each stop.

The bar we stopped at for the 10h00 pause café (à French requirement!!) was quite the festive spot. Pilgrims leave their unwanted burdens, clothes, thoughts, and general graffiti everywhere. What an energetic spot!!

Cannot wait to arrive, but just a touch sad to part ways with these four wonderful Françaises... Sylvie, Marie-Hélène , Roselyne, et Marie-Claude . It was especially great to pass the last half of the Camino with them. There have been mostly men walking with just a few women. Our group became recognizable as les françaises. Much warmth and laughter and companionship.

Many lessons learned, a slightly different view of who I am and what I am capable of, and many memories of the challenges, the beauty of Spain, and the wonderful spirit of the pilgrims.

Already I yearn to return!!

The Monastery at Sobrado

2015-05-14T17:40:00.001+02:00

14 monks (monxes) remain in this large monastery that was first started in 950 ad. The main large church - while still sacred space - is no longer used. It is slowly being taken over by moss and vines. So large and quiet and empty, but beautiful and full of the Spirit.

A Marcela to Sobrado des Monxes

2015-05-13T18:14:00.001+02:00

Start 9h25
End 13h41
15.84 Km
Steps 21,689

There is a calm rhythm to the days now. The most difficult challenges are behind us. We awake... we eat... we pack up...we walk... We eat... We unpack on our bed... We shower... We wash our clothes... We write in our journals and visit... If we are not too tired, we eat... We sleep.

For the last half, we have fallen in with four beautiful French women who share our same rhythm. They are full of joy and laughter.

Tonight we are staying at a monastery that dates back to the 10th century. Vespers with the small amount of monks that remain is in one hour. A bit of peace and quiet before sleep.

BiTerra

2015-05-12T22:45:00.001+02:00

Well we found ourselves at the end of our walking day at an albergue on the Camino. The owner pantomimed that if we did not call for a reservation, there was no room at the Inn. Another four françaises arrive and they too have not reserved. What is a poor Pilgrim to do??

The owner gave me a card and said there was an Inn close by whose owners speak English. I called and they said they have 3 rooms for 6 people AND they would come pick us up and tomorrow drop us back at the Camino. How perfect was that??

The Inn was so beautiful... A restored farmhouse from the 1700s.The owners are basque and amazingly generous and such hosts. After a glass of wine in the sunshine, we had a meal cooked by the mother of the owner... Fried purée of potato with nettles, squid with a black ink sauce, seared pieces of côté de boeuf and patates, and a basque style rice pudding.

After some homemade digestifs, we rolled into bed. It will take some major walking tomorrow to work off tonight's dinner!!!

Us poor pilgrims!!!! Pray for us!!!! :)

Becoming One with the Camino

2015-05-12T18:01:00.001+02:00

Each day is more comfortable... each day I feel stronger... each day I look forward to the new experiences. I feel a part of the Camino.

It is so incredibly beautiful walking through the countryside of Spain. The people who live along the Camino are so kind and generous. If we need water or directions or a phone call to find a room for the night.

Our Dogs Are Tired!!!

2015-05-11T22:12:00.001+02:00

We pushed ourselves so much today and are happy and proud, but man oh man do our feet hurt.

The morning passed by quickly... Fog quieted the way. The birds were the only sound including a distant cuckoo. Beautiful farm land and forests.

After the fog burned off, the sun got intense. We walked (with only a coffee and some nuts for breakfast) 22 km before lunch!! We chowed down on a beautifully cooked Salmon steak, great bread and a salad. We had to laugh at one point as we noticed that all of us were hunched over our plates quietly scarfing down pieces of the thick country bread they brought us.

After lunch we decided to plug on as it stays light well past 21h00 these days. We intended to stay at an Inn in the hills, but unfortunately they are closed. A very nice senora told us there was a hostel 2km down the road. You would have thought she sent us on a death march . We were so past exhaustion. Showers felt divine, but as I write this, my dogs still hurt. Hopefully they will be happy in the morning.

Start 8h38
End 19h25
32 km
44,713 steps

Mondonedo to Vilalba

2015-05-10T19:25:00.001+02:00

Start 9h11
End 15h37
16.78km

23,651 steps
about 120 km left to SJdC

Nice walking today!
Some impressive climbing, but not quite as steep as the second day.
Beautiful sunshine..glorious countryside...even the beast behaved
! Long day tomorrow, but not a great deal of hills.

Wild strawberries

fabulous spirit and artist who lives off the grid next to the
Camino.
She gave us a tour of her space and shared her incredible art with us.

Spring fed water stop...water has never tasted so fresh or good

Festa we passed. The singer sang about and to us pilgrims...quite the personality.
Gotta love small villages!

The Beast!

2015-05-09T14:13:00.001+02:00

Let me introduce you to my greatest challenge!! Without it you would hear nothing but vacation narrative about the Camino.

The Beast weighs 8.5 kilos and I feel every gram on the steep hills... Up or down!! Yesterday when we thought we were almost there and we still had 5 km and lots more Hills to go, I almost abandoned the Beast. How incredibly freeing it feels at the end of the day to take all that weight off of my shoulders!!!!

Day of Récupération

2015-05-09T14:09:00.001+02:00

San Xusto to Mondonedo
Start 8h36
End 13h50
13.66 km
19,504 steps

158 km to Santiago

Early morning start... Coffee after 3.5 km... Beautiful day with gentle breezes, forests, farms... Hills that were shorter and more gentle than yesterday. No pains, good strength after yesterday's beating. But at lunch time you feel your energy has left your muscles. Always feel so refreshed after lunch... Like a new person!!

La Caridad to San Xusto

2015-05-08T21:15:00.001+02:00

I left everything on the Camino today. We walked from sea level up and down (mostly up) about 340 meters. It was the toughest, most physically challenging thing I have ever tried. Each time I thought I could go no further, another steep hill was around the corner. Walking with a seriously strong and athletic runner made it even more challenging. I forced myself further, under the hot sun, without many breaks, not enough calories or water. If Nathan had not convinced to buy powdered energy for my water bottle, I would have been in serious trouble.

But I DID IT and survived!!!! That means something and I am proud of it even if I just wolfed down a huge plate of pasta and am now completely exhausted. But I will get out of bed and do it again tomorrow... But never that many kms , hills, and not enough good and water!!

27.3 km
10h41 to 18h44

First day on the Camino

2015-05-07T21:33:00.001+02:00

So we hear that this was the most beautiful part of our Camino. I had to remind myself that this was not the central coast of California! What a amazingly beautiful first day.

Fern filled forests with a rainbow of wild flowers, rushing rivers, small swamp filled with croaking frogs, rocky coastlines, enticing beaches, old Spanish men chewing on last night's soccer match, surfers, farmers tilling their land, happy cows, lazy cats.

La Caridad to Figueras
Lunch break in Tapia
Around 29km
9h30 to 19h00

Tourist before Pilgrim

2015-05-05T23:31:00.001+02:00

Walking through the beautiful boulevards of Barcelona. Mild Spring day full of birds chirping, gentle breezes, and people strolling. A bit of big city before hiking in the countryside.

Countdown begins...

2015-05-03T15:14:00.001+02:00

So this is it... Tuesday I leave for Spain. Finished packing up my backpack and walked with it. Combined with the weight of my anxieties, it feels so much heavier and awkward than it did the last time I trained with it. When did all my confidence and excitement turn into dread and anxiety? Can I do this? Will my joints hold up? What have I gotten myself into????

Just breathe... One foot in front of the other... Let the journey unfold.

Petit Pierre Redux

2015-05-01T21:45:00.001+02:00

Another incredible meal at
Petit Pierre in
Beziers

Fasnacht in Überlingen, Germany

2015-02-19T17:20:00.003+01:00

During a recent trip to the family in Singen, our fun Stuttgart cousin and her sidekick, Dieter, took us to Fasnacht in Überlingen, Germany. It is the Saturday night before Mardi Gras. The Guilds of Überlingen dress up in their traditional, but somewhat strange, costumes and parade through the streets like mischievous sprites looking for trouble!

The whips are just that so needed touch of danger and noise that every Mardi Gras needs! Just inches from our unprotected flesh, the Guild members would start slowly spinning the whip to warn everyone to get out of their range. Then the fun begins!! The crack sounds like gun fire and the whip flies in two opposing directions making me cringe as far as possible from the trajectory. Yikes! I kept hoping they had not consumed too many of the humongous beer steins typical for German males!

Everyone in the crowd is dressed up in costume...we definitely felt out of it in our regular street clothes. Now I know where all of those funky weird costumes go that are sold in the stores at this time of year!

What a wild and fun night!! Great to know that after almost ten years in Europe, we can still be surprised!

A Glorious December Day!

2014-12-18T13:05:00.003+01:00

After so much grey and rain, we began to wonder if the South of France had changed its colors! We were ready to build an ark after one storm that dumped more than 30 cm of rain in less than 3h30! Then we had a previously unknown occurrence of 48 straight hours of rain...drizzle turning to downpour turning to steady drumming on the roof rain...How could this be Montpellier!?!

But then there are days like today when I remember why we live here. WOW!!